SWMBO bought a brand new Golf in June last year. The sunglasses compartment wouldn't open and she had the water pump replaced on 2 days ago....Very, very poor IMO for a German made car that is about 9 months old.
Any VW TDI owners out there?
- Thread starter HesNot
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I wholeheartedly agree with this post. The key with German cars - I've owned 3 (Routan is American with German badge) - is keeping up with the maintenance schedule. As I stated earlier, I've had minimal issues with the 3 of them - and the American car (Routan) has given me as many troubles as the 3 German cars combined.
Mine's not a TDI, but I have a 2008 VW Rabbit (Golf) which I bought new and I love it. Never had a problem with any part of the car, it's been great for getting around town and comfortable for long road-trips. I keep up with the maintenance and get the oil changes regularly when it's due (I run synthetic oil through, as per VW recommendations) and have quite possibly the most awesome mechanic to keep it running smoothly. The interior is nice, really nice considering that my Rabbit is the base model with no frills or add-ons (except for the MP3 player hookup).
As for the sunglasses compartment, heh, mine works great if that's your litmus test for quality.
I'm looking forward to having more options in the future from VW (and Audi) regarding their high-efficiency diesel engines. Here's a pic of my bunny:
If you're anywhere near Los Angeles let me know: I can give you the number of my mechanic.
As for the sunglasses compartment, heh, mine works great if that's your litmus test for quality.
I'm looking forward to having more options in the future from VW (and Audi) regarding their high-efficiency diesel engines. Here's a pic of my bunny:
If you're anywhere near Los Angeles let me know: I can give you the number of my mechanic.
- Thread starter
- #24
Thanks for all the thoughtful replies!
I sure like the driving experience of the VW, the fit and finish as well, and there is a TDI "guru" about 8 miles from my office...
Lots to think about ...
I sure like the driving experience of the VW, the fit and finish as well, and there is a TDI "guru" about 8 miles from my office...
Lots to think about ...
I had a 2006 Jetta TDI and unfortunately I had to get rid of it due to a back injury. It was fairly fast, with decent response, better than any other small car on the road IMO. I drove 658 miles on 13.6 gals at 75mph, and @ 85mph pulling a trailer with a 4-wheeler I was getting 37.5mpg. It would pull a 5x8 trailer with a 700 lb. 4-wheeler on it with and all my gear to hunt camp no problem never new it was there. The only downfall oil changes are a bit expensive. Good luck
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My next car is a VW, and the wait is killing me!
Sorry nothing useful to post other than a current (unimpressed) Lexus owner willing to take a chance with 'unreliable' VW which I plan to drive until the wheels fall off.
Sorry nothing useful to post other than a current (unimpressed) Lexus owner willing to take a chance with 'unreliable' VW which I plan to drive until the wheels fall off.
I am on my second Jetta, both are NOT TDI's though. It depends on your parameters. If you are looking to save money on fuel by driving a diesel, crunch the numbers, put them in a spreadsheet. You will have to drive over 150K miles before you make up the additional cost in the engine itself, plus the cost of about $.50 more per gallon in fuel. The math is simple enough. Last year the APR was zero on TDIs, which never happened before. Don't forget to add in finance charges to whatever you pick, it can push you in either direction. You can get most small cars that average > 35mpg. BUT, like I said, I am on my second Jetta. They are the most *fun* cars to drive, they drive WAY better than your comparable $23K Japanese or American car. Period. Just go drive one and you will see. The fit and finish is superb compared to anything in that price range. I mean, come on, they come standard with butt warmers, and up here in Minny, ya need them 365!
Yep, 2007 Golf 5 TDI here.
Does 7.5l/100km around town and less than 5.5l/100km on the highway. Thats about 650km and over 1000km per tank respectively.
It's fun to drive in traffic when the boost comes on between 1500 and 2500RPM and easy to get a rise from the idiots in their V8s....
Does 7.5l/100km around town and less than 5.5l/100km on the highway. Thats about 650km and over 1000km per tank respectively.
It's fun to drive in traffic when the boost comes on between 1500 and 2500RPM and easy to get a rise from the idiots in their V8s....
My next car is a VW, and the wait is killing me!
Sorry nothing useful to post other than a current (unimpressed) Lexus owner willing to take a chance with 'unreliable' VW which I plan to drive until the wheels fall off.
Lovin' your avatar, Stiggy.
Huge James May fan here.
I had a 2002 NB TDI that I loved. Never had a problem outside of a window regulator and ran b100 during the summer (not recommended if the car is still under warranty) and b20 during the winter. I traded it in at 109,000 miles and still got 9.5k for a trade-in value on my MINI. The only real negative that I can think of was the price of oil changes, but you can change your own from the topside in 20 minutes. While I adore my MINI and will most likely have one until I die, I wish they had their Diesel available in the US because my experience with the TDI was so good.
Oh one other thing, now that the VW TDI's are becoming more common, people warning you that you are about to put diesel in your engine is probably not as common
. Oh and the guys who get mad at you for pulling up to the only diesel pump to fill up your car when there are 10 open gas pumps.... the profanity laced rants I had heard, only to see them turn red when thy find out it was a diesel.
Michael
Oh one other thing, now that the VW TDI's are becoming more common, people warning you that you are about to put diesel in your engine is probably not as common
. Oh and the guys who get mad at you for pulling up to the only diesel pump to fill up your car when there are 10 open gas pumps.... the profanity laced rants I had heard, only to see them turn red when thy find out it was a diesel.Michael
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As a current car salesman and a former VW salesman (VW Sales Guild in 2005, 06, and 07. Now that I think of it, that was a big deal at the time but I can't remember why now), I feel qualified to say that VW's are like nothing else.
They are over-engineered to a fault, can be expensive to repair, and sometimes they defy the laws of physics, nature and even common decency. The reward is a driving experience that is like nothing else. I owned several, so did my wife.
Having said that, the TDI engine can be amazing. Torque to spare and great mpg (or km/l for no US folks). A lot of older engines are out of commission because the body gave out before the engine.
Depending on your driving, it might not be worth the cost. Around here, diesel is more expensive then gas. The market value (new or pre-owned) on TDI is higher then gas. Maintenance is more intensive and can be more costly.
I am not trying to sway you either way (I sell cars for work, not at B&B), but as a person who has advised customers and family on car purchases, the TDI sometimes looks great on paper but not in real life.
They are over-engineered to a fault, can be expensive to repair, and sometimes they defy the laws of physics, nature and even common decency. The reward is a driving experience that is like nothing else. I owned several, so did my wife.
Having said that, the TDI engine can be amazing. Torque to spare and great mpg (or km/l for no US folks). A lot of older engines are out of commission because the body gave out before the engine.
Depending on your driving, it might not be worth the cost. Around here, diesel is more expensive then gas. The market value (new or pre-owned) on TDI is higher then gas. Maintenance is more intensive and can be more costly.
I am not trying to sway you either way (I sell cars for work, not at B&B), but as a person who has advised customers and family on car purchases, the TDI sometimes looks great on paper but not in real life.
Or get your own vag-com for minor issues......
The worst car I have ever owned was a Honda.... Of course in Honda's defense I was 16 in a new CRX and that car could have been built on a friday at closing time before a holiday
Commander Quan
Commander Yellow Pantyhose
My wifes best friend had a Jetta and they had nothing but problems with that car from the day they bought it to the day it caught on fire driving down the road. (that wasn't a joke, the car actually caught on fire)
I don't own a TDI but I do own a Passat and i've had nothing but problems, none of which VW has been willing to accept responsibility for. The amount of money i've invested in my car due to repairs has far exceeded its value, so any VW is a risk imho. I will never buy a VW again and I'll tell everyone I know to steer clear of their cars. If I do invest in a new car it'll undoubtedly be a Honda or Toyota.
my local mechanic diagnosed my car with the oil sludge problem, unfortunately, the VW dealership where I bought my car is unwilling to acknowledge the problem or cover the cost of the repair, even though the current class action lawsuit says they should. the dealership then recommended repairs that are basically linked to the oil sludge problem
. i've consistently had my oil changes done within the recommended mileage specifications (in most cases every 3000 miles) and I'm positive the mechanics used synthetic oil. I've also had issues with other parts that I won't go into. I think VW are one of the worst car companies out there.While I sympathize, I have far more friends with Honda problems than VW problems. The point being that anecdotal evidence tends not to be very telling, especially when unhappy people are far more willing to scream early and often than those who are content. I will say, however, that IMO, Euro brands tend to produce more lemons, while Asian brands are built to generally cheaper specifications in a much more consistent manner. In other words, you are more likely to get a lemon with a BMW (had one), but you are pretty much guaranteed to get a cheap feeling, poor driving and disengaging Honda.
I'm not interested in a mind-numbing appliance for transportation, so I'm going back to German cars, fully realizing that I may get burned again.
*All the above is a generalization and there are, of course, exceptions.
There is a lot of hearsay and one off experiences, a person who has a bad experience is the most vocal, so it is hard to judge reliability from your friends. All that said, I agree with previous poster and think German cars over the last 10-15 years have lost some of their engineering credibility and are less reliable than the generation before. Whether its Mercedes, BMW, or VW, the quality appears to have dropped across all these makers.
I don't have anything to add on the question of buying a TDI, but I have owned a used VW for the pass 5 years. IMO it drives and rides great compared to the generic Japanese sedan, but I have had numerous small problems with it that I rarely see in other cars, things which have almost been enough for me to ditch it. Things like ignition coils, ignition control module (its mounted on air intact system...too cool it down I think), windshield wiper motor, window regular clips, speakers/stereo output, are things that come to mind which have failed. But the major systems continue to go so far, so it remains. I think the resale value of VWs is low as compared to their japanese "equivalent", which I believe is a reflection of their quality problems. Maybe things have changed with the new decade?
I don't have anything to add on the question of buying a TDI, but I have owned a used VW for the pass 5 years. IMO it drives and rides great compared to the generic Japanese sedan, but I have had numerous small problems with it that I rarely see in other cars, things which have almost been enough for me to ditch it. Things like ignition coils, ignition control module (its mounted on air intact system...too cool it down I think), windshield wiper motor, window regular clips, speakers/stereo output, are things that come to mind which have failed. But the major systems continue to go so far, so it remains. I think the resale value of VWs is low as compared to their japanese "equivalent", which I believe is a reflection of their quality problems. Maybe things have changed with the new decade?
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My wife and I just went through this sort of decision. We had owned a 2001 Jetta TDI and loved it, though it broke its timing belt at 49,000 miles (scheduled for replacement at 60K) and VW replaced the entire engine.
We started at the VW dealer, drove the Jetta TDI sportwagen, and found it to be the size and feel closest to the 325i wagon we were replacing. Then I started reading about the failures of the high pressure fuel pump (now being investigated by the NTHSA) which could lead to a $9000-11000 repair bill, and the DSG transmission problems and expensive service every 40K miles, and many small niggles that had people spending more time at the shop than I want to hassle with. Even with those, we would have bought one if they still had the 100,000 mile warranty that they had on our 2001, but I just couldn't see taking the risk with only a 3/36 warranty.
FWIW, we have an '06 Volvo V70 with 90K trouble-free miles, and decided to buy a new C30. They are fast, have been reliable, and will get 28-32 MPG on the highway and 26-27 combined.
We started at the VW dealer, drove the Jetta TDI sportwagen, and found it to be the size and feel closest to the 325i wagon we were replacing. Then I started reading about the failures of the high pressure fuel pump (now being investigated by the NTHSA) which could lead to a $9000-11000 repair bill, and the DSG transmission problems and expensive service every 40K miles, and many small niggles that had people spending more time at the shop than I want to hassle with. Even with those, we would have bought one if they still had the 100,000 mile warranty that they had on our 2001, but I just couldn't see taking the risk with only a 3/36 warranty.
FWIW, we have an '06 Volvo V70 with 90K trouble-free miles, and decided to buy a new C30. They are fast, have been reliable, and will get 28-32 MPG on the highway and 26-27 combined.
I had a 2000 Jetta TDI when I had upstate NY for my sales territory. I put lots of miles on the car and loved every minute of it. I also owned a gasoline Golf and Jetta. When I lived in Seattle, I worked for an Audi, VW and Subaru dealership. My opinion of Subarus is that they are excellently engineered, reliable cars with no character whatsoever. As much as I admire them, I would never buy one because they don't provide the driving pleasure of the German cars.
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