2 Days after collection

[RikkiG]

I picked up my new Golf 2 days ago, and am really impressed. Less impressed with the time it took to arrive as I ordered it in early March, and it arrived 6 months later in September !! The garage has been brilliant - they lent me a car for the last 2 months, so can't praise them enough (Ingram VW in Ayr, salesman Darren Kelly). So far the car is a dream to drive, although the Adaptive Cruise is a bit complicated to get to grips with - 9 buttons in a group on the steering wheel, but no doubt I'll get there. Only disappointments are no LED DRLs and the electric seat doesn't have the 3 memory setting that it should have. I have raised this with the garage, so we will see what happens, but some sort of compensation is in order for the lack of memory - after all the seats cost almost as much as a cheap car !!

[algarve]

Glad you are enjoying the car after that wait !

Must have been all those options delaying things I suspect.

I would be expecting suitable compensation for the missing items especially if your dealer took the order in early March and you were not advised before the build week.

[RikkiG]

Someone who has a Golf on order told me that the main delays were likely to have been the rear camera & the sunroof, which apparently are in short supply.

I'll post updates on how my claim for compensation goes.

[jv808]

I don't get it, how come no LED DRL's? You'd ordered in March & delivered in September. My GT was ordered April and delivered in September and has the LED DRL's. I think they should compensate you for the b-xenon cost at the very least.

[Guest 2]

I think there was a thread that the LED DRLs are an independent option to both halogen and Xenon cars.

[jv808]

That's true but the customer should also make a fuss earlier on in the order process. I did and got them included.

[algarve]

In the UK LED DRLs became a Bi-Xenon with or without option from model year 2014 as I understand it.

[algarve]

That's true but the customer should also make a fuss earlier on in the order process. I did and got them included.

Do you know what your build week was ?

[jv808]

B.W. 30 - right smack in the middle of the VW summer shutdown, so it was really b.w. 30 - 32. Delivered Sep 1st.

[algarve]

So thats MY 2014 and the reason you had LED DRLs

Perhaps rickkyG's car was built before the MY 2014 then ?

[jv808]

Correct b.w. 30 was MY 14 but that was calendar date July 22 - 26. I'd be surprised if rickky's car was built before that and delivered this week. From what I recall customers could opt for LED's back in April. Existing orders can be changed relatively easily, particularly with long options list as that inevitably delays the build. It's a shame as they really do look sweet and do away with halogen sidelights.

[RikkiG]

I got my model wrong, too many too similar. Mine is a 2.0 GTD 150PS, not GTI. I have changed my signature to suit - what model exactly is yours jv ?

[algarve]

I got my model wrong, too many too similar. Mine is a 2.0 GTD 150PS, not GTI. I have changed my signature to suit - what model exactly is yours jv ?

If it is a GTD then yes you should have had LED DRLs unless a few were initially produced without.

[a8toa6convert]

I got my model wrong, too many too similar. Mine is a 2.0 GTD 150PS, not GTI. If it's 150PS, then surely it is a GT spec diesel, but not a GTD ? Does the steering wheel have a GTD badge ?

[algarve]

If it's 150PS, then surely it is a GT spec diesel, but not a GTD ? Does the steering wheel have a GTD badge ?

Yes of course it must be a GT then..

[dickt]

Rikki,
VW UK and the dealers knew back in January that the Electric seats do not have the promised 3 position memory. They should have told you this when you ordered. I ordered mine last year and picked it up in March this year. I was not told about the lack of memory until I got the car home and could not make the memory work.
My solicitor said I could reject the car if I wanted to. I very nearly did as I have an e-mail trail explaining to the dealer how important the memory was to me. Further, VW have the technology, and have had it for many years. My Passat from circa 2006 had 3 position memory.
I believe that there was very deliberate deceit about my case.
In the end, the dealer gave me some money. About £500 I think, for the lack of memory.
Electric seats without memory is like giving a pushbike to a fish.

[jv808]

I got my model wrong, too many too similar. Mine is a 2.0 GTD 150PS, not GTI. I have changed my signature to suit - what model exactly is yours jv ? Rikki, mine's a GT 150 TDi 5-door 6-speed manual b.w. 30 model year 14. Everything's down to the customer to keep applying pressure to the dealer and nagging for options that are advertised but supposedly not available....yet. As soon as it's available and the build week is far enough away, you could've insisted on LED's on your order. I managed to get a concession from VW UK and had them for free, saving £390 as they were at the time. The salesman usually has no idea about some of the more obscure options, hence it's all customer legwork.

[maisbitt]

My wipers have improved. It has been raiining heavy over the last day. I reserve judgement on them until the car sees some fine drizzle - that's usually where the wipers have failed me in the past. MPG is **** poor right now (45mpg indicated), the car keeps trying to do a regen from 65 miles on the clock - how much soot can have honestly accumulated in that time? Going to put a full tank of V-power in when I have ran the free fuel right down (40 miles remaining) and see how much that improves things.

[Huftons]

My wipers have improved. It has been raiining heavy over the last day. I reserve judgement on them until the car sees some fine drizzle - that's usually where the wipers have failed me in the past. MPG is **** poor right now (45mpg indicated), the car keeps trying to do a regen from 65 miles on the clock - how much soot can have honestly accumulated in that time? Going to put a full tank of V-power in when I have ran the free fuel right down (40 miles remaining) and see how much that improves things.

Maisbitt, would be interested in your general assessment of the car. Performance, ride, road noise, "fun factor" etc. MPG is all very well (or not!) but how does it drive?

[maisbitt]

Maisbitt, would be interested in your general assessment of the car. Performance, ride, road noise, "fun factor" etc. MPG is all very well (or not!) but how does it drive?

It drives very well. Sitting this high up after the Scirocco still kind of feels like i'm in a landrover (ok, it's not that much higher). The number of menus to navigate is kind of overwhelming right now when i'm still finding everything and tweaking with all the settings. Some of them probably shouldn't be available while on the move, for safety/distraction reasons. The ADC works well except I had a false call passing a static bus on a roundabout - it alerted me but didn't jam the brakes on. Ride on 18" wheels and lowered suspension is firm but not bone-crunchingly hard like Audi's with a similar set up seem to be. It is very predictable on bends, like you're riding on rails - firm and precise.

The engine seems tight at the moment, but already still more powerful than my 170TDI Scirocco. I can tell it is holding back right now because acceleration in 5th/6th seems less than my Scirocco, despite having more power and torque. My Scirocco felt like a different car when it hit the miles equivalent of 500km (about 310 miles?), as if it had been on an ECU restriction program until that point. I get the impression the GTD is the same and it will have a lot more to give when it is run in.

Road noise is very low compared to my Scirocco. The sound actuator can change all that if the engine is set to "sport" in the menus. If you want everything that "sport" offers without the actuator, you can make all the other things sport and leave the actuator off in the "individual" set up. I don't think the actuator sounds as good as the one on the Scirocco, it sounds coarser rather than burbly/hummy, it sounds more diesely, like they did all they can to make the engine more refined and less rattly than previous TDIs and then add the chuggy/rattly noises back via the actuator.

It is a step up from the Scirocco in pretty much every area (refinement, equipment, ride etc). Right now I think i'm thinking too much when i'm driving - still tinkering in the menus rather than just enjoying the ride. Also needing to not be too hard on the ca while running in, the fun factor vs Scirocco is hard to gauge right now. I get to work right now and all I can think about is home time because I get to drive the car again - not sure if I ever felt like that with the Scirocco (which I still think looks better, but the GTD is very good looking for a Golf with the best looking standard wheels I have seen on any VW IMO).

[RikkiG]

Steering wheel only has the VW badge, so suppose it is not a GTI, but then again I didn't order a GTI. The DVLA document records it as a GTI so I suppose I had better get the position clarified.
Still not heard back from the dealer about my lack of memory seats so it looks like I'll have to "remind" them.
On the positive side it's a great car to drive and loving all the gadgets !

[jv808]

My V5 registration document has my GT listed as "Golf GT Bluemotion Tech TDi" with "Max net power (k/W): 110" - equivalent to 150PS.

[maisbitt]

My V5 registration document has my GT listed as "Golf GT Bluemotion Tech TDi" with "Max net power (k/W): 110" - equivalent to 150PS.

My V5 document arrived yesterday and it is the red covered one that has you as a keeper, not an owner. I am the owner - I never took out VW finance to buy it. They messed up and I am going to need a new V5 - I haven't checked the finer details yet to ensure they are correct. Changed actuator to "normal", sounds much closer to the Scirocco and not over the top like the "sports" setting for the actuator is.

[Guest 2]

My V5 document arrived yesterday and it is the red covered one that has you as a keeper, not an owner.

They're all like that now.

[RikkiG]

I thought that the GTI - 2.0 GTD was 185 PS, according to the online configurator, starting at £25K, as opposed to a "New Golf" GT 2.0, starting at £22K. Presume Road Tax could be a possible future issue as GTI/GTD is up to over £100, but GT only up to £30. I guess my car is a New Golf GT 2.0 TDI which is the only 150 PS variant as far as I can see. When ordered in March the book implied DRLs without specifying them as an option, so the logical assumption is they were standard, at least with Xenons. The small book does however clearly offer memory seats and that is where I am trying for my compensation.

I just rechecked my V5C, and mine is as JV's "Golf GT Bluemotion Tech TDi" with "Max net power (k/W): 110". Does your steering wheel have the GTD or GTI badge JV ? Also on rear door says 2.) GTD, Bluemotion - is that the same as yours ?

How can I tell if it is a 30 model etc ?

Too many "GT" & close variants for me !!

[DW58]

I thought that the GTI - 2.0 GTD was 185 PS, according to the online configurator, starting at £25K, as opposed to a "New Golf" GT 2.0, starting at £22K. Presume Road Tax could be a possible future issue as GTI/GTD is up to over £100, but GT only up to £30. I guess my car is a New Golf GT 2.0 TDI which is the only 150 PS variant as far as I can see. When ordered in March the book implied DRLs without specifying them as an option, so the logical assumption is they were standard, at least with Xenons. The small book does however clearly offer memory seats and that is where I am trying for my compensation.

I just rechecked my V5C, and mine is as JV's "Golf GT Bluemotion Tech TDi" with "Max net power (k/W): 110". Does your steering wheel have the GTD or GTI badge JV ? Also on rear door says 2.) GTD, Bluemotion - is that the same as yours ?

How can I tell if it is a 30 model etc ?

Too many "GT" & close variants for me !!

Don't you know which model you ordered?

The GTi has a petrol engine with 220PS - it's marked "GTi" on the back door.
The GTD has a Diesel engine with 184PS - it's marked "GTD" on the back door.
The GT 2.0 TDi has a Diesel engine with 150PS and isn't marked "GT, GTD or GTi on the back door".

Are you now any closer to knowing which Golf you have? Perhaps post some photos and someone will help you? http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b212/HighlandSniper58/Emoticons/whistle-smilie.gif

[jv808]

I thought that the GTI - 2.0 GTD was 185 PS, according to the online configurator, starting at £25K, as opposed to a "New Golf" GT 2.0, starting at £22K. Presume Road Tax could be a possible future issue as GTI/GTD is up to over £100, but GT only up to £30. I guess my car is a New Golf GT 2.0 TDI which is the only 150 PS variant as far as I can see. When ordered in March the book implied DRLs without specifying them as an option, so the logical assumption is they were standard, at least with Xenons. The small book does however clearly offer memory seats and that is where I am trying for my compensation.

I just rechecked my V5C, and mine is as JV's "Golf GT Bluemotion Tech TDi" with "Max net power (k/W): 110". Does your steering wheel have the GTD or GTI badge JV ? Also on rear door says 2.) GTD, Bluemotion - is that the same as yours ?

How can I tell if it is a 30 model etc ?

Too many "GT" & close variants for me !!

Rikki, mine just has the VW badge on the steering wheel and 2.0L TDi Bluemotion badge on the rear hatch. I'm quite confused with your car. It's like they've mixed up badges with the model. I think it's a serious issue and you should be due some recompense as your options spec are off the scale :) Yes, I had the same issue with the LED's back in February, it was implied by the adverts & brochures but not actually available till April 2013, so I cancelled my February order and had it re-entered on April. It was a real pain before I got a straight answer from VW UK (the salesman excelled himself in chasing Milton Keynes HQ).

[maisbitt]

Doesn't sound like you have a GTD if it doesn't have a GTD badge in the front grille, a GTD badge on the boot (and no other badges except the VW emblem which is the boot opening handle), and an interior that looks like this:-

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

Front grille with badge:-

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

I'm pretty sure you have a 2.0TDI 150PS GT.

[RikkiG]

Maisbitt - Agreed, it is a 2.0 TDi 150PS GT. For me, it is the final GT that confuses the issue, as a diesel GT would naturally be called a GTD, but not so !!
My interior looks very similar to yours, but you have a different gear knob.

That leaves me to fight for the lack of memory seats, which don't seem to exist, and no LED DRLs !

JV - If I had known it wouldn't have LED DRLs before delivery I would have re-ordered, but I assumed that I would have them.

[mcmaddy]

Maisbitt - Agreed, it is a 2.0 TDi 150PS GT. For me, it is the final GT that confuses the issue, as a diesel GT would naturally be called a GTD, but not so !!
My interior looks very similar to yours, but you have a different gear knob.

That leaves me to fight for the lack of memory seats, which don't seem to exist, and no LED DRLs !

JV - If I had known it wouldn't have LED DRLs before delivery I would have re-ordered, but I assumed that I would have them.

a diesel GT is called GT TDI not GTD. massive difference.