Topic: Long-Term Test Arrival: 2015 Volkswagen Golf

[Autos_Editor]

The beginning of an epic Golf spiel.
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[JohnM]

I as well have a very soft spot for Rabbits and Golfs.  They were perfect for me for about 12 years.  Not only did they fit the work that had to be done, they fit my body and mentality.  Sit in a Golf and it is just right. 

But as time went on, the Golf was taken over by marketing wizards (some from Chrysler - why not just shutter the plant and go home?) and the hype and the reliability issues forced me out of the brand.  That and probably the reliability.   When I went Japanese, it became abundantly clear that there was a huge gulf between the trouble index of German vs Japanese.  Basically, after I left the Golf, I had more free time on my hands and more money in my pocket and less impending failure stress.

The Golf has gotten heavy and it has moved upscale.  Two large negatives for me.  As a package it is undeniably attractive.  The quality is vastly higher and the driving experience is excellent, if not as tossable as back in the day.  I'd certainly look at a Golf again in an ev or hybrid configuration so for my needs, it might be another few years before I get back into one.

Cheers,
John M.

[tpl]

" where Volkswagen has a reputation for scraping by with CELs aglow and gremlins galore."

Do they really ?    The 1998 to 2005 Golf IV was certainly like that  but the Mk V and Mk VI  not so much. 



It is a pity imho, although many would disagree, that they don't just ditch the old slushbox and fit the 6speed and 7 speed DSGs to all of them as the automatic.

[redman]

A fan of the TDI and GTI variant but find that there are better value competitors with higher reliability and not made in Mexico. I've driven the venerable rabbit for a summer and owned a 16V Sirocco both made in Germany. My parents had a two Jetta's 1986(West.Grm) and 1994. The 94 (Mexican built) was a travesty, burning oil from day one and lacking power from it's antiquated engine even back then. I sold VW for a year, the year all the coil packs were recalled. On a positive note I recall the VW interiors being light years ahead of everyone else within their segment at the time.

[mlin32]

I don't really understand why there is this persisting perception of poor reliability from VW. I know earlier last decade VW and Mercedes had their issues but they seem to have gotten much better. I don't hear so many horror stories from the Mk6 nor the Mk7 Golf in Europe; time will tell whether the Mk7 built in MX will continue the improving record.

My father's VW 2013 Tiguan Comfortline has been fairly trouble free, with only 1 unscheduled service visit for a fuel-pump recall in 45.000km of service. No rattles or other warning lights......that meets my definition of build quality.

[DriverJeff]

At the low $20s like the Autos.ca long-term car, the Golf really is in a sweet spot.  You get the excellent new 1.8T engine, the row-yer-won stick shift and just enough amenities to keep most folks motoring along happily.  Neither the pictures, nor the figures on a page do justice for driving the new Golf -- it really does seem to be greater than the sum of its parts.  Not the flashiest entry in the segment, but one that would truly be appreciated by drivers. 

[redman]

I don't really understand why there is this persisting perception of poor reliability from VW. I know earlier last decade VW and Mercedes had their issues but they seem to have gotten much better. I don't hear so many horror stories from the Mk6 nor the Mk7 Golf in Europe; time will tell whether the Mk7 built in MX will continue the improving record.

My father's VW 2013 Tiguan Comfortline has been fairly trouble free, with only 1 unscheduled service visit for a fuel-pump recall in 45.000km of service. No rattles or other warning lights......that meets my definition of build quality.

I believe the vehicles you mentioned were all built in Europe.

[jyarkony]

I don't really understand why there is this persisting perception of poor reliability from VW. I know earlier last decade VW and Mercedes had their issues but they seem to have gotten much better. I don't hear so many horror stories from the Mk6 nor the Mk7 Golf in Europe; time will tell whether the Mk7 built in MX will continue the improving record.

My father's VW 2013 Tiguan Comfortline has been fairly trouble free, with only 1 unscheduled service visit for a fuel-pump recall in 45.000km of service. No rattles or other warning lights......that meets my definition of build quality.

Seriously?

http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/2014-Vehicle-Dependability-Study-Press-Release.htm

Consumer Reports has them often average or below average and says: "Volkswagen... turned in a middling performance, was especially hampered by
the trouble-prone Beetle, GTI, and Touareg."

I own an older model Jetta wagon, and it has the constent CEL by virtue of the engine running lean, plus burns in the seats where the seat heaters shorted and issues with the rear brakes binding and eating rotors and calipers.

One car does not make a case for brand reliability, and until they start to perform better on JD Power and Consumer Reports. On the flipside, I think they did win a reliability award from a different survey company, but can't remember which one.

[jyarkony]

At the low $20s like the Autos.ca long-term car, the Golf really is in a sweet spot.  You get the excellent new 1.8T engine, the row-yer-won stick shift and just enough amenities to keep most folks motoring along happily.  Neither the pictures, nor the figures on a page do justice for driving the new Golf -- it really does seem to be greater than the sum of its parts.  Not the flashiest entry in the segment, but one that would truly be appreciated by drivers.

are you saying my pictures suck?

jerk. 

[aquadorhj]

I don't really understand why there is this persisting perception of poor reliability from VW. I know earlier last decade VW and Mercedes had their issues but they seem to have gotten much better. I don't hear so many horror stories from the Mk6 nor the Mk7 Golf in Europe; time will tell whether the Mk7 built in MX will continue the improving record.

My father's VW 2013 Tiguan Comfortline has been fairly trouble free, with only 1 unscheduled service visit for a fuel-pump recall in 45.000km of service. No rattles or other warning lights......that meets my definition of build quality.

Seriously?

http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/2014-Vehicle-Dependability-Study-Press-Release.htm

Consumer Reports has them often average or below average and says: "Volkswagen... turned in a middling performance, was especially hampered by
the trouble-prone Beetle, GTI, and Touareg."

I own an older model Jetta wagon, and it has the constent CEL by virtue of the engine running lean, plus burns in the seats where the seat heaters shorted and issues with the rear brakes binding and eating rotors and calipers.

One car does not make a case for brand reliability, and until they start to perform better on JD Power and Consumer Reports. On the flipside, I think they did win a reliability award from a different survey company, but can't remember which one.

MK6 and MK5 Golfs/Rabbit were known to be very reliable though.  could be due to the 2.5L Inline 5 engine... 

My MK5 is still going strong at 140k now.   2 things wrong, the passenger seat weight sensor and driver side door lock sensor.    everything else still in tip-top condition.

I do worry that the new 1.8T might bring some of the gremlins back, but hopefully they learned something from the ignition coils and direct injection issues they had all these past years.

[JRM]

I can't agree with the negative comments on reliability.  I had a Golf wagon for 4 years with only  4 trips to the dealer for scheduled annual maintenance, no rattles, squeaks or any other gremlins or issues.  The 2.5 was rated better than average by Consumer reports.  i've had a Passat with the 1.8 l engine for nearly a year now wit only one scheduled maintenance and no issues whatsoever.   The 2015 Passat 1.8 is rated much better than average by Consumer reports.  The former was made assembled in Mexico and the latter in the US.  Both are excellent vehicles. 

I can't say that about the last 4 Japanese vehicles I had prior to the VWs, A Mazda MX6, a Mitsu Gallant and two Camrys..  The Camrys, a '04and '08,  were especially problematic.     

[mlin32]

I don't really use the JD Power or Consumer Reports ratings. Cars are not washing machines or white goods.

Everyone also has a different definition and tolerance for reliability. Yes, the infotainment system on my Mazda 3 BM is flaky- the sat nav works about half the time, usually not recognizing the SD card when I actually need to use it. But I do not really count this against reliability and for me, every car will have some minor glitches. I care a lot more about mechanical items, items related to driveability, and the fit/finish of the build. Minor electrical hiccups are okay for me.

[Noto]

The beginning of an epic Golf spiel.

I thought you spelled spiel wrong, since it's pronounced sHpiel...but nope, you're right...weird.

My father's VW 2013 Tiguan Comfortline has been fairly trouble free, with only 1 unscheduled service visit for a fuel-pump recall in 45.000km of service. No rattles or other warning lights......that meets my definition of build quality.

Yeah, "only 1 unscheduled service visit for a fuel-pump recall" sounds decidedly Germanic and within the lines of FIL's prior 2009 335xi, which ate 4 fuel pumps over a 2 year lease. 

My experience from a "sh!t" 1997 Cavalier was that the CD player died 3 times, rear suspension bit the dust, and the transmission went after 3.5 years (true, it was a 3-speed automatic...lolz).  I viewed that as fairly unrealiable, having it be considered a constructive loss (not from an accident, but from the maintenance bills being more expensive than the car) at just 13 years.  We had a 15 year old Toyota Previa that was solid throughout all 382,000km, requiring no work whatsoever other than scheduled maintenance.

Our RX400h is solid, having only the driver's side mirror auto-tilt down function fail a few months ago.  Otherwise, completely trouble-free from a mechanical perspective.  Not bad, considering it was the first year for a V6 hybrid powertrain...

Our Corolla has turned out to be a little sh!t.  Squeaks/rattles everywhere, driver's side mirror shake, driver's window window squeak, rough transmission (2nd-3rd gear shifts only once you're 15km/h higher than normal in the cold), among other things.  Recalls galore, including the sticky accelerator pedal, airbag spiral cable, and trunk arms.  Still, the engine hasn't failed, nor has the the transmission actually failed (it behaves just fine so long as it's >-10 C).

Thoughts of replacing fuel pumps?  CELs?  Never, ever had those in a car.  Ever.  Actually, the Cavalier didn't have a "low fuel" light, but illuminated the CEL when you needed to get fuel.  Kinda funny now that I think about it.

In 2010, I almost bought a Jetta TDI instead of the Corolla.  I asked the mechanics at the dealership who were walking around the service depot what they typically see.  "The turbocharger seems to go after a few years, and if not that, there's a little rod that we constantly have to trim down in there..."  No idea what that meant, but it scared us (though we didn't buy it because in Trendline trim, it didn't have an armrest...).

JY, really nice intro to what will surely be a biased (for good reason) long-term test set.   

P.S. If I bash the Golf now, will you invite me to eat my words?  Even if not that, can I give 'er a try one day to see what all the Golfy fuss is about?  I promise I'll learn how to properly drive

[Blueprint]

The least reliable (and rust-prone) car I've owned was a made-in-Japan Mazda MPV. In second place comes a made-in-Germany VW Passat. My Mexican-built Sentra has been trouble-free for 6.5 years now, except for a muffler weld that cracked early on (warranty-covered). It's not where you build it, it's how it's engineered.

As for the LT Golf: 

That test car is just about the perfect build - I just wished cloth seats were an option.

[DriverJeff]

At the low $20s like the Autos.ca long-term car, the Golf really is in a sweet spot.  You get the excellent new 1.8T engine, the row-yer-won stick shift and just enough amenities to keep most folks motoring along happily.  Neither the pictures, nor the figures on a page do justice for driving the new Golf -- it really does seem to be greater than the sum of its parts.  Not the flashiest entry in the segment, but one that would truly be appreciated by drivers.

are you saying my pictures suck?

jerk. 

Ummm....    no, that wasn't what I meant.  Even if photo-master, Jacob took them, they still wouldn't do justice.     The car is better experienced in person than on the interwebs. 

PS... will any of the rest of us at Autos get to see these long-term unicorns?  No...  no we will not.   

[OliverD]

I don't typically care for base cars but the Trendline offers the best value in the Golf range IMO. About $22k when you add cruise control (why is this optional?) and destination. Heated seats, Bluetooth, and a touchscreen all standard. It also leases nicely thanks to a very high residual and 0.9%.

I have a rental Corolla LE right now which is okay but the Trendline 1.8 that I drove in the summer is definitely a much nicer and more substantial feeling car. It's a bit boring (especially with the automatic) but I'd certainly take it over most competitors.

[EV-Light]

MK6 and MK5 Golfs/Rabbit were known to be very reliable though.  could be due to the 2.5L Inline 5 engine... 

I feel like the only reason why VW is a little bit on the positive side on that chart is due to 2.5/6-Speed combo reliability. Hopefully I am wrong!

[jyarkony]

I don't really use the JD Power or Consumer Reports ratings. Cars are not washing machines or white goods.

Everyone also has a different definition and tolerance for reliability. Yes, the infotainment system on my Mazda 3 BM is flaky- the sat nav works about half the time, usually not recognizing the SD card when I actually need to use it. But I do not really count this against reliability and for me, every car will have some minor glitches. I care a lot more about mechanical items, items related to driveability, and the fit/finish of the build. Minor electrical hiccups are okay for me.

Hey, I own a Volkswagen, I know all about the tolerance for (un)reliability and appreciation of solid driving and mechanical qualities. But Consumer Reports and JD Power are the widest reaching surveys available on which to base a more factual-ish expectation of reliability. It is statistically based, not on one or two owners griping around here, and gathers input from many more sources. The fact that you don't use them (nor do I for my own purchase decisions) does not make them invalid, but I thought it would help you "understand why there is this persisting perception of poor reliability from VW."

This is also not to say VW has not gotten better - I believe all car companies have gotten much better, but VW still hasn't reached industry average levels on a company-wide scale.

[redman]

I don't really use the JD Power or Consumer Reports ratings. Cars are not washing machines or white goods.

Everyone also has a different definition and tolerance for reliability. Yes, the infotainment system on my Mazda 3 BM is flaky- the sat nav works about half the time, usually not recognizing the SD card when I actually need to use it. But I do not really count this against reliability and for me, every car will have some minor glitches. I care a lot more about mechanical items, items related to driveability, and the fit/finish of the build. Minor electrical hiccups are okay for me.

Hey, I own a Volkswagen, I know all about the tolerance for (un)reliability and appreciation of solid driving and mechanical qualities. But Consumer Reports and JD Power are the widest reaching surveys available on which to base a more factual-ish expectation of reliability. It is statistically based, not on one or two owners griping around here, and gathers input from many more sources. The fact that you don't use them (nor do I for my own purchase decisions) does not make them invalid, but I thought it would help you "understand why there is this persisting perception of poor reliability from VW."

This is also not to say VW has not gotten better - I believe all car companies have gotten much better, but VW still hasn't reached industry average levels on a company-wide scale.

Well Said

[LoveToDrive]

As I get older (and more financially secure) I place more value/emphasis on the driving experience and feeling of quality, than outright reliability.   I've never owned a VW (always stuck with safer brands for reliability like Honda/Toyota), but I think sometimes too much is traded in driving enjoyment to get a car that is known to be highly reliable (I'm especially looking at you Toyota).    I'm starting to find a Golf or Jetta much more appealing and will likely give them high consideration next time I'm in the market for a car.

Last time I shopped for a compact car, I bought a 2nd generation Mazda 3 because I liked how it drove so much, despite known issues with the 1st generation's susceptibility to rust.   Well, 6 years later and 92K trouble free km in salt-ridden southern ontario and no hint of rust, or mechanical issues to speak of.  And I still enjoy driving it every day.

It sounds like the Golf offers many of the things I find so appealing in my 3, and for that I'll keep it high on my list.