Topic: Test Drive: 2018 Volkswagen Golf

[pi314]

All that said, the interior of my friend's base '18 wagon was a lot nicer than the interior of the base '17 hatch I rented.

What was the difference?

Leather steering wheel, nicer dash trim, better infotainment.

I think the Tendline had and option package (Convenience I think) which added the leather steering wheel among other things. For 2019, it's seems like it's standard on Comfortline which now is the base trim (I was wrong in an earlier post when I said Comfortline was removed. It's the Trendline which is gone for FY19)

My wagon (2018 Trendline AWD MT) has a leather wheel but that might be a wagon vs hatch packaging thing.

I think the review is pretty spot on. It's a good car with a versatile lineup. I really like mine.

I LOVE the covered backup camera. I know it'll break eventually and I'll happily pay to fix it.
AWD is great - I've had lots of fun with it and I think it'll take a lot to get stuck now.

Fuel efficiency isn't great but isn't awful. My lifetime average has been in the 8 l/100km range, with lots of city driving. Highway trips are like 6.5l/100 km.

If I was buying today I'd be intrigued by the Corolla Hatch (will likely be more reliable and will sip fuel in comparison) but I think the golf is a very competent car.

One thing the car excels at compared to the other cars I've driven in its class is that it's nice and quiet. No droning on the highway, and you can have a conversation at a normal volume. Probably half as loud as my old fit. Japanese cars in particular let a lot of wind noise in the car at higher speeds.

[OliverD]

The fuel economy thing is a matter of perspective. I have two friends who have '18 Golf 4motion wagons, both manuals. The one who came from a 2007 Mazda 3 GT with the 2.3 thinks the fuel economy is great. The one who came from a 2012 Mazda 3 SkyActiv thinks the fuel economy is kind of crappy.

[ktm525]

VW now implicated on selling test cars to the public. Would not touch with a 10' pole.

[tortoise]

Huh?

Found it - https://www.motor1.com/news/297007/vw-pre-production-vehicle-recall/

[Dante]

Huh?

Found it - https://www.motor1.com/news/297007/vw-pre-production-vehicle-recall/

Here it is:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/autos/news/volkswagen-illegally-sold-pre-production-test-cars-instead-of-crushing-them/ar-BBQOFg3?li=AA8hc8

[OliverD]

VW now implicated on selling test cars to the public. Would not touch with a 10' pole.

Not test cars per se.

[dirtyjeffer]

Same here... the cabin still has a premium feel to it regardless the trim. Some other cars have very good interiors too, but to me the Golf has something extra.
I noticed some cost cutting measures in this refresh though - minor or unnoticeable for most people but noticeable to me which I'm familiar with the car - the glove box is no longer felt lined nor lockable, the chrome strip on the rear doors inserts has been deleted. nothing major, but showing a trend (present on the 2019 GTI as well).

A bit disappointing is the fact that in this mid-cycle refresh, VW failed to add some needed features like heated rear seats and steering wheel or power outlets for rear passengers (12V or USB).

For sure, you can get a heated steering wheel in Europe a la carte (135€). But I think due to the US market not demanding it, the Canadians get shafted. Adds production and supplier complexity and cost. There's some cheaper bits to the North American Golf.

I don't think any vehicle in this class offers heated rear seats. Indeed, rear vents are already pretty unusual.

^^Elantra does.  Elantra also has heated steering wheel.

i was going to say something similar...the Forte does as well (sister car) in the top two trims (EX Luxury at $25,195 or SX at $29,895)...as well, the base Rio subcompact has heated steering wheel and heated front seats standard, at $14,795 (heated rears are not an option on the Rio, though).

Features and packaging is something Hyundai/Kia has been doing very well for a long time now.  That being said, I still think the Golf would be an overall better experience, especially as a driver's car.

I have always liked the Golf, and if I was looking for a compact hatch, it would likely be at the top of my list.

i don't disagree with your points...but many other brands have improved the feature sets of their vehicles due to Kia/Hyundai's packaging of said features...it's a win-win for consumers.

[dirtyjeffer]

I LOVE the covered backup camera. I know it'll break eventually and I'll happily pay to fix it.

well, i hope for your sake it doesn't break...i'm getting my back up camera replaced tomorrow (for some reason, the image is very blurry, almost as if the lens is dirty, but it's not)...$650 and it isn't covered by a mechanized flap...it is being covered by my extended warranty.

[tortoise]

Man, that is expensive.

Not sure on the quality - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/CCD-Car-Flip-Logo-Rear-View-Reversing-Camera-for-VW-Volkswagen-Magotan-Passat-CC-Golf-5/32809162734.html?spm=2114.10010108.1000013.3.5e656ac70F8d44&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller&scm=1007.13339.90158.0&scm_id=1007.13339.90158.0&scm-url=1007.13339.90158.0&pvid=08c4eb17-c6c3-4648-821b-bf02e5ccd54a

OEM - https://eurozonetuning.com/products/volkswagen-golf-gti-mk7-emblem-rear-view-camera-kit#

They aren't cheap, but they aren't crazy expensive.

Whenever I get in another car and the backup camera is dirty it catches me off guard.

[dirtyjeffer]

Man, that is expensive.

OEM - https://eurozonetuning.com/products/volkswagen-golf-gti-mk7-emblem-rear-view-camera-kit#

They aren't cheap, but they aren't crazy expensive.

Whenever I get in another car and the backup camera is dirty it catches me off guard.

the camera has been a nice feature and i like using it, just for some reason, in the past couple of months, the image is unusable...that OEM unit is $390, what currency is that in?...also, the $650 price is parts and labour, and a Kia part (so aftermarket items may be less, if available).

[tortoise]

It's in USD.

Fortunately a search of the forums suggests that it's not a part that fails very often.

And I found another OEM ones for $230 - $300 USD.

[dirtyjeffer]

It's in USD.

Fortunately a search of the forums suggests that it's not a part that fails very often.

And I found another OEM ones for $230 - $300 USD.

FWIW, $390 USD is $521 CAD, plus labour, so the dealer price of $650 installed is likely about right (for a dealership).

[mlin32]

The Golf is the most polished, well-rounded car in the class.

It also lacks character. It's about as German as it gets. Incremental improvements over the years, nothing flashy or exciting, but will stand the test of time.

Every person values different things in their cars.

It's an interestign remark about the fuel consumption though. when I had the Golf in Montréal and Québec years ago, I regularly achieved around 7 l/100 or so with us 3 people and a car full of ski gear and luggage for our Christmas holiday. And it was the dead of winter with a lot of snow. 

[Blueprint]

Gotta admit I miss mine  ... the Dieselgate deal was just too good to pass on.

https://www.autotrader.ca/newsfeatures/20170726/dieselgate-from-the-driver-s-seat-series-finale/

[EV-Light]

[IMG=https://media.giphy.com/media/OW3fyrwxyfmQ8/giphy.gif]https://media.giphy.com/media/OW3fyrwxyfmQ8/giphy.gif[/img]


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[tortoise]

The Golf is the most polished, well-rounded car in the class.

It also lacks character. It's about as German as it gets. Incremental improvements over the years, nothing flashy or exciting, but will stand the test of time.

I agree with all of this.  It's like a team of engineers set out to make the car as perfect as possible but forgot to give it personality.  The benefit of this is that on a day to day basis it's fantastic to live with.

[quadzilla]

Fuel efficiency isn't great but isn't awful. My lifetime average has been in the 8 l/100km range, with lots of city driving. Highway trips are like 6.5l/100 km.

I think that is great. Is there another AWD car with similar power and space that comes close to this?

[pi314]

Fuel efficiency isn't great but isn't awful. My lifetime average has been in the 8 l/100km range, with lots of city driving. Highway trips are like 6.5l/100 km.

I think that is great. Is there another AWD car with similar power and space that comes close to this?

I don’t know to be honest and I’ll readily admit my perspective is skewed by driving my fit before this.

I don’t really think there’s a similar size/powered car with awd period. I guess the Impreza but really the wagon fits between that and the outback.

Certainly you’ve made me pause and maybe my fuel economy isn’t bad after all 

[Dante]

Fuel efficiency isn't great but isn't awful. My lifetime average has been in the 8 l/100km range, with lots of city driving. Highway trips are like 6.5l/100 km.

I think that is great. Is there another AWD car with similar power and space that comes close to this?

I don’t know to be honest and I’ll readily admit my perspective is skewed by driving my fit before this.

I don’t really think there’s a similar size/powered car with awd period. I guess the Impreza but really the wagon fits between that and the outback.

Certainly you’ve made me pause and maybe my fuel economy isn’t bad after all 

I don't know why anyone would think those numbers are anything but very good for the type of car. Think about it, there could be marginally more efficient cars out there but none offer all the qualities the Golf does in one package.

[dougjp]

No idea why AWD slipped in here as an example of why her mileage that she got was actually not bad at all, when she was testing a FWD Highline Golf.