I drove the diesels!

[imported_brackie]

I'd never pretend to be a motoring writer. I'm just an ordinary bloke who loves cars and I don't have the luxury of being able to compare marques and models. So what follows is really a first impression as I believe you have to live with a car for an extended period of time before you can give a true account of its strengths and weaknesses. So anyway, I'd been promising myself for quite some time that I'd make the journey to Launceston in order to drive the Golf 5 diesels. In Tasmania, the new VW dealer is Jackson Motors. I had already met Fiona Isaks who works there as a sales consultant and is their Finance Manager, so I renewed my acquaintance with her and luckily on the morning I visited both the 2.0 DSG and 1.9 6 speed manual diesel demos were on the block....

Ahhhh The throb of the diesel! Well, almost. The sales pitch goes something like this: " It's only on tickover that you can hear the clatter of the injectors, and even then, it just soooo subdued! Other than that, it's just like a petrol engined equivalent." Not quite how I found the Golf 5.
I drove the 2.0 Golf 5 diesel with the DSG box and the 1.9 Tdi with the 6 speed manual and there is absolutely no doubt that they are diesels! For anyone who likes to hear the deep down throaty sound of a diesel under load this is the car for you. Petrol engined cars have a much higher pitched sound to their engines...almost a whine, however the Golf 5 has the same sound as my Mk1 diesel, but so much quieter. At this point I should explain that the engine noise is in no way intrusive. It's as quiet as any petrol engined car I have driven and a good deal quieter than some of the gasoline powered offerings from Korea and Japan. There is no harshness in the engine even when it's pushed hard and it's so well insulated from the cab that there is no vibration or excessive noise. On tickover the injectors clatter away quietly and you have to listen carefully for them. When cruising with minimum throttle the injector ping is there and any diesel lover will get off on it. Having said that there is no way that a person who buys this car as their first diesel is going to have any complaints about noise.
Performance is stunning. I drove the 2.0 DSG first and struggled with the F1-type "touch-forward" manual override but found that the car goes like a cut snake and I had to consciously hold it back in the Launceston traffic. In fully auto mode the gear changes were imperceptible and the car felt as though it had CVT. But it's really not my cup of tea. I'm a pudding-stirrer and will never like automatics no matter how they are presented so I turned my attention to the 1.9Tdi 6 speed. I wasn't disappointed because this really is a driver's car. Forgetting for a moment that this article is focusing diesels, it's worth mentioning the other excellent features of the car. The brakes are sensational. They reminded me of truck air brakes in that I had to be careful not to stop too harshly, and having just got out of a Mk1 I now understand now how much technological advances have improved braking in the last 25 years. Both cars handle like sports cars. They pointed with minute precision and cornered as if on rails. This is a very safe car! The seats are typically "German-Firm" offering excellent support in all the right places and I have absolutely no doubt that they would continue to do so on a long journey. I had just hopped out of my 27 year old Mk1 after a 150km trip and felt like I'd only driven around the block, so these seats would have to even better. Room in the hatch was impressive but although taller it looked similar in length and width to the Mk1, which may have been a distortion in perspective. I was viewing it with regard to carrying boxes of Capretto goat meat and cheese and with the back seat down it would suit me admirably. All controls were close to hand and very intuitive in their operation. VAG had obviously put a lot of work into ergonomics. My only criticism of the intereior is that it has the acres of plastic so often seen in 21st century cars.
Back to the engine. The 1.9 is just so responsive. There is minimal lag and the turbocharger spools up enthusiastically from about 1200 rpm making for rapid acceleration in the important city driving rev range. I didn't have time to do it but I'd love to take this car onto the open road and push it through the twists and turns of Tasmanian country roads.
So in summary, what a car! My personal choice would be the 1.9 Tdi and not being a seeker of luxury I would favour the basic Trendline model. Having driven this car I now look forward to the rest of the offerings in diesel cars from Europe. Fiona Isaks of Jackson's Launceston tells me the Polo Tdi is just around the corner and with the 1.9 turbo diesel under the bonnet its power-to-weight ratio will make it a real mover eclipsing the Golf for fuel economy.
What next? Well I was so impressed that the next day I visited our accountant and then I talked to our bank manager.......Fiona????

[peter_j_g]

I've driven both the 1.9 and 2.0 TDis and my impressions are exactly the same! The DSG gearbox is the way to go if you must have an auto, but I still prefer the manual. Most Sydney dealers seem to have good stocks now, and they have just started advertising deals - free on-roads, 3 years servicing, and $1000 in accesories thrown in. Very tempting! If you're serious you could try www.betterdeal.com.au - I've heard it works well at getting a good discount.

The Polo with the 1.9 TDi engine would be great - it's about the same size as the Mk1 Golf too!

[Gold-mk1]

wait five years, then buy one !

and save 1000's of dollars .

In the meantime, drive the mk1...

[aprr32]

The dealer here in Canberra lent me a 1.9 TDI for a few days when they first came out. It had a 2.0l badge on it and it was a DSG. I never looked under the bonnet as I was to busy driving it. I even had a few traffic light drags with a Golf 4 GTI and kicked it's arse.Only when I took it back to the dealer that they told me that they had been incorrectly badged and that it was only a 1.9.I was so impressed with the 1.9 that i thought the 2.0l must be the new GTI.By the way, we have just upgraded our first GTI with the APR chip flash and it has 188 kw and 411nm of torque, and I thought only diesels had that kind of torque, and only VW diesels!

[imported_brackie]

By the way, we have just upgraded our first GTI with the APR chip flash and it has 188 kw and 411nm of torque, and I thought only diesels had that kind of torque, and only VW diesels!

Very impressive torque. Makes you wonder why manufacturers don't install the same chip. But then, when you think about it they are obeying the Abraham Lincoln (or was it Bob Dylan?) philosphy of, "You can please some of the people all of the time....etc".
I reckon that the new generation of diesels are going to conquer the world. They're the best chance we have until fuel cells become practical.

[joshinthecity]

My thoughts exactly.
I drove all versions and the 1.9 was the pick with the manual box.
Not as "peaky" as the 2.0.

I love my car, 50,000klm down the track.

J.

[imported_brackie]

By the way, we have just upgraded our first GTI with the APR chip flash and it has 188 kw and 411nm of torque, and I thought only diesels had that kind of torque, and only VW diesels!

The 2.0TDI has 320Nm from 1750 to 2500 rpm. And the range is very important 'cos that's where you need it most. The 1.9TDI has 250Nm @ 1900rpm where it has a distinct "peak".

Just think what torque you could get by flashing them!

By the way, the Finance Minister is making complimentary noises...Maybe before the end of the tax year?????

[joshinthecity]

By the way, we have just upgraded our first GTI with the APR chip flash and it has 188 kw and 411nm of torque, and I thought only diesels had that kind of torque, and only VW diesels!

The 2.0TDI has 320Nm from 1750 to 2500 rpm. And the range is very important 'cos that's where you need it most. The 1.9TDI has 250Nm @ 1900rpm where it has a distinct "peak".

Just think what torque you could get by flashing them!

By the way, the Finance Minister is making complimentary noises...Maybe before the end of the tax year?????

I didn't so much mean a "peak" on the graph (which I have seen)
more a case of FEELING LIKE...
nothing nothing nothing. wham. Kind of like my 200sx in that regard.
at 19.5psi, that thing goes nothing , something, WHAMWHAMWHAM !

[GoLfMan]

19.5psi did u strengthen ur internals b4 you did that

[gtimk5]

Domt want to get into any ECM upgrade wars but Oetinger now has direct port upgrades for the deisels which improve them heaps again. No free trial programs yet, just installation with the advantage of being able to switch back to stock with a press of the cruise control button. Apparently the Polos fly with this mod.
Will see soon!
Good move Brackie, you won't ever regret it if your wife ever lets you drive it!!!