New car suggestions

BlakeS94

Sister is looking for a new car, Petrol Automatic, budget is 13-16k.

She's being pulled towards the VAG group, sending me lots of Golf and Polo adverts.

Looking for advice on what would be a reliable option, what are the 1.2 and 1.4 tsi engines like with DSG's or non-DSG.

I've tried to bring her around to something Japanese but to no avail.

goochy

I have no knowledge of the engines but a jap import petrol engine VW is a good compromise to a Japanese brand

Oops!

Your 100% right to be steering her towards something Japanese.... I had the exact same conversations with a sister of mine over a MINI and she wouldn't listen....

She wasn't long getting sick of the mini and the bills... The novelty wasn't long wearing off.

Luna84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121579176#Comment_121579176

I know this is totally off topic but I was on Donedeal recently and seen a 2017 Mini and was shocked at the price they were going for. I certainly wouldn't pay them prices for one especially with reliability issues too.

Oops!

You'd be twice as shocked after owning it for a year or two! Fun little car to drive but f**k me they are way over priced and dirt.

enricoh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121579176#Comment_121579176

A niece of mine had to have a golf nothing else, no jap cars I mentioned would cut it.

Got the golf, nothing but trouble, got rid n traded it in against a ..…......golf!

As I do say- the customer is always right!

Wildly Boaring

You know full well the story

But small petrol.....buy Japanese (or indeed Korean)

Brother had no ebd of trouble with vag 1.4tfsi. Neighbour here with new VAG 1.0 petrol and plenty trouble

BlakeS94

She is hell bent on a polo or golf, I've told her what I know and the risks but she wants what she wants.

I've read the 1.2tsi isn't as bad, and it was revised in 2012, she'll be looking at a 15 or 16 plate.

BlakeS94

Something like this

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2015-vw-golf-1-2-comfortline-dsg/35905049

User1998

The 1.4 and 1.2 engines are fairly reliable, I buy & sell loads of them. The gearbox’s are reliable enough but can give trouble when they reach 10 years old.

If your looking for an automatic Polo or Golf, they are all Jap imports. Good spec, good condition, low mileage etc.

BlakeS94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580267#Comment_121580267

Thanks for the tips, didn't know they were all jap imports, should be fairly clean underneath so?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580319#Comment_121580319

Yeah they’re usually spotless. Just check the history in Japan, and the service records.

chinwag

'The 1.4 and 1.2 engines are fairly reliable, I buy & sell loads of them. The gearbox’s are reliable enough but can give trouble when they reach 10 years old'.

I've a 1.2 golf, had little or no problems, but I'm a low mileage driver.

You didn't mention the later 1.0 L golf? Any opinion on these?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580356#Comment_121580356

I believe the 1L non turbo is fairly bulletproof, but the 1L turbo is probably a different story.

BlakeS94

Should be OK for her so, I can do a fair bit of repair work myself so I'll go with the 1.2 polo or golf for her

chinwag

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580360#Comment_121580360

Are they not all turbo now?? Thought they were, including the 1L.

chinwag

My 1.2 is tsi turbo and it's old enough now.

User1998

You can get a VW Polo with a non turbo 1 litre engine from 2014 onwards.

BK5

Don't know what part of the country you are but there is a garage just outside Slane in Meath that has the largest range of Japanese import Golf's and Polo's that I have seen.

BlakeS94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580525#Comment_121580525

No I'm in Clare so would only be looking at Clare and Limerick maybe Galway

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580563#Comment_121580563

No worries, best of luck.

appledrop

Just be careful anyone who is buying a car imported from Japan, supposedly getting stolen more easily as they don't have to have immobilisers like cars made I'm EU.

I'll post up article I read if I can find it.

appledrop

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41211631.html

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580657#Comment_121580657

All Volkswagens have alarms & immobilisers regardless of where they are from. Theres only a few cheap Japanese models being stolen

Iodine1

VW have amazing resale values simply because they are proven good cars. A Poorly maintained / abused Japanese or any make is trouble best avoided.

goochy

Laugh laugh they have good resale values because they somehow have a good image nothing to do with reality or reliability

teediddlyeye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121581452#Comment_121581452

Go onto donedeal and filter out anything with less than 400k km you get more vag stuff than anything else.

They can be every bit as good as jap stuff, you just need to know what to look for when buying.

There's a bias towards jap stuff in Ireland though.

Someone comes on here asking about their 2.2 diesel mazda all the responses are along the lines of "scrap, get rid, did you not read about them?".

No one suggests avoiding jap stuff, but someone asks about their golf and it's all "stick with toyota, mazda etc."

Leatra

You'd get a newer Ibiza for the same money. Same engines as a Polo, nearly the same to sit into. I've a 171 Ibiza (previous model) with a 1.2 TSI, manual, that I love driving. FR spec is fairly road-noisy on 17-inch wheels but that's the only criticism I have.

BlakeS94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121581529#Comment_121581529

That's the thing though she wants a Polo or a Golf, I've tried explaining about the marriages between car manufacturers but having none of it.

It's a Polo or a Golf, and has to be white

celtic_oz

2021 Volkswagen Polo 2021 Trendline 1.0 Petrol

2021 SKODA FABIA AMBITION

Toyota Aygo 2020

Flinty997

Buy what she wants. Owned a lot of VWs and they've never been as trouble free as my Japanese cars. But I just like VWs design.

Some nice Jap import VWs popping up. I just wouldn't over pay for one.

That said if someone else be happy with a Japanese car that's a good move.

Iodine1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121581452#Comment_121581452

Surely "a good image" has a plenty to do with reliability and reality is peoples experience? People go back again and again to both make and models they have a good experience with?

goochy

I think jap import vws a good compromise . Low mileage and well maintained also not diesel !