Thinking of buying a VW Golf Diesel

[MostlyLurks]

Mrs. Mostly, that is.

Any DUers have one? How's your mileage using regular (i.e. not bio) diesel? How's the reliability? How does it feel in snow/winter weather? Anybody run one with biodiesel?

Comments, thoughts, suggestions all appreciated.

Thanks.

Mostly

[billyskank]

1. They're wildly popular in Europe

so there must be something about them. One thing I can speak for, having driven a couple of cars with them: those 1.9 TDI engines are really good. They seem much more powerful than the 100hp rating suggests, which is because the peak torque occurs at low revs. This means you don't need to trash it to make it go fast.

If you don't care about going fast, you'll get fantastic efficiency from one; typically around 55mpg combined urban/motorway. (That's UK gallons tho, which are somewhat larger than a US gallon, so adjust that value down a little).

It seems as if half of cars on the road in Britain these days are turbodiesels.

[billyskank]

2. One other thing

if you're getting a brand new Golf, there is also a 2.0 TDI 140bhp model, which goes like shit off a stick. :) :thumbsup:

[MostlyLurks]

3. billyskank:

Thanks for the info.

As to the 140 hp model, Mrs. Mostly needs no more excuses to drive fast and erratic, thankyouverymuch.

Mostly

[billyskank]

5. If you want sedate but efficient

then the best one to get is the non-turbo 1.9 SDI, if it's available. Totally unexciting, but so efficient you may as well seal the fuel tank up. :)

[MostlyLurks]

9. I think she's looking at the 2.2.

I'm not a car guy by any means, so I don't know if that's right or not, but the number 2.2 is sticking in my head. We test drove several different cars yesterday, so that may be from a different make/model.

Mostly

[ghostsofgiants]

4. My dad has a Jetta diesel...

Great car. Not sure what his mileage is exactly, but it's good. I assume that goodness would also be prevalent in the Golf.

[MostlyLurks]

8. Primate1, has he had any reliability issues? Thanks! n/t

[ghostsofgiants]

10. None yet, though it's a fairly new car

[Kellanved]

6. At least the Golf+ TDI is a pretty good car

It is very nice to drive and handles well on the Autobahn.

On the downside, the back window is way too small - hard to see anything at all. Also some of the plastic parts in the interior have a tendency to fall off - not what one would expect from a VW.
Finally some of said plastic parts are too fragile for the Golf+, as they break easily when loading the car up (the Golf+'s seats can be transformed to form a plane from the back hatch to the dashboard).

[MostlyLurks]

7. Fit and Finish issues...

Thanks for the info, Kellanved.

All of the other cars we're looking at have "fit and finish" issues as well. We test drove a car yesterday (not a VW - different manufacturer) and one of the interior accent panels fit so badly that I could see the grooves and pins, etc that connected it to the adjoining panel. The prior test driver had taken some plastic piece that came loose and placed it conveniently in one of the myriad cup holders. At our price point, we just have to live with those sorts of things.

Mostly