2016 VW Golf wagon - 2,500 miles in

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Thought I would jot down my impressions of this car so far for anyone considering one. The kinds of things you really don't notice on a test drive.

First off, I like the car and am happy with the purchase. Some of the things I'm going to list will sound like nitpicking and they are. Take it for what it's worth.

1) The car seems put together very well. No rattles or squeaks. Handles broken pavement very well.

2) The 6 speed auto is a very good unit. Shifts well and behaves the way I would want it to. The SPORT mode actually works like it should. It's mostly an occasional curiosity for a car like this, but it's good that it actually works as advertised. Holds gears both up and down appropriately.

3) The 1.8TSI is a nice engine. It's quiet and power delivery is good. The car is no rocket ship, but it scoots far better than it needs to. Anyone who would complain about inadequate power doesn't understand what this car is supposed to be.

4) The interior has a nice, quality feel to it. Much nicer than most base model cars in its price range. People who have been in the car all think it cost much more than it did. There's even a nice felt-like material that lines the front door pockets. It's a nice touch.

5) Seats are comfortable, though I hate the fact that the seat cannot be adjusted straight up and down, It swings in a bit of an arc. If you want to lower the seat cushion, the who seat also moves back. VW has been doing this for a long time. Can't understand why.

6) The center armrest is far too low and set back too far to be of much use to me. The lid can be held open and pulled forward which fixes the problem but creates two new ones. The storage compartment is now partially open and the second cupholder is blocked. Not major but seems like a pretty stupid design. Subaru's old armrest extension would be a much better idea and add needed storage.

7) The sound system is good, but Apple Car Play is a bit finicky. Not sure if this is VW's issue or Apple's and it may be corrected later with a firmware update. Sometimes, if I unplug my phone before I turn off the head unit, the audio system will not turn off at all. It will stay on all night. The volume also becomes unresponsive. Again, this may simply be an integration issue with an easy fix down the road.

Also, the CD player and SD card slot have been relocated to the glovebox. They now take the space formerly used for the owner's manual, meaning that these books now take up much of the limited glovebox space. I would gladly do without the CD player and the SD slot could have been located somewhere else. Or the whole unit as it is could have been located in the rear cargo area like CD changers of old.

8) Don't like the way VW does the heated mirrors and never will. There is an "ON" position on the adjuster knob and they stay on, forever, unless you turn them off. Why not just have them tied to the rear defroster on the same timed circuit?

9) The rear cargo cover is very well done. It has intermediate positions between fully open and fully closed. Also, it completely covers the cargo area when closed. there is no gap on the sides like in most SUV's. As a bonus, there is a pre-engineered spot to store the cover in below the cargo floor if you need to take it out. I like that a lot.

10) Room for a full size spare. Thank you.

11) Fuel economy. Not bad, but not as good as I had hoped. I get 27MPG on average in mixed driving. That's not terrible, but not that much better than the 2014 Equinox I had before this. The Equinox was significantly heavier, less aerodynamic and to be honest, I flogged that vehicle lot more. Highway is around 36MPG. I'm happier with that. I probably wouldn't mind the mixed economy as much if the gas tank was bigger. This car needs more like 16 gallons, not 13.

12) Car is nice and quiet inside and the engine noise even under heavy throttle is not intrusive. Oddly, the sound quality on the Bluetooth speaker phone is not that great on either side of the conversation. I can live with it, but the last 2 Chevy's I had cause much fewer "What?" responses than this car does.

13) The 15" wheels are not much more attractive than a cheap set of plastic wheel covers, but the high-profile rubber makes for a good ride. Handling is not harmed at sane speeds.

I should note that I have a somewhat unique situation. My employer not only provides me an allowance for this car, but also pays for all repairs for the next 4 years which is how long I am allowed to keep the car under the reimbursement plan. As such, I was not as concerned with reliability and repair cost as most are. I really like the car a lot, but I'm not sure I would have chosen another VW if the repair costs were on me. I am hopeful that it will prove to be as reliable as a Toyota or Honda, but only time will tell. I can say that it is far better to drive and feels nicer inside than any Corolla or Focus I have ever been in. I test drove a 2016 base Forester before I bought the Golf and absolutely hated the thing. Between the CVT, interior noise and the low-rent feel inside, it wasn't a serious option for me. I also shopped the Accord and Mazda 6 which were both great cars, but more expensive and lacking in utility. I had considered the CX5, CRV and RAV4 (even another Equinox) but all were significantly more expensive given VW's incentives.

Hope this info helps someone. I'll try to update it as I put the miles on.
 
Thank You. I recall liking my base VW Fox I used for a thrasher commuter in the early 90s; the thing drove like a mini Merc
smile.gif


How is the storage area and ease of expanding it into the second row?

it seems steering has gotten messed up on many cars these days with EPS. How is the on center feel and the turn-in feedback?
 
Great review- thanks.
I like those 10-11 gallon gas tanks
Throw a $20 bill in and that's it. Plus your not carrying around a bunch of excess weight. Hondas are so weird the driving dynamics change horribly bad from a half tank to a full tank of gas. Honda cars and even the old Element had a poor GVWR's....
 
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
Great review- thanks.
I like those 10-11 gallon gas tanks
Throw a $20 bill in and that's it. Plus your not carrying around a bunch of excess weight. Hondas are so weird the driving dynamics change horribly bad from a half tank to a full tank of gas. Honda cars and even the old Element had a poor GVWR's....


Ugh, I'd hate that. But I drive 450-500 miles per week.

When I had my TDi I could eek out 700, 750 miles to a tank with ease; wife's Camry I think can get upwards of 500. It's nice getting the thrifty I4/manual in a platform that also could be had with a thirst V6/auto; sizing the tank to get the nominal 350mile range for the worst mpg combination meant big range for the best combination.
 
Very nicely detailed review.

So many car reviews are done by writers that have no chance or interest in owning what they are writing about - example: low profile tires, these are great for looks and handling but the real world has bumps & potholes. 'Nuff said.

You might see some improvement in the city MPG as the engine breaks-in.

Thanks again.
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Thank You. I recall liking my base VW Fox I used for a thrasher commuter in the early 90s; the thing drove like a mini Merc
smile.gif


How is the storage area and ease of expanding it into the second row?

it seems steering has gotten messed up on many cars these days with EPS. How is the on center feel and the turn-in feedback?


Seats fold pretty easily, not 100% flat but good enough. Levers are in the back of the cargo area. The seat backs seem to have a spring loading to them, so when you pull the handle they fly forward. As they should. There is also an armrest pass-through in the center. Not sure how useful it is, but it's there.

Stereing is good if perhaps a little too sensitive on center. Not a problem, just takes some getting used to. Feels fine, effort is appropriate for a family vehicle. Some european cars tend to have inappropriately high steering effort on the pedestrian models.
 
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
Do you really need the owners manual in the car?

I leave mine home, I know what I need to, and can look up what I want when home.


I keep mine in the car at all times. I think that's where it belongs.
 
Originally Posted By: pottymouth
8) Don't like the way VW does the heated mirrors and never will. There is an "ON" position on the adjuster knob and they stay on, forever, unless you turn them off. Why not just have them tied to the rear defroster on the same timed circuit?



Well that's odd. On my MKV the mirrors will only come on when the rear defroster is, even if the mirror knob is on defrost all the time. I figured they would have kept with the same concept.
 
Originally Posted By: Delta
Originally Posted By: pottymouth
8) Don't like the way VW does the heated mirrors and never will. There is an "ON" position on the adjuster knob and they stay on, forever, unless you turn them off. Why not just have them tied to the rear defroster on the same timed circuit?



Well that's odd. On my MKV the mirrors will only come on when the rear defroster is, even if the mirror knob is on defrost all the time. I figured they would have kept with the same concept.


The info display between the tach and speedo can be set to display HVAC impact on fuel economy. According to this, the heated mirrors are energized any time the mirror switch is in that position.
 
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
Do you really need the owners manual in the car?

I leave mine home, I know what I need to, and can look up what I want when home.


I leave mine in. For years it gave me something to do if I got stuck sitting in the car waiting for something. Now that iDevices are popular I guess I could just put the owners manual onto that, and read whenever.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
Great review- thanks.
I like those 10-11 gallon gas tanks
Throw a $20 bill in and that's it. Plus your not carrying around a bunch of excess weight. Hondas are so weird the driving dynamics change horribly bad from a half tank to a full tank of gas. Honda cars and even the old Element had a poor GVWR's....


Ugh, I'd hate that. But I drive 450-500 miles per week.

When I had my TDi I could eek out 700, 750 miles to a tank with ease; wife's Camry I think can get upwards of 500. It's nice getting the thrifty I4/manual in a platform that also could be had with a thirst V6/auto; sizing the tank to get the nominal 350mile range for the worst mpg combination meant big range for the best combination.

This was one of my favorite things about mom's 2002 Toyota Solara. The 2.4L 4-cylinder got about 29 MPG, and the fuel tank held about 18.5 gallons.
 
Originally Posted By: madRiver
I like the car a lot my wife was actually bummed no heated seats with manual when we test drove it.


I have the manual base model. The cloth seats never feel cold. The cabin heats up crazy fast. I have never felt like i needed heated seats and its been very cold. It could always be added aftermarket if had to have it. 1400 miles on mine and i am very happy with it.
 
I hit 10K miles last week, so I thought I might update.

The car is doing just fine overall, runs well, still happy with it overall. A little more time in the seat leaves me with these impressions:

1) The paint is easily chipped on the front end, particularly the front bumper. Lots of little pock marks when you look up close.

2) I had the oil changed at the dealer at 9K miles. It was $79 with a coupon. My employer pays for it, but it still seems a little steep to me. Chevy dealer charged less than half that. Partly due to VW 502 oils, I'm sure but that can't account for all of it.

3) Dealer updated the firmware on the audio system and it solved about half of the issues I had with it. Still buggy with Apple Car Play.

4) Fuel economy has gotten a little better, but still disappointing. 30 mpg mixed is acceptable, but not exceptional. 25 mpg city is downright disappointing.

5) The VW "Monster Mats" are garbage. They don't cover enough of the carpet and seem to wear quickly. My heel will be all the way through in another 5K miles. Will probably replace with Weathertech once that happens.

6) The side mirrors are a little small for my liking.

7) The performance continues to be very good. More than satisfied with the acceleration and handling given the car's mission.

8) The HVAC vents on the rear of the console are all but useless. Unless I turn the fan to high and close all the dash vents, the air flow is barely noticeable in the back seat.

9) Interior storage is lacking.

10) Germans really hate putting cupholders in cars, so they design them poorly in a passive-aggressive way to get revenge on US buyers for demanding them.

11) There is a marked and noticeable difference in quality and solidness between the Golf and the Jetta/Passat. Golf's doors close more solidly, materials look and feel nicer.

12) Would be nice if the washer fluid bottle took an entire jug of fluid. My last two cars did. I suppose the stuff is not sold in gallons in Germany.

13) Seats are mediocre.

14) Instruments are excellent and it is easy to adjust the steering wheel so you can see everything.

15) Dang, these base 15" wheels are ugly. To me, they look like Walmart hubcaps. VW has offered plenty of OK looking 15" wheels in the past. Why make ugly wheels?

16) The brakes are very good. They dusted like crazy the first few thousand miles but have settled down now. Good initial bite, lots of feel, easy to modulate. Haven't driven many stock cars with better brakes.

17) This car has an automatic trans and it won't start unless I have my foot on the brake. I hate this. It already has a transmission interlock, why does it need a brake interlock too?

As I said, I'm very happy with the purchase overall and the little car is really growing on me. It's hard to say that such a car is fun to drive, but this one is playful. No rattles or squeaks so far and no warranty issues other than the radio firmware which was done while the car was in for its oil change. It is serving me well and the cargo flexibility is as good as I expected.

Once it gets good and hot out, I'll let you guys know how the A/C works with this dark blue paint.
 
Originally Posted By: pottymouth
I hit 10K miles last week, so I thought I might update.

The car is doing just fine overall, runs well, still happy with it overall. A little more time in the seat leaves me with these impressions:

1) The paint is easily chipped on the front end, particularly the front bumper. Lots of little pock marks when you look up close.

2) I had the oil changed at the dealer at 9K miles. It was $79 with a coupon. My employer pays for it, but it still seems a little steep to me. Chevy dealer charged less than half that. Partly due to VW 502 oils, I'm sure but that can't account for all of it.

3) Dealer updated the firmware on the audio system and it solved about half of the issues I had with it. Still buggy with Apple Car Play.

4) Fuel economy has gotten a little better, but still disappointing. 30 mpg mixed is acceptable, but not exceptional. 25 mpg city is downright disappointing.

5) The VW "Monster Mats" are garbage. They don't cover enough of the carpet and seem to wear quickly. My heel will be all the way through in another 5K miles. Will probably replace with Weathertech once that happens.

6) The side mirrors are a little small for my liking.

7) The performance continues to be very good. More than satisfied with the acceleration and handling given the car's mission.

8) The HVAC vents on the rear of the console are all but useless. Unless I turn the fan to high and close all the dash vents, the air flow is barely noticeable in the back seat.

9) Interior storage is lacking.

10) Germans really hate putting cupholders in cars, so they design them poorly in a passive-aggressive way to get revenge on US buyers for demanding them.

11) There is a marked and noticeable difference in quality and solidness between the Golf and the Jetta/Passat. Golf's doors close more solidly, materials look and feel nicer.

12) Would be nice if the washer fluid bottle took an entire jug of fluid. My last two cars did. I suppose the stuff is not sold in gallons in Germany.

13) Seats are mediocre.

14) Instruments are excellent and it is easy to adjust the steering wheel so you can see everything.

15) Dang, these base 15" wheels are ugly. To me, they look like Walmart hubcaps. VW has offered plenty of OK looking 15" wheels in the past. Why make ugly wheels?

16) The brakes are very good. They dusted like crazy the first few thousand miles but have settled down now. Good initial bite, lots of feel, easy to modulate. Haven't driven many stock cars with better brakes.

17) This car has an automatic trans and it won't start unless I have my foot on the brake. I hate this. It already has a transmission interlock, why does it need a brake interlock too?

As I said, I'm very happy with the purchase overall and the little car is really growing on me. It's hard to say that such a car is fun to drive, but this one is playful. No rattles or squeaks so far and no warranty issues other than the radio firmware which was done while the car was in for its oil change. It is serving me well and the cargo flexibility is as good as I expected.

Once it gets good and hot out, I'll let you guys know how the A/C works with this dark blue paint.



Did you even test drive it before purchase? Quite a lot of nit picky items there were probably evident from day one before you drove it off the lot.
 
Originally Posted By: pottymouth
2) I had the oil changed at the dealer at 9K miles. It was $79 with a coupon.

Isn't the first oil change free? Or was this not your first oil change on this car?
 
Only 2015 MY got the first service covered.

Figure 6 qts VW 502 oil and a filter are easily $50 if you don't shop around, and it adds up quickly. $100 oil changes are crazy talk to me, though.

Thanks to the M1 rebates, I should be able to do an oil change for ~$25-30 with filter. (got enough 0w40 for 3 OCIs currently)


It seemed that the 5MT trans were getting much better numbers than the 6AT, when reading through VWvortex. The manual is very tall geared and seems quite efficient. My average is 36-37 (calculated) so far.

I added some washers to the front seat bolts and longer bolts to tilt the seat - helped nicely. Had no thigh support for longer drives before. The height adjustment finally tilts the seat back at the lowest setting, then I can't see out properly. 3/8" of washers fixed that.

I bought an OBDeleven, and have been able to add various "tweaks", like VAG-COM/VCDS does, but for $62 instead of $350. Can also read codes, limited live data, etc.

I look forward to putting more miles on, as I'm only at 13XX so far...
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro

Did you even test drive it before purchase? Quite a lot of nit picky items there were probably evident from day one before you drove it off the lot.


Good point.

I should probably warn you to stay away from most automotive publications. They do this thing called "long term review" in which people drive the car in various conditions for an extended period and then report any problems they had along with their impressions that may have changed over time. Somehow they got this crazy idea that people might want to know what it's like to actually live with a car in the real world vs the impression they are left with after a 20 minute test drive. The whole thing would probably irritate you to no end.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: pottymouth
2) I had the oil changed at the dealer at 9K miles. It was $79 with a coupon.

Isn't the first oil change free? Or was this not your first oil change on this car?


This was true for the 2015 models but done away with for 2016. The service writer actually started to write it up as complimentary, but my honesty got the best of me and I made sure she corrected it.
 
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