Enjoyable drivability of 118TSI (160hp) Mk6 Golf

[cktsi]

I don't know where else to put a post such as this except here amongst fellow TSI drivers. Sorry if I'm wasting space/ boring ppl, but I'm really impressed with the 118TSI.


Over the NSW long weekend I really got to explore the breadth of the twin charger's abilities and I have to say I'm really impressed.

Consider when you read the following that the Golf had to carry 3 adults and a bootload of stuff for the long weekend stay away.

Those living in Sydney know the "big dipper" on the F3 freeway heading north. Get this... the 118TSI twincharger can climb the darn thing in 7th gear AND even with a full load I can STILL accelerate uphill without having to change down a gear... and I don't really have to plant my foot to increase the speed. This is going from 100 to 110km/h with the engine revs around 2,300rpm

The big dipper is a really protracted steep incline and for the car to do it with a full load is impressive. This thing is on par with the old VS 3.8 V6 commodore going up that dipper (that car didn't have to kick down from 4th to 3rd to accelerate).

I now appreciate what they mean when they talk about drivability with so much torque so low in the rev range. It felt so relaxed.

North of Raymond Terrace there are a few big freeway roundabouts. I had tailgaters going into those, and blasted my way out leaving them to catch up by breaking the speed limit (while I sat on 110 km/h).

There was a lot of heavy driving in some twisties between Dharug nat park & Cessnock... and the overall MFD's fuel consumption is 6.7 L/100km over a 740km trip.

The MFD reading has some credence because the MFD was reading 6.8 for the first 400km - but when I filled up I calculated about 6.7 based on the amount of petrol I put in (my previous refill and current refill were to the 'click').

My Mark 5 2.0 FSI averaged 7.3L/100km on most "out of town" trips and I had to kick down from 6 to 5th on the manual gearbox when going up the big dipper to accelerate.

The sun came out which also made for really good open sunroof driving Sun... wind through the hair... the sound of the supercharger induction whistle & wastegate - who needs a radio?


In summary, I'm doing lots of hills, not driving economically, full load, and the little bugger is only drinking 6.7 L/100km and storms uphill like a mountain goat.

What a weekend.

[thamwk]

never a waste to hear a good experience

[cme2c]

We'll see how we go ( only the two of us) in our 118TSI this weekend. We're going from western Sydney to Port Stephens. We have had four in the car and the room is amazing. My father in law calls it the TARDIS.

. It nearly wasn't to be. My wife was at a meeting, parked the Golf on the opposite side of the road to the venue. A bit later a very loud BANG! from outside. Someone had sideswiped one parked car, then slammed into another. Very unfortunate for the people involved, friends of my wife also at the meeting but boy did we feel lucky. Wait four months for a car, have it less than a week and then...

Anyhow, my first impressions of the Mark VI are all positive. Lots of toys. Lots of little, thoughtful things. The divider in the cupholder that is also a bottle opener for example. The RNS 510 Dynaudio works really well, already have 4 cds on the hard drive. Parking sensors and the reversing camera, great. Still have to come to terms with the DSG, but I figure that's just technique. It exposes some lazy habits. For instance, back out of driveway, engage D (or 1st in my manual) while still rolling backwards, use torque converter (or clutch) to move off. DSG keeps rolling backwards until you give it some throttle.

Finding my way round the MFD. Love the directions and distance indicator in the MFD from the RNS. Love the configurability of the car. Sometimes it seems there are too many options, but once you have it set up the way you want it it stays that way.

I'm looking forward to the weekend

[tofo17]

I'm with you cktsi, I picked up mine last Friday and I am also amazed at the drivability. I don't have the sport pack but am really impressed at the tune of the suspension. Supple is the word that always comes to mind when I'm driving. It is wonderfully smooth and comfortable on my daily commute but also firm and sporty when hitting the twisties (no doubt the KU36s I put on it make a difference!). My wife's MkV Turbo Jetta with 18"s is far firmer and no doubt flatter in the tight stuff but I don't think it would be much quicker and for the ride comprimise I'm not sure it's worth it.

I had big plans for Koni FSDs and Eibach Pro Kit or something similar... now I'm not sure.

I'd like it a little lower for asthetic reasons... any ideas on how I can go lower but maintain the ride quality?

[dopey]

When we were test driving cars I found that it was the usable low-down torque of the Golf that sealed the deal for me. With the larger NA powerplants in the VRX and SP25 you really had to rev it hard to feel the grunt, where as the Golf just feels like it has ample power on tap anywhere in the rev range making for an effortless drive.

That said, the car does feel kind of slow to me because I'm used to driving cars with a lot more power, but as a daily driver car it's excellent, and it's still capable of putting a smile on my face when required. It has a reasonable balance of power and handling, plus the car is extremely practical. Overall it's one of the best balanced small cars I've come across in a long time.

[cme2c]

The 118TSI is my wife's car. Mine is a Peugeot 206 GTi. At 100 km/h the Golf is in top (7th) gear at 2000 rpm, the Peugeot in top (5th) gear at 3000! I have to try much harder to go as fast! Suspension tune is chalk and cheese. My wife describes the Peugeot as rough. She's right, but I love it. The Golf, very smooth and quiet. Makes me wonder how Audi sells A3s

[oileoi]

When we were test driving cars I found that it was the usable low-down torque of the Golf that sealed the deal for me. With the larger NA powerplants in the VRX and SP25 you really had to rev it hard to feel the grunt, where as the Golf just feels like it has ample power on tap anywhere in the rev range making for an effortless drive.

That said, the car does feel kind of slow to me because I'm used to driving cars with a lot more power, but as a daily driver car it's excellent, and it's still capable of putting a smile on my face when required. It has a reasonable balance of power and handling, plus the car is extremely practical. Overall it's one of the best balanced small cars I've come across in a long time.

I totally agree with your statement dopey. I had the same experience when I was car shopping the Mazda SP25 felt good but you really had to push your foot down to feel the power.

I was absolutely amazed when I jump in the Golf. The car just felt like it could keep going and going and that's why I bought it

[thamwk]

I used to drive an SP23 and I totally understand the revving part...

To me, the torque down low on the range is a big plus and is the biggest contributor to the whole driveability, though at the end of the week, after doing an average of 40km per day using half a tank, the "driveability" hits my pocket for about $37 of BP ultimate, something no other driveable car can offer

[cme2c]

Very pleasant trip on the weekend. Averaged 6.5 l/100km on the MFD from Port Stephens to Western Sydney. The car doesn't have 1000km on it yet. I can feel it just starting to loosen up. Very quiet, auto wipers and lights worked better than most. I have found with various cars that auto wipers can sometimes get fooled and sweep unnecessarily. Rather than adjust the sensitivity, I just turned them off. One little niggle with the DSG, but I'll check on here and start another thread if necessary. Very happy with the car.