Advice on Buying a Golf Please
Discussion
Whataguy said:
I owned a golf exactly like you are looking for , for a couple of years. Was sold by a supermarket within your price range too.
It was a runout mk7.5 1.5 automatic match edition. The 150hp engine. I’d avoid the 130hp model as it shuts the engine off completely when coasting and you can’t stop it doing this. The 150hp one goes to idle when coasting in drive mode, but you can stop it doing it by switching the driving mode to sport.
The jerky engine issues were mostly with the manuals, as the automatic tends to smooth things out a bit. It only really affected the early models within the first few miles from cold.
Thanks. TBH after a bit of research I think a 5 door Seat Leon hatchback is the way I’ll be going. A lot of confusion for me on engines, but the pre-‘18 1.4 TSI (150 ps) seems to be the one to go for.It was a runout mk7.5 1.5 automatic match edition. The 150hp engine. I’d avoid the 130hp model as it shuts the engine off completely when coasting and you can’t stop it doing this. The 150hp one goes to idle when coasting in drive mode, but you can stop it doing it by switching the driving mode to sport.
The jerky engine issues were mostly with the manuals, as the automatic tends to smooth things out a bit. It only really affected the early models within the first few miles from cold.
Not sure if they all had cylinder cutting, but I’m sure I’ll figure out the specs eventually.
Manual or DSG will depend on price, but for low-ish mileage and u der £10k it might be a manual.
On the Golf and I’d assume the Leon too the 1.4 ACT 140/150bhp are all active cylinder technology, obviously that’s what the ACT stands for.
Re DSG and I talk specifically on the 1.4 as that’s what I had make sure you’re comfortable with the way the engine & gearbox interact. Best way to describe it is when feeding into a roundabout to filter between cars if you then got back on the gas you’d be seriously left without power, sometimes dangerously so if you weren’t aware & didn’t plan accordingly.
When I had the non ACT 1.4 with a manual box it didn’t display that at all. I’ve concluded if was the DSG rather than the engine that was the issue.
Re DSG and I talk specifically on the 1.4 as that’s what I had make sure you’re comfortable with the way the engine & gearbox interact. Best way to describe it is when feeding into a roundabout to filter between cars if you then got back on the gas you’d be seriously left without power, sometimes dangerously so if you weren’t aware & didn’t plan accordingly.
When I had the non ACT 1.4 with a manual box it didn’t display that at all. I’ve concluded if was the DSG rather than the engine that was the issue.
acme said:
On the Golf and I’d assume the Leon too the 1.4 ACT 140/150bhp are all active cylinder technology, obviously that’s what the ACT stands for.
Re DSG and I talk specifically on the 1.4 as that’s what I had make sure you’re comfortable with the way the engine & gearbox interact. Best way to describe it is when feeding into a roundabout to filter between cars if you then got back on the gas you’d be seriously left without power, sometimes dangerously so if you weren’t aware & didn’t plan accordingly.
When I had the non ACT 1.4 with a manual box it didn’t display that at all. I’ve concluded if was the DSG rather than the engine that was the issue.
Thanks - it’s just that on the majority of A/T adverts, ACT isn’t mentioned at all.Re DSG and I talk specifically on the 1.4 as that’s what I had make sure you’re comfortable with the way the engine & gearbox interact. Best way to describe it is when feeding into a roundabout to filter between cars if you then got back on the gas you’d be seriously left without power, sometimes dangerously so if you weren’t aware & didn’t plan accordingly.
When I had the non ACT 1.4 with a manual box it didn’t display that at all. I’ve concluded if was the DSG rather than the engine that was the issue.
acme said:
On the Golf and I’d assume the Leon too the 1.4 ACT 140/150bhp are all active cylinder technology, obviously that’s what the ACT stands for.
Re DSG and I talk specifically on the 1.4 as that’s what I had make sure you’re comfortable with the way the engine & gearbox interact. Best way to describe it is when feeding into a roundabout to filter between cars if you then got back on the gas you’d be seriously left without power, sometimes dangerously so if you weren’t aware & didn’t plan accordingly.
When I had the non ACT 1.4 with a manual box it didn’t display that at all. I’ve concluded if was the DSG rather than the engine that was the issue.
I've had a 2018 Leon ACT 1.4TSi (150) DSG since 2019 & never experienced the lack of power you describe. Just spoken to a friend who has the same engine/gearbox combo in a 2018 Golf GT & neither has he.Re DSG and I talk specifically on the 1.4 as that’s what I had make sure you’re comfortable with the way the engine & gearbox interact. Best way to describe it is when feeding into a roundabout to filter between cars if you then got back on the gas you’d be seriously left without power, sometimes dangerously so if you weren’t aware & didn’t plan accordingly.
When I had the non ACT 1.4 with a manual box it didn’t display that at all. I’ve concluded if was the DSG rather than the engine that was the issue.
DSG can change down a geaer (or 2 or 3) faster than a driver of a manual car can even start to move the gear lever & will be between gears, with no drive, for a much shorter time.
I had it from new in 2014 to 2019 and did 86k miles. In the early days I took it back to the main dealer for investigation and they said it functioned as it should. I do wonder if the 7 speed being a dry clutch as opposed to wet in the larger engined/GTI versions made a difference.
I’ve often alluded to this over the years and some have agreed, some not recognising it at all.
I also have an old 80’s Merc with a torque converter which on the same roads was smoother, if obviously far slower to change.
I read every test I could at the time & some did mention hesitancy.
As mentioned previously here I’m
considering one as a winter hack I’ll probably get a last of the line MK7 in GT edition spec & I’m intrigued to see if it’s still an issue. The fact it’s not putting me off tells you what a cracking car I think they are, and it’s three replacements since have been much ‘better’ cars.
I’ve often alluded to this over the years and some have agreed, some not recognising it at all.
I also have an old 80’s Merc with a torque converter which on the same roads was smoother, if obviously far slower to change.
I read every test I could at the time & some did mention hesitancy.
As mentioned previously here I’m
considering one as a winter hack I’ll probably get a last of the line MK7 in GT edition spec & I’m intrigued to see if it’s still an issue. The fact it’s not putting me off tells you what a cracking car I think they are, and it’s three replacements since have been much ‘better’ cars.
Edited by acme on Friday 8th March 18:01
Edited by acme on Friday 8th March 18:48
Pulling away from a stop wasn’t an issue with my 1.5DSG, and generally there wasn’t hesitation on the move. Mine had the 7 speed dry clutch.
The only problem I found with DSGs is that they can only go up or down instantly to whatever gear the car thinks you want next. If you do something different then you are left waiting quite a long time until the correct gear is in place.
Many people won’t come up against this issue, but it was a problem for me where two A roads merge on my regular commute.
You are accelerating gently at the merge to fit in with traffic, in 5th so the car thinks you’ll want 6th but when you try to accelerate into a gap and really want 4th it’s not there. You are left for what seems like ages with no drive while it shuffles around and gets the right gear. Pressing the accelerator harder does nothing apart from tell the car you want 3rd so there’s delay before it screams off at high revs.
I actually found it easier to drive it slower to try and avoid the issue. Larger accelerator positions triggered the downshift delay problem when you were actually faster just accelerating in the gear it still had.
The GTIs with their own different 7 speed gearboxes are much better I believe.
The only problem I found with DSGs is that they can only go up or down instantly to whatever gear the car thinks you want next. If you do something different then you are left waiting quite a long time until the correct gear is in place.
Many people won’t come up against this issue, but it was a problem for me where two A roads merge on my regular commute.
You are accelerating gently at the merge to fit in with traffic, in 5th so the car thinks you’ll want 6th but when you try to accelerate into a gap and really want 4th it’s not there. You are left for what seems like ages with no drive while it shuffles around and gets the right gear. Pressing the accelerator harder does nothing apart from tell the car you want 3rd so there’s delay before it screams off at high revs.
I actually found it easier to drive it slower to try and avoid the issue. Larger accelerator positions triggered the downshift delay problem when you were actually faster just accelerating in the gear it still had.
The GTIs with their own different 7 speed gearboxes are much better I believe.
Edited by Whataguy on Friday 8th March 20:11
williamp said:
Hi everyone
Can I ask what the latest thought are on the Golf 8 with the 1.5 petrol. Worth looking at? Have there been software updates, or is it just the adaptive cruise, which I can live without?
After 22 I believe they are ok, but the early ones are best avoided - they have software issues that can never be fixed as it requires a new computer which isn't compatible with the early models.Can I ask what the latest thought are on the Golf 8 with the 1.5 petrol. Worth looking at? Have there been software updates, or is it just the adaptive cruise, which I can live without?
When I bought my Mk7.5 I could have had a Mk8 for almost the same money - because of all the problems they have. Both cars with the 1.5 engine.
Nothing wrong with the 1.5, it's good engine with performance and economy. Used to need £1k timing belt changes every 5 years but they have dropped that requirement.
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