Volkswagen Golf blue motion

emilbronte

I'm thinking of buying a new vw golf blue motion. I've checked the reviews on autotrader, topgear etc and they speak quite highly of it. I'll be doing a good bit of mileage (about 220 miles a week) so I want an economical, comfortable and reliable car. I also want a car that I'll have for about 15 years. Does anyone have any thoughts about the golf blue motion? Does anyone have one? Also, I'm a bit concerned about where to get it repaired if something goes wrong, blue motion's a fairly new technology, will your average service man have the know how to fix problems? Also, I want to buy it in cash. The dealer I called said it costs €23,180 on the road but I think I should get a bit of a cash discount? Any ideas around what I should look for? It's only my second car so I don't have much experience...

Anan1

If you're really planning on keeping the same car for 15 years then i'd forget about a new Golf - VW build quality is nowhere near what it was. That being said i'd imagine a new bluemotion Golf will keep its value as well as most over the first few years, so it might make sense in that way. Contrary to popular opinion, a cash discount is not a discount for paying in cash, rather a discount given when you have no trade-in. For the best price you'll have to shop around a selection of Irish dealers, might be worth getting prices together for importing one from the UK too.

emilbronte

Do you have any suggestions as to other cars that are as good on fuel & tax bands that would have a better lasting value? I have a Polo that's 15 years and still going strong so I guess I have a bit of brand bias but if there's something better out there for the same money I'd go with that?

EPM

220 miles a week isn't a lot of mileage. Buy yourself a decent petrol. You'll probably get a better deal and low mileage and modern diesels doesn't add up (search google for dpf problems).

Look more closely at a Golf 1.4tsi 122 bhp if you're set on a Golf

high horse

EPM wrote: »

220 miles a week isn't a lot of mileage. Buy yourself a decent petrol. You'll probably get a better deal and low mileage and modern diesels doesn't add up (search google for dpf problems).

Look more closely at a Golf 1.4tsi 122 bhp if you're set on a Golf

+1 on this. 11,000 miles per annum is very much average motoring where diesel makes less sense.

emilbronte

What about the tax bands? the diesel's seem to all be in tax band A, is that not a more economical option? Also, I'm a bit of an eco freak and would like something that strikes a balance between economy and eco-friendly although perhaps that isn't a priority for many of you knowledgeable but hardcore car heads;) All advice welcome, thanks for the tips so far.

Drummerboy08

emilbronte wrote: »

What about the tax bands? the diesel's seem to all be in tax band A, is that not a more economical option? Also, I'm a bit of an eco freak and would like something that strikes a balance between economy and eco-friendly although perhaps that isn't a priority for many of you knowledgeable but hardcore car heads;) All advice welcome, thanks for the tips so far.

While the annual tax on the diesel is cheaper, the cost to purchase the petrol is much, much cheaper. The 1.6TDi is in band A, while the 1.4TSi is in B. Difference of 50 quid a year, times 15 which is 750 euro. The price difference between the cars is much bigger than that.

In terms of buying the car, expect around a 5% discount when buying new. You buying on scrappage?

emilbronte

yep, government scrappage, it's a pity VW aren't adding anything to that. So petrol is better from a cost perspective, okay that seems to be a consensus. There's a few petrol golf 5 doors to choose from, trendline, comfortline, highline, TSI, DSG, I really don't know what's the best deal for my money. Any suggestions anyone?

Drummerboy08

It all depends on your budget TBH. How much are you willing to spend? Maybe take a look at an Octavia too, you'll get alot more car for your money.

DSG is the automatic version, its not a petrol engine.

You either have a choice of the 1.4 standard unit, or the 1.2TSi 105bhp in the Trendline or Comfortline. The 1.4TSi is only available in the Highline I think, although I may be wrong.

Best of the bunch is the 1.4TSI Highline, but a 1.2 TSi Comfortline is a nice car too.

Mental Mickey

emilbronte wrote: »

yep, government scrappage, it's a pity VW aren't adding anything to that. So petrol is better from a cost perspective, okay that seems to be a consensus. There's a few petrol golf 5 doors to choose from, trendline, comfortline, highline, TSI, DSG, I really don't know what's the best deal for my money. Any suggestions anyone?

Why don't you pay a visit to your nearest dealer and have a chat with someone?

Nonoperational

You seem like you want something reasonable and reliable. I'd probably recommend someting like the 1.6TDi. It's pretty cheap and is a reliable engine. I'd avoid the basic 1.4 non turbo petrol and if you are going for the 1.4TSI (turbo) I don't know if you appreciate it over the diesel. The 1.2 TSI might be an option why don't you go drive a few. See what you like.

The DSG is a semi automatic gearbox, again I dont see the point. Just find the trim level you want (trendline etc) and your sorted.

MagicMarker

Why not broaden your horizons and look other makes too? No point limiting yourself to one badge.

rebel.ranter

Just as an aside thought, I have always wondered how reliable a turbo diesel would be down the line. Common rail turbo diesel technology has become commonplace now & the 2nd hand ones are getting on in years, Are they lasting the pace? It would be interesting to see some stats.

EPM

MagicMarker wrote: »

Why not broaden your horizons and look other makes too? No point limiting yourself to one badge.

Same engine, better spec in a Leon Sport Plus is a nice few k cheaper...if you're keeping it a while it's a nice car to travel in too...

bazz26

MagicMarker wrote: »

Why not broaden your horizons and look other makes too? No point limiting yourself to one badge.

+1

There is so much choice out there, VW owners are a very conservative bunch and tend to be reluctant to look beyond the brand.

OP my uncle just ordered a brand new Opel Astra, he does feck all mileage so a diesel doesn't make sense. He is getting a 1.6 litre petrol that still only costs €156 to tax per year, if you do want a diesel then the Astra diesel is available in 1.3 and 1.7 litre. The Astra is also cheaper and better equipped than a similar Golf, btw he is trading a 08 Passat TSi in against the Astra.

emilbronte

I'll definitely look into other brands. In terms of engine size, I'm used to driving a 1.4 Polo and like the bigger engine, I don't really want to lose the power by going down to a 1.2 in the Golf but does the TSI make a difference to that? Will it move like a 1.4? As you can see I'm clueless but I like what I drive right now...

bazz26

These days small capacity engines have more power than their larger predecessors. The 1.2 TSi has 104bhp and a turbo charger, it is alot quicker than your 1.4 litre Polo which probably had 75bhp at most in it's hay day.

Engine technology has moved on in leaps and bounds in the last 10 years or so.

emilbronte

yep, I'm conservative like the rest of the vw owners:rolleyes:, but there's a lot to be said for a car that's 15 yrs old and has passed it's last 3 nct's without even being serviced beforehand... From what's being said it sounds like anything new will feel fantastic compared to my old boneshaker. thanks for all the tips people, I'll get test driving and see what happens. All further suggestions & recommendations appreciated.

bazz26

emilbronte wrote: »

yep, I'm conservative like the rest of the vw owners:rolleyes:, but there's a lot to be said for a car that's 15 yrs old and has passed it's last 3 nct's without even being serviced beforehand... From what's being said it sounds like anything new will feel fantastic compared to my old boneshaker. thanks for all the tips people, I'll get test driving and see what happens. All further suggestions & recommendations appreciated.

Well you have been lucky then as my sister has a 10 year old Lupo that has been bit of a money pit. She would scrap it tomorrow if she had the money for a new motor.

Mr Benevolent

emilbronte wrote: »

yep, I'm conservative like the rest of the vw owners:rolleyes:, but there's a lot to be said for a car that's 15 yrs old and has passed it's last 3 nct's without even being serviced beforehand... From what's being said it sounds like anything new will feel fantastic compared to my old boneshaker. thanks for all the tips people, I'll get test driving and see what happens. All further suggestions & recommendations appreciated.

Polos of the vintage you own are known to be utter crap. Bad engines, bad gearboxes, bad electrics. You're very lucky to have one that hasn't gone wrong. As others have mentioned, the VW badge doesn't mean much in terms of reliability now. Buy yourself something cheaper and more reliable then a VW.

Nonoperational

I'm not the biggest VW fan in the workd but they're not that bad! The golf is still a fine car.

McSpud

EPM wrote: »

220 miles a week isn't a lot of mileage. Buy yourself a decent petrol. You'll probably get a better deal and low mileage and modern diesels doesn't add up (search google for dpf problems).

Look more closely at a Golf 1.4tsi 122 bhp if you're set on a Golf

+1.

The Comfortline 1.4 TSI is 3k cheaper than the diesel bluemotion. The Bluemotion seems to be similar to the lower spec Trendlines.

cinclus

I'm thinking of buying a Bluemotion Golf too. It works out cheaper in the long run and you're pumping out less CO2. Assuming the brochures are correct, the 1.6 BM diesel uses 3.8 l/100km and the 1.2 petrol uses 5.7 l/100km
Assuming for now that diesel is €1.24 and petrol is €1.32 then at 11,000 miles per year the fuel and tax will be €547 per year cheaper for the BM, so you'll make up the price difference (of a BM diesel against a Comfortline petrol) in 2-3 years.

Note: the prices I was quoted were €23880 for a BM 1.6 diesel, and and €22635 for a Comfortline 1.2 petrol.

Armadillo444

cinclus wrote: »

I'm thinking of buying a Bluemotion Golf too. It works out cheaper in the long run and you're pumping out less CO2. Assuming the brochures are correct, the 1.6 BM diesel uses 3.8 l/100km and the 1.2 petrol uses 5.7 l/100km
Assuming for now that diesel is €1.24 and petrol is €1.32 then at 11,000 miles per year the fuel and tax will be €547 per year cheaper for the BM, so you'll make up the price difference (of a BM diesel against a Comfortline petrol) in 2-3 years.

Note: the prices I was quoted were €23880 for a BM 1.6 diesel, and and €22635 for a Comfortline 1.2 petrol.

Chances of achieving these figures are slim, and as stated by manufacturers are a guideline, if you are in for the long haul you should seriously consider a japanese built car

Leonard Hofstadter

cinclus wrote: »

Assuming for now that diesel is €1.24 and petrol is €1.32 then at 11,000 miles per year the fuel and tax will be €547 per year cheaper for the BM, so you'll make up the price difference (of a BM diesel against a Comfortline petrol) in 2-3 years.

You're assuming that the diesel won't have DPF, EGR and DMF trouble, when it is very likely that you'll have trouble with at least one of these(and they are expensive to repair when they go wrong), cars with DPFs are not very suitable for low mileage driving and lets face it 11,000 miles a year is not that much really.

Of course the petrol being direct injection may very well give trouble with carbon build ups and need the head to be stripped to remove the excess carbon etc and they too need to be taken on the odd long trip with high speed driving but modern DI petrols don't seem to suffer the way GDI did back in the day and I don't think I can ever remember hearing of a VW FSI engine needing the head to be stripped to remove excess carbon build up, and there are tons of these around now so I'm guessing it's not really an issue any more, the only thing I keep hearing is how unreliable the 1.4 TSI is in 170 PS guise, the lower powered ones seem to be fine reliability wise.

Anyway, as others have said to the OP, it's time to broaden the horizons, VWs haven't been well built for quite a long time now, although the current Golf does seem to be a very, very good car even if it is quite pricey(even after the price cuts).

chevyshines

DONT BUY A BLUEMOTION.
The golf bluemotion is a fantastic car to drive. Although being a 1.6 it as bags of torque and is very willing on A roads and the motorway. It as lots of space in the cabin and a large deep boot. However the bluemotion is not an ecconomical car at all so please DO NOT be fooled by the sales patter. On the motorway it travels at an average of 65mpg great you may say. The fault lies with the DPF (diesel particle filter), this bceomes blocked atleast once every 500-700 miles. To clear this you have to drive your car on a straight piece of road between 2000 - 3000rpm for 20 mins. But this does not always work and the car will go into LIMP mode which can be very dangerous on the Motorway. VW will then charge you £70.00 to burn it off only for it to re-appear 700 miles later. This car is not for any journey less then 15 minutes long and even then this will not solve the problem as I have read many others with Bluemotion's who do nothing but motorway miles are finding out. So the extra miles and the way you have to accelrate to get rid of this build up makes it no more ecconomical then another diesel without Bluemotion technology. This brings the mpg down to around 38.8mpg instead of the possible 65-70. The car is perfect to drive, look at, be a passenger in but one small engine component (DpF) lets the whole car down. BLUE MOTION BUYERS AND OWNERS BEWARE AS VW WILL NOT HELP YOU WITH THIS PROBLEM.

GTE

chevyshines wrote: »

DONT BUY A BLUEMOTION.
The golf bluemotion is a fantastic car to drive its. although being a 1.6 it as bags of torque and is very willing on a roads and the motorway. It as bags of space in the cabin and a large deep boot. However the bluemotion is not an ecconomical car at all so please DO NOT be fooled by the sales patter. On the motorway it travels at an average of 65mpg great you may say. The fault lies with the DPF (diesel particle filter) this bceomes blocked atleast once every 500-700 miles. to clear this you have to drive your car on a straight piece of road between 2000 - 3000rpm for 20 mins. But this does not always work and the car will go into LIMP mode which can be very dangerous on the motorway. VW will then charge you £70.00 to burn it off only for it to re-appear 700 miles later. This car is not for any journey less then 15 minutes long and even then this will not solve the problem as I have read many others with Bluemotion who do nothing but motorway miles are finding out. So the extra miles and the way you have to accelrate to get rid of this build up makes it no more ecconomical then another diesel without bluemotion technology. This bing the mpg down to around 38.8mpg instead of the possible 65-70. The car is perfect to drive, look at, be a passenger in but one small engine component (PDF) lets the whole car down. BLUE MOTION BUYERS AND OWNERS BEWARE AS VW WILL NOT HELP YOU WITH THIS PROBLEM.

Would more preventative measures of driving a portion of each journey in higher revs completely avoid the DPF getting blocked in the first place?
From what I read in that post you are saying how combating it after it happens doesn't always work, which makes sense to me because the person isn't driving the engine properly and bringing it into this limp mode danger zone.

I dont have a bluemotion but the more I have read about DPF problems the more it sounds like the drivers dont know how to drive the car, which is the fault of the manufactures and in this case VW. It should be made clear that this new technology needs some special attention. Its a silly thing to ask a driver though IMO.

The DPF cars dont seem to like city driving when there are no stretches of good road to get some high exhaust temp up regenerate the filter. They seem to prefer motorway and N road work.
I wouldnt imagine they are unsuitable to 11000 miles a year, depends on the roads more so.

chevyshines

bbk wrote: »

Would more preventative measures of driving a portion of each journey in higher revs completely avoid the DPF getting blocked in the first place?
.

Unfortunatley not and also by doing this you would be making pointless jounerys making the car even less ecconomical. I could drive the car from my home to work (20 miles) but if i need to call into the shop on the way home or make a short jounery whilst at work 2-3 miles the car is not getting hot enough so it is starting to create a build up. plus it as start stop technology so when in traffic or stopped the enginge switches of which again cools the car down causing deposits to build up. I have done around 6000 in the car and the warning light as been on 9 times once the light came on when i had been on the motorway traffic free for 40 miles into my journey so i dont even believe that driving it in any particular way will help. I have also read reviews by sales man that do nothing but motorway miles and they are having the same problem.

veetwin

emilbronte wrote: »

I'll definitely look into other brands. In terms of engine size, I'm used to driving a 1.4 Polo and like the bigger engine, I don't really want to lose the power by going down to a 1.2 in the Golf but does the TSI make a difference to that? Will it move like a 1.4? As you can see I'm clueless but I like what I drive right now...

I would second the recommendation for 1.4TSI 122BHP. I have a 2008 Golf with this engine and it is very nice to drive. It is quiet, smooth and has plenty of torque with reasonable economy as long as you light with the right foot.

So far its been reliable and more importantly it's an enjoyable drive esp when compared to a standard 1.4 which is not quiet, smooth or economical and is terrible because of the lack of power. The car suits me and my needs and I can't think of any comparable car from Japan or otherwise that I would exchange it for.

chevyshines

veetwin wrote: »

I would second the recommendation for 1.4TSI 122BHP. .

I am looking to exchange my Bluemotion for the 120ps scirocco as the 120ps engine has many good reviews and good all round perfomance to mpg

chevyshines

GOOD NEWS

VW have admitted there is a fault with all VW bluemotions and there is a software update available when you take your car to the main dealers. The update some how as made the MPG better and also the car as more power lower down the rev range and is nearly a whole second quicker to 60mph too.

notel70

EPM wrote: »

220 miles a week isn't a lot of mileage. Buy yourself a decent petrol. You'll probably get a better deal and low mileage and modern diesels doesn't add up (search google for dpf problems).

Look more closely at a Golf 1.4tsi 122 bhp if you're set on a Golf

To be honest, if I was looking for a VW long term id avoid the TSI, that 1.4 petrol was never a great engine, and a TSI has either a charger or turbo added.

VW have a new 1.6d out(105bhp), seems like a good compromise, EUR100 to tax over 15 years is a nice prospect. The engine is much smoother and quieter than the old 1.9tdi that it replaces(this is also the engine that the bluemotion is based on)

DPF isnt all bad, yes it could be costly to replace IF it goes but its no different to catalytic converters giving problems. There are clear instructions out there on how to clear the fault code(give it the beans for a few mins, this blows out the dirt)

R.O.R

notel70 wrote: »

To be honest, if I was looking for a VW long term id avoid the TSI, that 1.4 petrol was never a great engine, and a TSI has either a charger or turbo added.

VW have a new 1.6d out(105bhp), seems like a good compromise, EUR100 to tax over 15 years is a nice prospect. The engine is much smoother and quieter than the old 1.9tdi that it replaces(this is also the engine that the bluemotion is based on)

DPF isnt all bad, yes it could be costly to replace IF it goes but its no different to catalytic converters giving problems. There are clear instructions out there on how to clear the fault code(give it the beans for a few mins, this blows out the dirt)

Have you driven the 1.4Tsi engine? It's an absolute cracker in the Golf / A3, even in 122ps guise, and only costs €156 to tax.

If I wasn't doing much mileage, I'd save money and the likelyhood of the DPF and clutch failure on the diesel and go for the 1.4Tsi.

Unfortunately it seems like it's been replaced on most of the Golf's by the 1.2Tsi 105 which I have no experience of - yet.

notel70

R.O.R wrote: »

Have you driven the 1.4Tsi engine? It's an absolute cracker in the Golf / A3, even in 122ps guise, and only costs €156 to tax.

If I wasn't doing much mileage, I'd save money and the likelyhood of the DPF and clutch failure on the diesel and go for the 1.4Tsi.

Unfortunately it seems like it's been replaced on most of the Golf's by the 1.2Tsi 105 which I have no experience of - yet.

I was looking at it from a long term point of view(OP mentioned 15years).

I had a 99 mk4 1.4 golf and back in 2001 the engine went on me(tensioners went at 60k, I had changed the Timing Belt at 50k, so I brought it back to the VW garage who had changed the belt, they replaced the tensioners but a mth later the tensioners went again taking the belt with it. They stripped it down and said that it was a problem with the engine block so they couldnt help any further).

That engine never had a great rep and I believe while changes were made since then it is essentialy the same engine block so i wouldnt trust if for 15years. That engine had so many problems that a good 2nd hand 1.4 is impossible to get.

EPM

notel70 wrote: »

I was looking at it from a long term point of view(OP mentioned 15years).

I had a 99 mk4 1.4 golf and back in 2001 the engine went on me(tensioners went at 60k, I had changed the Timing Belt at 50k, so I brought it back to the VW garage who had changed the belt, they replaced the tensioners but a mth later the tensioners went again taking the belt with it. They stripped it down and said that it was a problem with the engine block so they couldnt help any further).

That engine never had a great rep and I believe while changes were made since then it is essentialy the same engine block so i wouldnt trust if for 15years. That engine had so many problems that a good 2nd hand 1.4 is impossible to get.

AFAIK it's a completely unrelated unit to the base 1.4 that they've been throwing into them all along.

It's a fantastic engine. Driven one in a Leon and Passat and it feels like a bigger capacity unit