Well, I have had the AllTrack for about 7-1/2 years now. Time surely flies when you are having fum. Thought I would list what I have found (for me , at least)to be the good and less than good points of this car.
The Good
1. Car still drives like a little sports car. The handling is excellent and the electric power steering (adjustable between Normal and Sport mode) is good. The turbo charged 1.8 liter with direct injection engine is smooth, responsive and delivers a decent amount of power and torque for my uses. At just shy of 60,000 miles as I write this, I have not had any cleaning done to the intake valves.
2. Car was never in for any warranty work. The only small issues I have had is a gasoline odor after parking that I cured by adding some injector cleaner and an EPC light that came on. A tech at the VW dealer fixed this in a short period of time. Other than those two issues, the only work has been maintenance. Oil and filter every 5000 miles, brake fluid drained and refilled every three years, spark plugs at 40,000 miles and required services performed on the auto trans with the dual wet clutch system and the Haldex system. Car still has the original brakes which show less than 40% of the lining worn away. Currently running Michelin Cross Climate tires which now have about 20,000 miles on them.
3. Mileage remains good with an average of about 34-35 mpg on trips at about 65 mph. I typically run 93 octane (my choice) and I can put the pedal to the floor with no pinging, just a great release of power. I have driven this car from PA to South Dakota and back, to St. Augustine, Florida and back and to the Delaware beaches. Very comfortable for driving long distances with lots of adjustments available on the front seats.
4. The body still looks like the car is brand new. Granted, I no longer drive much on wintery days here in central Pennsylvania but I always wash the car, especially underneath, after exposure to salty roads. The paint has held up marvelously well.
5. VW is no longer selling small wagons like this car but I love the interior room. With the back seat down, there is a really large amount of space for cargo.
6. The VW dealer from whom I bought the car and who does all the service and maintenance work is a great dealer with whom to work. Never any pressure to upsell services and the services that are done are done correctly. I am very pleased with them.
7. The adaptive cruise control works great as do the radar indicators around the car. This car does NOT have lane control or stop/start for which I am very grateful. It does have controls to choose locked four wheel drive and sport mode for the tranny if you want it.
8. Sound system is decent with a sub-woofer installed over the spare tire.
LESS THAN GOOD
1. Notice I am not using the word bad as there is really nothing that is bad about this car. Indeed, at age 76 and having driven 1,000.000 miles or more, I will tell you that to me this is the best car I have ever owned and driven.
2. Some of the small plastic items like the button on the E-brake handle have broken but I have found a very inexpensive way to repair it.
3. The back seat is small and can be cramped for adults. But as I bought this mainly for my wife and me, that is not a major issue.
SUMMARY
This VW has been an excellent vehicle that has served me well for 7-1/2 years. It is reasonably thrifty, fun to drive and very dependable. With the all wheel drive and lock up drive available, it has taken me anywhere I want to go. I am impressed with the dealer with whom I work. Overall, owning and driving this car has been a very enjoyable experience. It is the fourth modern VW I have owned and all have given me this type of excellent service.
The Good
1. Car still drives like a little sports car. The handling is excellent and the electric power steering (adjustable between Normal and Sport mode) is good. The turbo charged 1.8 liter with direct injection engine is smooth, responsive and delivers a decent amount of power and torque for my uses. At just shy of 60,000 miles as I write this, I have not had any cleaning done to the intake valves.
2. Car was never in for any warranty work. The only small issues I have had is a gasoline odor after parking that I cured by adding some injector cleaner and an EPC light that came on. A tech at the VW dealer fixed this in a short period of time. Other than those two issues, the only work has been maintenance. Oil and filter every 5000 miles, brake fluid drained and refilled every three years, spark plugs at 40,000 miles and required services performed on the auto trans with the dual wet clutch system and the Haldex system. Car still has the original brakes which show less than 40% of the lining worn away. Currently running Michelin Cross Climate tires which now have about 20,000 miles on them.
3. Mileage remains good with an average of about 34-35 mpg on trips at about 65 mph. I typically run 93 octane (my choice) and I can put the pedal to the floor with no pinging, just a great release of power. I have driven this car from PA to South Dakota and back, to St. Augustine, Florida and back and to the Delaware beaches. Very comfortable for driving long distances with lots of adjustments available on the front seats.
4. The body still looks like the car is brand new. Granted, I no longer drive much on wintery days here in central Pennsylvania but I always wash the car, especially underneath, after exposure to salty roads. The paint has held up marvelously well.
5. VW is no longer selling small wagons like this car but I love the interior room. With the back seat down, there is a really large amount of space for cargo.
6. The VW dealer from whom I bought the car and who does all the service and maintenance work is a great dealer with whom to work. Never any pressure to upsell services and the services that are done are done correctly. I am very pleased with them.
7. The adaptive cruise control works great as do the radar indicators around the car. This car does NOT have lane control or stop/start for which I am very grateful. It does have controls to choose locked four wheel drive and sport mode for the tranny if you want it.
8. Sound system is decent with a sub-woofer installed over the spare tire.
LESS THAN GOOD
1. Notice I am not using the word bad as there is really nothing that is bad about this car. Indeed, at age 76 and having driven 1,000.000 miles or more, I will tell you that to me this is the best car I have ever owned and driven.
2. Some of the small plastic items like the button on the E-brake handle have broken but I have found a very inexpensive way to repair it.
3. The back seat is small and can be cramped for adults. But as I bought this mainly for my wife and me, that is not a major issue.
SUMMARY
This VW has been an excellent vehicle that has served me well for 7-1/2 years. It is reasonably thrifty, fun to drive and very dependable. With the all wheel drive and lock up drive available, it has taken me anywhere I want to go. I am impressed with the dealer with whom I work. Overall, owning and driving this car has been a very enjoyable experience. It is the fourth modern VW I have owned and all have given me this type of excellent service.
