VW Golf MkVI in remote WA

**Dutch_in_OZ** · 16-02-2011, 12:28 PM

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum and I was wondering whether you guys could give me some advice.

I am currently living in Perth but will be re-locating in a couple of months to a mining town in remote North-Western WA (about 1600kms North of Perth). I currently own a 2.5-year-old little Kia but thinking about upgrading it to a MkVI, possibly the entry-level 77TSI version.

I don't know whether anyone on this forum has any experience with this, but I was wondering how I would go about servicing the Golf whilst being in that remote area of Australia. The town has e.g. a Hyundai, Toyota and a Nissan dealer which claim they will service any brand and make of car, and then of course there are the usual 'cowboys' operating out of what seem little sheds. I'm worried about e.g. servicing costs, whether I would still get genuine VW parts if anything would need to be replaced on the Golf, etc.

I have asked various dealers in Perth this question but they sort of just shrug their shoulders and advise me to return to Perth to do the servicing etc. (they probably don't realise the distance involved).

Also, how would the Golf fare in conditions of 45-degrees plus for a good part of the year? Moreover, the town usually has a lot of dust coming through - are the seals of the VW good enough to keep all the dust out? Any other advice in such conditions would be much appreciated!

The project would only be for 2-3 years or so - I'm wondering whether buying a Golf now would be justified or if I should wait until I return to the city after those 2-3 years.

Many thanks in advance.

**AdamD** · 16-02-2011, 12:39 PM

If it were me personally, I'd stick with the Kia for the duration of your contract, and upgrade when you're back in Perth. The Kia will have depreciated quite a bit by now anyway, and so selling won't be a pleasant exercise. And as it won't be worth much, you won't feel bad about the dust, poor quality fuel, and potentially hit-and-miss servicing the car may receive. And if you get a decent amount for it when you sell it, it'll be a bonus.

I'm sure a Golf would be fine in remote areas (build quality is good) and in high-heat (the turbos may suffer from significant heat-soak however), but I would be specifically concerned about fuel, specific servicing demands (the need for appropriate diagnostic equipment, etc etc), and the potential difficulty of obtaining parts. Not to mention the fact that no-one wants to subject a nice new car to harsh conditions.

**triode12** · 16-02-2011, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by Dutch_in_OZ

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum and I was wondering whether you guys could give me some advice.

I am currently living in Perth but will be re-locating in a couple of months to a mining town in remote North-Western WA (about 1600kms North of Perth). I currently own a 2.5-year-old little Kia but thinking about upgrading it to a MkVI, possibly the entry-level 77TSI version.

I don't know whether anyone on this forum has any experience with this, but I was wondering how I would go about servicing the Golf whilst being in that remote area of Australia. The town has e.g. a Hyundai, Toyota and a Nissan dealer which claim they will service any brand and make of car, and then of course there are the usual 'cowboys' operating out of what seem little sheds. I'm worried about e.g. servicing costs, whether I would still get genuine VW parts if anything would need to be replaced on the Golf, etc.

I have asked various dealers in Perth this question but they sort of just shrug their shoulders and advise me to return to Perth to do the servicing etc. (they probably don't realise the distance involved).

Also, how would the Golf fare in conditions of 45-degrees plus for a good part of the year? Moreover, the town usually has a lot of dust coming through - are the seals of the VW good enough to keep all the dust out? Any other advice in such conditions would be much appreciated!

The project would only be for 2-3 years or so - I'm wondering whether buying a Golf now would be justified or if I should wait until I return to the city after those 2-3 years.

Many thanks in advance.

Anyone servicing the car would need VAS (VW diagnostics) or at the very least VAGCOM (3rd party diagnostics program for VW) to debug issues. Then there is the issue of obtaining parts. You will have to make sure that the local shop can order and get parts from VAG shipped to them quickly.

I would buy a Toyota in your position - easier and cheaper to get it serviced/repaired. Get a VW when you are back in the city.

**triode12** · 16-02-2011, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by AdamD

If it were me personally, I'd stick with the Kia for the duration of your contract, and upgrade when you're back in Perth. The Kia will have depreciated quite a bit by now anyway, and so selling won't be a pleasant exercise. And as it won't be worth much, you won't feel bad about the dust, poor quality fuel, and potentially hit-and-miss servicing the car may receive. And if you get a decent amount for it when you sell it, it'll be a bonus.

I'm sure a Golf would be fine in remote areas (build quality is good) and in high-heat (the turbos may suffer from significant heat-soak however), but I would be specifically concerned about fuel, specific servicing demands (the need for appropriate diagnostic equipment, etc etc), and the potential difficulty of obtaining parts. Not to mention the fact that no-one wants to subject a nice new car to harsh conditions.

+1 good points.

**Dutch_in_OZ** · 16-02-2011, 12:52 PM

Hi guys,

Thanks so much for your comments - they are very helpful. I was sitting on the fence on this issue but in the light of your opinions I can see it would be wise to wait with buying a Golf until the completion of the contract in remote WA.

Bit of a 'my mind is saying no, but my heart is saying let's go' (if I can put it that way) issue it has been though. I had a look at the Golf in a few showrooms around Perth and was very impressed - hard to put that off for a couple of years.

Should be saving plenty of $ though up North so looking forward to maybe buying a higher-spec model upon my return to 'civilisation'.

Once again thanks very much guys!

**markwid** · 16-02-2011, 12:54 PM

Stick with the KIA. "Simpler" means more likely to survive dodgy servicing. Also if you had to run it to ground, it would not cost/hurt as much.

**AdamD** · 16-02-2011, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Dutch_in_OZ

Bit of a 'my mind is saying no, but my heart is saying let's go' (if I can put it that way) issue it has been though. I had a look at the Golf in a few showrooms around Perth and was very impressed - hard to put that off for a couple of years.

Should be saving plenty of $ though up North so looking forward to maybe buying a higher-spec model upon my return to 'civilisation'.

Very understandable position. Why not test-drive a Golf R, and tell yourself that you could afford something this good if you wait. That'll give you the incentive you need to forego a 77TSI.