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Comments
For those of us who drive a lot, there is always the hope that the TDI makes it to the Golf (and to the States that fool themselves into thinking a couple of Golfs will spew out as much soot as all the 20-year old big-trucks do).
Then there is the 2.0TFSI - in my opinion, the better engine choice. Not only do you get 25mpg city on paper - all personal reviews I have seen have this engine trump the 2.5 in mileage by - miles. Oh yeah, then you get ~ 200hp at low rpms and over a wide rpm range to boot. Better than many small V6 engines. Available before the Golf in the GTI in February, and as a 5-door GTI (and perhaps Golf) in June, if everything goes well.
Finally, for those of us who are very patient, there are the tempting twin-charged engine (like the 1.4 that makes 170-hp, and the higher volume versions) that undoubtedly will make it to the US, eventually.
The Golf is a low-sales car for VW in the US, so don't expect many variations to arrive, any time soon. The Jetta and Passat are a different story.
On the other hand, for those of us who wish for a smaller, more lightweight VW, there is always the hope (stirred by recent rumors) that the Polo will soon make it to the US.
Pricing? Just released GTI prices have it about $1,500 less than the GLI. Look at the Jetta prices and configurations, and subtract that, for guidance. Add $500 for 5 doors in the Golf.
I have an intermitent problem with my MK3 golf, there seems to be a problem with being in Gear. As it's an automatic it can't pick up neutral. Do you suspect this to be a big problem or is it as simple as changing the switch?
cheers
This is not true the MSRP of VE Jetta is 17,900 vs. $17,680 for base 2005 Jetta GL. This is an increase of $220. The invoice increased somewhat more...about $875.
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2005/volkswagen/jetta/index.html
Since the Golf base MSRP was about $1500 below Jetta GL, maybe the new one will be about $1500 less than the new Jetta. The invoice on 2005 Golf was about $1000 less than Jetta GL, so that might be a more likely price difference since the markup on VE Jetta is so small. My guess would be MSRP of $16,900 for the 2006 VE Golf.
best regards....
I am not sure if this extendee warantee is offerend in your country.
I live in same country as you, so yes, it is offered. I asked few times, in different dilerships about this since I already read this somewhere but service advisors told me that they are not aware of it. Now, thanks to you and this letter, I hope that they will realize that they cannot lie to me anymore. Now, I just have to find a way how to avoid paying for diagnostic since it was checked by my friend who is mechanic and has that computer that they use.
She did not have any problems with the dealership acknowledging the existance of the extended warantee.... but they did have some criteriea that had to be met before they would "cover" it.
The dealerships seem to have a policy as follows;
A dealership MUST hook your car up to their diagnostic computer and verify that the MAF is bad. Then the diagnostic and replacing the MAF is FREE OF CHARGE.
(They need "proof" so VW will pay for everything.)
HOWEVER: If they cannot diagnose the MAF as being bad... then the CUSTOMER has to pay for the diagnostic procedure.
In the end, my daughter got diagnostics and a new MAF installed free of charge.
I wish you luck 8-)
Z_man
Got a email back from dealer saying none for another year.
Anybody hear otherwise?
I checked local dealer inventory and none available.
(What a messed up company!
They never have the cars people want and insist on making large luxury cars nobody wll buy from them.
Who wants a luxury VW which will break down continuously when they can get a BMW or Mercedes?
Anyway)
Low sulfur Diesel and low-emissions technologies have been available in Europe for many years, now.
JAG, I don't understand. You have a 4-year old car that has only been to the dealer 3 times, and you complain? Lemon laws apply to new cars, only.
If it has been the same problem each time, make sure you get additional warranty from the dealer (for free) on that item.
I think you need to blame your "messed up" government for the non-availability of diesels.
The cars I'm referring to as luxury are th Phaeton and Toureng.
I can't believe they are selling many of those although they probably have a big profit margin.
See link to find out your state law:
http://www.lemonlawamerica.com/
JAG, I don't understand. You have a 4-year old car that has only been to the dealer 3 times, and you complain? Lemon laws apply to new cars, only.
If it has been the same problem each time, make sure you get additional warranty from the dealer (for free) on that item.
...If a new motor vehicle does not conform to any applicable express warranty and the consumer reports the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent, or its authorized dealer during the period of one year following the date of original delivery or during the first eighteen thousand miles of operation, whichever is earlier, the manufacturer,...
California has 18 months/ 18,000 miles. If you know of a state that has 4 years/ 48,000 miles, please let me know. I always like to learn new things.
my 95 golf gl wont tell me where its trunk release is.
:mad:
so my question is...
HOW do you release the fuel door.
thanks.
The trunk release button is under the lid of the storage bin between the front seats. I guess you don't have the manual.
I'm a complete newby to all of this and know nothing about the internal workings of a car but here goes;
How easy is it to lower the suspension on a VW Golf? Do you have to buy a new suspension kit all together or is it possible to lower the current suspension that the car comes with? My dad's quite good with cars - would he be able to do it or would it still be a job for the pros?
Cheerz.
>Just read it here
> http://www.topspeed.com/fast_cars/volkswagen/volkswagen_golf_v-ar2141.html
That is a common problem with VW, their cars are very expensive, particulalry compared to something in the same category. They are priced between the standard brands and luxury. It's an interesting pricing strategy, but hey, it seems to work.
Well said. But the "German driving experience" has been worth it. (Repeat this five times a day.)
>Just curious - what else is on your short list?
Hmmm. Well, I looked long and hard at the Mazda 3i, but after driving it, I came away underwhelmed. My '96 Golf rides and handles just as well, though I'm sure the 3s is much sportier all around - and more expensive.
For economy and storage, the Honda Fit looks great. I'm not enamored with its styling and have never warmed up to Hondas. Seems kind of small for the American road system. I'm reserving judgment till I see one in person (in April?)
VW engines rev high for the most part. 3600 RPM doesn't sound excessive. I assume you have the 2.0L engine. However, my 96 Golf w/ automatic doesn't rev that high at 70 MPH. Have you checked other forums for better info? Try
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled?gvc=2
He bought the outgoing model (MkIV) Golf. While the new MkV GTI with the 2.0TFSI engine has been out for a few weeks, the new Golf with the 2.5 5-cyl. (or the 4-door GTI) won't be available until about June/July.
If I don't forget to do it, I'll check what mine does at 70mph. I would guess around 3000rpm.
4th still has some power curve left in it at 80 even with the low gearing. On mountain roads driving 50 or 60 I would often throw a downshift to fourth or third then run it up to redline to pass slow traffic.
The 5 speed is truly a joy in the 2.0.
For BEST performance, run premium in your 2.0 as recommended by the brochure and the manual. It will run on regular fine, but will make more power on premium.
Look up www.toptiergas.com for some great recommendations on gasoline. Most manufacturers have gradually reduced the detergents in their gas to federal minimum requirements, which are based on almost 30 year old BMW fuel injector tests. Chevron, Conoco-Phillips (and their brand, Union 76), and Shell have kept a lot of detergents in their gas, and keep your car running top performance.
Your car's engine, although based on the 70's Rabbit GTi, has been updated over the years and is highly refined. It is smoother than the 5 cylinder and some drivers (myself included) are a little disappointed that the 5 cylinder doesn't feel much stronger and certainly doesn't run too smooth. The 2.0 oil recommendation is 5W-40. Although I have heard traditional "dino oil" in Europe can satisfy both this viscosity grade AND the VW specification (5xx.x) in your owner's manual, in this country the only oils that satisfy both the grade requirement and the VW spec are all synthetic. Look for 5-40 Pennzoil or Quaker State in bottles labelled "European Formula" or words to that effect; Mobil 1 0-40; or Castrol 5-40 Syntec, which my dealer used for its synthetic oil changes. If you aren't sure, check the bottle to see if it satisfies the VW spec or check the manufacturer's website.
My dealer told me that 5-30 oil can be used, since the 2.0 isn't a turbo; and the manual states, somewhat enigmatically, that "5-30 may be used if 5-40 is not available." Which is VW speak for "we would never do it, but you American's insist on the cheapest possible oil." Also keep in mind that American 5-30's don't satisfy the VW spec and are not "long life" and therefore shouldn't be kept in the crankcase for the full 10,000 mile interval VW permits.
On my first Mk IV I didn't take this stuff seriously; I believed in good oil, but thought dealers were overpriced. Since I had trouble finding 0-40 at Walmart, which is very cheap for oil, I ran Mobil 1 5-30 instead. This is full synthetic, and I was only running 5,000 mile oil change intervals, and I never had a problem. Unfortunately I didn't know that VW REQUIRES a drain pan bolt replacement at every oil change as a routine part of the oil change process, and as a result (and also, I am sure, due to aggressive lube shop mechanics) I lost an oil pan, thus giving back all the savings I got from cheap oil changes.
On my later 2004 Golf, I checked the dealer prices, found out they were reasonable (about $89 for a full synthetic 5-40 oil change with a superior VW oil filter and new drain pan plug).
I got far enough with the 2001 to need a 40,000 mile major service, which includes an oil change, spark plug change, cabin filter change, and air filter change. Plus the usual numerous inspections. This ran me $300, thanks to shopping around and a dealer discount coupon. Some dealers wanted up to $500. These prices are competitive; my Honda dealer wants $500 for a 30,000 mile "tune up" on a car with 100,000 mile spark plugs and fluids. At least on the VW the dealer was doing some real work.
VW has very demanding specifications and the market for replacement fluids is so small in the States that anything generic you find on a Kragen shelf or at a lube shop is apt to be the wrong stuff (even if it claims VW compatibility), and may cause more harm than good. I wouldn't put anything other than genuine VW fluids into a modern VW.
I don't want to give the impression that VW's are high maintenance. They are VERY low maintenance, BUT very particular about what they want. :P
Have fun. Don't be afraid of the RPM. You might hate your first VW, go back to a Honda, but I guarantee you that later on you will miss the VW....
for as long as ive had my car the bank 1 sensor was out. is it neccessary to replace it? and if it is, where is it? i cant spot it out..
thanks.
I do have a few questions:
I am a big guy, 6'2", 300lbs. Will the golf be comfortable for me? I will be driving alone mostly, just commuting to work.
My primary desires in a new car are fuel efficiency, and reliability. I've been through the constant repairs, and headaches. I need at least a couple pain free years. Is a VW Golf going to work for me?
I hope the VW will work out, I love the VWs!
Thanks,
-Drew
My primary desires in a new car are fuel efficiency, and reliability. I've been through the constant repairs, and headaches. I need at least a couple pain free years. Is a VW Golf going to work for me?
I doubt it. I owned a 2001 and 2004 Golf and they are upscale for a small car - that is their allure, not bulletproof reliability.
I had a frustrating ECM problem with the first one and no problems (albeit a much shorter period of ownership) with the second, sorry to see it go but needed a minivan.
However, VW way at the end of the line on Consumer Reports' list of reliable cars, and there are a lot of anecdotal reports of problems and bad dealers, in terms of fixing those problems the first (second, or third) time around.
So unless you are prepared to work around the problems (which are not insurmountable given a healthy dose of patience and proximity to a good dealer - this is 2006 after all) you should just buy a Corolla (the new Civic has teething problems).
Also, consider this: a person with 10 problems with a Corolla waits patiently while the dealer fixes them and never doubts the integrity of the brand. On the other hand, a person with 3 problems on a VW or American car freaks out and immediately starts a vitriolic campaign against them everywhere he or she can post.
American and VW cars seem to create paranoia in their purchasers (the "knew I shouldn't have bought this" syndrome). You seem like a perfect candidate for this syndrome....
A sixth generation Golf!
But dont get too excited since we will have to wait about a half a decade after the VW VI intro in Europe in order to buy one here(just about the time when Europeans will be driving the newer VW VII)
link title
it appears this forum is a solo forum consisting merely of myself.
So in order to provoke some dialogue I am going to respond to my own post:
Hey Dewey,
Here is a link with more information about the 6th generation Golf.
Enjoy,
link title
It's been beaten to death before, but VW seems to have a terminal problem with the NA market. Meanwhile, Toyota marches on....
The accelleration from the 2.0L trubocharged engine can pin one to the seat. The cornering abilities are unmatched. (Salseman took cloverleaf at speed that would make lesser cars squirm) The ESP never came on and the salesman said that during his training, this car has taken the same corner at 10 MPH faster before ESP kicked in.
The seats are VERY supportive and the new IRS (Indipendant Rear Suspension) makes the vehicle significantly more stable over uneven roads. I spoke to an Audi TT owner that says that the VW GTI is very close to the performance of his TT at half the price.
My daughter then test-drove a Mazda RX8 (Only rotary engine available in USA) Although the Mazda looks cool and sounds AWESOME with an engine that freely reves well beyond 8,000 RPM.
After the GTI, my daughter was not impressed by the RX8.
How is that for some comments on the new Golf?
When I look for an automobile which I am going to keep for over 10 years... I look for somthing that I want to be in for that long.... price is perhaps 3rd or 4th on my list.
Somthing like this;
1) Rust resistant (I live in Vermont.. Asian cars disenigrate in about 8 years)
2) Has the amenities my wife desires
3) efficnecy
4) price
The VW Jetta TDI is the ONLY automible that fit all of these.
1)The 12-year/unlimited-milage corrosion warantee is unmatched among Jetta-contenders.
2) Wife needed ESP (replacing 4X4 Civic)
3) 56 MPG !!!
4) easilly paid for any upfront xtra cost due to #3 above
As you can see from my comments in previous append... my daughter has different desires in an automobile than I do.