Hughesynights
03-08-2011, 09:43 AM
To celebrate back to back 800 mile tanks, I thought I would write a few words about the Golf. After just over 5 months of ownership, I am thoroughly impressed.
Comfort
Spending about three hours per day in the car, the interior comfort and toys are appreciated. The RCD510 with DAB has been very welcome. In over 300 hours of sitting in the car so far, most listening to DAB, I've had just 2 hiccups in the reception. Both times the radio switched automatically to FM (luckily I was listening to a national BBC broadcast), and carried on.
Coverage is absolutely fine in Oxon, Beds, Bucks, Herts area.
The Match spec is well worthwhile. Auto lights and wipers are nice features. Integrated Bluetooth works very well (and accesses the phone book on my Blackberry).
My only gripe is a slight lower back pain developing. On the other hand, perhaps driving three hours per day in any car would start to cause problems. I have to remind myself to sit up straight!
Performance
When I am not trying to get good mpg, it is nice to be able to overtake with relative ease. Initially I was slightly disappointed, for some reason I thought 140 horse power in a small car would feel quicker, having previously driven similar powered but larger cars. It is definitely acceptable though.
The diesel engine is very refined, and hardly makes any noise.
Fuel economy
I try very hard to get good mpg, it is the only way I can make my long commute interesting.
After moving house, my drive to work is now about 50 miles each way. I downsized to the Golf to save money on fuel, expecting to achieve at least 60 mpg. In these summer months I am easily exceeding that target, although undoubtedly this will deteriorate in the winter.
Lifetime average, according to brimming the tank (the mfd lies) is 64 mpg.
As I get more confident in the amount of fuel left after the light comes on, I am pushing to try and get 800 miles out of a tank; it is a kind of game. This is only possible if I don't have any rushed trips, or let my wife borrow the car.
Here's a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wi9b7Bqi4o) to show the awesome economy of the tdi (don't have a go at me for shooting it while driving, it was perfectly safe).
Recently my company changed the fuel rates for business mileage to three bands: 'up to 1600 cc', '1601 to 2000 cc' and 'above 2000 litres'. How pleased am I that I didn't go for the 1.6 like many others at the company? I get the same mpg, but the company gives me more money...
Rattles
When I received the car, there was a buzzing noise from the center roof console at certain road speeds. After a while it drove me nuts and I took the console apart. I found that the flat ribbon cable that connects to the driver's sun visor, over the headlining, was not stuck down flat. It was tight between two glued places, which resonated at certain road speeds causing a buzzing sound. A small amount of electrical tape stopped it. I suppose most people would have taken it to the dealer to look at, I couldn't be bothered to drive there and was happy to take the console apart.
Occasionally I get a buzz from the driver's door, and a rattle from the passenger seat, but currently not frequent enough to annoy me.
I think rattles are easier to spot because the car is overall very quiet.
Service interval
The service indicator on the computer says I still have about 7,000 miles until a service is due. A colleague has the Seat Leon FR with the 170 horse power version of the 2.0 tdi engine, which he has to get his serviced every 10,000 miles. He wasn't impressed when I told him mine was 18,000 miles, so he has to waste time visiting the dealer nearly twice as often!
Overall I am very impressed with the car.
Comfort
Spending about three hours per day in the car, the interior comfort and toys are appreciated. The RCD510 with DAB has been very welcome. In over 300 hours of sitting in the car so far, most listening to DAB, I've had just 2 hiccups in the reception. Both times the radio switched automatically to FM (luckily I was listening to a national BBC broadcast), and carried on.
Coverage is absolutely fine in Oxon, Beds, Bucks, Herts area.
The Match spec is well worthwhile. Auto lights and wipers are nice features. Integrated Bluetooth works very well (and accesses the phone book on my Blackberry).
My only gripe is a slight lower back pain developing. On the other hand, perhaps driving three hours per day in any car would start to cause problems. I have to remind myself to sit up straight!
Performance
When I am not trying to get good mpg, it is nice to be able to overtake with relative ease. Initially I was slightly disappointed, for some reason I thought 140 horse power in a small car would feel quicker, having previously driven similar powered but larger cars. It is definitely acceptable though.
The diesel engine is very refined, and hardly makes any noise.
Fuel economy
I try very hard to get good mpg, it is the only way I can make my long commute interesting.
After moving house, my drive to work is now about 50 miles each way. I downsized to the Golf to save money on fuel, expecting to achieve at least 60 mpg. In these summer months I am easily exceeding that target, although undoubtedly this will deteriorate in the winter.
Lifetime average, according to brimming the tank (the mfd lies) is 64 mpg.
As I get more confident in the amount of fuel left after the light comes on, I am pushing to try and get 800 miles out of a tank; it is a kind of game. This is only possible if I don't have any rushed trips, or let my wife borrow the car.
Here's a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wi9b7Bqi4o) to show the awesome economy of the tdi (don't have a go at me for shooting it while driving, it was perfectly safe).
Recently my company changed the fuel rates for business mileage to three bands: 'up to 1600 cc', '1601 to 2000 cc' and 'above 2000 litres'. How pleased am I that I didn't go for the 1.6 like many others at the company? I get the same mpg, but the company gives me more money...
Rattles
When I received the car, there was a buzzing noise from the center roof console at certain road speeds. After a while it drove me nuts and I took the console apart. I found that the flat ribbon cable that connects to the driver's sun visor, over the headlining, was not stuck down flat. It was tight between two glued places, which resonated at certain road speeds causing a buzzing sound. A small amount of electrical tape stopped it. I suppose most people would have taken it to the dealer to look at, I couldn't be bothered to drive there and was happy to take the console apart.
Occasionally I get a buzz from the driver's door, and a rattle from the passenger seat, but currently not frequent enough to annoy me.
I think rattles are easier to spot because the car is overall very quiet.
Service interval
The service indicator on the computer says I still have about 7,000 miles until a service is due. A colleague has the Seat Leon FR with the 170 horse power version of the 2.0 tdi engine, which he has to get his serviced every 10,000 miles. He wasn't impressed when I told him mine was 18,000 miles, so he has to waste time visiting the dealer nearly twice as often!
Overall I am very impressed with the car.