Perhaps these cars are expensive to repair and maintain, but Volkswagen are having an end of year sale and seem to have pretty decent deals on Golf, Polo and Jetta.
The base model golf auto with onroad costs + metallic paint is $23,490. It says on The Age that it's an auto.
http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/best-buys-20121218-2bk…
It seems the high Australian dollar is finally having a serious impact on new car prices.
So when, realistically, will a 2013 manufactured, imported VW hit the showrooms?
Here's an article about the 2013 range..unfortunately it only states the Australian release is in 2013. The actual release date must not have been announced at the time.
It looks a lot like a sharper version of the current VW Polo, to me.
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/54954/2013-volkswagen-golf-…
VW wouldn't want to announce the release date too soon, lest it mean it can't clear the current showrooms.
I don't know when the new generation will be released, but I expect you could find out fairly easily with a few searches. My tip is that NZ might get it before Australia. It's happened with other VWs. :)
I just checked the VW website. New Jetta. New Passat. No Golf mentioned at all. The New Golf release could be quite soon!
new golf will land here Q2 2013. You WILL NOT get one priced anywhere near the pricing that is available now. Expect 30k+ (for the record, i'm in the industry and have a Mk7 golf on order already)
Probably by some time in Feb, but to get this deal you need to take delivery by 31 December which means if you aren't lucky enough to get one in stock you have to order one anyway…
New Golf is about to be released also so that would affect price of current model
No, it's mainly because the next generation Golf series are about to be released - and it's a major change, this time around.
The current series (6th generation) is a refined 5th generation car.
I am very happy with mine.
**The 7th generation is all-new and up to 180kg lighter, so more efficient and probably better to drive. The Audi A3 and Golf (and Skoda Octavia) are based on the same design, with extra bling and style on the Audi. This next one is the first 'real' new Golf cleansheet design since 2004!
Re prices: Reduced import duties and free trade agreements are probably equally to blame for cheaper cars.
The imports are much, much cheaper and the local manufacturers really just make large cars, aside from the Holden Cruze.
I pretty much guarantee that anyone testing a Golf against a Cruze will notice the difference. Your choice!
Any one comparing basically any Japanese/Euro car to the Cruze will notice a huge different! :P
Nice cars but don't buy them to save money, especially a DSG
Ditto for CVTs.
You sure about CVT? I read in several places that DSG was a dog (high/costly maintenance and questionable reliability) but CVT seems to be quite popular. I'm no expert in this field, but the few articles I read all said positive things about CVT. can you point me to multiple references to help clarify your comment… I try to avoid single references for obvious reasons.
I have traded in the last generation Honda Jazz (which Is CVT) to current generation (which is traditional gear box). I have to say CVT is much better, linear acceleration and fuel efficient. I miss my old Jazz T_T My friend who traded in her old Jazz has same comment too.
All major car brands are doing major sales to clear 2012 stock and some prices are cheaper than they can be through the year. I work for Suzuki and haven't seen brand new Swifts for the price they are now.
Swifty
Haggle them down further. If it's an advertised price, you can always do better than that.
you probably can a small amount, but don't expect much. The price advertised is already 4k off and they don't have a lot of stock left, the promotion running means they're selling very well.
I've got (well, its my wifes car) the model being advertised in this deal. It is the 77TSI. RRP on this car with no discount and full dealer delivery charges is about $28k. There are no factory fitted options available afaik, only dealer fitted stuff (tinted windows etc..). Standard spec gives you 7 airbags, all the electronic safety stuff, power windows, mirrors etc..
Really well built car (IMO it absolutely squats all over corollas, civics etc..), but keep in mind you get hubcaps and a plastic steering wheel, those were my only 2 gripes. I ended up putting a set of mags on from a higher spec model (from ebay), same with the steering wheel, and also retrofitted the genuine navigation system, again from ebay. All up that cost me a touch over $1200 and i'm quite happy with the result now.
To those saying wait for a 2013, afaik vw may never actually build this model (known as a Mk6) in 2013. I think i've heard production cuts off 31/12/2012. You will probably be able to get a 2013 COMPLIANCE car, but in reality that doesn't make a lick of difference when selling/trading. Mine is a very early January 2011 (like 5th Jan) build plate and it arrived in australia on 4/4/2011. As i've said in my above post, expect the new model to retail 30k+ once they start selling the new model and VW WILL NOT discount them for quite a few months.
It is more expensive to service than handahhh and toyodahhh but keep in mind the services are 15k/1yr intervals instead of 10k/6 months like most japanese brands.
If the DSG reliability concerns you, extend your warranty another few years once the standard 3 years comes to an end.
I'm on the list for a Mk 7 Golf GTI already, i've had 3 golfs (1 mk5, 2 mk6's) over the last few years, loved them all.
Why are these cars so expensive compared to competitors, like Mazda3, Corolla, Lancer, etc?
What do they have that the other brands don't? Or is it just the VW badge commanding a premium?
It drives really well. I regularly rent the Golf 77TSi when travelling interstate and it sits all over the Corolla, Mazda3 and Lancer in terms of torque, acceleration to 80km/h and handling. Only thing I don't like is the 7 speed DSG frequently giving issues after 20k on the clock. Had it throw an error code for the gearbox before on a Golf with 22k. Didn't feel good when the gearbox started rattle when stopped on neutral. Other than that, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
So it just drives nice?
It's very barren on luxury features.
I'm in the market for a car right now, and for slightly below this price I managed to haggle Mitsu into giving me an auto (metallic) Lancer LX, which has alloys, 7 air bags, reverse parking sensors, reversing camera, full leather seats (heated front seats), smart key, cruise control, climate control. The 77TSI has none of these features.
It's normal price is about 2k cheaper than the 77TSI's normal price.
It's a lot to give up for something that "drives really well".
I guess I would need to test drive one to see what the fuss is about.
I would trade all of those things for reliability, economy and performance. I have no idea how much better the golf is, and a fanboy will only say throw away lines like "ooh, it's much better than a Corolla". Note: I don't drive or own a Corolla…
Hopefully, someone will provide you with a useful comparison. Maybe read magazine reviews? For example,
http://www.carsguide.com.au/news-and-reviews/car-reviews-roa…
Does not speak very highly of this car (6.5 out of 10) and it requires 98 octane ULP.
This does NOT sound like the ideal car for an OzBargainer ;)
FYI I'm not a car buff, so others could easily baffle me with crap like "yeah, but paying 20% more for fuel is made up by the super efficient DSG that costs a mint to maintain" or something like that :)
Dude, you need to get your facts sorted. The quality list is regularly topped by the Japanese, NOT Euros. I used to work in the used car industry and the most problematic cars are the Euros, worse than even the Koreans. Why else do you think they have poor resale? Personally I love Euros for their looks and the prestige they convey, but they all have gremlins running all over the cars and be prepared to have lots of weird electrical/build issues.
I am for instance unaware of any euro manufactures that set out to build cars to the standard of say Hyundai Kia or even Nissan ?
Those cars are actually very good and reliable. My brother is a mechanic and he looks at cars of all types, and these are well built. The i30 ranks very highly and has won several car of the year awards.
They're just not popular with the people, due to looks and stuff. That doesn't mean the quality of the car is bad.
That's all great but it's still a Lancer. If you where buying on features vrs cost you would end up in a Hyundai of some discription.
The difference is quality.
Most euro cars are of a higher quality which is what determins the purchase price.
You know that Lancers (and all Mitsu cars) come with 5 year warranty and 10 years drive train warranty? Also 5 years free roadside assist, and 4 years capped servicing (first service is free).
Most manufacturers, VW included only give 3 years warranty. If the Lancers are crap and will fail after 3 years, I don't think they would give you longer warranty unless they're confident it will last.
At the end of the day it's down to what's more important.. the feeling of the car, or the features. For me, I love climate control and cruise control, as well as parking assistance/camera. If the car "drives well" it needs to drive really really well to offset the loss of features I like.
It's pointless making comparisons unless you actually go out and drive the cars for yourself.
Every manufacturer has its share of problems, with VW no exception. But the Japanese and Koreans are not without their own problems. I know which cars will generally withstand the test of time better. Look after a solidly built euro car like a classic E39 or E46 BMW and it will still be a great drive 10 years down the track.
But each car will have a different combination of drive/quality/price.
If the driving feel and build quality doesn't mean anything to you then this is probably not the car for you.
Well sure a BMW will still be a great drive 10 years down the track, but what kind of prices were you paying for them?
The Japanese and Korean cars are in the 20,000+ range. The BMWs start much higher than that.
It's not an apples to apples comparison if one product is priced much higher than its competition.
A test drive is not going to give you a feel of how it's going to stand up 10 years from now.
No one claims that any brand of car is going to be problem free. That's one thing they're all going to have in common. What's worth comparing is the differences between them.
This post didn't add anything of use other than stating the bleeding obvious.
Does it sound like a Golf?
golf is a very nice car and most car magazines use it as a benchmark for others. As i am true ozbargain cheapskate i am not prepared to pay high servicing costs and premium fuel. our local petrol station sells premium fuel for up to 30c more per liter. while it is still very reliable car, dsg transmission and tsi engines are too reliable lately. old fashioned 2.0 liter engine with manual is the way to go for long term reliability.( if vw still sells golf in that configuration.)
Seems like a good car for the money, but don't forget that there will be a bunch of deals in the next few weeks. Cars with 2012 plates will be going cheap in the new year, and the C segment is the most competitive arena in the market.
Also, remember that with imported cars there could be the odd accessory inadvertently thrown in, but know your rights. When I bought my car 2 years ago, I had a choice of a few colours and picked one. When I picked it up, the Sales Manager came out to give me some bad news;
"Your car has metallic paint and parking sensors," he said.
"Does it? I didn't order those."
"No, but they cost an extra $1100."
And he looked at me and waited. I looked at my watch.
"OK then."
"So, that's OK?" he asked.
"No, it's not. How long will it take you to remove the sensors and repaint the car?"
He grunted. Now I waited. In the end, he put a line though the Accessories section of the paperwork and I got that stuff for free.
Know your rights. You can't be charged for something you didn't order and if they are trying to run-out the car, it is not worth the argument.
Seems like a good car for the money, but don't forget that there will be a bunch of deals in the next few weeks. Cars with 2012 plates will be going cheap in the new year, and the C segment is the most competitive arena in the market.
Will it be cheaper to wait till the new year? As far as I know, cars have MY12, MY13 etc.. and a car made in 2012 can be MY12 model or MY13. The cars you'd be buying right now would be MY13 even though they are made in late 2012. If they discount a car made in December 2012 because it's now January 2013, it's still the exact same car. The year of manufacture is off by 1, but in realistic terms it's a month… what difference does a month make? It's no different than a MY13 made in November as opposed to December. Any difference in rolling the year from 2012 to early 2013 is only psychological. There's no practical difference in the car.
i would buy a Corolla instead, since it lasts longer than Golf.
Here's my VW Golf experience.
Had the MKV 2.0 FSI auto. The auto gearbox started exhibiting jerking problems after 100,000km. Well known problem that was recalled in the US. No love here in Australia. $4.5k to repair.
I traded it back to the dealer who I bought it off and got a good deal - luckily they didn't find the problem when checking the car. Bought a new MKVI 103TDI DSG for over $6k less than RRP. Drives beautifully and has great economy (around 900km per 50L tank). Chose the diesel over the TSI models as I read about huge reliability problems with the TSI engines and the 7 speed DSG gearboxes. Note the diesel has a different 6 speed DSG.
The reason you buy a Golf over other Japanese and Koren imports is the drive and build quality. Before buying the 103TDI I test drove all the usual suspects (Mazda 3, Civic, Corolla, Imprezza). None came close for driving feel. The rest genuinely felt like tin cans and lawn mowers for engines.
What I did not test however was the Ford Focus as my fiance didn't want to drive a Ford as she has worked there before. That to me is the only true competitor to the Golf, besides the newly released Astra, that offers the same drive, quality and pricing. These cars are the budget entry to the Euro world of motoring.
If you want a better deal, perhaps try a Skoda. Essentially the same cars for less coin. My cousin bought one and if you can get over the styling they are a great buy.
go euro? get a merc
go euro but no dollar? get a golf
if you just want a transport from a to b, and don't intend to service the car, get a corolla.
go euro? get a merc
go euro but no dollar? get a golf
Are you saying VW is a poor man's Benz?
if you just want a transport from a to b, and don't intend to service the car, get a corolla.
No car will last long without servicing. Unless you're saying the Corolla is so good that it doesn't need to be serviced.
The Corolla is the #1 selling car in the world for a reason. You might look condescendingly toward it because it's not a luxury car, but something tells me cars like BMW, Merc, Audi etc are not the kind of cars marketed at Ozbargain users… I mean, if you can afford cars like that you probably don't need to be checking a bargain site a few times a day.
hi lostn, yes VW is a poor man's Benz, it is a europe design car but without merc/bmer price tag.
and ozb is for all tightarse like you and myself. if it bothers you.
name 1 person who didn't ask for free add-on / $ discount buying a merc from dealership. celebrity doesn't count.
:P
Oh that reminds me of Land Rover dealerships. You should walk into a Land Rover dealership and ask for a freebie or cheap price, they look at you like you farted or something…lol snobs
Keep in mind the high service costs compared to other cars in this price range…
Its the one main things that bring out the extra tight arse in me and stops me buying a golf in the past.
The only thing worse than a VW is their after sales service. I drove Toyota company cars for many years without any problems - avge about 1000K's per week. New career, bought a demo VW .Vehicle only serviced at dealer for warranty period. After 4 years but only 50,000K's gearbox went! Dealer didn't even seem surprised at its failure & 'offered' me a half price refurbed box 'for only 4 grand'!!! One year later this box failed (under warranty) & they claimed battery acid had leaked on it & therefore warranty was void. BTW this 'leaking' battery lasted for about another 2 years (it was the original battery from new) & dealer didnt even remove it to confirm that it was leaking. (radio stations still programmed). I took vehicle to another mechanic & got box replaced. I will NEVER EVER EVER BUY ANOTHER VW!
Oh BTW, Jeep is my username - not my vehicle recommendation ;-)
These free on road + metallic paint sales are done regularly - there was a similar sale in June and also September.
Personally I wouldn't be jumping on a December plate as in only a couple of weeks the new year will be in and it makes a massive resale difference between a 2013 and a 2012 plate.