2002 Volkswagen Golf GT TDI PD 130bhp 1.9 TDI PD from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A great looking, fast, economical car - Perfect company car!

Faults:

Rattle from glove box (not an unusual occurrence looking at this list!)

General Comments:

An excellent car overall - very impressive in all areas. Let down by not-quite-Volkwagen-like build quality and poor dealers, but at the end of the day, this is truly a great car that I would fully recommend.

Great looking car with an attractive and comfortable interior.

Performance is very good at low and high speeds, matched with amazing economy and good motorway refinement.

Over 50MPG easily achievable on longer trips.

Quality of the car is superficially very good, but there are a number of rattles and areas that are not of the high standards expected of Volkswagen.

Dealers are appalling - disorganized and unhelpful. Because of the quality of their product range, they clearly feel that they do not need to bother in terms of customer care - VW needs to put some focus into this before it begins to lose customers.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th September, 2003

2002 Volkswagen Golf GLS TDI (1.9 turbo diesel) from North America

Summary:

A low cost, fun-to-drive rocket!

Faults:

An oil line needed to be tightened down in the first week I had the car-- a little nerve-wracking, but no big deal.

The drain from my sunroof became misaligned approximately 6 months after I bought the car. I noticed the problem with a slight sloshing sound behind the passenger seat. My local Seattle dealer (University VW) gave me a loaner and took it in immediately, fixed the problem, then cleaned the carpet and dried it out in the shop for a day or two. This was mildly annoying, but the positive experience with my dealership (and the fact that I totally abuse the sunroof) made me satisfied overall.

General Comments:

This car is a lot of fun. With the TDI engine, I can rocket up hills and down highways and still get more than 500 miles to the tank. I can only imagine what kind of mileage I'd get if I drove responsibly...

Diesel costs less than gas, the engine lasts a lot longer than its 1.8T brother, oil changes are more infrequent, and tuneups are a non-issue due to the lack of spark plugs on a compression engine. I've also managed to brew my own biodiesel for even less than diesel at the pump.

It has excellent braking and handling ability, though I strongly suggest replacing the original tires. Of course I would suggest this on any car.

I feel like I'm driving a luxury car. Sure, I could have gotten a Neon for less, but it wouldn't have wrapped me in a curtain of airbags, a great stereo, trip lights everywhere you could think of, intelligent storage options, cool dash lighting, heated seats, enough torque to tow a boat, comfortable seats, and a million other little perks.

As you can tell, I'm less than objective about my car. I should point out that my last car was a Plymouth Sundance, however I also prefer this to the sporty Acura Integra, the powerful Chevy Suburban, or any of the other cars I've driven regularily.

I just can't quit praising the low cost of ownership with this little beauty. Now only if they'd release the 150HP Pump Deuse in the US...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th September, 2003

2002 Volkswagen Golf tdi tdi from North America

Summary:

Buy this car if you like getting jerked around

Faults:

The power window clips broke and the window fell down inside. The car had less than 3000 miles.

The brake light switch went out and because of the transmission safety lock the stupid thing won't even go into gear. Worse yet this part is a dealer only piece and nobody has one.

Volkswagen customer service sucks. Dealers in my area don't have the part, dealers outside of my area won't send it to me. The car has sat for two weeks because because the Volkswagen company is a pain in the ass to deal with.

General Comments:

I liked this car a lot until now. This car is still brand new and its already giving me fits. Worse yet, I got ZERO support from VW. I won't buy another VW, neither will anyone I know and you shouldn't either.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 7th August, 2003

15th Sep 2003, 17:25

I think it's worth commenting that individuals with window problems in other areas have had much less trouble with their dealerships. Here in Seattle, the dealerships are generally very helpful.

None of your problems are that big of a deal in and of themselves. I think your experience sounds like it's largely the result of some lousy "stealerships."

15th Jan 2004, 07:36

I disagree with the last comment left about this review: it is a BIG deal when your car won't even move because of a faulty ignition switch/brake switch, or whatever else is wrong with it. People are paying a lot of money for VWs because of their reputation for reliable, quality vehicles, and it's simply not true anymore.

I will NEVER own a VW again. I wouldn't even rent one for that matter. I would feel differently if VW backed up their product in any way, shape or form. But I found the same as the reviewer here: VW never has their own parts in stock, it blames things on the owner rather than taking responsibility for its own shoddy product, and the service is slow, rude and condescending. The customer care line is an exercise in futility, and a study in irony. Don't even bother.

A brand new car should run like a brand new car, and if there is something wrong, it should be fixed in a timely manner and fixed correctly. A pack of gum it's not. A car is the second largest purchase after a house that many people make in their lives, and it should be treated as such by the companies marketing and manufacturing the product. Unfortunately, I think VW spends a lot more money on marketing than on manufacturing, and it shows.