long time Commodore driver about to buy Golf but has a few questions...

[anglo_dude]

I'm on to my second VW. The first was a 2006 Jetta TDI, which had precisely no problems in the 5 years I've owned it. This was a manual, and low kms (51,000 by the time I sold it), but it was pretty much running as smoothly as the day I bought it when I sold it. I've now replaced it with a GTI with DSG.

I went with the DSG this time around as it felt so much smoother than the Mk5 DSG and I figured that the technology was 5 years more advanced than the first time around. The hesitancy I found in the Mk5 DSG is no longer there (ignore the reviews which still say it's hesitant, I can't see or feel it), and the normal sports and paddle shift modes just all feel so right now that it's a joy to drive in any kind of traffic.

So far (after all of 2 weeks) I'm really really happy with the change over. The golf feels so much more together than any other car in the price bracket, and it goes so well, even in the running in period.

Servicing is every 12 months or 15,000kms and the Jetta touched me up for about $400 every service. With the 118 TSI DSG I don't think that the DSG oil has to be changed (happy to be corrected on that though), and so the servicing should be about the same (ie $400) all through the warranty period.

I'm also playing the waiting game with the extended warranty. I did the same with the Jetta, and as I had no issues after 3 years I figured that it wasn't worth the extra $1500. I'd just put this into a "fixing" fund and hope that it wouldn't be needed. I'll do the same with the GTI.

Parts are expensive, there is no getting away from that, but on the plus side you have 3 years where this isn't an issue. The mk6 golfs have been built for years now, and as this was effectively a facelift (albeit major) over the mk5 the car has effectively been built in the same way at the same plants for 6 years now, and so any production faults should be well and truly out of the way now. Certainly the GTI feels incredibly well put together and has the solidity that the VE just doesn't have.

I also really dislike the VE auto box and the way that it shifts down (clunk) compared with the GTI. I've had a few VE (SV6s) as hire cars over the last 2 years, and they just feel heavy, awkward at speed and very very thirsty.

I'm currently averaging about 8l/100k with the golf with purely city driving. The VE would be about 14l/100k with the same driving and you have the huge blind spot with the A pillar to contend with...

In short, go with the Golf, you won't be disappointed!

Anglo

[SMOK3Y]

i went from SS 9.5 ute to a 90tsi 11 golf manual. i love the golf it is so much more quality than the ute (always had holdens) only thing
i miss is performance but i did buy golf for economy. ive had it since july & have done 9500ks has not missed a beat love it.

[Alok]

If you had no problems with the DSG at all and the car is running well, you will most likely not use it.
How many km's the car done?

I've done 45,000km on my 2009 90TSI. Just had my clutch kit replaced due to a harsh shudder last week. I guess that counts as DSG problems...

[Ryan_R]

I'm not sure if I'm the first to reply who has the 118 TSI, but my thoughts after one year of 2nd-hand ownership are:

1. Yes the engine is reliable. As some have already mentioned, some of the earlier 2009 models had DSG clutch issues at around 20,000 - 30,000 kms, most of which have been fixed under warranty. This has only affected the 7-speed DSG transmission so far (the GTI is the 6-speed wet clutch, which has its own major service at 60,000).

2. The 118 TSI is twin-charged. It has a supercharger for the lower RPM, then the turbo for the higher RPM. If you never rev the car beyond 3,500rpm or so, you may find that you rarely use it. I've only heard of one or two people who had turbo issues on the 90 TSI, so nothing much to worry about there.

3. The VW costs might be more than the Mazda, but the frequency is lesser. When I took a Mazda 3 for a test driver in early 2010, I was told you had to service the car every 6 months/10,000 kms. With the Golf, the price might be slightly higher, but it's every 12 months/15,000 kms, which works out cheaper for minor servicing at least. Some VW dealers charge up to $100 more than other dealers, so be sure to shop around. There's also an independant VW specialist in Burwood who I used for my last service (was cheaper than the dealer, plus they washed the car and stamped my log book). They also installed the software tune that makes the 118 TSI an absolute hoot to drive.

4. Probably more expensive as they come from overseas, but some have been able to locate genuine parts for less over the Internet (as long as they have the same product code) and then get the dealers to fit them. Many accessories can be retrofitted on the Golf too (see my signature as an example).


The 118 TSI is a great car compared to all the other hatchbacks (although it costs slightly more), but I have no doubt you'll love it.

[Chris_r32]

Having owned a Mazda 3 before the golf, I found that the twice yearly service does end up costing you more. But not just that, it seamed like a hassle having to go every 6 months (organising time off work etc), heaps happier now.

[whitenite]

I actually came from a Commodore VE-SS (A) which I'd bought some 2-3mths after it was first released! The Holden build quality just isn't great at all. Initially I thought since I wouldn't be doing high mileages, mostly weekend driving, the expectedly heavy fuel consumption for a 6.0liter V8 wouldn't bother me too much, but getting 15-16l/100km regularly, mostly urban driving, it just didn't make sense. In early '09I traded the 'dore for a Audi A3 2.0 TFSI Quattro (same 147KW engine as the Mk V GTi).

Servicing costs have been free under corporate package program I purchased, but the bills (paid by Audi Australia) for the 1st 2 services came to $545 & 645. I expect the 3rd (& last free) service will exceed $700.The car has been wholly trouble-free thus far, except for an occassion 2+ yrs into ownership when the battery failed. It was replaced by Audi Road Assist under warranty.

TBH I've been eyeing the GTi Edition 35, and think it may be a suitable replacement for my A3!

[7R]

I came out of a VE Calais V V8 - and still own a 2011 SV6 wagon in addition to a 2011 GTI. I never, NEVER miss the Calais... the Golf GTI is just fantastic. This from the owner of 7 Commodores since 1995... my next one after the GTI will either be another GTI, an R or an Audi of some sort.