Hi - looking to purchase my first car! Currently in the market for a 2019 Golf (Comfortline edition). EOFY sale is on - going for $29,990 drive away with 5 years warranty.
Has anyone bought one recently? Really keen to find out how much you guys think is an acceptable amount to push for when negotiating on a new car.
Also would you take a demo with < 5000k's if it saved you $2k?
How are these cars generally on petrol and are they reasonable to maintain?
Thanks so much!
@lostn: Dollars per litre not better. But it's more efficient, has a bigger fuel tank as well and requires less trips to the petrol station. Feels like the fuel gauge indicator stays full longer on a golf.
@mordinhoz: I don't go when it's empty. When I go depends on the pricing of the fuel, not how much I have left in the tank. So while I may still have another 1/3 of a tank left, if I wait till it depletes, the price might have gone up.
Having more mileage rarely results in fewer trips to the petrol station for me. The only time is when the price is not down low enough yet, but I'm near empty. If I had more fuel economy I could afford to wait longer. But it cuts both ways.
@mordinhoz: many "kraut" engineers gone to Korea so before roaring up the far away import take a test drive in a Korean. Try a diesel for bottom end grunt…
@payless69: Don't do enough KMs to justify a diesel car. Also, what would you call a Korean engineer? "Chi"? Lol
@mordinhoz: to give you an example: Peter Schreyer engineer that afterwards did School of Arts in London. He designed the Audi TT and many many more German cars who made the VW very profitable. Hyundai / Kia poached him and made a killing since. Peter has retired now so they poached the next one.
Is it abnormal to expect a city car to not develop an engine leak
Depends how that engine is treated.
I am thinking of flooring the engine, every cold freezing morning, without hesitation, without the right high temperature.
I am thinking of constant short little trips, again cold engine with cold oil.
I am thinking of mistreating the engine quite a lot. Or very very bad luck.
@LFO: yet that is exactly how it will be treated…
Family memeber had an older model (diesel). Done approx. 300K before it got sold for scraps.
Nice cars…. not a fan of the company
Recent owners that got a good deal on the 2019 VW Golf Comfortline 110TSI have paid around $28,500 driveaway (not including other packages).
They are good cars to drive - brother has had one for nearly 2 years now and has not had any reliability issues.
We had a Mk7 golf 2013 and held for 5 years. No problems with transmission. Fuel economy good around town we got around 8L per 100kms but requires 95 RON. One major annoyance- the aircon failed around the 4 year mark and dealership charged about $500 to fix out of warranty.
Don’t get excited by 5 year warranty it’s what virtually everyone else is offering nowadays. Do not go for demo to save $2k, engine would’ve been thrashed during the run in period.
As another poster suggested above - terrible time to be looking at the Mk7 with Mk8 due next year.
All reports suggest the MK8 won't land in AU until at least Q4 2020, so that's still around 12-18 months away (possibly longer).
No point holding off if you need a car now.
8L/100km, even around town, is not "good" for a small car unless it was 10yrs ago. Times have changed and that figure is now pretty bad for a small car
Fuel economy good around town we got around 8L per 100kms but requires 95 RON
Those aren't good numbers when you're paying for 95 RON.
ouch! Pulp is so overpriced here. In Germany you get 95 sold as bottom end. If you drive that car on 91 expect issues also other than poor performance.
I’d suggest the Toyota Corolla hybrid would be a better car. Similar price, lots of features and a generation ahead of the golf.
Camry > corolla imo. Corolla has no boot space and tight rear opening.
Still a smaller boot than the Golf though and no CarPlay/Android Auto. Otherwise, a very good car.
Carplay/AA will likely come in 6 months or so, but will be at a cost (like Mazda charged but afaik Toyota is purely software update)
Driven a current shape Corolla as rental, awesome car.
Always surprises me that people who use a bargain website then go about buy a new car that will depreciate very fast and cost you thousands every year in depreciation. Why not buy an older car?
Older cars also depreciate and they can cost a lot in maintenance. Quite frankly for me I like nice things (some very expensive!) I just like to buy them the cheapest I possibly can :)
Lol… VW? I have been telling my cousin that her cayenne is a rebadged VW Tiguan.
It's a rebadged Touareg actually.
Older cars have already been depreciated.
The highest depreciation occurs in the first year, followed by the second, then the third. When you buy a 3 year old car, you're expecting to pay about half the price it was when new.
Further depreciation will be at a lower pace.
That said, there are reasons to buy new. If you're not a car expert, you might not know how to judge the condition of a used car and what a reasonable price for it is. There's more to it than just odometer.
Here's a good guide or old vs new: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmpICSpni1A
I agree, drive something that you like. Why keep all money aside and drive a car you don’t like. Enjoy today. What’s good when you are old and have lots of money in bank, but regret not enjoying life a little more when you were young.
Buy what you want, it's your own money, but don't justify it with factually untrue statements.
I bought a Highline last year and love it. It's very light on petrol even without me driving efficiently. Haven't had to service it yet, so can't comment on maintenance.
Couldn't imagine driving a new car as a first car. My first car was an 18 year old Accord, which made me appreciate everything I've driven since!
I also had an Accord as my first car (16yo) before getting a Golf this year. Still love the Accord though but had to let it go as the youngest got her license.
Corolla Hybrid
Used to have a Skoda (VW group car) - they have diesel class action on them atm - which means i won't buy a vw car again
Can you give us some more info on that?
I am considering getting a Skoda wagon.
Google ”DIESELGATE”
Which Skoda wagon?
Honestly, haven't looked into which one, but it won't be a new model. I've always liked wagons, people on the forums here say Skoda's are just cheaper VW's and my VW's have all been pretty good to me. It's either that or an older subie wagon. Depends if I get a good price after selling my 2 cars.
it was/is a huge scandal
basically VW altered their engines to report different amount of emissions for the tests
in the real world they were emitting much more.
i believe in the USA they paid out all their customers who had the diesels that were affected
in Australia they are fighting it - it is in court now..
That's dodgy, but as far as I know, don't most companies do that?
If it's just that, then I'll still be looking into it. Our diesel Jetta saves us a fortune on fuel.
We bought a 2016 petrol wagon for my wife in 2016 and liked it so much we got another for me.
Great family sized car and in the three years we have had them the only issue we have had is a warning sign on the dash about the parking brake which is common in VW engine cars. Replaced under warranty straight away.
Fuel economy is amazing. Very much what it advertises.
OLD news! Meantime they all got what Yanks would call a software security patch. (call it a f-up remedy) I bet one can re chip it again to make laughing gas and gets back its original performance.
I haven't spent much time with it, but we had one for 4 days while staying in Cairns on a wedding holiday. I believe it was a 2018 model, but our experience was so good that ourselves and another couple on the holiday started to look at them for our next car upgrade.
I obviously can't speak on reliability, costs for maintenance etc. (I'd assume this would be above average for costs).
But the way it handled on the open highways blew us away. We drove it for about 400-500km and still have over half a tank left (petrol).
How is your experience with the Golf? Any issue so far? I am looking to purchase a MY20 Golf Highline.
Not sure if my message came across wrong, we had one for 4 days while in Cairns on a holiday. I can't comment on longterm reliability. Just the quality of the drive etc. was excellent while we drove it for the 4 days.
love them!
Had a:
Mk5 Golf GT Sport TDI
Mk6 Golf R
Mk7 Golf Highline
Mk2 Tiguan Hihgline with Rline
You change cars like I change underpants
Get engine with wet clutch and not dry clutch. Learn what not to do in traffic on clutch box. Some demo are used for loaner car and typically people do not treat their loaner car that good. I had 110 tsi loaner, average consumption is 6.3L/100 for mixed driving.
iirc correctly many issues with the golf interms of reliability - just go to the whirlpool VW threads
people don't go online to compliment.
only to whinge.
this is the way the world works
i try and stand out from the sheep ;)
Buy a Skoda Octavia instead, bigger and better equiped for a similar price to a golf
EDIT: or get a top spec kia cerato
i heard skoda is quite nice and looks are nicer tha
I had GTI MK6 and MK7 They are great
TSI Comfort line is fantastic as well
Best car in it's class for a very long time until the new Mazda 3 came out.
but for the price of Camry Hybrid why would you?
No body is going to see you as rich person anyways
Secondhand Camry is the way to go
if you want to impress somebody
Well don't
free yourself from ego
Revolver (2005) - dir. by Guy Ritchie
@nurbsenvi: Some people put a premium on build quality.
Mazdas are light and tinny, the plastics and interior quality is half that of a commodity German. The driveline and electronics is simpler and easier to fix but they are nowhere near as frugal. People like them and they are cheap, but there are lots of people that appreciate the refinements of a very well engineered car like the Golf
I agree about the Camry, but yea… do I want to drive a cab?
Not the latest Mazda 3
I can confidently say the new Mazda 3 has surpassed Golf
Interior-wise
It’s right up there with Audi
I was surprised myself.
They haven't changed the body- this one is the last of this chassis. Just added a bigger screen, improved the design (which was already good, even if a huge copyjob).
So the doors, bonnet, and even boot still feel light, cheap and claterry. Glazing still loose in its tracks. Close a door, the shell still shakes, unlike a robust unit. To me, it is just as light and tinny as before. Had to be an improvement, and some interior 'feel' items are better. Overall though it is still not constructed anything near a Golf chassis. Particularly the mechanicals. Same old thirsty G20/G25 engine at least has a timing chain now- belts are insane but so many continue to use them.
The new more frugal engine due in 2020 may (or may not) be an improvement, but no matter what, none of these cars drive like a Golf, perform like a Golf, stick like a Golf or crash like a Golf. They spend all their effort making the differences less obvious as time goes by, but you only have to look at how the mechanicals are fastened, suspension pieces cast, located, quality of body mountings and frame construction. The incredible manufacturing tech in the VW factories is yet to be matched in SE Asia- and it shows if you just look underneath
But its all for a price- at the end of the day, if you just want a shopping horse, is an extra $10k for quality too much, or should it be less than $5k difference. The Mazda makes it a hard choice for people, but mostly because the engineering refinement and refined design of Golf rewards owners in ways the mass market won't appreciate/value. At the end of the day, if my mum crashed her Golf, she'd have a better chance than in a lighter, cheaper product
@resisting the urge: Yes I understand the quality and attention to detail Golf provides.
It’s not like Japanese car makers can’t do the same
Look at Lexus LC500 interior it’s exquisite.
At what cost though?
Disassemble Golf’s door trim for example
You will see that it’s held with at least 6 different types of screws and clips to achieve that nice solid “thud”
Sure it feels amazing for 3 years but all this extra parts throughout the vehicle starts take revenge on the owner
I used to love German car philosophy but without the reliability it’s a hollow promise.
@nurbsenvi: Disassemble a car door 3 times and see which one rattles.
Golf is the best example in the industry for this, the only one that goes together and comes apart like a clock. Others have brittle fasteners that crumble, material interfaces that rattle after the second assembly, sealing sheets that tear or won't stick again, there is no comparison.
Lexus is only better than normal- a serious effort to copy the quality as well as the function. It is not gold standard buyers and Toyota owners like to think it is. No Lexus last longer in service than a Camry.
That said, you are correct about cost, the cost of all these things is a problem- but mostly when it is done on small production runs, much better for all to build quality into the base product so everything from the ground up lasts and performs properly and doesn't become low value/sent to scrap in under a decade, some even last barely 5 years now
The cost of more parts and better design can be costly on the owner, but usually because the mechanics don't get German construction, so break things, replace things that don't need replacing, put things round the wrong way, etc. It happens on all cars, sometimes due to design, sometimes due to mistakes, but I'd rather pay for a good mechanic and a average german car over any jap car and the best jap mechanic.
@resisting the urge: Yes, I agree that if you had properly trained German mechanics in Australia half the German car reliability problem won't even be there.
But in Australia it's going to be 17 yo apprentice Jaze from Melton improperly fitting in clips on that coolant pipe on your BMW M2 competition after coming back from 25minute smoko.
@nurbsenvi: Maybe this is why I don't have trouble. I fix my pipes, or pay someone with demonstrated experience to do what they know well. I just can't leave my keys with untrusted tradespeople- this is a considerable risk even if you drive a 'more' 'commoditised' car.
@brendanm: V good point. But I guess it depends how far you go disassembling the door. Getting the trim panel off is always very straight forward on the Golf.
Owner of a VW Golf 7.5 Comfortline as the no-frills company car with a view to sell in 1-2 years.
Solid 8/10.
Pros
- Very fuel efficient
- Handles really well and is very zippy when you need it to be
- Easy to park and change lanes
- Safety features are thereabouts
- I haven't experienced any mechanical issues or hairies that may need a look
- Capped service pricing is quite reasonable
- Apple Carplay/Android Auto does the job, interacts with the steering wheel well and outputs pretty good sound
- Price can be super compelling for a 1-year-old model with the first hump of depreciation paid by someone else
- VW Used dealers can offer crazy warranties of 5 years+ if you know where to look (helpful if you intend to sell in 1-3 years)
- Pulling the back seats down makes the car quite versatile ((I.e an Ikea trip) despite the car being quite small in footprint)
Cons
- It's not a sports car in that it doesn't really do anything exciting (This is the point of the Golf R)
- It doesn't have a discernable sound on acceleration (some people find this to be a pro)
- Chairs aren't amazing and can get a little bit stiff on long drives (that's just me and my preferences though - you'll want to test this out yourself)
- Objectively, the interior is quite minimal (some people find this to be a pro)
If your heart is set on the Golf (great choice!), I'd also be test driving a GTI and R. You may find that you'd rather spend that 30K on a 2017 GTI or 2016 R. Luckily the product innovation of the golf since the 7 badges hasn't really been anything worth talking about and you can get a serious dealt this time of year.
good luck!
What's important to you?
Golf out of wty is worth peanuts, typically 2012 golf are 5.5 to 6k max through clearance houses such as pickles and grays. Strong mod cmty
Nice car but I prefer the passat. I've had a vw bora that was plenty of fun but unreliable. I would buy the passat personally as is a different class of car and less of them on the road. Drive a Kia now for hassle free motoring and keep my costs down.
VW is generally NOT a good buy in Australia for many reasons.
If you decide to buy you will quickly find out why.
Not in my case though, very happy with my VW (4+ years without any issue, I guess it also depends on how it’s driven) very comfortable, quieter, good quality materials inside compared to other cars in similar segment.
Mechanic friend of mine loves Volkswagen, said they get more new ones in than any other brand, usually with pretty major issues aswell.
I personally would never buy a European car too expensive to run, service, repair ect and try selling your golf in 5 years when the repairs come out of your pocket. At least most major faults are covered under warranty, so you've got the right idea buying one new.
For that amount of money, I'd get something like this
Will definitely hold it's value, a lot more fun and more appealing. And probably has more creature comforts. But hey that's me! Everyone's got different needs…
Demos get flogged before they're run in properly. I wouldn't buy one.
Cross shop with the other cars in the segment. You could get a Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla with more features for a similar price. The Golf is an old car now, the Mazda and Toyota are new releases. There's a big difference in how interiors have come along in that five year window.
The Toyota CH-R is excellent too!
Maybe if you hate visibility…
I have thought the same until driven one. It's not that bad.
Comes with rear traffic alert for reversing too.
Surprisingly well equipped and sell built with a excellent interior for a 30k car.
I bought a trendline last year - no add ons except metallic paint for 26k. It's a great daily - comfortable and with enough grunt to get about. It's a boxy shape but so practical.
If I had a bigger budget I'd consider a used GTI or the new model Mazda 3.
I like something a year or two old, with warranty remaining:
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/Audi-A3-2017/OAG-AD…
This would be my pick. similar price to comfortline and looks a bit nicer with the s pack.
I wouldn't trust a VW. My father in law had one (I think it was a Jetta) for the past 10 years. Had to have the engine replaced twice and the gearbox replaced once in that time. Luckily for him the engine replacements were covered by warranty. Gearbox wasn't, but after having a spit at the dealer and head office he at least managed to come to an arrangement where he paid for the parts and they covered the labour.
Another friend of mine bought a new Golf about 3 or 4 years back which spent a significant part of its first year off the road due to some major electrical issues. Again, under warranty at least, but still not confidence-inspiring.
VW used to be rock-solid, but these days they seem to have sacrificed a bit of quality in order to chase volume.
I know "2 people I know" isn't a statistically significant sample, but from a personal point of view it's enough to put me off buying one. For what it's worth, both of those people still actually loved those cars (when they were working).
No, buy a demo that is not registered…..dealers mark car as sold but been sitting in their backyard…..shop around…..they have at least 2k to drop from that 29990….
Unsure of your financial situation and means, however, your first car should generally be a s##tbox. You are VERY likely to have a minor prang with it, either rear ending someone or scraping here and there.
Build your experience with a s##tbox then upgrade to something nicer.
My experience with a brand new 2013 Golf Comfortline was terrible. All sorts of issues and I'll try to list the ones that I can recall: passenger door handle didn't engage, electronic brake failed, clutch needed to be replaced, rattling engine and pinging, trim peeled away on a compartment. All happened within warranty period but what a piece of sh1t car.
I like the drive and handling of the car.
EOFY- bargain as much as possible, the dealers want to clear the stock as early as possible. Don’t let them feel that you are in need of buying, look for a similar other brand car and let them know that you are thinking of buying the other car if not given a very good deal.
I wouldn’t accept $2k discount for 4000-5000km demo car, for me that’s too many kms. If it’s only less than 50 km then maybe. A demo is a demo for the dealer. But for buyers low kms are to look for.
Edit - replied to wrong post
Biased 2018 VW Golf R driver here, my VW "feels" solidly built. It seems like the panels are thicker than Japanese cars I have owned in the past and doors shut with a thud.
Yes, I understand this has a different engine , gearbox etc, however the same bones are there in the cheaper ones. The engineering is pretty impressive including the panel gaps that are small and uniform.
Previously owned a Mk5 GTI manual and Mk6 Trendline DSG. Our DSG in the Mk6 had issues, however talking to people, the issues with the 7 speed dry clutch have been generally sorted.
As a comparison, I have driven as pool cars the previous Corolla (it was ok, I have heard that the latest one is a big improvement), i30 (same old vibration and valvetrain noise made me recall the 1995 Excel) and Mazda 3. The Mazda 3 I was quite impressed with.
Alot has to do with sound deadening. Someone managed to sound deadened an MX-5 and made the car feel alot more "premium".
The Japanese car manufacturers are catching up with providing user a more "premium" feel on their cars. Subsequently increment in car prices. Corolla used to be 22k driveaway and the new gen is 25k, definitely feel no less than a European car.
Possibly, I came more aware of it when a VW wrecker pointed out to me.
That day I drove my previous Outlander PHEV to get a part for my GTI and we compared how much the panels flexed when lightly pressed when compared to a golf.
VW Golf
Never heard of/seen this car before, would stay away!
@mordinhoz:
You gotta also take into account the different cost of the two fuels used. 95 or 98 costs significantly more than 91, so while your L/100K might be higher, is the dollars per litre amount actually better?