Bad car
Not a very good build.
Alarm was faulty and was changed after 2 months.
Seat belts were faulty.
Engine has had problems fixed a few times.
Auto transmission is a disaster; needs a software update every three months.
Simply nothing good in this car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 19th December, 2012
Great car, front seats are no good though
Nothing has gone wrong to date, the car is still really new and only has 8000kms on the clock.
The performance of the car is great. I drive it around Sydney, and it's zippy enough to get you into gaps in traffic.
First gear is not great at all; if you're not going to drive it in the city, you wouldn't even know though. First is very rough and low geared; when city driving, you're mainly in first and second when traffic builds, so that really needs some work. But like I said, it's only in city driving; if using on regional roads, it wouldn't bother me.
Ride comfort is great, no squeaks or creaks! Great build quality.
Interior is good for a base model, does everything it should with no problems.
Drive comfort is OK, most things are adjustable, BUT the one thing that I hate about this car is the front seats. At first they feel really supporting, but after 30 minutes in them, my back aches and I get fidgety. The tilt position is locked to a slight angle back, which puts pressure on the back of your legs. There is no lower lumber support, NONE. Between these 2 things, it makes the drive a lot less enjoyable. I even bought a back support, which I use in the car to help out.
Overall, this car is a good buy. Would I buy one? YES, but not the base model. Pay a little extra, and make sure you get the adjustments for the front seats.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 3rd October, 2010
Almost full marks, and great fun
Nothing.
This is a nice car. I bought it as a commuting car doing about 250k/d and so far (I have had it only week) it has performed extremely well (as it should). It is remarkably punchy even though I don't flog it (yet) as it needs to be run in yet).
The DSG transmission is very quick indeed, and even though it is -on paper- slower than my previous car (a V70 turbo), this Golf feels much stronger. The DSG -in ordinary drive setting- gets to the tallest gear fairly early and can make it feel a bit laboured (say between 1200-1500 rpm), but will respond with a down shift very eagerly if you push the accelerator pedal.
The seats (leather) have plenty of travel (I am 6'6"), but the sport seats have fairly high side bolstering, and have relatively short under leg support, making them less comfortable than my Volvo's seats.
The car is very quiet in dry weather, but I find the Bridgestones fairly noisy in the wet. I would have much preferred the Continental Sportcontacts, which are great tyres (and quiet).
Fuel economy, the reason I bought a diesel, is not disappointing; 1 liter on average (this is a brand new car, and I have not done a lot of highway kms yet) has yielded 16km, (so mainly city driving). One trip of 250km showed as average fuel consumption of 4.5L/100k!
The steering wheel controls are very effective, and informative and quite useful, such as trip time, trip distance, average fuel consumption etc, all through a scroll down menu from the steering wheel controls.
The stock standard radio is very impressive and very easy to use with good adjustability. Radio reception has not been a issue. I haven't had the chance yet of using the iPod integration as yet. You will need a separate $700 AUD blue tooth integration in order to use your phone through the steering wheel controls.
The sunroof has a fair bit of buffeting at full opening at speeds between 50-80kph, but easily adjustable.
The sunroof position knob is awkward. There is no clear indication to say the roof is closed. This I feel needs improvement. I guess you will get used to it, but I have left my roof open a little on one occasion.
The car seems very stable, and tracks extremely well, with good suspension control, even though I have the standard suspension (not sport).
Happy with the interior, although there are still some hard plastics about.
The automatic wipers are not as accurate as on my 330Ci from 2001, and can be a little annoying as they wipe an almost dry window.
The auto dimming rear vision mirror is a handy feature.
A little disappointed the external rear vision mirrors don't fold, seen as this is a European car. They do have heating, which is pretty useless in Australia.
All up a very good car -so far- and the diesel engine is so much fun to drive.
I also like the looks compared with the Mark V Golf.
The extra cost for the leather seats ($3000) is stupid really, and disappointingly doesn't come with electric adjustment (but does include electric lumbar support and heating).
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 30th September, 2010
I certainly agree with the awkward sunroof knob comment. I actually have to count the number of clicks so I know when I'm done turning it. :)
How's the car going now? I see that your daily commute is as far as my school run (me and my brother). I would love one of these cars, it's just the reliability that I'm scared about. Especially when this car is so expensive, and I hear so many horror stories - about the reliability.
Cheers! :)
10th Sep 2012, 20:10
There is a way to improve the front seat comfort with respect to the position of your lower back. You will need to get a tool to take out the bolts holding the rear of the seat to the floor. It is star shaped and you can find it at a parts store. Once removed, add three to six washers to the rear only, then replace the bolts. This will raise the rear seat bottom, which will then allow you to adjust the seat back - back a bit more. This allows for some more support to your lower back. You won't feel like you're wedged in as much.