2012 VW Golf TDI

Now before the flaming begins, some guy rear-ended my 2008 G35 a few weeks ago, dented/cracked the bumper and put a slight dent in the rear passenger-side quarter panel. I filed a claim with his insurance and received an estimate for $1900.

I used a heat gun and pushed the bumper out so it was a little more presentable and drove down to the Volkswagen dealership. I took the TDI out for a drive and loved it almost immediately. Started throwing numbers back and forth with the salesperson. After some haggling, they offered me $21.5k for my 2008 Base G35 w/53k miles (which is $1500 more than I paid for it!) and a 2012 Golf TDI 4-door w/Nav & Sunroof for $26.6k, a difference of about $5000. Thinking I still have a $1900 check coming from the insurance company, I had to jump on the deal. I figure I'll make the $3k difference up in gas savings Also, the G is close to the 60k major service, while the VW comes with 3 years maintenance.

Things I will miss on the G:
- Push-button start
- Raw power
- Handling
- Quiet interior/cabin
- Fit and finish (although rattles were starting to show)
- Leather seats
- HID headlights

Things I like about the TDI:
- Turbo Diesel baby!
- Averaging 50mpg
- 6MT - very smooth clutch, one of the best I've driven
- Sunroof
- Navigation
- Bluetooth system is fantastic
- Very comfortable heated seats
- Surprisingly roomier than the G
- New car smell
- Included maintenance for 3 years


Just wanted to share my story. Not saying goodbye as I'm sure I will be back when my speed demons re-awaken

 

nice good luck with the new car i just sold my 2011 vw cc while back love the car need more room in the back or that would have been my 3 car to drive lol but nice

 

Got any pics?
Whats the HP/TQ on the VW?

 

^ what he said,,,,, and about your " speed demon's" reawakening..... that should take about 5 mins in the golf.......

 

I want to keep it on-topic, but the 2.0TDI is rated @ 140hp / 236 lb-ft. It's a pretty cool engine with an interesting torque curve. Notice how it makes peak torque between 1750 and 2500 rpm, which makes for a very different driving experience from the G35. Highway passing in 6th gear is not a problem.

FWIW, it's made Ward's 10Best engines 3 years running now.

 

I've thought about doing this as I would break even selling my G. I know Golf TDI got reliability rating from Consumer Affairs as top 10 most reliable hatches but I'm still iffy about VWs. I drive about 80 miles round trip everyday and the G is killing me, I feel like I drive a F150. I get about 20~23mpg keeping it on cruise control.

Another thing keeping me from crossing over is loss of luxury, granted it's entry level 'luxury' definitely different driving experience from my Mazda3 which I'm guessing VW is similar in driving experience? Haven't driven it yet so I wouldn't know.

I'd like to hear more about your experience with the VW as I still want to do this. I just don't want to go down to VW I hate car salesmen.

 

My sister is gonna buy a Jetta Sportwagen TDI soon. We have driven them a couple times now and they are sure nice!

 

It's only been a few days for me, but the only perceived loss of loss of luxury so far has been the lack of leather seats and a slightly noisier cabin. Aside from that, everything else has been an upgrade or additional feature. Of course, I came from a base G35 so YMMV. To put things into perspective, I'd rate the interior better than Nissan/Toyota/Honda.

 

Congrats on a new purchase, I'm sure that the gas savings will be great. I just hope that your new car will be just as reliable as the G. VW/Audi has some of the best looking and comfortable cars out there, but from my personal experience as well as overall reliability ratings from most publications the entire VW Group reliability is less than impressive. Their cars are constantly rated as some of the least reliable in the business.

 

Diesel has been holding steady at over 4 a gallon up here..

Great car, but the pitch about savings has slipped somewhat as diesel has stayed high while gas fluctuates between reasonable and insane.

I have had a diesel vehicle in the drive sine 2004 BTW.

 

Thanks everyone.

Here are some pics of the G35 damage. I used a heat gun to warm up the bumper and push it out with my hand. Not so visible is the dent in the quarter panel. Easiest $1900 I've ever made

 

Enjoy your new ride. I haven't owned a VW since 2000 when I traded my first one in. I had it 5 yrs with no issues. It was a gutless 1993 VW Fox sedan, no power steering, locks, or windows, but it had a pop-up sunroof and a trunk wing. It was my first car and I lovd it. Not sure where all the claim of unreliable ratings are coming from, but VW has been around average for their group. I came close to buying a new GTI before finding my G35. Brand new its was about $1K more than I paid for my used G35, so......

Either way enjoy!!

 

gluck with everything!

 

damn those germans, why dont they bring their diesel into north america.
i want polo blue motion,does 83 mpg
i want vw scirocco TDI, does 55 mpg and looks FANTASTIC!!!!

 

damn those germans, why dont they bring their diesel into north america.
i want polo blue motion,does 83 mpg
i want vw scirocco TDI, does 55 mpg and looks FANTASTIC!!!!