VW GOLF

vocus

The Golfs come with side air bags. Because of that, you can't get leather upholstery installed as an afermarket accessory. There is some reason why they don't. Think it's because of safety. Read about it in the Galant forum months or so back.

aqueen

Hi, I am a newbie here so please bear me. I am about to get out of graduate school and start working soon. I am attracted to the cute and sporty appearance of VW Golf and am thinking of a 2.0 one. I test drove it and so far so good except the exterior mirror control, it is not that convenient though. I am considering a fully loaded 2.0 GLS (with all 3 packages installed) and the dealer initially offered me $18,400. Is that a fair price? I haven't talked about the financing rate yet, but probably will be 7.55%.

some of my friends said it is a little bit too narrow inside. I am a girl so I am fine the size, but I am wondering if it is a good vehicle to hang out with friends.

Thanks a lot!!!

rkr61

Buy the Golf!!! How many times do you adjust your mirrors anyhow? You won't be disappointed. I have a '95 Golf III Sport and it may be the best car overall I've ever owned. It's fun, safe, practical, and economical. It's my third VW and I would not hesitate to buy another. As far as hauling passergers, it does just fine. And should you need to haul a mountain bike or about 20 bags of garden mulch or an 8 ft. step ladder, it does just fine doing all that too! I have a two-door, but would probably recommend the four-door if passenger comfort is a big concern. There's not much room to deal on Golfs, so the dealer may only come down $500 to $700 off sticker price. But with the 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, you can't go wrong. Since you're graduating college, why not reward yourself to the Golf 1.8T! Hope you buy one!

Cooper

My '97 Passat also grinds second gear occasionally. I've also owned an '83 Rabbit and '87 GTI 16V, and both of these were find. I think that it does have to so with either the desire for the shifter to want to move to the right, or the fact that it's no longer a linkage mechanism.

It seems to want to to it most with (1) lazy shifts, when I'm not paying much attention, and (2) at high revs under hard acceleration.

When I mentioned it to a friend that's a VW salesman, he said that this was the first he'd heard of it. We went out in my car, and he also grinded second gear.

chickadee

I own a 99 GLS New Golf. I am very satisfied with the car, especially with its extremely flexible profile. It behaves as a sport car (happier are those with a 1.8 T!!!) and also provides above-average comfort (cruise, power windows, very good audio, etc.) and 32 miles/gallon on the highway...
I'm somewhat disappointed with the quality of the cloth (makes a lot of lint!!!) and the paint (easy to scratch or to go off).
What worried me was the noise of the breaks. The VW service says this is because of the pads. They are American (thicker) and the Golf is made under German standards(??)

The noise is worse in the first part of a trip and disappears after a while. The same mechanic at the VW dealership told me this is due to rust on the (again!) "non-standard American" break pads.

Does any of you have similar problem? Do you have any recommendations?

Thank you,
chick a. d.

Cooper

Somewhere in all of the thousands of messages on this site is the answer to your question. Now, if I can just remember where it is ...

I believe that it's somewhere in one of the sites on the new Passat. A friend of mine has a new Passat with brake noise, too. Then I chanced on that discussion.

It's an Audi problem, too. I believe that the response was a (very) high temperature, brake compatible silicone that Audi mechanics use.

rkr61

My '95 Golf sometimes grinds when shifting into 2nd gear as well. I notice it most under hard acceleration. I thought maybe I just didn't depress the clutch all the way, but it appears maybe there's more to it. I never felt it was a big enough problem to have the dealer look into it though.

carczar

I would like to find out if the Golfs are assembled in Germany. I know for sure that Jettas and Beetles are assembled south of the border. If so, does that explain the huge discrepancy in the number of Golfs sold relative to Jetta sales despite Jetta's popularity>(almost 4:1)?
Also do you think there are any quality differences between the Jetta and the Golf(if manufactured in Germany)?

vocus

I think the difference in sales comes because most people in America associate hatchbacks with bargain basement transportation (even the market research says that). Kinda stupid, because the Golf is the same exact car as the Jetta except for the hatchback, which adds versatility and cargo room. Makes no sense to me.

snakrich

I believe the first three letters of the VIN of German-built VWs is "WVW." The New Golfs I've seen locally are all German, while Jettas are of Mexican manufacture. However, I think VW will be sourcing North American Golfs from Brazil in the near future.



For more information I'd recommend a search on vwvortex.com or Fred's TDI page at tdiclub.com.

cabrioking

Hey you dillweed, there is a reason that a ford focus is cheaper than a VW Golf, IT'S a Cheap Car!! You might think you got a good deal now, but when it comes time for you to trade up or sell that focus you are screwed pal. Fords have lousy value after a year, heck a 93 cabriolet is worth more than a 98 ford escort, which the focus replaces, The new golf is more like a BMW than that focus. Heck I got rid of a ford and moved up to a 2000 cabrio. I still have my old 91 cabriolet too. Personally, you can't compare a golf to a focus, It's apples to oranges.

mzn

And if you would like to compare the Focus with the Golf, we already have a separate topic in which to do so. Thanks!

carlady/host

kermit5

Just bought a '94 VW Golf GL. Has 37,880 miles on it. One owner. Service is replacing the head gasket. Has new tires and battery. A/C and am/fm radio with cassette. Previous owner said there was a electrical problem which the dealer never found. Service claims they didn't see a problem but found a loose wire and connected it. Anyone else have an electrical problem? Bought it for $6,980. Was that a good deal?

Kermit5

kdominczak

That's right ,there is a separate forum to compare focus and golf!
carlady, thanks for keeping the right order here.

liwen

I'm interested in the Golf GLS and the Civic EX. I'm leaning towards the Golf after I test drove it (it was a lot of fun to drive!), but I still have some questions:

1)Is the Golf GLS is a good investment?
2) How reliable is it? I plan to keep it for a while
3) Any great deals? Great warranties?

Thanks,

vocus

From reading these posts, most of the Golfs are reliable (more so than the Jettas) but there are some problems. The basic warranty does include scheduled maintenace, but both only last for 2 years/24,000 miles. The powertrain warranty is 10 years/100,000 miles, one of the best out there. And, VWs tend to hold their value as well. A great deal depends on how good a "wheeler-dealer" you are.

judas

Vocus, the post is over a month old, but you're still around so, what POSSIBLE effect could leather seats have on the safety of the side air bag? It's pretty ludicrous. There's probably some fabric trim over the side air bag that yes, you would have to leave as fabric, but that has nothing to do with the seats.

vocus

The air bag is in the side of the seatback and is designed to deploy when the car is broadsided or something like that. If you cover the seat with leather and/or remove the cloth, it might not work as anticipated.

judas

Alright, I assumed the side air bags were mounted in the doors like most other ones

mzn

Friends, we're running two parallel discussions on the Golf. Let's continue our conversation here. Thank you. See you there!

carlady/host