It's been about six weeks since I purchased my 2010 Golf TDI. It's a 4-door, manual transmission in Candy White. The options are Dynaudio, Cold Weather, Bi-Xenons, Bluetooth, and Golf Protection Pkg (mudguards, cargo net, rubber mats, trunk mat).
Why did I get a Golf TDI?
My 07 Honda Civic LX coupe lease had ended. For my next car, I was looking for something that was fuel efficient (I averaged around 30 mpg, mostly city, in the Civic), fun to drive (manual transmission a must), and a bit more refined than the Civic (smooth but loud, and hard plastics all around). I originally looked at the GTI. The GTI promised decent fuel economy and was highly acclaimed as a fun "real world" car. I enjoyed my GTI test drive, but I was underwhelmed by the fuel economy, requirement for premium gas, and potential jump in insurance costs (even for me, a 34-year-old married male with a clean record).
I started reading up about the TDI, which was supposedly spec'd out almost as sportily(?) as the GTI. What appealed to me was the great fuel economy (I did the gas vs. diesel math and it worked out in the diesel's favor) and promise of down-low torque (so it wouldn't feel slow) atop the GTI suspension and tires. Also, insurance didn't differ at all from the Civic.
All my previous cars were Japanese--so I was accustomed to not having many reliability issues. I was apprehensive, therefore, about buying a VW--but Consumer Reports ranked the MkV Golf highly in terms of reliability (even though other VW models weren't). Plus, I had read about the longevity of diesels in general, and high resale values. These factors were enough to convince me, warily, to take the plunge. I paid MSRP, btw.
Things I like about the TDI
Immediately, I noticed the solidity of this car. It's very muted, even on rough roads, much more solid-feeling and sounding than my Civic (or even my other car, Mazda6, for that matter). Everything in this car is rigid and substantial, from the way the doors leap into their detents (have to use more pull to open a door, otherwise it will slam back shut in your face!), to the solid thunk of each gearshift.
The interior is also of very high quality. Almost every surface you can see is more than just plastic: the dash top is padded, the door materials are either padded cloth or soft-touch painted, the radio bezels are piano black or soft-touch, dials are rubberized, just the right amount of silver accents, compartments are lined with flocking or rubber...you wouldn't find this in a $30K Japanese car. The only chintzy bits are the HVAC controls (slightly wobbly with a plastic feeling). The interior door handles do an amazing imitation of machined metal. Even all the detailed bits on the steering wheel are great!
The audio system sounds great. Clear, loud, thumpy when necessary...it helps that the overall car is so quiet inside that you can enjoy more of the audio without excess road or wind noise.
Things I have not liked
Just a list--these are things that are not deal breakers, not even complaints really, but perhaps annoyances that make you wonder why they were designed that way:
-iPod MDI interface--it's slow and skips the first second of each song. I gave up on it, and just use the SD card slot (sweet!).
-I wish the radio would turn on if you hit the FM, AM, or SAT buttons. Currently you must hit POWER first, then select your mode.
-I wish you didn't need VCDS to adjust all the options (potentially) available to you.
-I wish there was a way to shut off the engine without killing the radio. Sure, you just have to hit POWER again, but most other cars I know don't do that.
-Cloth on the door and center armrests seems to pick up discolorations easily. It gets whitish, as if dusty, but it's not dust. Perhaps lotion from arms resting on it? It's not that easy to clean, in any case.
-Roof water channels aren't deep enough. Water on the roof will dump into the windows very easily. I waxed the car, and after a rainstorm, I open the door to enter, and just as I'm sitting down, I get dumped on. Or, if your window is open even just a little, water will pour in as you're making a turn. Gets all over the armrest and even the switchgear.
-After a rainstorm or car wash, the doors seems to collect and hold water until you open them. Then they pee out of their little drain holes. Kind of embarassing.
Driving
The diesel is wonderful. I know I'm getting great mileage, but not at the cost of having to wring out all the power at high rpms. The torquey pull down low is actually more fun and enough that I can enjoy accelerating from each stop and around corners more often, rather than waiting for a straightaway that I can then get into the the high rpms (make sense?). The car does need a LOT of foot when accelerating on an incline, or it will stall (usually just when the red turns green). But I have no complaints about the engine and have gotten used to it quickly.
Shifting is solid--slightly heavy, but it's much better than the Civic was (which felt like Fisher-Price). The trick to a smooth 1st-gear takeoff is modulating the clutch pedal to compensate for the sudden boost you get at 2k rpm from the turbo. I mean, at first your revs increase slowly due to the "NA" part of the engine, and as soon as you start engaging the clutch, WHOOSH! So you have to adjust your engagement rate. Er, whatever. Anyway, I like the gearing, and love spinning under 2000 rpm at 75 mph on the highway.
The steering is definitely on the slower and heavy side. Slow, means a lower steering ratio (takes more rotation of the steering wheel to turn at sharper angles). I would have preferred a faster ratio in keeping with the "sporty" theme of the car.
I am a bit disappointed in the braking. Under moderate to hard braking, the pedal just keeps going down, all the way to the floor. The car stops solidly, but I find myself using more leg force (and pedal travel) than I'm used to. Mind you, these are not panic stops, but strong stops--I have to remember not to panic because the car doesn't stop as quickly as I'd like. Road and Track's long-term Jetta did the same thing, and they mused about calipers flexing. I wonder if the GTI also feels like this?
A word about reliability
I did get hit with limp-home mode once. I was on the highway and suddenly the chime, the message ("Service Engine Now!"), and slowdown. Very scary. A cycling of the key reset the car, but this did not help my trust in the VW's reliability. A visit to the dealer showed an "EGR Vacuum Regulator" fault--VW is awaiting a reflash (June-ish). Nevertheless, I cannot say my car is bulletproof now, nor can I even take its operation for granted. Sure, we have a warranty (3/36 is pretty weak, though) but having to take your car in for service is a cost of time and convenience.
On the other hand, I forced myself to stop reading threads about failure of the HPFP. It's just too much to fret about. I'm just keeping all my fuel receipts, that's all.
Overall
I'm very happy with my car. It's fun to drive, novel, and the fuel mileage is satisfying. I can't say I'm 100% at ease when I'm driving (because of my limp-home mode experience) but maybe that will subside after a while. I love all the upscale features (HIDs with AFS, upgraded audio, MFD) and high-quality interior in a car this size--meaning, I didn't have to spend $40K on a BMW or Infiniti just to feel like I wasn't driving a plastic cost-cutter.
For $25K, this is definitely one of the best values and most unique cars in its class! Sure, many Americans will never warm to paying that much for A HATCHBACK...they're missing out if they don't give the TDI a look.
Why did I get a Golf TDI?
My 07 Honda Civic LX coupe lease had ended. For my next car, I was looking for something that was fuel efficient (I averaged around 30 mpg, mostly city, in the Civic), fun to drive (manual transmission a must), and a bit more refined than the Civic (smooth but loud, and hard plastics all around). I originally looked at the GTI. The GTI promised decent fuel economy and was highly acclaimed as a fun "real world" car. I enjoyed my GTI test drive, but I was underwhelmed by the fuel economy, requirement for premium gas, and potential jump in insurance costs (even for me, a 34-year-old married male with a clean record).
I started reading up about the TDI, which was supposedly spec'd out almost as sportily(?) as the GTI. What appealed to me was the great fuel economy (I did the gas vs. diesel math and it worked out in the diesel's favor) and promise of down-low torque (so it wouldn't feel slow) atop the GTI suspension and tires. Also, insurance didn't differ at all from the Civic.
All my previous cars were Japanese--so I was accustomed to not having many reliability issues. I was apprehensive, therefore, about buying a VW--but Consumer Reports ranked the MkV Golf highly in terms of reliability (even though other VW models weren't). Plus, I had read about the longevity of diesels in general, and high resale values. These factors were enough to convince me, warily, to take the plunge. I paid MSRP, btw.
Things I like about the TDI
Immediately, I noticed the solidity of this car. It's very muted, even on rough roads, much more solid-feeling and sounding than my Civic (or even my other car, Mazda6, for that matter). Everything in this car is rigid and substantial, from the way the doors leap into their detents (have to use more pull to open a door, otherwise it will slam back shut in your face!), to the solid thunk of each gearshift.
The interior is also of very high quality. Almost every surface you can see is more than just plastic: the dash top is padded, the door materials are either padded cloth or soft-touch painted, the radio bezels are piano black or soft-touch, dials are rubberized, just the right amount of silver accents, compartments are lined with flocking or rubber...you wouldn't find this in a $30K Japanese car. The only chintzy bits are the HVAC controls (slightly wobbly with a plastic feeling). The interior door handles do an amazing imitation of machined metal. Even all the detailed bits on the steering wheel are great!
The audio system sounds great. Clear, loud, thumpy when necessary...it helps that the overall car is so quiet inside that you can enjoy more of the audio without excess road or wind noise.
Things I have not liked
Just a list--these are things that are not deal breakers, not even complaints really, but perhaps annoyances that make you wonder why they were designed that way:
-iPod MDI interface--it's slow and skips the first second of each song. I gave up on it, and just use the SD card slot (sweet!).
-I wish the radio would turn on if you hit the FM, AM, or SAT buttons. Currently you must hit POWER first, then select your mode.
-I wish you didn't need VCDS to adjust all the options (potentially) available to you.
-I wish there was a way to shut off the engine without killing the radio. Sure, you just have to hit POWER again, but most other cars I know don't do that.
-Cloth on the door and center armrests seems to pick up discolorations easily. It gets whitish, as if dusty, but it's not dust. Perhaps lotion from arms resting on it? It's not that easy to clean, in any case.
-Roof water channels aren't deep enough. Water on the roof will dump into the windows very easily. I waxed the car, and after a rainstorm, I open the door to enter, and just as I'm sitting down, I get dumped on. Or, if your window is open even just a little, water will pour in as you're making a turn. Gets all over the armrest and even the switchgear.
-After a rainstorm or car wash, the doors seems to collect and hold water until you open them. Then they pee out of their little drain holes. Kind of embarassing.
Driving
The diesel is wonderful. I know I'm getting great mileage, but not at the cost of having to wring out all the power at high rpms. The torquey pull down low is actually more fun and enough that I can enjoy accelerating from each stop and around corners more often, rather than waiting for a straightaway that I can then get into the the high rpms (make sense?). The car does need a LOT of foot when accelerating on an incline, or it will stall (usually just when the red turns green). But I have no complaints about the engine and have gotten used to it quickly.
Shifting is solid--slightly heavy, but it's much better than the Civic was (which felt like Fisher-Price). The trick to a smooth 1st-gear takeoff is modulating the clutch pedal to compensate for the sudden boost you get at 2k rpm from the turbo. I mean, at first your revs increase slowly due to the "NA" part of the engine, and as soon as you start engaging the clutch, WHOOSH! So you have to adjust your engagement rate. Er, whatever. Anyway, I like the gearing, and love spinning under 2000 rpm at 75 mph on the highway.
The steering is definitely on the slower and heavy side. Slow, means a lower steering ratio (takes more rotation of the steering wheel to turn at sharper angles). I would have preferred a faster ratio in keeping with the "sporty" theme of the car.
I am a bit disappointed in the braking. Under moderate to hard braking, the pedal just keeps going down, all the way to the floor. The car stops solidly, but I find myself using more leg force (and pedal travel) than I'm used to. Mind you, these are not panic stops, but strong stops--I have to remember not to panic because the car doesn't stop as quickly as I'd like. Road and Track's long-term Jetta did the same thing, and they mused about calipers flexing. I wonder if the GTI also feels like this?
A word about reliability
I did get hit with limp-home mode once. I was on the highway and suddenly the chime, the message ("Service Engine Now!"), and slowdown. Very scary. A cycling of the key reset the car, but this did not help my trust in the VW's reliability. A visit to the dealer showed an "EGR Vacuum Regulator" fault--VW is awaiting a reflash (June-ish). Nevertheless, I cannot say my car is bulletproof now, nor can I even take its operation for granted. Sure, we have a warranty (3/36 is pretty weak, though) but having to take your car in for service is a cost of time and convenience.
On the other hand, I forced myself to stop reading threads about failure of the HPFP. It's just too much to fret about. I'm just keeping all my fuel receipts, that's all.
Overall
I'm very happy with my car. It's fun to drive, novel, and the fuel mileage is satisfying. I can't say I'm 100% at ease when I'm driving (because of my limp-home mode experience) but maybe that will subside after a while. I love all the upscale features (HIDs with AFS, upgraded audio, MFD) and high-quality interior in a car this size--meaning, I didn't have to spend $40K on a BMW or Infiniti just to feel like I wasn't driving a plastic cost-cutter.
For $25K, this is definitely one of the best values and most unique cars in its class! Sure, many Americans will never warm to paying that much for A HATCHBACK...they're missing out if they don't give the TDI a look.
