Golf TDI?

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My son is thinking about buying a Golf TDI (new). Is this a good, reliable car? I've never had a diesel myself, and I don't know anything about modern VW's.
 
Originally Posted By: Stelth
Is this a good, reliable car?

Depends on the point of reference, I suppose.

Reliability aside, what exactly are his requirements? What is he looking for in a car? Why does he want a diesel?

I'd say typically people buy VWs because they're somewhat fun to drive and solidly put together. They don't necessarily buy VWs because they're reliable. That's not to say they unreliable, but you'll see heated debates on this point all over the web.
 
Diesel are long to warm up.if its a city car?grab a sparks(gm)electric.a bit of highway?Honda fit 2015 is probably the top gun of the small car category.
 
I have two TDIs. They are fantaastic on long trips and for rural driving where we live. I would not want to own one in a crowded city where there was a lot of start and stop driving. Mu Passat has averaged over 55 mpg on long trips and has achieved 58 mpg from here (Central PA)to Lexington, VA. Almost everyone who I have talked to that is driving one of the Passat TDIs is getting far better mileage than the EPA estimate for highway. It does use DEF fluid which allows for a more agressive tune than my Jatta TDI SPortwagen which does not use the fluid. The best mileage I have achieved on the Jetta (highway) is just a shade under 50 mpg. Around here in a lot of country road driving, I average about 40-41 mpg.

I believe the new 2015 TDI vehicles, at least the Jettas, will use diesel exhaust fluid and lose their independent rear suspension to make room for the tank. Check with the dealer on this.

Both of these cars are fun to drive and the Passat is a great car for trips. It has an enormous back seat and trunk, two items that rarely seem to be found on the same car.
 
Lots of people seem to love them. But keep in mind VW consistently ranks near the bottom of quality/reliability surveys.

Maybe the problem has been solved, but a couple years ago there were reports of a rash of fuel injection failures in TDI VWs. Fine if under warranty, but really, really (really) expensive to fix if not. Spending some time on VW forums may be worthwhile.

And if your son is looking at the automatic trans version, be aware it is a wet-dual-clutch rather than a conventional automatic. It will have a few driveability peculiarities, but also requires a $300-400 service every 30k, offsetting much of the TDI fuel economy savings.
 
Its a solid choice for a premium small car. I would have him peek at 2015 GTI too as price is similar.
 
I would only buy a VW diesel if I was driving 30K miles a year or more. There are gasoline vehicles that get almost the same MPGs without the concern of trying to locate fuel etc...

I haven't been a VW fan in years because of the previously mentioned reliability issues but the new 2015 Golf with the 1.8T looks inviting. If reliability is good I may look at one down the road.

PS: Is this the same 1.8T that was used in older VW/Audi's or is it a new engine? I understand it doesn't need premium fuel which is a big plus.
 
Originally Posted By: Danh
Maybe the problem has been solved, but a couple years ago there were reports of a rash of fuel injection failures in TDI VWs.


The problem was with the fuel pumps, which have a tendency to disintegrate and load the fuel system with metal particles, resulting in a $7500 repair bill. I know it affected the 2009 and 2010 models, but I'm not sure about 2011. It has most definitely been fixed in the new models.
 
To address a couple of things:
-HPFP issues have been resolved. Took some time, but they appear to have been fixed
-The new 1.8T gas motor is just that..new. New. Not related to the old motor. Very good motor, good MPG, and runs on regular.
-2015 TDI models will have Urea, which the current Jetta and Golf do not.

I have a 2013 Jetta TDI. My third TDI. I used to drive a lot, but my commute recently got much shorter. Daily drive is pretty short, but I still make a 4-500 mile round trip for work about 2-3 times/month. I thought about a new Jetta or Passat with the 1.8T, but even with strong hwy MPG, it will not touch my TDI in terms of MPG. Hand calculated, I can get 50-52 driving around 68 MPH. Gas cars simply cannot touch this. a new 1.8T will maybe get mid to high 30's (MAYBE). For MPG, the TDI is hard to beat.

Break it in right, use the right oil, drive it right, and use good quality fuel. They arent simple engines, but what engines are now?

I enjoy driving my TDI a ton. The MPG is a huge bonus.
 
I should add...

The DSG needs to be serviced every 40k, not 30. This can be done at the dealer or by an indie mechanic. It can even be done at home.

Oil/filter and fuel filter changes are EASY. I do all of my own. Top side extraction. I can do an oil change very quickly on my car. Fuel filter is the same...a few torx screws and it's out.
 
Long term ownership or short?

Usually on tdiclub.com I'd recommend figuring out who your local TDI guru is. Assuming you don't work on it yourself, that is. Driven long enough something will break, be it at 50k or 150k or 250kmiles.

I still like mine. I'm still a bit hesitant about the newest ones, and unsure where diesel is going to go in the future (price/gallon) but it sure is a nice drive.
 
My aunt has a 2013 Beetle TDI and I'm driving her previous TDI, the older one has been pretty good with reliability but I think the new one will be a far more reliable car. Those new TDIs are really quick and get great mpg. To avoid a $375 DSG service at the dealer every 40k he can get a stick.
 
I agree with previous comments that this not a car suited for short trip city driving. But it would be excellent for regular long highway trips.

My opinion on VWs in general is that the quality can be hit and miss. When they are running well they are solid and fun to drive. But maintenance costs, whether scheduled or unscheduled, are typically higher than most owners of Japanese or US cars are used to paying.
 
Personally, the only reason to get a VW is to get the TDI.

I owned a Rabbit diesel waaaay back, and it was great. High torque, high MPG, and it was so mechanical. You knew there was an engine in there and part of the charm was it appealed to all your senses. New ones are as quiet and odor free as a gasser.

Not many people buy VW's, they're nothing special...even though their advertising which emphasizes the "German engineering" thing...as if that arrogantly makes them superior..doesn't resonate with their target audience, who are far more interested in the latest Apple gizmo.

If he doesn't get a TDI, look at the Fiesta (the 1.0 turbo 3!), or the Focus..both truly excellent cars.
 
I am curious why TDI is not the best for short trips?

A friend gets in mid to upper 30's doing preschool run about short tripping all over with TDI wagon. She loves the decent MPG, manual transmission and amazing power curve to massive torque.

Getting a Fiesta, FIT etc is just a tiny motor you wind up to drive around and feel less substantial than VW offerings.
 
Originally Posted By: rjundi
I am curious why TDI is not the best for short trips?

A friend gets in mid to upper 30's doing preschool run about short tripping all over with TDI wagon. She loves the decent MPG, manual transmission and amazing power curve to massive torque.

Getting a Fiesta, FIT etc is just a tiny motor you wind up to drive around and feel less substantial than VW offerings.


the DPF will plug. Then on another short trip, it would go into forced regeneration cycle and you would think something is wrong.
 
Originally Posted By: Noey
Not many people buy VW's,

That's relative, I guess. VW sells more than 400K cars in North America annually.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Noey
Not many people buy VW's,

That's relative, I guess. VW sells more than 400K cars in North America annually.


Guessing that doesn't include Mexico... or not other brands owned by VW... because I'd guess that Seat sells at least that many cars in Mexico annually.
 
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