Hi Guys
I'm looking to spend between 30 to 40K for a VW Golf thanks to OzBargain savings.
I'm single, no kids and I drive around 20k per year.
Any input appreciated.
Many thanks for your help
Help Me Pick My New VW Golf
Poll Options
- 0NEW - 110TSI Highline (1.4 litre TSI with BlueMotion Technology)-PETROL
- 1NEW - 110TSI Highline + Luxury package
- 2NEW - 110TSI Highline + R-Line package
- 3NEW - 110TSI Highline + Luxury package + R-Line package
- 6NEW - 110TDI Highline (2.0 litre TDI with BlueMotion Technology)- DIESEL
- 0NEW - 110TDI Highline + Luxury package
- 0NEW - 110TDI Highline + R-Line package
- 1NEW - 110TDI Highline + Luxury package + R-Line package
- 8USED - GTI (2.0 litre TSI with BlueMotion Technology
- 52Buy something else.. (Audi A3, Mazda CX3, BMW Series 1)
Comments
I do know about the carbon emission troubles.. but as we all know.. the golf is a good and reliable car. That's why my choice. tks for your comment mate.
you dont now, its a piece of sh7t.
I know because ive had one for the past 3 years. I will never buy another vw again, besides all the problems with the DSG gearbox, stall converter, AC compressor and all the other problems, listen to me and steer clear if you don't want headaches.
if your after a reliable car that holds its re-sale value, buy a Toyota.
Nuff said do what you want with the info i've provided
Seems like everyone loves the Mazdas now…
Must be doing something right to be in the top 3 small car last year !
Because Golf is unreliable.
Mazdas are making some damn nice looking cars of late also.
For 30-40k I would go for the Merc.
I know.. these Japanese people are working quite well.
FYI: Ive tried the CX3 and the interior looks quite small compare to the mazad 3, audi 3, merc, etcDifferent class.
Cx-3 is based on mazda2.
Cx-5 is based on mazda3not a fan of the mazda cx's. My friend has the cx-5 luxury its so small inside my knees are nearly touching the dash.
I have more room in my golf than the cx, which too me seems pointless of buying a suv for its big size, yet its tiny inside, imo
if you want mazda 3 siza then look at the cx5 thats what its based on.
Mazda is a great car, that's what i'm looking to get now, altho i don't like the new shape of the 3's
i am looking to get the 13 shape
i reckon theres no point buying a golf unless its a gti or R :P
why do you say that mate ?
engine power ?
don't get any of the cooking model GTis
go get a new polo GTI and save the difference - cracking little car.
alternatively if you want a cooking model get a mazda3 SP25.
The Polo looks quite small but I will definitely have a look a the M3. cheers
You shouldn't refer to the Mazda 3 as a M3. I got excited for a second.
I test-drove a polo GTI and golf GTI and would pick a Golf GTI over a polo anyday..you just can't compare them :P
OP I would say if you are already spending that much do yourself a favour and get a Golf GTI.
the golf gti costs 50% more than the polo gti, obviously the golf is going to be better. question is whether you want to dump that much money into what is a small hatchback.
also worth looking at the skoda Octavia RS.
Polo GTI in manual is OK, the DSG in the Polo GTI is a time bomb (dry clutch).
all DSG boxes are time bombs
VW wet clutch DSGs are fine overall.. new DSGs in Porches, Audi's Mercs are all fine. They have been built to withstand the torque.
I have no doubt that they will last the life of the car with regular fluid changes.
I have less confidence in traditional auto boxes which are 'sealed for life'.
@JB1:
I don't know much about the auto's as all my car's are manual's, i just know that vw's/audi's make crap car's.
my car, my mum's car = crap. my friend bought a new vw last year, broke down on her 3 times, first 2 times got fixed at the dealer. 3rd time it stopped on the side of the road. She called dealer back to pick up their junk from the side of the road and got her money back, she went back to Mazda. She's never been more pleased with her decision.
What car and year do you/mum drive?
I've had my Golf GTI DSG for 7 years now.. touch wood it's been fine overall, a couple of minor things mostly under warranty, but overall not too bad. It's never let me down.
I wouldn't buy a standard VW, but would buy a Golf GTI or R and the Tiguan.
The only Mazda I would own is the MX5.
@JB1:
2008 passat her's has also gone into limp mode a few times, i think its having boost problems - i had same issue, i've got a 2010 golf manual. both are junk to me, old ladies car only done 120k's she dont drive much, i've noticed the box get real jerky now.
i think you've been lucky with yours. i've changed quiet a few things, my ac stopped working at 60k. Id only buy another if i found it at half price, literally. Then there's DPF problem that most people have. I won't cop that as i drive my cars hard.
Even the R is a shit box, a mate of mine bought his second hand with 30k on the clock, after 2 weeks gave him problems. He was gonna go revo remap till i told him to get rid of it.
Mazda MX5 is a nice car but way overpriced for what you get.
To be honest, the Passat is an average car.
As I said VW, unless it's the GTI or R aren't worth buying. The Tiguan was a great car when released, but the competitors have caught up. The new Tiguan will be a great car.
The other thing with VW, make sure they are serviced by a VW specialist (not the dealer) as the specialist are good at servicing it and fixing problems correctly the first time. Non VW specialist just 'fix' it by guesswork/trial and error as they don't understand VAGs.
My A/C had issues also, was fixed under warranty. I also clocked 120k on my GTI.. still rattle free, engine feels strong, DSG is ok… I'm happy with it, hopefully it will give me another 2-3 years of trouble free motoring and then I will upgrade it.
$30k for a convertible is overpriced? The new one is over $10k cheaper!
@JB1:
My mate had problems with his R also, i think thats a shit box as well, you buy a new car not to have headaches, everyone i know that's had a vw/audi seems to only have dramas.
My mates missus car (Audi/vw) had a speed control issue which would switch the car of randomly, it happen to switch off on her after just passing a round about. I told my mate lucky it didn't stop thru it as the steering wheel locks up, she would of crashed 100%.
I take my car to my trusted mechanic who works from home, Dealer/Specialist no one's gonna maintain a car like you would maintain yourself.
Exactly my point the ac problem has been dragging on from golf 4, VW is too lazy to amend the problem. Now the scandal that has come up, i don't care about pollution etc. Just ticked off about the lie being told for this i have no trust in VW and never will.
Each to their own i guess, i've always loved Jap car's, don't know why the hell i went German. Lesson learnt
I say go for the GTI.
For $40k, I think you will be able to get a demo.
Auto or Manual?
Note the GTI doesn't have BlueMotion Technology
Auto
Golf GTI it is if you want an auto.
Buy the cheapest car your ego allows.
I only buy Japanese built cars and haven't had any issues so far.
Jap is best, i usually buy Nissans but will go Mazda if i sell my time bomb (golf)
If i don't sell this year its back to Nissan next year, S16 comes out ;)
Mazda 3 SP25 Would be my pick, cant go wrong with a Mazda
It comes down to what you really want, doesn't matter what the rest of us think.
But if i were a single again looking for a car under 40k this is how i would justify my options.Something useful - 2016 FGX XR6 Ute or VF Sv6 Commodore ute
Something really Safe - 2016 Volvo V40 Kinetic Auto MY16 (on special at the moment for under 40k)
Something Boring but reliable - Toyota Camry/Corolla/Rav4/prius
Something exhilarating - My16 Subaru WRX
Bush basher, camping and useful - Mitsubishi Triton
Preparing to knock someone up and want space for my gonads - Holden Commodore Sv6
Got a crush on the Hairdresser - Mazda MX5 or Toyota BRZ
Something that looks stylish - Mazda 3, cx 3Highline isn't a very good value proposition, it sits too close to GTI and A3 money. I've test driven all three - the A3 has a more luxurious feel (and badge) and the GTI has a totally different drive train which are things people will actually pay for at resale time.
The Comfortline is far better value than Highline if you are keen on a golf and GTI/A3 are too much of a stretch. Missus bought the Mk7 90TSI Comfortline at launch which I've driven for almost 3 years, the engine has plenty of low range torque and nice quiet cabin, and I really can't tell that much difference in normal driving conditions between it and the Highline (they have the same engine just tuned differently).
If you don't need the premium cabin, the Mazda 3 SP25 GT is more feature packed (compared to Highline without luxury or R line) and will probably do better on resale due to better perceived reliability.
I would get the 110TSI for you. Personally i am eyeing up the new Golf Alltrack but that cause the wife is keen on a baby.
Im running a 2013 MK7 90TSI and even that's a pleasure to drive, all the torque kicks in really low.
I would be looking at the driver assist package, but im a tech head.
The R-line packages are all bling to me and a bit of a waste.Ignore all the kids here who drive Mazda's, i drove 3 Mazdas for 12+ years and while i loved them at the time, i will NEVER go back.
The engineering in the VW is at least a decade ahead and i will never buy a car that doesnt have a turbo direct injection engine ever again.
Driving my DSG entry level golf is 5x more enjoyable then my sisters brand new Mazda 3.dude i've had my golf for 3 years now its the worst car i've ever owned, and i've owned holden's, ford's, nissan's, Subaru's.
Vw's are the biggest cheese boxes going around, my mums 125 Tdi passat also, both lemons. mum's car starting to get a clunky box, looks like its got the DSG plague. Might have to sell it to someone who likes these German headaches
Mazda is a much better car, can't talk for the older ones, but the 06's up are reliable as hell, engines are fairly easy to work on and parts aren't expensive like vw's
I also have a Mk7 Golf and a 2016 Mazda 3 in my household, but I definitely don't see 5x driving enjoyment between them. Both of them have great handling and ride comfort, golf cabin feels a bit more premium but then again it's also more expensive. Maybe different things are more important to us in a car.
If you were talking five years ago I'd agree with you but the Japanese have really come a long way to bridge the quality and refinement gap, so much so that I picked up a Mazda recently instead of another golf like I was originally going to. Not the SP25 GT (just a Maxx).
If you're going to spend $30-$40k it should be a full blown luxury or performance offering, or something functionally useful like an alltrack, not something halfway like a Highline. VGA then tries to get you to spend more on option packs despite it already costing almost 50% more than the cheapest golf and looking just the same on the outside with no huge performance difference. No standard Xenons on a car like that is outrageous, and if you do option them in you're almost at the price point where you can buy a GTI which has them standard anyway.
I've got a Golf GTI that's a few years old and it's an absolute gem of a car. I've had subarus, peugeots and std golfs over the past 15 years and the GTI tops them all. Really fun car to drive. They do tend to use a bit of oil though.
Go for the GTI for sure… if you are determined to stay with a Golf or if you can find a WRX in the high 30's pull the trigger
My question is, how much did you save with OB? Seems like a lot to buy a car!
Look, the Golf mk7 is a great car. And as much as the GTI is a fantastic car, there's no point unless you like fast/cool cars or are a car enthusiast. I'd honestly go for the 90TSI, used with low kms if it was just my daily driver. You don't really need more power/ the features of the 110TSI or higher. But that's me.
My point is buy what fits your purpose best, and also what you like in a car.
And out of the cars listed in the other section (Mazda 3, BMW 1 series, Audi A3), I'd say the same. But The Golf would be the best out of these (arguably the Mazda 3 might be better but eh).
Are you aware of the problems golf/VW has had in past few years?
This car aint got the rep it did back then