Family Hatch - the new Golf

Lex Luthor

Wife is going to probably look to replacing the Verso in the new year with a smaller family hatch.

No need for a diesel also, so looking at the small petrol variations out there in the C segment. Will be a new car more than likely

Went to look at the Golf yesterday and I've never been a fan of the styling of Golfs in recent years and ok this one is not stunning to look at either, but its no minger either. Quality was really top notch. We had a look around the Comfortline model and will try to get a test drive of the 1.2TSi 103bhp model in the next few weeks.

Just like to see if anyone else out there has one and what they think of it? Reviews online are really positive for the Mk7 Golf in every department.

Provisional pricing we were given was about €23750 for a 1.2TSi 5door with metallic paint and Comfortline Sports Pack (cash deal). The Sports Pack comes with upgraded 16" Alloys/Fogs/Rear tinted glass.

Planning to keep this car for many years so want to get something that will last. She's not gone on the new Focus and dont think she could be convinced on the Kia Ceed or Hyundai i30

Stallingrad

Good car and a nice engine, but you are doing yourselves and disservice by not looking at the Kia and Hyundai, both fine cars, better equipped and much better warranties. Don't be surprised to be hit with a big bill for the VW within 5-7 years.

Lex Luthor

Stallingrad wrote: »

Don't be surprised to be hit with a big bill for the VW within 5-7 years.

for?

Stallingrad

I would doubt any VW AC condenser/compressors would last 7 years, but we are only speculating. For long term ownership my money would be on the Koreans.

bazz26

Did you look at the new Seat Leon, pretty much a Golf underneath?


http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/SEAT/Leon/1.2-TSI/37013711254700920/

Lex Luthor

bazz26 wrote: »

Did you look at the new Seat Leon, pretty much a Golf underneath?


http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/SEAT/Leon/1.2-TSI/37013711254700920/

Havent got that far yet...

Its possible I might get to see one shortly when I have the Legacy in for a service...the nearest Subaru dealer to me is also a Seat

Zubeneschamali

Stallingrad wrote: »

you are doing yourselves and disservice by not looking at the Kia and Hyundai, both fine cars, better equipped and much better warranties.

I still read every Kia or Hyundai review looking for where the reviewer says "nearly up to European standards" or "of course the latest Golf has moved the game on" or whatever phrase they use to mean "not bad considering it's from the people who inflicted the Accent on us".

colm_mcm

As far as the press goes, nothing is as good as the golf. Theyre not the ones paying for the cars to be fair

lomb

The Koreans have no street cred though at all. Who wants to hand over 20+k for a Kia or Hynundai? That said the Kia Sportage bucks the trend for me as the only one Id pay for but thats designed by the designer who designed the Audi TT so they are outsourcing things they havent got a clue about which is good.
I cycle past a Kia dealer every day and laugh at the price in the screen on the Ceeds.

colm_mcm

lomb wrote: »

Who wants to hand over 20+k for a Kia or Hynundai?

1800 ceeds and i30s combined sold so far this year so somebody does

MuppetCheck

lomb wrote: »

The Koreans have no street cred though at all. Who wants to hand over 20+k for a Kia or Hynundai? That said the Kia Sportage bucks the trend for me as the only one Id pay for but thats designed by the designer who designed the Audi TT so they are outsourcing things they havent got a clue about which is good.
I cycle past a Kia dealer every day and laugh at the price in the screen on the Ceeds.

Thing is though they're a decent car. It wouldn't be to my personal taste and certainly not as good as the new mark 7 golf but having looked extensively at all the options with my father when he was buying it was a better all rounder than the Focus titanium he was interested in and about an equal to a highline mark 6 with a few extras he also considered. In the end he went with it for the warranty (7 years versus a crummy 18 months on the pre-reg Golf had left), the spec and the better engine. Lets face it, most Golfs in this country were bought for the badge under some deluded belief on the buyers part that their 1.4 comfortline was some sort of luxury car because it had velour seats and cruise control. With the Kias I don't think they are trying to be anything but a decent value white good compared to the competition. Prices have gone up but I think you are getting a good quality product and back up for your money. Having owned a few VAG products two years isn't enough.

As for the new Golf OP I think it's a great car and the engines are lightyears ahead of previous base offerings. A family member got a 1.4tsi 138 highline with sport pack recently and it's a very complete car. Also if you are going the finance route VW are offering excellent rates which can get over the initial higher price. Even if you weren't planning this route it might be an option - having money in the bank is always handy. You can always pay it off at anytime if you wish.

Well if the new Golf interior is anything like the Touran I was in in Germany then it would be a very nice place to rack up the miles.

Their interiors have certainly come on and hopefully the mechanics, I think the mechanics have greatly improved since 2009 judging by the ADAC statistics I saw in Germany.

The interior is what matters most to me because that's where I spend all my time with the car, the outside matters but I don't care what people think about what I drive.

I think the mechanics have greatly improved based on a recent ADAC survey I saw in Germany, time will tell but they had to do something.

It's just a shame the Golf is so small.

bazz26

lomb wrote: »

The Koreans have no street cred though at all. Who wants to hand over 20+k for a Kia or Hynundai? That said the Kia Sportage bucks the trend for me as the only one Id pay for but thats designed by the designer who designed the Audi TT so they are outsourcing things they havent got a clue about which is good.
I cycle past a Kia dealer every day and laugh at the price in the screen on the Ceeds.

It's down to badge snobbery and perception. Skoda had no street cred either, they were the butt of everyone's jokes but once they came under the wing of VAG and it was drilled into everyone that they were just "a cheaper VW", then they became a clever buy. So these days if people are happy to pay over €20k for a mid range Octavia then why not a Ceed or i30?

Lex Luthor

anyone know anybody with a new Golf? What they make of them?

She's always wanted a Golf so this is where this comes from, but she's also been driving a Toyota for the last 7yrs so wants to check out the new Auris aswell.

Not sure if its relevant but this is the car also my 2 lads will learn to drive in, so the smaller the engine probably the better for insurance

Not sure how much insurance companies will look at the difference between 1.2 and 1.4 when it comes to insuring 17yr olds as named drivers, but the Kia & Hyundai are both 1.4

Personally I wouldn't even consider anything bar vag in this segment. Golf first choice, Octavia second and seat third.

Zubeneschamali

Lex Luthor wrote: »

Not sure how much insurance companies will look at the difference between 1.2 and 1.4 when it comes to insuring 17yr olds as named drivers, but the Kia & Hyundai are both 1.4

The 1.2 Golf is a turbo with similar power and more torque than the Kia 1.4, no help there.

Lex Luthor

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

The 1.2 Golf is a turbo with similar power and more torque than the Kia 1.4, no help there.

I realise that, but she currently has a 2.0 diesel with 114bhp and was told that her insurance is higher than someone with a 1.4, purely because of engine size.

SO it would appear that regardless of power (to a certain degree) that the insurance company is loading because of engine size

colm_mcm

I like the new auris and the 1.33 petrol is pleasant enough but not a match for the 1.2 tsi. The golf is a bit lighter which helps. You need to dig deep to get decent spec but high spec smaller Toyotas rarely hold any real resale value over basic ones.
If youre spending golf money then get a golf if herself wants one.
Otherwise an ex rental i30 or ceed and 5 odd grand saving should be considered.

Have you had any feedback on the trade in price of the diesel verso?

Lex Luthor

colm_mcm wrote: »

Have you had any feedback on the trade in price of the diesel verso?

I didnt ask about trading it in with VW...might try and see about selling prvt first as that will give me some bargaining power for a cash sale

Maybe see what Toyota offer when she goes to see the Auris as they would probably have more of a better idea of the trade in value

bazz26

What about the new Honda Civic? It is available in 1.4 petrol.

Lex Luthor

bazz26 wrote: »

What about the new Honda Civic? It is available in 1.4 petrol.

ya she likes the look of them, not sure how she'd cope with the visibility out the rear window after coming from a car with loads of visibility

Zubeneschamali

Lex Luthor wrote: »

ya she likes the look of them

Nobody tall in the family, I hope...

colm_mcm

The verso would be a tricky one to call, there are so few diesel ones out there and ive never seen a 2.0 diesel in your spec.

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor wrote: »

I realise that, but she currently has a 2.0 diesel with 114bhp and was told that her insurance is higher than someone with a 1.4, purely because of engine size.

SO it would appear that regardless of power (to a certain degree) that the insurance company is loading because of engine size

Bolloc**

I was quoted (just for a laugh for experimental reasons, Maxpower1 don't get too excited :pac:) 50 euro extra from a Prius to 535D !

colm_mcm

colm_mcm wrote: »

I like the new auris and the 1.33 petrol is pleasant enough but not a match for the 1.2 tsi. The golf is a bit lighter which helps. You need to dig deep to get decent spec but high spec smaller Toyotas rarely hold any real resale value over basic ones.
If youre spending golf money then get a golf if herself wants one.
Otherwise an ex rental i30 or ceed and 5 odd grand saving should be considered.

Have you had any feedback on the trade in price of the diesel verso?

I'd have a new Golf any day over an Auris !

JohnBoy26

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd have a new Golf any day over an Auris !

and you would have a prius over any of them :P

JohnBoy26

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

and you would have a prius over any of them :P

Indeed especially for the space.

But iof it was a choice I had to make it would be the Golf over Auris any day.

JohnBoy26

Deleted User wrote: »

Indeed especially for the space.

But iof it was a choice I had to make it would be the Golf over Auris any day.

The golf is the nicer of the two cars granted but the new model auris seems to have come on leaps and bounds over the previous model, however that was a poor car tbh.

Lex Luthor

colm_mcm wrote: »

The verso would be a tricky one to call, there are so few diesel ones out there and ive never seen a 2.0 diesel in your spec.

Maybe not in sol spec but seen uk spec ones many times that are more or less same

bazz26

Lex Luthor wrote: »

ya she likes the look of them, not sure how she'd cope with the visibility out the rear window after coming from a car with loads of visibility

You could always order it with parking sensors or get them retro fitted.

Green Hornet

Those new Civics are a bit of a grower alright actually. I didn't like them when they came out but I've seen quite a few of them recently and they are steadily growing on me. I'd certainly go for one over a golf if I was to buy one or the other. They look roomy enough inside too. Each to their own and all that I suppose though.

The Civic is supposed to have very annoying reflections in the windscreen at night ?

colm_mcm

That's true about the civic, I hated it when it came out but its growing on me, local guy has a white one which looks great.

JohnBoy26

is the new civic a bit overpriced though?

colm_mcm

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

is the new civic a bit overpriced though?

The ES model is bursting with equipment though, €23235
And it has a parking camera.

http://www.honda.ie/templates/honda2012/pdf/specs/New_Civic_5dr_Hatchback.pdf

Only reservation I'd have is the 100hp 1.4 engine, it looks pretty slow on paper.

mikofo

nice car ,but when the motor goes bang don't expect much sympathy from the P$icks in VW Ireland..... ye pays yer money and takes yer chances :mad: :mad: