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VW Golf

1529 messages,  Last post on Nov 04, 2012 at 3:48 PM

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What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Golf, Hatchback

Messages Page 25 of 154

#238 of 1529 Buy the Golf by norwaygolf

Feb 16, 2001 (8:24 am)

i bought a 2000 vw golf gls 2.0 ,5-speed in october. since then i've put almost 9,000 miles on it, mostly highway driving. i absolutely love it! the car is rock solid on the long drives and also around town. some folks say the 2.0 motor is too slow but i have found it to be just fine for normal driving. my previous car was a '97 saab 900 turbo 5-speed. now that car was a lot faster than the golf, but i enjoy driving the golf more. the hatchback design, bulletproof engine, good gas milage and overall vw quality are what made me buy the golf over the civic( i looked at the 2000 and 2001 civics). i am very happy with my decision! hope my rambling helps in your decision-good luck.

#239 of 1529 Civic... NO WAY by mlink

Feb 16, 2001 (8:00 pm)

I was between the Civic and Golf, but Honda has nothing to compete with the TDI and yes I bought the auto (besides the Civic had one of the cheapest looking interiors next the bottom of the line Saturn and was going to cost me $600 more a year in insurance). It still gets great milage, and if you are driving on the highway you only get hit with a 4/5 mpg penalty. (darn I can only get 45 mpg) It's true that the TDI's maintance costs are higher, but take into account fuel savings over several years and you make it back plus the purchase price (note diesel at truck stops costs around the same to a little more and recently cheaper than 87 octane. You also get used to the smell remember gas doesn't have the great of a smell either we've just been smelling it all our lives). The break even point is around 60,000-80,000 miles as compared to a $1000+ cheaper 2.0. Also look at longevity, its not at all rare for a diesel to go over 300,000 miles as long as it is well serviced.
 
As for the no speakers in the back, my Golf sounds just like my other half's Jetta. I havn't looked around for all of the speakers, but they must be somewhere.

#240 of 1529 TDI and Civic by moparbad

Feb 16, 2001 (9:54 pm)

Mileage of Golf TDI Auto is 34/45
Mileage of Civic HX Auto is 35/40
 
HP of Golf TDI = 90
HP of Civic HX = 117
 
Purchase cost of comparable cars as of 02/16/01 on CarsDirect website
 
Golf TDI $17,770 This is for GL 2 Door Auto
Civic HX $13,831 This is for HX 2 Door Auto
 
Golf TDI requires new timing belt every 40,000 miles, requires synthetic oil, requires brake fluid every 2yr/24,000 miles. And a timing belt is around $350 including labor.
 
Civic requires first tuneup at 105,000 miles.
 
Diesel fuel today is $1.57 in my area.
Unleaded is $1.25.
 
Over 100,000 miles the fuel cost based on hiway mileage and above fuel costs would be;
 
$3488.00 for Golf
$3125.00 for Civic
 
$700.00 can be added to Golf for the two timing belt replacements.
 
So you will save $3939 on the Honda at purchase, $700 for timing belts you won't buy, and save $363 on fuel after driving 100,000 miles.
 
Buy the Civic and you will also have an extra 27 HP compared to Golf TDI.
 
You won't have to buy your fuel at truckstop if you buy Civic.
 
Quality of Civic is generally considered to be superior to the Golf.
 
There are more Honda dealerships than there are VW dealerships in USA.
 
Civic is assembled by American workers, Golf is assembled in Brazil or Mexico.
 
Ergonomics are better in Civic than in Golf. IMO.
 
Golf is more fun to drive. IMO.
 
If VW makes you happy, then get a VW, but if cost and performance are your criteria, get the Honda.
 
mlink - do you really want to drive ANY car for 300,000 miles?

#241 of 1529 by mdriver

Feb 16, 2001 (11:16 pm)

The above message is a brilliant account of the savings by choosing Civic over TDI. TDI makes no sense in a country where gas is cheap like the US. You are dead right about driving a car with 300,000 miles. Sure the engine might be running, but what about the rest of the car? Don't get me wrong, I like the Golf more than the Civic in terms of style, ergonomics and build quality (that last one not to be confused with reliability which still lags the Civic's). But the golf in non-GTI form is not particularly entertaining to drive, nor is the Civic in any form. For that, one should buy a Sentra SE.
 
One last point about horsepower comparisons. The TDI's engine as gobs of low end torque and behaves in an entirely different manner to the the high revving Civic engine. The TDI will leave tire tracks on the road when accelerating from a stop, leaving the Civic (and its additional 27HP) sputtering. But once moving, the Civic will probably close the gap. In urban driving, the TDI is more suitable. But don't buy one because you think you will save $ in fuel costs over a Civic.

#242 of 1529 Thanks Vocus by der_kommissar

Feb 17, 2001 (9:29 am)

Thanks for the tips. I ended up buying a left over 2000 Golf GLS 2.0 automatic last night at a great dealer in Nashville, TN. Highly reccommend both the car and the dealer. I'm going for a nice long drive today to check her out. I'm still a little punchy turning across traffic, but I feel safer in my new Golf. The side impact air bags and ABS were a must for me, which would have made for a very expensive Civic. When you take safety into account, the Golf is a good value. Anyone out there get the in dash CD player? I'm thinking of adding that next. I know an aftermarket unit would be cheaper, but I like the factory look.

#243 of 1529 Styling by mikus

Feb 18, 2001 (10:57 pm)

Who said Golf design is boring or dated? Edmund's "experts"? Do they have arts education? Even if yes, do you care what they said? Don't you have your own opinion? Believe only to numbers. Every statement that cannot be measured, contains implicit "IMHO". Golf has well-known proportions and all this attention to smallest details. IMHO, of course If you want "styling", look at Pontiac Grand Am, for example. Functionality and clean lines are traditional european features. I love Golf. I should buy it instead of boring Camry, bad 1997 copy of 1986 Alpha 164.
Considering pricing, our dealership was giving away 2K rebate on 2000 model last October (but only for 2.0L). It is 1K below invoice. But 1.8T is _much_ better. And, surprisingly, less noisy.
---

#244 of 1529 Grand Am by mdriver

Feb 19, 2001 (1:20 am)

Pontiac Grand Am stylish? What it needs is some more plastic body cladding. How very UN-European it is. VWs are selling like hot cakes in the US, but Grand Ams are are nowhere to be seen Europe, or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

#246 of 1529 Styling 2 by mikus

Feb 19, 2001 (4:28 am)

Wow boy, did not notice the sarcasm? What I meant was that europeans do not usually use word "styling" for car designs. It is an american word that means just fancy useless features, like Grand Am cladding or PT Cruiser pseudo-retro appearance, or nostalgic New Bug, styled in californian VW studio. Pure european cars are designed, not styled. Big difference, huh?

#247 of 1529 VW Styling by moparbad

Feb 19, 2001 (12:43 pm)

Golf (and Jetta too) styling is very box like. Not very impressive.
Have to agree that the plastic body cladding on Pontiacs is useless.
Oldsmobile Intrigue, Aurora, and Alero, are all very clean styled, American cars.
Pure european cars are styled, just look at Porsches.

Messages Page 25 of 154

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