VW e-golf

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dvs_dave

Original Poster:

8,581 posts

224 months

Tuesday 5th November 2019
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These are looking very good value used. Anyone got any real world experience with one? Doesn’t seem like there’s much about them in this subsection? We’re they ever even sold in the UK?

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Tuesday 5th November 2019
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Carwow just released a video on it a few hours ago

dukeboy749r

2,539 posts

209 months

Tuesday 5th November 2019
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I had a demo couple of days in one.

Nice - familiar (it's a Golf), battery range was/is poor - if you want to do over 100 miles in one hit - but in the two days I used it I even gained some miles - despite never charging the thing, just doing local runs and using the regen braking.

As a second car - what's not to like?

Would I want an EV with just this much mileage - no. I need the ability to have my car do local runs and take me all over the country to meetings - from Essex to Liverpool, without (ideally, barring the M6 usual snarl-ups), in one go.

essayer

9,011 posts

193 months

Tuesday 5th November 2019
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I’d favour cars with the heat pump option if buying used

sjg

7,444 posts

264 months

Tuesday 5th November 2019
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I have a lease one coming in January. There’s also very good deals on buying new, the drop in list price plus finance offers and other discounts brings it down to £23k ish, not a lot more than used 35kwh ones go for.

Early ones were 24kwh battery, you can tell them apart easily in pictures by the headlights as it coincided with the facelift in 2017. 24s have the flat blue stripe all the way through the headlight, 35s kick up twice. Not sure the older ones are particularly good value given the reduced range (60-90 miles real world) next to Leafs and the like.

Heat pump option is debatable - ideally it’s nice to have as it is a bit more efficient. Of more value if you’re regularly doing trips close to the range of the car particularly if you live somewhere colder. I wouldn’t pay the extra for it but I live in the SE and rarely need to do more than 100 miles in one hit so no real benefit even if it does use a bit more power.

Gandahar

9,600 posts

127 months

Wednesday 6th November 2019
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It will be interesting to see what deals VW do on this next year when their ID3 is out.


South tdf

1,518 posts

194 months

Wednesday 6th November 2019
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I think VW are pushing them as there is a new Golf next year before the ID models.

A couple of people of work have got latest Golf E’s but both mention low estimated range and slow charging times.

sjg

7,444 posts

264 months

Wednesday 6th November 2019
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Gandahar said:
It will be interesting to see what deals VW do on this next year when their ID3 is out.
They're still making them out of Dresden (Transparent factory - the usual home of weird smaller volume stuff, used to do the Phaeton), they used to be made alongside regular Golfs but got moved a couple of years ago. So Wolfsburg have moved to doing mk8 Golf, Zwickau the ID3.

They need to keep selling electric cars for fleet CO2 rules in Europe and ZEV legislation in the US, hence keep on making and selling an "old" model in the meantime. Wouldn't hold my breath on better offers, what's out there now is very good and I imagine they'll just wind up production once ID3 (and the later SUV model that the US will get) are up to speed.

TTOBES

609 posts

166 months

Wednesday 6th November 2019
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As a ZipCar user I've driven e-Golfs a number of times and whilst my journeys in them are only between 10 and 50 minutes I cannot comment on battery range etc but can echo an above comment about the car's familiarity.

As the original question was about your consideration of buying a used example, I have checked all my email receipts involving e-Golfs (Polos are more common on the fleet) and who knows if these cars will end up in the dealer network, but in the event they do, e-Golfs with the below registrations will most definitely have had multiple, multiple users!

GC18 & 68
GD18 & 68
GF18 & 68

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Thursday 7th November 2019
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In the 3 months or so we had use of one, I thought it was a perfectly good car


I have a 70mi round trip commute and it was winter when we had it. It could just about manage that without a re-charge at work if driven sensibly (and it was a cold winter, snow, ice most of the time) but I would charge it anyway. A trip to the in-laws at about 40 miles one way, in the same conditions definitely needed a charge to return (A46 all the way so nearly always 70mph).

So basically, it would work for me if I could have it again. It had radar cruise and I used to see how far I could go along the A444 without using the pedals! Also had CarPlay/Android Auto and the App to control features on the car worked well.


AnotherUsername

280 posts

63 months

Friday 8th November 2019
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We have a new one (36kw) and it easily does 110 miles even in the winter. We do frequent 30-45 mile trips and charge in between with slow charger so range no problem.
Just a really good car.

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Friday 8th November 2019
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AnotherUsername said:
We have a new one (36kw) and it easily does 110 miles even in the winter. We do frequent 30-45 mile trips and charge in between with slow charger so range no problem.
Just a really good car.
I must have had a 24 kWh version then. (it was 24 right?) When they did the trial I think the cars were either 17 or 67 plates, but we had it over the 17/18 winter period. As I mentioned, my 70 mi round trip (average speed is 42 MPH by my trip records so its a decent speed, half motorway and half cross country A-roads). And it would have been touch and go on a few occasions when not charging at work. Though typically there would be 10% or so left (but I will admit to going much more cautiously to eek it out!).

35 kWh would have been absolutely fine by the sounds of it! Comfortable 100 miles in winter is about all I need. Sadly this means I should probably stop looking for a used i3 unless it has a REx because I don't think the 60 Ah one's will do much better than 70-75mi in the cold. The 94 Ah ones are too expensive tho... frown

Liggle

280 posts

100 months

Monday 11th November 2019
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I'm currently doing 100 miles a day in one, even in 4 degrees and rain it'll do 3.5 mi/kWh which means I get home with ~20 miles left. I have every confidence it'll do 20+ more miles in warmer weather.

I have rapid chargers either end of the journey if I fall short, I think this kind of backup is crucial to your decision making.

Why not trial one like I did via the EV Experience Centre in Milton Keynes? I knew 3 days in that it would work so ordered one.

dvs_dave

Original Poster:

8,581 posts

224 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
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Ended up buying a Certified Pre Owned 2016 SE just off lease with low miles. It was an absolute bargain, and it has the balance of all the factory warranties. We liked how it drove, and the familiarity and ease of use of it was a key factor as it’ll be a second car for the missis, who is uninterested in novelty and complication. She only does short city roundtrips (school run mainly) of a few miles every day, so it’s not important to us about it being the “small” battery non-heat pump version; it’ll never be taken more than 15 miles away from home. I’d say our usage profile could not be better suited to an EV. It has the DC fast charger option so it can be fast charged in 30 mins if need be on a longer trip. I’ve also got a 240V/50A outlet in the garage, so I can install a 7.2kW fast charger at home if I need. Anyone with a similar usage profile ended up getting a proper charger installed at home?

oldmanbm

390 posts

204 months

Thursday 2nd January 2020
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Currently thinking about a new or nearly now e-golf to replace my 14 year old Golf Tdi I sold before Christmas. I commute around 45 miles a day and can get free electric top up at work. Just trying to do the sums whether better to buy outright or lease for four years. Methinks battery technology etc will improve over the next four years so might be as easy to chop it in then.

LarryUSA

4,319 posts

255 months

Thursday 2nd January 2020
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We've had one for the last 9 months on a 3 year lease. Wife's previous car was a Fiat 500e - this is definitely a step up in all respects. Indicates a range of ~145 miles when fully charged, which is plenty for her 40 mile commute each day. Should be able to do that 3 times without charging, but we charge nightly anyway. The active cruise control is a revelation, I want it now! She loves Apple Car Play. After 3.5 years f electric cars, she never wants a petrol driven car again. In our experience, the range doesn't decrease over time, even after 3 years, the Fiat still had the same range.

PushedDover

5,622 posts

52 months

Friday 3rd January 2020
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Watching with interest - GF and I are moving together and her commute will start to be a 55mi journey each way. Her Rav4 does 32mpg frown

Of the EV's that are reasonably priced I am of the believe the quality and familiarity puts the E-Golf as the favourite ?
We may even keep the Rav as a third car / hack / shed.

I saw lease deals a while back of £200pm - am I wistfully thinking this is still attainable ? Can't be worth while with that kind of mileage. The upside is that we hope in 6 months or so a change of job brings the mileage right down.....

williaa68

1,527 posts

165 months

Friday 3rd January 2020
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Ive owned one for two years. It is not our only car but has become the one we do most miles in. It is on winter tyres now which affects the range a bit but still around 100 miles on a full charge. It is just as practical as a regular golf. Recommended. If you have specific questions fire away and I will try and answer.

dvs_dave

Original Poster:

8,581 posts

224 months

Saturday 4th January 2020
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williaa68 said:
Ive owned one for two years. It is not our only car but has become the one we do most miles in. It is on winter tyres now which affects the range a bit but still around 100 miles on a full charge. It is just as practical as a regular golf. Recommended. If you have specific questions fire away and I will try and answer.
How much would you estimate the winter tyres have affected its range? Did you go for specific low rolling resistance ones, or just generic?

dave_s13

13,813 posts

268 months

Thursday 9th January 2020
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I'm considering one of these as well.

On the salary sacrifice scheme at work.

No deposit. 7500miles. Insurance, maintenance and tyres included. £264 per month over 3 years.

The only niggle is how much it reduces your pension in the long term, it impossible to calculate.