Advice on Buying a Golf Please

[dr_gn]

All,

Looks like my 2002 BMW E46 might be finally dead after 170k miles (electronics NLA). Finding a replacement daily driver is a nightmare because I'm not at all up to speed with newer cars.

Anyway, I've got to start somewhere, and was looking at VW Golfs. Requirements are:

- Used
- Petrol
- 5 Doors (hatchback)
- Automatic
- Good for motorway drives (often 300 mile trips)
- Accommodate 4 people and luggage
- Decent acceleration (0-60 c. 8 seconds maybe)
- RELIABLE!
- Mileage - up to about £40k.
- Budget - ideally around £12k - £15k

I'd want to buy from a car supermarket type place to get at least some kind of warranty (assuming it's worth it these days).

Any advice?

Thanks very much.

[dr_gn]

Thanks all. For the Mk.7, can you comfortably get 4 adults and luggage inside for a holiday trip?

What's the best variant for decent motorway cruising as well as round town? 1.5?

Still undecided about the manual vs auto tbh, mainly on the reliability issue/cost if it all goes wrong.

Thanks.

[dr_gn]

Thanks all.

Looking at the TSI engines - how come there are so many (1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5 etc)? Surely there can’t be much performance difference between 1.4 and 1.5?

[dr_gn]

According to the specs on Auto Trader, there seems to be quite a variation in 0-60 times between the 1.4 and 1.5 TSI engines, even between the same models.

e.g power outputs for different cars, all with the 1.5 TSI EVO, range from 128 - 150 bhp depending on which advert I look at.

What's the difference between EVO and non-EVO models?

Thanks.

Edited by dr_gn on Thursday 7th March 12:44

[dr_gn]

Thanks all.

I’m now half considering a Seat Leon FR hatchback (Mk 3).

I assume the engine and gearboxes are the same as equivalent Golfs?

I’ve been in an FR estate (1.4) and it seems quite brisk.

[dr_gn]

Glosphil said:

I've owned a July 2018 Leon 1.4Ti (150hp) FR since May 2019. 0-60 in 8s & has averaged 45mpg. Today a 42 mile journey on 30, 40 & 50 limit roads returned 52.2mpg.

Only mechanical difference to the equivalent Golf, I think is Golf has independant rear suspension & Leon has beam.

General spec very similar but both have items the other doesn't.

Leon is cheaper though. & I prefer the styling.

Sounds good. On Autotrader there are lots of prefixes to “FR”. I assumed FR defined one engine (1.4 TSI, 150 bhp) and a trim level. Is this not the case?

Thanks.

ETA, with the 1.5 engine, I've read (on this thread even) about issues with being jerky off the line, and kangarooing issues which haven't been resolved. Does this apply to - presumably - the same engine in the Leon?

How about the DSG issues in Seats? TBF I'm now erring towards a manual box anyway, but it would be good to know just in case.

Edited by dr_gn on Friday 8th March 08:57

[dr_gn]

austina35 said:

I have the 1.5tsi T Roc with DSG. It has never done any "jurking" which people speak of.

OK thanks.

I notice there's a 1.5 TSI EVO version of the FR. Is "EVO" more fuel efficient but less power? According to the A/T advert it's 130 ps instead of 150 ps for the non-EVO version.

There's even an 1.4 Eco TSI FR version listed, which is still 150 ps, and has a quicker 0-60 time than the non-Eco version...

It's all pretty confusing.

These are all Mk3 Leons.

[dr_gn]

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.

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.

[dr_gn]

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.