2011 Golf TDI Review - 10,000 Mile Service Complete

Just a quick update tonight.  The 10,000 mile service is complete!  Vista VW did an excellent job getting me in and out and as always threw in a complimentary car wash.  I continue to be impressed with the Golf TDI.  I averaged 41.73MPG on my last tank of Diesel.  Fuel prices are climbing in a hurry, I feel better every day about my decision to buy the TDI!

2011 Gold TDI Review - 10,000 Mile Update

Boy time sure does fly when you’re having fun.  At the end of July (2011) I purchased my new Golf TDI and today, about 7 months later, I’m at the 10,000 mile mark.  I had my reservations when I made my purchase, having never owned a VW or a diesel before but to this point my concerns have been completely put to rest.

I’ve taken the car back to the dealership twice.  The first time was for a routine 90 day inspection, the second was to take care of a recall notice.  Mechanically, the car has run flawlessly.  It’s rock solid on the road, not a shake or a rattle and is truly fun to drive.

Fuel economy has continued to improve.   Overall fuel economy at the 5000 mile mark was 35.228MPG.  At 7777 miles fuel economy had risen to 35.55MPG.  Now at 10,000 miles, fuel economy comes in at 35.912MPG.  Over the last 90 days fuel economy is an impressive 36.688MPG.

10,000 miles marks the first scheduled service which will be handled by VW free of charge as it is part of their 36,000 mile care free package.  I’ll be scheduling the appointment shortly and will let everyone know how it went once the service is complete.

10,000 miles, great fuel economy, great fun, great car.

Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading!

2011 Golf TDI Review - The Truck Stops Here

Stopping to fuel up the TDI is always an adventure.  It's pretty common to see this, the TDI on one side of the pump and a truck on the other.  It's also common for the person on the other side of the pump to look curiously at me, wonder if I'm at the wrong pump and then ask......Is that Diesel?  Followed by, How do you like it?  Does it get good mileage?  Is it fast?

I always enjoy answering the questions, I hope you enjoy this picture.

2011 Golf TDI Review - 7777 Mile Update

2011 Golf TDI Review – 7777 Mile Update

After 6 months and 7777 miles with the Golf TDI, I continue to be pleased with my purchase.  Other than the recall service (See Recall Service Complete post) there have been no mechanical issues.  The car is eager to perform, fun to drive and continues to return excellent fuel economy numbers.  At the 5000 mile mark I reported that the overall fuel economy was 35.228 MPG.  Now, 7777 miles in, the overall fuel economy has risen to 35.55 MPG.  Over the past 90 days the average fuel economy was 36.17 MPG.

I’ve seen people report average fuel economy numbers well into the 40s, and believe this to be entirely possible if the majority of the miles driven are on the highway.  My mix tends to be more heavily weighted towards city driving (probably 70% city/30% highway), so my overall MPG suffers a bit.  That being said, I don’t think you’ll find a car that is this much fun to drive returning 36 MPG anywhere else! 


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2011 Golf TDI Review - Recall Service Complete

2011 Golf TDI Review – Recall Service Complete

Today I took the TDI back to Vista VW in Pompano Beach to have the recall service completed.  The work consisted on inspecting the fuel line and installing vibration dampers (for full recall notice see post titled Recall Notice from 12/15).  My service advisor also informed me that they would be performing a software update on the DSG transmission.

I arrived for my 1:00 appointment time and had to wait for a few minutes for my service advisor.  By 1:10 I had signed a few documents authorizing the work and I headed to lunch at Houston’s in Pompano Beach (excellent burger and beautiful view of the intercostal!).  At 2:01PM my service advisor called to tell me that the work was complete and they were washing the car.  I arrived back to the dealership at about 2:30 signed the zero dollar invoice, hopped in the clean TDI and headed back to work.

It was a quick, free trip to the dealership with a complimentary car wash and a great lunch.  VW service did a good job today.  My next trip back will be at the 10,000 mile mark (currently at 7,500) for my first oil change.

2011 Golf TDI Review - Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

D = Dr. Jekyll
S= Mr. Hyde

2011 Golf TDI Long Term Review – Dr Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Many of my posts have addressed the excellent fuel economy of the TDI because I find that the first question people ask is “what kind of fuel mileage does it get”?  One of the key aspects of this car though, that I haven’t devoted nearly enough time to is how much fun it is to drive.

In my first post, I explained that my initial interest was in the VW GTI but in my search I came across the TDI and made what I felt was the more fiscally responsible decision.  I have wondered though from time to time if I made the right decision in passing up the faster, sportier GTI for the diesel sipping TDI.

For the first 5000 miles I babied the TDI in an effort to allow it to break in properly.  Now though, I’ve passed the 7000 mile mark and more and more I’m beginning to push the turbo diesel and see what it’s really made of.

On a recent road trip that included three passengers, the TDI covered about 200 miles at speeds ranging from 80MPH to the low triple digits and felt no different than it does at 40MPH.  It’s quiet, solid and eager to please when you hit the accelerator.  This car believes (and will make you believe) that it is much larger and more powerful than it really is.  Just a side note…..even with a full passenger load and maintaining significant speeds the TDI averaged a bit over 37MPG on the trip, pretty impressive.

Around town the TDI is even more fun.  Shift the DSG transmission into “S” (Sport Mode) and it pulls like a small freight train up to its redline before shifting.  No need to slow down for corners either, the TDI sticks like glue to the road and has almost no body roll when traveling at high speed around tight corners.

The moral of the story is this, there are many cars that can put a smile on your face when you have to stop at the pump and fill up.  There are just as many, that can put a smile on your face when you step on the accelerator or dive into a corner at high speed.  The TDI though manages to be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  You’ll be glad that you’re driving Dr. Jekyll when you stop to fill up, and unleashing Mr. Hyde with your right foot will certainly make you smile.

I made the right choice with the TDI. 

2011 Golf TDI Review - Recall notice

Today I received a recall notice in the mail from Volkswagen.  Here's what it says..................

Click on the picture above to enlarge.

2011 Golf TDI Review - Car and Driver 10 Best

Car and Driver just released their 10 best list for 2012 and as usual the VW Golf & GTI are on the list.  You can check out the 10 best list at the link below:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2012-10best-cars-feature

2011 Golf TDI Review - Purchase Price

I've seen quite a bit of conversation online about how much dealers are asking and what buyers are paying for the Golf TDI.


In July of 2011 I bought a 4 door Golf TDI with the DSG (automatic transmission).

Here is how my purchase worked out:

The sticker above is a little hard to read but here is what it says:

Manufacturer's suggested retail price:	$24,985.00
Rubber Mats, Trunk Liner, Chrome Exhaust Tips:	$329.00
Bluetooth Connectivity:	$300.00
Destination Charge:	$770.00
Total Selling Price:	$26,384.00
Here is what I paid:
Selling Price:	$24,763
Florida Law Acid Battery Fee & Waste Tire Fee:	$6.50
Dealer Fee:	$599.00
Electronic Registration Fee:	$28.95
Private Tag Agency/Dealership Auto Tag Fee:	20.00
Total Purchase Price:	$25417.45

Please feel free to comment if you have any questions.  Thanks for reading.

2011 Golf TDI Review - 5000 Mile Update

2011 Golf TDI Review – 5000 Mile Update

The 2011 Golf TDI has hit the 5000 mile mark and continues to perform admirably.  Fuel economy has been excellent with an average of 35.228 MPG in mixed city and highway driving.  The lowest recorded fuel mileage for a tank of diesel was 32.997; the highest thus far is 40.992.  The TDI continues to impress with its quiet, comfortable road manners and excellent handling.
The ratings below are based on my experiences through the first 5000 miles.  Every 5000 miles I will rate the same categories so you can see how my perceptions about the TDI change over time.  As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.


The ratings scale is:


J - Terrible
JJ - Needs Improvement
JJJ - Average
JJJJ - Good
JJJJJ - Excellent

Category	5000 Mile Rating	Comment
Fuel Economy	JJJJJ	EXCELLENT – have seen improvement over the last 1000 miles.
Fit & Finish	JJJJJ	EXCELLENT – Absolutely rock solid
Front seat comfort	JJJJ	GOOD – Great head & leg room, supportive comfortable seats, sits very low to the ground may be difficult for some to get in and out of.
Rear seat comfort	JJJ	AVERAGE – Good headroom, leg room is fine as long as front seats are not all the way back.
Acceleration	JJJJ	GOOD – Turbo lag is present but once the engine hits about 1800 RPM it pulls with solid, linear power.
Highway passing	JJJJ	GOOD – The TDI really shines on the highway.  It takes very little effort (not even a downshift) to get by slow moving traffic at highway speeds.
Bluetooth	JJJJJ	EXCELLENT – Sound quality is excellent, love the ability to make calls through the display between tach and speedometer.
Radio	JJJJ	GOOD – Display is easy to read, sound is good, can be a little glitch at times when using IPOD touch.  Bluetooth radio (Pandora) works well.
Air Conditioning	JJJJ	GOOD – A/C has kept car cool in the hot Florida sun.  Controls are simple but work well.  Would like to have dual zone as well as automatic climate control.
Interior Storage	JJJJ	GOOD – Minimal storage space in the center console.  Hatchback and seating is versatile making this a great little hauler for oversized packages.
VW Service	JJJ	AVERAGE - First trip back to the dealer was for routine checkup.  Not enough service advisors, had to wait for about 15 minutes past appointment time.  Once car was taken in all went well.
Transmission	JJJJJ	EXCELLENT – The DSG (dual clutch automatic transmission) is perfectly matched to the turbo diesel engine, fully utilizing the plentiful torque.  Shifting is crisp; this is the best automatic transmission that I have ever driven.
Overall Impression	JJJJ	GOOD – Comfortable, fun to drive, hybrid like fuel economy, amazingly quiet, excellent fit and finish