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C5Clive
09-09-2013, 10:48 PM
Picked mine up yesterday 3 months, 1 week and 1 day after ordering and thought I'd post a few initial thoughts.

General impression of the car is it's an excellent bit of kit. Absolute pleasure to drive, steering is nimble and plenty of go when you put your foot down.

Cabin quality is excellent and feels roomier inside than a car in it's class. It's also very quiet, engine noise is barely noticeable.

Economy seems to hold up pretty well considering some of the concerns expressed, 58MPG (in normal mode) on my round trip commute, early days though so will see how it goes over the next few weeks.

Keyless Entry is great, bit of an extravagance I know, but really nice extra touch and has definitely attracted the most comments....still an unusual enough feature to be a bit of a novelty.

I have to admit I have had a few doubts whilst I have been waiting, but now I have got it I realise they were misplaced, really happy with it.

DW58
10-09-2013, 08:58 AM
Pleased to see your comments regarding keyless entry, it's one of the features I'm most looking forward to on my Mk.7 when it arrives.

C5Clive
10-09-2013, 05:25 PM
I'm sure you won't be disappointed bud, it's a really nice feature. With the standard spec level on the golf being pretty good to start with anyway, any option you pick will pretty much just be gravy, but this one is good gravy:D

maisbitt
11-09-2013, 01:07 PM
Picked up my GTD last night and build quality is a step up from the Scirocco (body panel gaps are much smaller, more cabin insulation from the outside).

From the off, my drivers side wiper is abysmal (3” width smear across the swept area underneath the wiper knuckle) – no lessons learnt there then VW (my last 2 VWs have had the same issue)!

Set up for Sport mode, and straight out of the box, the GTD is matching my well run in Scirocco 170TDI for fuel economy with around 50mpg on my daily commute, with the Xenons on (Scirocco is usually just on sidelights). Car warms up much quicker than the Scirocco, the economy takes a far bigger pounding on the GTD (compared to the Scirocco) when you put your foot down a bit, but it is also more economic when cruising, so it kinds of evens itself out over the commute and should fare better on longer journeys. So right now, with a constant driving style for my commute to work, my mpg matches the 170TDI Scirocco/MK6 GTD. Expecting gains that my dad has seen at 4k miles to put me up 10% on what I am currently getting, which will mean an indicated 55mpg (actual 50mpg) for a mixed 12 mile commute. I expect to crack 60mpg on a longer motorway journey.

The number of menus and options is bewildering – trying to find certain things while driving and not being familiar with where everything is took some time last night on the way back from the dealership.

After all my bleating to VW UK about the car being late (built a few weeks after it was scheduled to do so and it being 11 weeks later than planned due to an administrative error that saw my dad’s later order leapfrog mine in the allocation queue), I got one hell of a goodwill gesture waiting for me at pick-up. The car was fully Autoglymed and the bumper sized zippy up bag of Autoglym top-up and general car care solutions was waiting for me in the boot. I had planned on using the G-Techniq C2V3 I had bought for the occasion., but in the end I just treated the wheels in that stuff as Autoglym lifeshine does not include wheel treatment.

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/monkeyhanger710/TRGTD5.jpg (http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/TRGTD5.jpg.html)

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/monkeyhanger710/TRGTD6.jpg (http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/TRGTD6.jpg.html)

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/monkeyhanger710/TRGTD1-1.jpg (http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/TRGTD1-1.jpg.html)

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/monkeyhanger710/TRGTD2-1.jpg (http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/TRGTD2-1.jpg.html)

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/monkeyhanger710/TRGTD3-1.jpg (http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/TRGTD3-1.jpg.html)

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/monkeyhanger710/TRGTD4.jpg (http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/TRGTD4.jpg.html)

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j381/monkeyhanger710/DSC02316.jpg (http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/DSC02316.jpg.html)

DW58
11-09-2013, 01:22 PM
Glad you finally got it and you're pleased. You'll be needing the G|Techniq products pretty soon, the Autoglym so-called "Lifeshine" lasts a few months at best, it's a cheap option rather than a quality one. AFAIK it's not a mandatory Volkswagen-dealership-wide policy to use it. I'm in the process of trying to persuade my local dealer to offer the G|Techniq range instead as we have a G|Techniq-accredited detailer in town.

C5Clive
11-09-2013, 02:11 PM
Glad to hear it finally arrived and you're happy with it. 11 weeks is a long delay, but at least they have done something by way of an apology. I got a bottle of champagne and a full tank of diesel as a thank you from my dealer, which I was chuffed with (more so the diesel to be honest!)

I'm taking mine for a new car detail next week, don't think they use Gtechniq stuff mind (sorry Rob ;))

pango1in
11-09-2013, 03:02 PM
Glad to hear the car has finally been delivered! Hope it's everything you wanted, and more!

Not knocking the gesture by the dealer, but the Autoglym would have cost them about £30 in products and is almost universally acknowledged as pants. My car had it applied for £350 (!!!). I had a refund after they managed to scratch the car during application - but they still let me keep the goodie bag (a sign of how cheap it is??). Was told to apply Aquawax to bring the Lifeshine back to its original beading properties - but surely this is the wax that is then beading, not the lifeshine...

As general cleaning products though, generally Autoglym is good quality stuff. It's only the Lifeshine that appears to be questionable.

Either way, the surface stopped beading after about 3 weeks, even after a gentle wash. So after a good wash, clay and panel wipe, I applied Gtechniq Exo v2, which is awesome stuff - still beads after 3 months and several washes - no reapplication needed!

It's a quality car, so give it a quality protection.

GTwebb
11-09-2013, 05:18 PM
Picked up my GTD last night and build quality is a step up from the Scirocco (body panel gaps are much smaller, more cabin insulation from the outside).

From the off, my drivers side wiper is abysmal (3” width smear across the swept area underneath the wiper knuckle) – no lessons learnt there then VW (my last 2 VWs have had the same issue)!

Set up for Sport mode, and straight out of the box, the GTD is matching my well run in Scirocco 170TDI for fuel economy with around 50mpg on my daily commute, with the Xenons on (Scirocco is usually just on sidelights). Car warms up much quicker than the Scirocco, the economy takes a far bigger pounding on the GTD (compared to the Scirocco) when you put your foot down a bit, but it is also more economic when cruising, so it kinds of evens itself out over the commute and should fare better on longer journeys. So right now, with a constant driving style for my commute to work, my mpg matches the 170TDI Scirocco/MK6 GTD. Expecting gains that my dad has seen at 4k miles to put me up 10% on what I am currently getting, which will mean an indicated 55mpg (actual 50mpg) for a mixed 12 mile commute. I expect to crack 60mpg on a longer motorway journey.

The number of menus and options is bewildering – trying to find certain things while driving and not being familiar with where everything is took some time last night on the way back from the dealership.

After all my bleating to VW UK about the car being late (built a few weeks after it was scheduled to do so and it being 11 weeks later than planned due to an administrative error that saw my dad’s later order leapfrog mine in the allocation queue), I got one hell of a goodwill gesture waiting for me at pick-up. The car was fully Autoglymed and the bumper sized zippy up bag of Autoglym top-up and general car care solutions was waiting for me in the boot. I had planned on using the G-Techniq C2V3 I had bought for the occasion., but in the end I just treated the wheels in that stuff as Autoglym lifeshine does not include wheel treatment.

[/URL]

(http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/TRGTD5.jpg.html)



(http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/TRGTD1-1.jpg.html)



(http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/TRGTD3-1.jpg.html)

[URL="http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/monkeyhanger710/media/DSC02316.jpg.html"]

Stunning bud looks mean in red.

Mines still sat at Emden 9 days after leaving factory.. grrr :( lol

algarve
11-09-2013, 05:59 PM
Pleased to see you have your car after so long a wait.

I'm sorry I must add I think your dealer have been particularly mean in your particular circumstances with an Autoglym treatment as a goodwill gesture.
I'd been very disappointed but thats just me.

The main thing is you can now enjoy the car and all its new technology.

Keep us posted as things progress..

GolfFanBoy
11-09-2013, 07:07 PM
Car looks great

The number of menus and options is bewildering – trying to find certain things while driving and not being familiar with where everything is took some time last night on the way back from the dealership.

It's taken me a week to get to grips with most of it, the hardest thing has been the steering wheel controls as they've put so much on it!

I'd personally strip the Autoglym stuff off and start again with the Gtechniq sealant as it's going to be much easier to maintain the car during the winter months.

Don't know about you but I wasn't impressed with the rubber mats at all, even my dealer mentioned they were a bit thin. I've had official mats on my last 5 Volkswagen's and these are definitely of a cheaper quality.

DW58
11-09-2013, 08:26 PM
I'd personally strip the Autoglym stuff off and start again with the Gtechniq sealant as it's going to be much easier to maintain the car during the winter months.


Generally Autoglym products are fairly middle-of-the-road, but those used in the Lifeshine package are rock-bottom and hardly last any time at all, certainly not through the winter.

I'd echo GolfFanBoy's comments, give the car a really good going over with APC (All Purpose Cleaner) such as Meguiars or AutoSmart G101 to remove the Lifeshine and then apply two or three layers of G|Techniq C2v3, or better still C1 or EXO followed by C2v3 which will really see you through the winter.

chippy1970
11-09-2013, 09:17 PM
Stunning bud looks mean in red.

Mines still sat at Emden 9 days after leaving factory.. grrr :( lol

Do Audi's go thru Emden too ? Our A3 has been at the German port (don't know what one) since the 3rd.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

GTwebb
11-09-2013, 09:59 PM
Do Audi's go thru Emden too ? Our A3 has been at the German port (don't know what one) since the 3rd.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

I'm not sure but it sounds like it lol... can't believe how long it's taking.. my BW was 33.. Which was w/c 12th Aug

DW58
11-09-2013, 10:26 PM
I'm pretty sure that Audis come over on the same boats from Emden.

maisbitt
12-09-2013, 08:12 AM
C5clive: Aye, you can be sure the Diesel cost a lot more than the Champagne.

maisbitt
12-09-2013, 08:26 AM
Car looks great


It's taken me a week to get to grips with most of it, the hardest thing has been the steering wheel controls as they've put so much on it!

I'd personally strip the Autoglym stuff off and start again with the Gtechniq sealant as it's going to be much easier to maintain the car during the winter months.

Don't know about you but I wasn't impressed with the rubber mats at all, even my dealer mentioned they were a bit thin. I've had official mats on my last 5 Volkswagen's and these are definitely of a cheaper quality.

The rubber mats are thinner than the ones with the Scirocco by a decent margin. VW will probably market it as weight saving more than anything else, but the carpet mats that came with the car are crap.

As for all the lifeshine comments, yes I got the impression the stuff wouldn’t last especially long. One of the pack components give the game away – bird-lime wipes. Any sealant worth its salt will protect against bird-lime (not that I wouldn’t get it off quickly anyway, should my car get hit). I have plenty of C2V3 to treat mine so will do so. Stripping the old stuff off sounds a bit of a chew – will I need to clay-bar or just use a product? Alternatively, will the C2V3 bond well to the autoglym stuff or will it’s bond only be as good as that of the autoglym to the car (which doesn’t sound very good)?

Might ebay off the unused Autoglym bag of goodies – they look to fetch about £40-50.

maisbitt
12-09-2013, 08:48 AM
Pleased to see you have your car after so long a wait.

I'm sorry I must add I think your dealer have been particularly mean in your particular circumstances with an Autoglym treatment as a goodwill gesture.
I'd been very disappointed but thats just me.

The main thing is you can now enjoy the car and all its new technology.

Keep us posted as things progress..


On RRP I would say they haven't been too bad, but on actual cost to the garage I would've preferred a full tank of fuel as I already had G-Techniq stuff (C2V3 and I1) ready to go on. The delay wasn’t all bad. I wasn’t exactly slumming it in my Scirocco 170TDI in the meantime, and thanks to my fixed part ex I have an extra £1000 in equity on the car (due to 3 more payments being made against the Scirocco). I do think that the dealerships should manage customer expectations a little better by giving realistic waiting times for GTI/GTD. On pick-up my salesman went over and interrupted another salesman’s patter because the “wet behind the ears” salesman was closing a deal on a GTD and said it should be with the customer in 12 weeks. My salesman put him right by telling the customer he might not see it until January. The customer wasn’t too pleased with that news.

DW58
12-09-2013, 09:33 AM
I seriously doubt you'd need to clay the car to remove Lifeshine, it just ain't that good. As I suggested above, a good foam/wash with a decent APC such as Meguiars or AutoSmart G101 ought to strip it. You could also give it a wipe-down with panel-wipe or Isopropyl Alcohol.

maisbitt
12-09-2013, 09:47 AM
I seriously doubt you'd need to clay the car to remove Lifeshine, it just ain't that good. As I suggested above, a good foam/wash with a decent APC such as Meguiars or AutoSmart G101 ought to strip it. You could also give it a wipe-down with panel-wipe or Isopropyl Alcohol.

Guess what I’m doing this weekend (weather permitting)? Now to decide whether to ebay the Autoglym bag to subsidise C2V3, there are a few things in there that could prove useful. My dad’s C2V3 coated GTD is still going strong on one coat 10 weeks later.

Will try to procure some Iso-propanol for wipedown.

GolfFanBoy
12-09-2013, 10:56 AM
I bought a litre of 'CarPro Eraser' for wiping down the panels and it's miles better than IPA as it removes all the polish oils and doesn't just push them about on the cloth. IPA can leave some smearing if you don't use the clean side of a cloth often enough whereas Eraser seems to lift it all off the paint. Even though I went over the whole car with the stuff I didn't even use a quarter of the bottle so you probably wouldn't need the litre size.

DW58
12-09-2013, 11:39 AM
Thanks for that suggestion - not a product I was aware of, but I've just ordered a litre, plus I'm sick to the back teeth of Wolf's Deironizer and have gone back to Iron-X also from Car-pro.

GolfFanBoy
12-09-2013, 12:00 PM
It's so much easier to work with than IPA and doesn't need to be diluted either so you can quickly put it to use.

DW58
12-09-2013, 12:32 PM
I've ordered the 1ltr with spray head, and a couple of 500ml Iron-X sprays while I was at it. Don't know if you've tried Wolf's Deironizer - I was persuaded by Polished Bliss - it's feckin useless, I can put up with the awful smell of Iron-X because it works.

GolfFanBoy
12-09-2013, 02:01 PM
Never had a bad experience with Deironizer myself, it does react slower than other products but the up side is you can allow it to dry on the car. On the MK7 I used up what remained of a bottle of AutoFinesse Iron Out and then gave the car a second hit (rinsing in between) with Deironizer. Iron-X was the first fallout remover I ever tried and I find it hard to split them apart from that awful smell!

DW58
12-09-2013, 02:15 PM
I'm not disputing Deironizer does the job, it's just very slow acting which is why I'm dumping it. Apparently the new Iron-X has a good smell, or so Car-Pro claim - it couldn't be any worse than the original version, I reserve judgement on that.

pango1in
16-09-2013, 03:59 PM
You should always clay your car before applying any sealent. I'm always amazed at how much always seems to come off, even after a good wash.

I clayed my golf before applying Exo v2. Was tempted by C1, but I don't have a garage to let that cure in for the 2-3 hours you need. The Exo cured pretty quickly outside and seems to be very durable so far. Bird poo didn't seam to cause much, if any, problems (even after I didn't notice it for a day).

DW58
16-09-2013, 04:54 PM
You should always clay your car before applying any sealent. I'm always amazed at how much always seems to come off, even after a good wash.

Sorry, but I disagree. In most cases a thorough decontamination (i.e. tar and ferrous fallout) is all that should be necessary. The proprietor of G|Techniq Uk made the following statement elsewhere recently.


One would hope that panels are relatively swirl and contaminant free but sadly this seems to be the exception.

So budget on doing some polishing.

What i would recommend is using a good apc first to de wax the car. panels should be squeaky to the touch after this process.

Then assess if you need to clay or polish. best way to assess if you need to clay is to put your hand inside a plastic bag, wet the surface of the car and run your hand in the bag over the surface. this is the best way to feel if there are any contaminants. if the paint feels smooth then I would recommend you do not clay the car.

If you do then do so and then assess the surface to see if you need to do any polishing.

Do or don't do the polishing as required.

Wipe down panels with panel wipe and then you are ready for coatings application :thumb: