Thinking of buying a Mk6 Golf Wagon

[ron_200]

Hi all,

I'm selling my B5.5 Passat V6 (it is going to cost nearly as much to fix a few problems as the car is worth) and looking at a few different models to replace it. Quite interested in the Golf Wagon (1.4 Turbo, 90kW) as it seems to have very similar interior space to my Passat. The Golf wagon in general has only been available here in Australia for about 12 months, so just wondering how other people find them? My biggest worry is that, like the Passat, it will be expensive to maintain and a bit unreliable. Also, according to some sources, our Aussie Golf wagon's are made in Mexico, not Germany. Is this the case in the UK as well? If so, how does the quality compare to the German made cars?

Thanks,

Chris.

[Keithuk]

Well you could have a read here (http://www.myturbodiesel.com/forum/f19/2010-vw-golf-tdi-sportwagen-wagon-2011-vw-jetta-tdi-faq-how-index-2715/) Chris.

[WeegieBob]

Hi Chris,

The following is really more thumbnails on our version of the Golf Estate (Wagon) than an in-depth reviews, but it'll give you a flavour - Golf Estate Review (http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/reviews/volkswagen/golf/estate/review) and Golf Estate v Rivals (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/246829/golf_estate_vs_rivals.html)

There's no mention of where the car is built, so I'm guessing the UK version is from Europe, but I could very well be wrong.

WeegieBob. ;)

[Keithuk]

Well if you want to know where any VAG car or van is made just look at the 1st digit will give the country of origin.

1 - Country of Origin

1 - USA
2 - Canada
3 - Mexico
4 - USA
9 - Brazil
J - Japan
K - Korea
S - England
W - Germany
Z - Italy

and the 11th digit will give you the assembly plant

11 - Assembly Plant

A - Ingolstadt, Germany
B - Brussels, Belgium
C - Taipei, Taiwan
D - Bratislava, Slovakia
E - Emden, Germany
G - Steyr/Graz, Austria
H - Hannover, Germany
J - Jakarta, Indonesia
K - Karmann, Osnabruck Germany
M - Puebla, Mexico
N - Neckarsulm, Germany
P - Mosel, Germany
R - Martorell, Barcelona, Spain
S - Stuttgart, Germany
T - Kvasiny, Czech Republic
U - Uitenhage, South Africa
V - Palmela, Portugal (previously Westmoreland, USA)
W - Wolfsburg, Germany
X - Poznan, Poland
Y - Pamplona, Spain (SEAT)
1 - Gyor, Hungary
2 - Changchun, China
4 - Curitiba, Brazil

so it just a matter of cruising around car parks/dealers in search of estates to find where they are made. ;)

[WeegieBob]

so it just a matter of cruising around car parks ............ in search of estates to find where they are made. ;)

Not the wisest thing to do up here in Glasgow Keith - our Polis take a very dim view of men cruising car parks checking out parked cars! LOL!

Seriously though, I take your point, but it did make me laugh.

WeegieBob. ;)

[Keithuk]

I thought that after I posted but it brought a laugh. :biglaugh:

You can read the Top Gear review on the Golf Estate http://www.topgear.com/uk/volkswagen/golf-estate

[ron_200]

Thanks for all the links and info guys - some great stuff there. Handy to know how to work out where they are made too! No decision made yet, checking out some other cars as well as the Golf.

[vc-10]

I'm pretty sure our Golf Estates (and the Jetta) are from Mexico too.

[Keithuk]

I'm pretty sure our Golf Estates (and the Jetta) are from Mexico too.
Have you checked the VIN's vc-10?

[vc-10]

No, I'm just sure I've seen it somewhere! I could be wrong, of course, but there's something ringing a bell somewhere in the back of my mind!

[khoojohn]

I know it's a late reply. Not sur eif you have gone ahead with the purchase but I've been driving a MK6 Golf estate since June 2010 so can tell you from an ownership experience. The car itself is fantastic. Smooth, steady and yet agile. I have the 1.4TSI DSG. The DSG is superb. What is starting to worry me is the 1.4 TSI engine. This is the 122bhp engine with just a single turbo instead of the twin turbo which you usually hear of. The power is good enough for the weight of the body. But it's no hot hatch. Not that it can't as there's a Sport mode in the DSG so you can move up about fairly quickly. I have only 4.5K on my clock but already had to go in for a warranty fix of a washer and pump. It had intermittent starting difficulty since new (took several turns to start). But only when a cat converter error light came up , did I send in to the agent for diagnosis. After 2 days, they say the fuel line is faulty hence causes the misstart. Not sure if it's a symptom of the TSI engine but I notice similar issues (mistarting) in the Touran forum where owners with TSI engines also had similar complains. This however, is the only fault I had with the car. If the warranty job fixes this permanently, I'll be keeping this car till I run it to ground.... It's that good.

[Keithuk]

I have only 4.5K on my clock but already had to go in for a warranty fix of a washer and pump.
A rear washer problem? You must be the first UK user thats had this. You read many reports of the rear washer leaking in the States but never in the UK. I don't know if your was a leaking washer jet or not.

[ron_200]

Thanks again for all your replies and thoughts.

I ended up leaving VW (:() and buying a Mazda6 wagon, largely on price. I could have got a manual Golf wagon 1.4TSi 90kw petrol (I think that's the 122Bhp that khoojohn was referring to) for a couple of thousand dollars less than the Mazda but it was just a bit underpowered for my liking (I'm very used to much more highly powered cars, as are many of us in Australia, thanks to most of us growing up with and learning to drive on 6 cylinder Commodores and Falcons). I would have had to pay a few thousand dollars more than the Mazda to get the more powerful 1.4TSi Golf estate as this car is only available in DSG in Australia (which effectivley adds $2500 to the price). As well as upping the engine and transimssion they up the spec level so all up it would cost about $7000 - 8000 more than the 90kw manual wagon and about $4000-5000 more than I paid for my Mazda. In the end, that was just more than I could afford.

Luckily, if I ever get a craving to drive a VW, my Dad still has his Mk5 GTi!

[khoojohn]

A rear washer problem? You must be the first UK user thats had this. You read many reoprts of the rear washer leaking in the States but never in the UK. I don't know if your was a leaking washer jet or not.


err, no, not rear washer. Just a washer...in the fuel pump area? AT least I think that's what the dealer service guy told me.

[DerekHago]

I bought a 140TDI SE Golf Estate in November having previously driven a Passat B5 110TDI.

I couldn't be more delighted with it., especially compared with the Passat B6 which I tried and found spartan.

It's a little shorter that the B5, and the load area above the load cover is smaller as the rear window slopes more, but the basic "seats up" storage is great.

It's a pleasure to drive, and it really feels to be a more modern car than the B5. It took some little while for the engine to loosen up, but the economy is now fantastic, the engine is willing, and there are loads of little storage nooks and crannies. I even love the two little bowl areas behind the rear wheels, where you can put things that you don't want to slide around in the back.

Yes, I know you've bought a Mazda, but you've missed a treat. And if you said your Passat was unreliable, you were probably unlucky - mine did 120,000 miles and the only unexpected repair was a radiator leak.