Damn you VW

[Hartside]

Well, it is nearing the time where I start to look at my next car and I was starting to think a VW Golf TDI GT might fit the bill. I was in Germany for 4 days this week and hired a VW Golf TDI to drive a round trip of about 500km. The car I had was fitted with satnav system, however it was not a colour screen, nor did it have a map. It only had voice directions and text display with arrows.

It was fitted with all the bits and bobs like dual climate, reversing sensors etc. First problem was finding where to change the satnav from German to English. Took me about 15 minutes to work it out (and I speak German!) Then came the next problem - having got it working in English, it then took me a further 15 minutes to get the direction I wanted to go to into the system. The menus were not intuitive at all! That done, I set off. General observations were that the ride quality was better than the Civic, it wasn't as unsettled by poor road surfaces than the Civic is. I thought that the engine noise was very rough at all speeds and you were left in no doubt that it was a diesel car you were driving. Acceleration was decent, but just a bit too punchy at times for my liking. In general though it was a fairly decent drive and returned excellent consumption

What I absolutely did not like though, was the quality of the interior. I know people think the Golf interior is bland/boring but it is something I could live with if the materials were better quality. There are too many hard plastics for my liking and it didn't feel particularly well screwed together. The switches felt decidedly shoddy as did the indicator and light stalks.

Would I buy one now? I don't think so........but maybe the new 2008 Golf will be more attractive and better built when launched next year. For now my troublesome Civic will remain in my garage!

[angie4m]

Originally Posted by Hartside

Well, it is nearing the time where I start to look at my next car and I was starting to think a VW Golf TDI GT might fit the bill. I was in Germany for 4 days this week and hired a VW Golf TDI to drive a round trip of about 500km. The car I had was fitted with satnav system, however it was not a colour screen, nor did it have a map. It only had voice directions and text display with arrows.

It was fitted with all the bits and bobs like dual climate, reversing sensors etc. First problem was finding where to change the satnav from German to English. Took me about 15 minutes to work it out (and I speak German!) Then came the next problem - having got it working in English, it then took me a further 15 minutes to get the direction I wanted to go to into the system. The menus were not intuitive at all! That done, I set off. General observations were that the ride quality was better than the Civic, it wasn't as unsettled by poor road surfaces than the Civic is. I thought that the engine noise was very rough at all speeds and you were left in no doubt that it was a diesel car you were driving. Acceleration was decent, but just a bit too punchy at times for my liking. In general though it was a fairly decent drive and returned excellent consumption

What I absolutely did not like though, was the quality of the interior. I know people think the Golf interior is bland/boring but it is something I could live with if the materials were better quality. There are too many hard plastics for my liking and it didn't feel particularly well screwed together. The switches felt decidedly shoddy as did the indicator and light stalks.

Would I buy one now? I don't think so........but maybe the new 2008 Golf will be more attractive and better built when launched next year. For now my troublesome Civic will remain in my garage!

Everyone says that the worst Golf is a Golf!

They now look Ugly and they sound like a tank! My neighbours have the TDi - Does nothing for me, looks drab!

Not value for money with VW. I looked at the R32 (really loved the first one) but it was crap really. You get the same dash and interior as a 1.2, 3 cyclinder polo which costs about a quater of the price!

I'm sure you'll find something - btw whats wrong with the Civic?

[FWH]

Hartside,

I drive a lot of different cars as rentals - and I find that nothing in the "Golf-size" beats the Civic.

Just read what I though of the F*rd F*cus in a similair post to yours...

[Hartside]

Thanks FWH, makes interesting reading.

angie4m, problems have been a recurring flat battery problem, passenger door handle replaced, struts on rear tailgate failed, scratched dashboard by dealer, clunking from the rear nearside and faults with the satnav screen flickering purple.

Recurring flat battery - who knows wheteher it's fixed or not until the next time, but this is why I'm thinking of changing. I can't live with an unreliable car!
Sat nav - still flickering and has been back 4 times for this now
Clunk from rear - back 3 times for this and last time they found the springs were upside down (why wasn't this found before?) It's still clunking!

[jayt43]

The only VW I ever fancied getting was a camper van to tour Europe.

And, though I really like visiting Germany, all those big Mercedes and BMWs I find a bit repugnant.

However, stylistically, I've always admired the solid, hewn from granite look of most Audis. Simple and clean lines are what do it for me, not all that flame surfacing junk that Bangle saddled the entire beemer range with.

Of course, if I was in the market for a German car and had the cash to spare I'd choose a 911 GT3. Now that's classy engineering

[angie4m]

Originally Posted by Hartside

Thanks FWH, makes interesting reading.

angie4m, problems have been a recurring flat battery problem, passenger door handle replaced, struts on rear tailgate failed, scratched dashboard by dealer, clunking from the rear nearside and faults with the satnav screen flickering purple.

Recurring flat battery - who knows wheteher it's fixed or not until the next time, but this is why I'm thinking of changing. I can't live with an unreliable car!
Sat nav - still flickering and has been back 4 times for this now
Clunk from rear - back 3 times for this and last time they found the springs were upside down (why wasn't this found before?) It's still clunking!

Not good about the battery, surely they must know whats drawing the porwer from it. But then again most places put a car on the diagnostics machine and expect it to tell them what the problem is.

I had found in the past that when I have taken a car in cause there is a issue with it they never find it, but when it goes in for something else about 6 months later they come across it and have totally forgotten thats what they were meant to be looking for last time.

[FWH]

Originally Posted by angie4m

Not good about the battery, surely they must know whats drawing the porwer from it. But then again most places put a car on the diagnostics machine and expect it to tell them what the problem is.

No, this is a problem on some cars.
Several threads on it.

Some cars may have been fixed, others not.

[montana]

I am changing my Golf GT Tdi for a Type S GT 2.2.

Don't do it!!!!

The Golf is dull and boring and my wife passed me on the motorway the other week and didn't even notice me. It rattles like a bag of spanners and the seat is so uncomfortable when you have to change gear. The engine sounds like a tractor, but does do 620 miles to the tank.

[FWH]

Originally Posted by montana

my wife passed me on the motorway the other week

Not many would admit to that!

[Woette]

Does anyone else think that the civic is easily unsettled by poor road surfaces??
Because here in belgium we have lots of crap roads and everyone riding along with me said they had expected a way more bumpy ride.
I even clocked 120 km/h on an incredible bad road and even under heavy braking the civic still felt stable.

Greetz

[czechplastik]

No problems with the battery over here and while it doesn't like rough surfaces the handling isn't unduly affected. It just gets a bit bumpy.

[Hartside]

I had a look at a GT Sport 170 Golf today, fitted with SatNav, leather and 18" alloys. Not impressed as the leather seats looked like they had been sat on by some fat person for 30,000miles, even though the car only had 10 miles on the clock.

I test drove an Alfa GT diesel today - mmmmmmmmmm

[kissifer1972]

Thought you said you wanted reliability. Alfa's are just overpriced Fiat's.

They do handle great and look fantastic but I used to sell Toyota's and we had a Fiat/Alfa dealer behind. Their dealer principal told me they could sell the cars at cost or even a loss as they know they would see them regulalry for warranty work and make their money there.

Is yours a diesel Civic? My Rover 75 CDT had a battery problem and it was water getting in the glow plug relay as the drain plugs had not been cleared out and it was holding water.

Just a thought

Chris

[Hartside]

Yes mines a diesel Civic.

Alfa's are just overpriced Fiat's

LOL, so are Ferrari's mate!