Golf TDI Review - 30,000 Mile Update

The Golf TDI has hit the 30,000 mile mark!  All in all it has been a relatively uneventful first couple of years of ownership.  Volkswagen covers the vehicle for 3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper for anything that goes wrong and also covers all services for the first 36,000 miles.  So, my out of pocket, other than fuel over the first 30,000 miles has been $0, you can’t do much better than that.  Recommended service intervals come at 10,000 miles and include what you would expect, oil change, tire rotation and even a free car wash with each visit.  Outside of the scheduled maintenance the TDI has made a trip to the service center for a recall and a blown window motor.

Total fuel economy through the first 30,000 miles comes in at 36.943 MPG.  Over the past 90 days the TDI has registered an impressive 38.08MPG showing that fuel economy is continuing to improve as the diesel motor breaks in.  While 38MPG is pretty impressive on its own what makes this car an impressive package is the sporty performance that accompanies frugal use of fuel.  Put your foot on the accelerator and this car moves, it loves the highway, corners like a go-kart and has put a smile on my face any time that I have pushed it towards it limits.  A Prius may match the fuel economy but can’t compete on the fun to drive front.

The interior space is very useable as the rear seats fold flat and the hatchback on many occasions has swallowed my Cannondale road bike as I have transported it to local bike shop or the starting line of an event.  The driver and front passenger are treated to tremendous head and leg room.  I am 6’5” tall and have considerably more room driving the TDI than I did in my previous vehicle, a Honda Accord.  When passengers (front seat) enter the car they quite often move their seat up as they are uncomfortable with the amount of room provided in the front of the TDI.  How is all of this room possible in such a small car?  Seat travel.  VW allows the front seats to travel way back which ultimately causes problems for rear seat passengers sitting behind a driver or front seat passenger with their seat all the way back.  Generally, I am the only person in my car as I primarily use it to commute back and forth to work.  On occasion when there is someone sitting behind me I move my seat up a bit to allow them room which does cramp my driving position a bit.  Again though, at 6’5” tall I am not an average driver, the TDI would deliver adequate space for 4 average sized adults.  

When I started writing about my Golf TDI purchase I was committed to sharing my experiences, good or bad, in the hopes of helping someone else who may be trying to make an educated decision on a vehicle purchase.  As I write this today the TDI postings have been viewed 12,500 times and I believe that I have helped at least a few people to find the answers they needed as they were considering purchasing a TDI.

I will continue to write about my experiences but in the mean time if you have any questions that I haven’t answered please feel free to leave a comment or you can reach me directly at 2011golftdiguy@gmail.com.  Thanks for reading!  

Golf TDI Review - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Sometimes, a picture can say more than words ever can.  The picture to my left illustrates what is great about the Golf TDI

Green Arrow - Cruise control set at 48 miles per hour

Red Arrow - Instant fuel economy reading is 59.4 miles per gallon

Blue Arrow - 500.1 miles since the last fill up and still going..........

Golf TDI Review - Time for Some Fun

Most of my quests since purchasing the Golf TDI have focused on fuel economy.  How many miles can I get on one tank of diesel fuel?  Can I make a nearly 600 mile round trip on 1 tank of fuel (read about it here)?  These tests have been fun and I've always come away impressed with the TDI.

There is another side to this car though (read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde).  While fuel economy is a key selling point of this car, “fun to drive” is in its DNA.  So, on my last tank of diesel I decided to just have some fun.  I shifted into sports mode on quite a few occasions, utilized the gear shift and the paddle shifters to take advantage of manual shifting and definitely left a little bit of my front tires in a few different locations.  I went around corners like I was driving a go cart and I refused to use cruise control.  I also chose not to display my instant MPG stats in the gauge between the speedometer and the tach.  I drove the TDI like I was a teenager.

Do you know what I learned?  This car is fun to drive!  It loves to accelerate, corner and stretch its legs on the open road.  What was the trade off?  I averaged about 3 miles per gallon less than I normally do.  35 MPG instead of 38 MPG.  I find that to be as amazing as getting 600 miles on a full tank.  A fun to drive sports car that you can push and still get 35 MPG.  Good luck finding something else that can match the fun to fuel economy ratio of the Golf TDI. 

I refused to look at this display.  Fun not fuel economy was the goal of this experiment!

2011 Golf TDI Review - 25,000 Mile Update

As 2012 comes to an end the TDI has hit the 25,000 mile mark.  When I posted my first thoughts (You can read it here First Post) I wasn't sure what exactly to expect from the Golf TDI.  I had been a Honda owner in the past, and decided to take a chance on my first VW as well as my first diesel.  25,000 miles later the TDI has not disappointed.

The turbo-diesel Golf promised exceptional fuel economy, along with spirited performance and has delivered every step of the way.  Overall fuel economy comes in at 36.94 MPG in driving that is generally a mix of 30% highway and 70% city.  On long highway runs it has been no problem to average over 40 MPG.  While these are hybrid like fuel economy numbers, the TDI is a very different animal.  It loves the open road where the diesel motor and German engineering truly shine.  It's taught handling and quick acceleration also make it fun to drive in the city but it does not offer hybrid fuel economy when traveling from stop light to stop light.

Mechanically the TDI has been very sound.  In addition to the scheduled services which come at 10,000 mile intervals (and are fully covered by VW), the TDI has only stopped by the dealer for a few other minor issues.  The first was a recall (You can read it here Recall Service) and the second was for a defective window motor (You can read it here Mechanical Issue).  Beyond these couple of little hiccups though the TDI has been rock solid.

I also spent a little time during my first year of ownership shooting a few videos to try and give people an idea of the fuel economy that the TDI delivers at varying speeds.  You can check them out below.....

All in all the first 25,000 miles with the Golf TDI have been a pleasure, I am happy with my decision to purchase.  I hope this blog has helped at least a few others to make an educated decision in their quest to purchase a vehicle.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this blog along with those who have commented and asked questions.

Happy New Year to everyone, here's hoping for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013.

2011 Golf TDI Review - 10 Best Again!

January 2013 Car and Driver

The January edition of Car and Driver has arrived and with it comes the annual 10 best list.  Again this year the VW Golf has made the list.  In addition to the 10 best list, there is also an article about the 2015 Golf TDI.  So if you’re a Golf enthusiast or in the market for a new car, pick up the very “Golf Friendly” January 2013 issue of Car and Driver!

2015 Golf TDI preview in January 2013 issue of Car and Driver

Golf 10 Best Article

2011 Golf TDI Review - How Far Can You Go?

It’s been a little while since my last post and in general my lack of writing is due to, no news being good news.  The TDI has just continued to go about its business, delivering a solid, fun and fuel efficient driving experience.

On my way home tonight, I caught myself doing something that has become a bit of a habit.  It reminds me of why I purchased the TDI and it always amazes passengers who ask the question, “how many miles do you get out of a full tank?”

The picture above outlines this little habit.  Each time I fuel up, I reset the trip odometer so I know how far I have traveled since the last fill up.  If you refer to the picture, you will see that, at the time of this snapshot, I had traveled 470.4 miles.  Then, take a look at the range.  The TDI computer calculates that I can continue driving for an additional 70 miles before running out of fuel.  Given my experience over the past year, I would say that when the TDI shows a range of zero, there’s usually about another gallon left, which would increase the range by an additional 40 miles.  So back to the picture, if I have driven 470 miles and the car shows a calculated range of 70 miles, plus add in an additional 40 miles for that last gallon, that would mean that my last fill up would deliver approximately 580 miles.  Divide 580 miles by the 14.5 gallon VW gas tank and you get exactly 40 MPG.  Even if you back out the final “safety” gallon and just stick with the 470 driven miles plus the 70 miles in calculated range, you end up with 540 miles on a tank of diesel, or 37.24 MPG.

Maybe I’m easily impressed but for a German engineered car that is a blast to drive, I think it’s pretty impressive.  What are you driving?  How many miles can you go on a tank before you have to stop and fill up?

Think about it.  It’s a great feeling when you do occasionally have to fill up to know that you won’t be back for another 500 miles!

2011 Golf TDI Review - Diesel Fuel Only

One of the small phobias that accompany owning a diesel vehicle is the fear of putting gasoline into a diesel motor.  I’ve tried my best to ensure that I am the only one filling up the TDI.  It’s pretty easy to accomplish in a vehicle that gets over 500 miles per tank.  I am the primary driver so I fill it up during the week so in the event that my wife or son decides to take the car for a drive on the weekend, they would have to go a long, long way before needing to fill up.  They have both put fuel in the TDI from time to time and so far we have not had any issues.  They clearly understand that the TDI requires diesel fuel.

It does seem though that keeping gasoline out of diesel motors has presented some problems for at least a few VW owners.  To combat these momentary (expensive) lapses in judgment, Volkswagen mailed out the sticker package that you see above with the request that owners affix these warning labels in and around their fuel door and fuel nozzle.

While putting the right fuel in your car doesn’t seem to be that difficult, I can’t fault the people at Volkswagen for agreeing with Ben Franklin who said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

2011 Golf TDI Review - First Mechanical Issue

When you live in South Florida, heat is always an issue.  So when I leave work and hop into my car, I habitually lower the front windows to help release some of the built up heat while the A/C gets to work cooling off the car.

Two weeks ago this habit was disrupted by a painful sound emanating from the front passenger window in my TDI.  The window did operate (slowly) but didn’t sound like it planned to continue for much longer.  So, I took the TDI to my local VW dealer and along with my scheduled 20,000 mile service, I asked them to address the window issue.

The diagnosis was that the motor operating the power window needed to be replaced.  Unfortunately I was told that there was not a replacement motor in the country, so it would take about a week to deliver a replacement.  The dealership completed the 20,000 mile service washed the car and returned it to me with the promise of calling me when the new motor arrived.

One week later, as promised, I received a call from the dealership and scheduled an appointment for the window motor to be replaced.  They set me up with a loaner car for the morning while they serviced the vehicle and about three hours later I returned to pick up the TDI with all windows now back in working order.

It seems a bit early in the life of the TDI to have a window motor fail but things happen, and from time to time cars are going to have mechanical issues.  This problem was covered under warranty so better now than later.  I am a little concerned about the lack of availability of the part.  What if it was something necessary for the car to operate?  Will I have to wait for a week any time I need a part?  Check back and I’ll keep you posted as I continue to report on life with the Golf TDI.

2011 Golf TDI Review - A Year With the Golf TDI

I have now lived with the Golf TDI for a full year.  Just to recap, when I purchased the TDI it was my first Volkswagen as well as my first Diesel and while I really liked the car I did have concerns.  Would it be hard to find diesel?  Will the car get smelly?  How will it hold up?  Will I have mechanical issues?

After 12 months and about 19,000 miles I can tell you with confidence that I have not had any trouble finding diesel fuel.  Apps like “GasBuddy” make it easier than ever to find (inexpensive) fuel close by.  The car doesn’t have that old diesel smell, and it has been mechanically sound.  There was a recall (that is detailed in one of my earlier posts) that was handled free of charge by VW in about an hour.

In many ways it’s been a very uneventful year which is good news.  After spending quite a bit of time with the Golf TDI though, here is what I can tell you.  Fuel economy is outstanding.  Overall for the 12 month period, the TDI has returned 36.733MPG.  Over the past three months fuel economy averaged 37.385MPG.  That means that on average, the 14.5 gallon fuel tank will deliver about 536 miles per fill up.  I have found that I usually start looking for fuel at about the 450 mile mark but have definitely gone over the 500 mile mark on a few occasions.

This car absolutely loves the open road.  My driving is mixed, probably 50/50 between city and highway but on long highway trips, it’s no problem to average over 40MPG.  This car also feels bigger than it really is, on the highway.  It is amazingly quiet, very stable and accelerates with ease in passing or merging situations.  This is where the diesel motor and it’s never ending torque really shines.

Over the past few weeks I have been out with my son looking at cars.  He’s looking for an economy car and we’ve driven most of the Golf’s competitors.  We’ve been behind the wheel of the Toyota Corolla, the Honda Civic, the Mazda 3 and the Mitsubishi Lancer.  It’s been a great opportunity to compare and contrast the TDI to the best Japan has to offer.  In fairness, most of the cars that we have looked at are entry level, and cost at least a few thousand dollars less than the TDI so price has to be a consideration.  Putting price aside though, here is what I have noticed:

• ·         The Golf is much roomier than any of these competitors.  Both my son and I are about 6’5” tall so finding a car with plenty of leg and headroom for the driver can be a challenge.  The Corolla is by far the smallest car we’ve tested.  It takes some acrobatics to get into and once you’re in, you’ve got to give some thought to how to get out.  The others provided ample room but once we would get back into the Golf to leave the dealer lot, each time we would say, “Wow, it’s amazing how much bigger the Golf feels.”
• ·         The Golf feels and behaves like a sports car; the others tend to feel like economy cars.  Both the Civic and the Mazda 3 fall into the fun to drive category.  The biggest difference though is that when you put your foot on the gas in one of these cars and try to really go, they downshift and scream as they accelerate and move towards the redline.  It feels like hard work to make these cars go.  The TDI in contrast as I mentioned before is amazingly quiet.  The tremendous torque lets it accelerate in many cases without downshifting; it picks up speed with tremendous ease and goes about its business very quietly.  You’ve got to pay attention in this car or you can find yourself going way over the speed limit without knowing it.  My best advise it to get up to speed and then engage the cruise control.  It will help your fuel economy and maybe more importantly, keep you out of trouble with law enforcement.

So if I were you at this point I would be thinking, “If the Golf is so much better why are you looking at Civics and Corollas?”  Excellent question!  I still feel like I took a chance on buying Volkswagen.  One year and 19,000 miles in, the chance has paid off but I’m not convinced quite yet.  I feel safer steering my 21 year old son towards Honda because I firmly believe the car will run for 200,000 miles with no problem and will cost little to maintain along the way.  It’s unfortunate but at this point I don’t have the same faith in VW.  I’m a little further along in life and I’m in a position to take a chance.  If I have problems with a vehicle, I can afford to deal with it, this is a mistake a youngster just starting out needs to avoid.

I hope that my ownership experience with the Golf TDI changes my perception and I come to see VW in the same light as Honda and Toyota.  Only time and a solid ownership experience will make that happen.  Volkswagen is working hard to sell more cars, and has a pretty affordable line up with the Jetta and Passat, but in order to truly compete with Honda and Toyota they have to make cars that have the same “bulletproof” reputation as its Japanese competitors.  If the German’s (or anyone for that matter) can ever figure out how to deliver “driver’s cars” that last like Japanese cars, an automotive super power will certainly be born!

Thanks for reading, your questions and comments are always welcome.

2011 Golf TDI Review - Diesels in America

If you're interested in the fuel economy and torque associated with purchasing a diesel, but you're looking for alternatives to the Golf TDI, check out the link below.

Car & Driver breaks down all the diesels available for purchase in America...

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/charting-us-market-diesel-take-rates-prices-mpg-and-more-feature