18 VW GTI?
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Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I guess that depends on how you define nice. The EA888 is a sweet little mill.
I've driven a '15 GTI and a '16 A3 with the 2.0T engine. I really did not care for these power plants. You had to work them hard to get some performance out of them and they did not sound good while doing it. I will gladly pay a premium for a more refined 6-cyl plant and take the MPG hit.
IMO, a nice near-luxury car like the Arteon deserves a better engine, but I agree with you that the numbers would be hard to swallow for most buyers.
My apologies to OP for a slight OT.
I guess that depends on how you define nice. The EA888 is a sweet little mill.
I've driven a '15 GTI and a '16 A3 with the 2.0T engine. I really did not care for these power plants. You had to work them hard to get some performance out of them and they did not sound good while doing it. I will gladly pay a premium for a more refined 6-cyl plant and take the MPG hit.
IMO, a nice near-luxury car like the Arteon deserves a better engine, but I agree with you that the numbers would be hard to swallow for most buyers.
My apologies to OP for a slight OT.
Originally Posted By: CELICA_XX
I love how people chime in with brand new cars and claim how reliable they are.
My neighbor does the same thing with his new Range Rover.
To be a little fair, the EA888 in the GTI has only been around since 2013ish. I know some one with a 2014 with 50k hard miles, with no issues. At the same time, I don't expect these GTIs to be 150k plus cars with no issue... After all they are cheap speed. Many on this forum think of chevy 350s when they think reliability. A GTI or WRX or Focus ST isn't that.
1. cheap
2. reliable
3. fast
Pick 2.
I love how people chime in with brand new cars and claim how reliable they are.
My neighbor does the same thing with his new Range Rover.
To be a little fair, the EA888 in the GTI has only been around since 2013ish. I know some one with a 2014 with 50k hard miles, with no issues. At the same time, I don't expect these GTIs to be 150k plus cars with no issue... After all they are cheap speed. Many on this forum think of chevy 350s when they think reliability. A GTI or WRX or Focus ST isn't that.
1. cheap
2. reliable
3. fast
Pick 2.
New cars are reliable?
Not if you count engines giving up the ghost at 60K miles. Most we've had in the past decade didn't make it.
I have a Japanese Nissan. It has its problems with brakes exhaust and steering, but it does start and drive.
Reliable? Not in the sense of a '86 Camry or a vintage Honda accord.
The engine seems solid if you keep Nissan filters off of it and put a nice oil in there, thans is holding on amazing with ME driving it. I do question if the dealer put NISSAN fluid in it for a pan drain at a36K mile service seems to run up the rpms higher than it used to. Maybe a trans program reflash? IDK.
It does have SACHS shocks though
Nice fluid and controlled ride without bounce. Subaru take note in you buckboard poor damper selection! Pitiful Subaru!
Not if you count engines giving up the ghost at 60K miles. Most we've had in the past decade didn't make it.
I have a Japanese Nissan. It has its problems with brakes exhaust and steering, but it does start and drive.
Reliable? Not in the sense of a '86 Camry or a vintage Honda accord.
The engine seems solid if you keep Nissan filters off of it and put a nice oil in there, thans is holding on amazing with ME driving it. I do question if the dealer put NISSAN fluid in it for a pan drain at a36K mile service seems to run up the rpms higher than it used to. Maybe a trans program reflash? IDK.
It does have SACHS shocks though
Did they fix the dual mass flywheel yet? I had one give up after 249kmiles, and I'm not sure if that is really an "ok" lifespan for a flywheel. I mean, I examined the clutch disc, and it clearly had piles of life left--as in, not half worn. Maybe most drivers would have needed a clutch by then, thus by doing so a weak flywheel would normally be placed & thus not a problem?
I know that's not a reliability issue (it gave ample warning) but still.
I know that's not a reliability issue (it gave ample warning) but still.
Quote:
VW does a good job with parts revisions. When parts are having quality control issues, VW works on improving the part until it becomes reliable.
VW was the first automaker to make real widespread use of the dual clutch automatic. It had some teething pains, but is generally a solid unit
in newer VW's. It is made by Borg Warner in Japan for VW.
There is your answer right there. They working on improving the parts even to the point they ask the japanese to mfg the parts for them.... j/k.
VW does a good job with parts revisions. When parts are having quality control issues, VW works on improving the part until it becomes reliable.
VW was the first automaker to make real widespread use of the dual clutch automatic. It had some teething pains, but is generally a solid unit
in newer VW's. It is made by Borg Warner in Japan for VW.
There is your answer right there. They working on improving the parts even to the point they ask the japanese to mfg the parts for them.... j/k.
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The design is reliable. Not everyone gets a trouble free car, like all makes. My wagon has been good. No oil burning, great mpg, plenty of power with just the shorter stroke 1.8. Mines in the driveway this winter and it performs perfectly in the cold. Not sure how it cold starts drives 12 miles in city and still gets at least 30mpg in the cold.
Originally Posted By: Camprunner
I am thinking about buying a new VW GTI this spring so I have a few questions....
Are today's VW's reliable?
I see that VW is offering a nice warranty on a new one but will it be void if I change my own oil?
Is it possible to change my own oil on this car or do I need special tools?
Does it take special dealer oil or can I still get my oil at WM?
I am thinking about the dual clutch automatic transmission does anyone know how reliable this trans is?
1. In a nutshell, yes, IMHO late-model VWs are reliable. However, rather than perhaps buying or leasing a car, any car, based on the opinions of, say, a few dozen owners who, in a sense, have a dog in the fight, were I you I'd look for the comments of a much greater demographic -- say, for example, the string-savers and full-time critics who subscribe to Consumer Reports. (Were you to go there or pick up a copy of the latest automobile issue, which may actually be on newsstands now, you'd see and read that the mechanical bits of VWs are reliable -- even very reliable -- but that, like most automobiles these days, it's the electronic gadgets and telecommunications devices that are either problematic or hard to use. This could not be clearer from the owner surveys. (JFI, roughly 600k owners typically participate in CR owner surveys.) You should also spend some time on www.vwvortex.com.
2. No, VW will not void your warranty for changing your own oil. Actually, no manufacturer can do that; it's prohibited by law in the U.S. Keep your receipts, and you are good to go. Same with any other routine maintenance you perform or have done.
3. No, you do not need any "special" tools to perform your own oil changes. In this regard, if you wander over to www.vwvortex.com, you'll see that many owners do their own oil changes, and these days there's a growing trend to the use of oil-extractors. Their use makes oil changes ridiculously quick and simple. The oil filter on most new V-Dubs is topside, which is also convenient.
4. No, Volkswagen do not require a "special" oil. VW does specify a particular quality oil -- a 502 certified oil, but all the majors -- Castrol, Exxon-Mobil and Shell -- sell the stuff (5W-40 synthetic). (As an aside, many on this board and elsewhere recommend 0W-40 weight oil, and that, too, is available virtually everywhere motor oil is sold, including WalMart, where it's virtually free.
5. And, yes, VW's dual-clutch transmission is state-of-the-art. Here again, I encourage you to log on to www.vwvortex.com or www.golfmk7.com and read the owners' comments regarding the DCT and answers to the sorts of questions you posted here.
6. Finally, if you happen to be interested in VW's GTI, you'll soon be pleased to discover that, owing perhaps to all the negative press generated around "diesel-gate," Volkswagen as a manufacturer, and the dealers individually, continue to discount VWs (all of them) by roughly 15-20% from the MSRP. In other words, if you can maintain body temperature, you should be able to buy a well-equipped GTI -- the "SE" model for example -- for $3k-4k off the MSRP; more if you can find a 2017. Thus, if you like the car, you'll find the vast majority of owners think it represents a lot of value for money spent.
I am thinking about buying a new VW GTI this spring so I have a few questions....
Are today's VW's reliable?
I see that VW is offering a nice warranty on a new one but will it be void if I change my own oil?
Is it possible to change my own oil on this car or do I need special tools?
Does it take special dealer oil or can I still get my oil at WM?
I am thinking about the dual clutch automatic transmission does anyone know how reliable this trans is?
1. In a nutshell, yes, IMHO late-model VWs are reliable. However, rather than perhaps buying or leasing a car, any car, based on the opinions of, say, a few dozen owners who, in a sense, have a dog in the fight, were I you I'd look for the comments of a much greater demographic -- say, for example, the string-savers and full-time critics who subscribe to Consumer Reports. (Were you to go there or pick up a copy of the latest automobile issue, which may actually be on newsstands now, you'd see and read that the mechanical bits of VWs are reliable -- even very reliable -- but that, like most automobiles these days, it's the electronic gadgets and telecommunications devices that are either problematic or hard to use. This could not be clearer from the owner surveys. (JFI, roughly 600k owners typically participate in CR owner surveys.) You should also spend some time on www.vwvortex.com.
2. No, VW will not void your warranty for changing your own oil. Actually, no manufacturer can do that; it's prohibited by law in the U.S. Keep your receipts, and you are good to go. Same with any other routine maintenance you perform or have done.
3. No, you do not need any "special" tools to perform your own oil changes. In this regard, if you wander over to www.vwvortex.com, you'll see that many owners do their own oil changes, and these days there's a growing trend to the use of oil-extractors. Their use makes oil changes ridiculously quick and simple. The oil filter on most new V-Dubs is topside, which is also convenient.
4. No, Volkswagen do not require a "special" oil. VW does specify a particular quality oil -- a 502 certified oil, but all the majors -- Castrol, Exxon-Mobil and Shell -- sell the stuff (5W-40 synthetic). (As an aside, many on this board and elsewhere recommend 0W-40 weight oil, and that, too, is available virtually everywhere motor oil is sold, including WalMart, where it's virtually free.
5. And, yes, VW's dual-clutch transmission is state-of-the-art. Here again, I encourage you to log on to www.vwvortex.com or www.golfmk7.com and read the owners' comments regarding the DCT and answers to the sorts of questions you posted here.
6. Finally, if you happen to be interested in VW's GTI, you'll soon be pleased to discover that, owing perhaps to all the negative press generated around "diesel-gate," Volkswagen as a manufacturer, and the dealers individually, continue to discount VWs (all of them) by roughly 15-20% from the MSRP. In other words, if you can maintain body temperature, you should be able to buy a well-equipped GTI -- the "SE" model for example -- for $3k-4k off the MSRP; more if you can find a 2017. Thus, if you like the car, you'll find the vast majority of owners think it represents a lot of value for money spent.
Originally Posted By: Hounds
1. In a nutshell, yes, IMHO late-model VWs are reliable. However, rather than perhaps buying or leasing a car, any car, based on the opinions of, say, a few dozen owners who, in a sense, have a dog in the fight, were I you I'd look for the comments of a much greater demographic -- say, for example, the string-savers and full-time critics who subscribe to Consumer Reports. (Were you to go there or pick up a copy of the latest automobile issue, which may actually be on newsstands now, you'd see and read that the mechanical bits of VWs are reliable -- even very reliable -- but that, like most automobiles these days, it's the electronic gadgets and telecommunications devices that are either problematic or hard to use. This could not be clearer from the owner surveys. (JFI, roughly 600k owners typically participate in CR owner surveys.) You should also spend some time on www.vwvortex.com.
I think visiting a forum and seeing what problems actual owners are having along with what frequency they are having those problems is a lot more useful than seeing what a bunch of idiot journalists with an agenda from consumer reports have to say.
Sorry to their die hard fans, but consumer reports is nonsense, and so are many of those "automotive surveys". Most of them sample owners who had a vehicle for 3 months or who subscribe to their "Toyotas are the best cars in the world and can never do any wrong" theories. We know Toyotas are reliable, but their information on other brands always seems to be lacking. If you look closely at the surveys many of them rank infotainment glitches in the same category as engine failure. If one car has 10 infotainment glitches, like bluetooth struggling to connect consistently, and another car has 8 engine failures, the one with the infotainment glitches will be considered less reliable. I even saw one reliability survey that had Audi near the top and VW near the bottom. Interesting since many of the Audis have the exact same drive train, platform, and parts as the VW products.
Read vehicle specific forums, research common repairs, etc. All cars have problems, and VW is no exception, but some of their models can be very reliable depending on what you buy. Doing YOUR OWN research on the specific vehicle you are looking for is the only way to avoid generalized statements that have no information.
1. In a nutshell, yes, IMHO late-model VWs are reliable. However, rather than perhaps buying or leasing a car, any car, based on the opinions of, say, a few dozen owners who, in a sense, have a dog in the fight, were I you I'd look for the comments of a much greater demographic -- say, for example, the string-savers and full-time critics who subscribe to Consumer Reports. (Were you to go there or pick up a copy of the latest automobile issue, which may actually be on newsstands now, you'd see and read that the mechanical bits of VWs are reliable -- even very reliable -- but that, like most automobiles these days, it's the electronic gadgets and telecommunications devices that are either problematic or hard to use. This could not be clearer from the owner surveys. (JFI, roughly 600k owners typically participate in CR owner surveys.) You should also spend some time on www.vwvortex.com.
I think visiting a forum and seeing what problems actual owners are having along with what frequency they are having those problems is a lot more useful than seeing what a bunch of idiot journalists with an agenda from consumer reports have to say.
Sorry to their die hard fans, but consumer reports is nonsense, and so are many of those "automotive surveys". Most of them sample owners who had a vehicle for 3 months or who subscribe to their "Toyotas are the best cars in the world and can never do any wrong" theories. We know Toyotas are reliable, but their information on other brands always seems to be lacking. If you look closely at the surveys many of them rank infotainment glitches in the same category as engine failure. If one car has 10 infotainment glitches, like bluetooth struggling to connect consistently, and another car has 8 engine failures, the one with the infotainment glitches will be considered less reliable. I even saw one reliability survey that had Audi near the top and VW near the bottom. Interesting since many of the Audis have the exact same drive train, platform, and parts as the VW products.
Read vehicle specific forums, research common repairs, etc. All cars have problems, and VW is no exception, but some of their models can be very reliable depending on what you buy. Doing YOUR OWN research on the specific vehicle you are looking for is the only way to avoid generalized statements that have no information.
First I'll say I absolutely LOVE my '17 GTI, but if this is your first VW prepare for some eventual quirks. The first model year of the MK7's (2015) did have some issues, but were pretty much fixed by 2016 and as far as I've read the 2017's are solid. The 6 speed manual is an oddball to me. The gear ratios are a little wacky, although I drive mostly state roads with varying speed limits. Strait interstate and you never need to get out of 6th as it's in its torque band. The only thing you need to change oil is a 32mm socket for the filter housing and a flat-head screwdriver for the drain plug. No need for "special" oil, M1 or Castrol 0w40 off the Wal-Mart shelf will serve your car well. The infotainment system has worked well for me (music and blue-tooth calling), although once in a blue moon (heh) it will decide to get Special Ed. Just hit the power button off and on and it fixes itself. Fuel mileage is excellent; I can average 36 on state roads and 32-33 on the highway at 80mph.
I picked up my 2017 GTI S in February 2017 for $22,800 OTD which was around 5K off MSRP.
I picked up my 2017 GTI S in February 2017 for $22,800 OTD which was around 5K off MSRP.
Love my '17 Jetta...I realize it's not the same beast as a GTI (wish it was) but I have 6500 miles on it since I got it new in June and think it's wonderful. Seats feel good on my aching back, don't hate the v-tex seats like I thought I might, gets amazing fuel economy with the 1.4t. If it got totalled today, I'd go get another one just like it, although I might get a different color just to mix it up a little.
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