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View Full Version : Comparing the Golf SV with the Golf Plus



CJJE
24-08-2014, 10:21 AM
I saw a Golf SV SE in a local dealer's showroom yesterday, and was able to compare it with my present Golf Plus. (It seemed to have no added options other than metallic paint.)

My first impressions were favourable:
- the front seats have a greater range of movement (I can actually push the driver's seat too far back!),
- while the rear seat legroom is as impressive as the Golf Plus,
- and the extra boot space is always welcome as I have to slide the rear seats forward whenever we go on holiday,
- I'm not sure if the storage hole under the armrest is big enough to take my TomTom XXL though and will have to try it for size,
- I was delighted to find the 12v socket for my TomTom was placed in front of the gear lever and not by the armrest as in the Golf 7 (so no trailing power leads over the gear lever),
- a useful storage compartment on top of the dashboard if you don't have the Climatronic Air-Con'
- Aztec Gold turns out to be a light metallic sandy gold and not the much darker colours shown in the brochure or the configurator!

But you lose the Golf Plus':
- excellent 'clap hands' windscreen wipers,
- footwell lights,
- the rear indicators don't seem as visible,
- and annoyingly there's no cover for the spare wheel under the moveable boot floor. (I doubt that the one from my Golf Plus is big enough - will VW be selling one as an accessory perhaps? Or can I make one up myself?)

Overall, I'm looking forward to getting one next year!

Bengeo
24-08-2014, 08:35 PM
Interesting to see your report as I have been looking at the Golf SV. How does the moveable boot floor work? Does it give you any extra space?

One reason for looking at this car is the larger expandable boot. I've been disappointed to find that there is no cover for the gap at the top of the boot if you move the back seats forward. Also there doesn't seem to be anything to stop small items falling under the seats from the boot with the back seats moved forward. Can you give any advice on how this works on the Plus and what you have found on the SV?

Thanks,

Andy

CJJE
25-08-2014, 10:29 AM
Interesting to see your report as I have been looking at the Golf SV. How does the moveable boot floor work? Does it give you any extra space?

One reason for looking at this car is the larger expandable boot. I've been disappointed to find that there is no cover for the gap at the top of the boot if you move the back seats forward. Also there doesn't seem to be anything to stop small items falling under the seats from the boot with the back seats moved forward. Can you give any advice on how this works on the Plus and what you have found on the SV?

Thanks,

Andy

Hi Andy,

Taking your queries in order:

In the Golf Plys and SV, the moveable boot floor is a rigid panel that can either sit on top of the spare wheel at the base of the boot, or be slotted into some side supports some 3 inches or so above the spare wheel. So when it is in the lower position it maximises the height of the boot space. (I usually keep mine in the higher position as that gives me a covered space to keep things like jump leads, a tyre pressure gauge, walking boots and poles etc out of sight and out of the way.) In the Golf Plus there is also a layer of carpet that stops these bits getting mixed up with the spare wheel.

As you say, when you slide the rear seats forward, there is a gap in front of the parcel shelf and behind the base of the seats. In practice I only have the seats in this position when we're going on holiday and I need to get all our luggage (without folding down the back seats and having it exposed). I put items like soft briefcases, and bags in the gap behind the base of the seats so nothing can slide under the seat, and fill the gap in front of the parcel shelf with folded coats lying lengthways. Then when the car is unattended it is not too obvious that the boot is stuffed full, and all people can see are coats lying on the parcel shelf.

Chris

Bengeo
25-08-2014, 01:47 PM
Hi Chris,

Thanks for the info. I'll have to go back to the showroom and have another play.

Andy

Bob_S
28-08-2014, 01:43 PM
I saw a Golf SV for the first time today, but I won't be buying one. With the seat in the lowest position and pushed as far back as it will go I found I had plenty of leg room but I was most surprised to find that my forward visibility compromised by the level of the upper part of the windscreen being too low for me

thorne
05-10-2014, 06:57 PM
I prefer the traditional wipers, the clap hands on my Plus were the same as on a left-hand drive so the trailing blade left residual water on the drivers side of the screen. Either the seat position is very different in the SV or they have moved the A pillar because I don't have the problems I had in the Plus when going round blind sharp bends and not being able to see without moving my upper body slightly. The DSG doesn't handle the extra power as smoothly but I'm sure that will improve with time.

CJJE
06-10-2014, 10:15 AM
I prefer the traditional wipers, the clap hands on my Plus were the same as on a left-hand drive so the trailing blade left residual water on the drivers side of the screen. Either the seat position is very different in the SV or they have moved the A pillar because I don't have the problems I had in the Plus when going round blind sharp bends and not being able to see without moving my upper body slightly. The DSG doesn't handle the extra power as smoothly but I'm sure that will improve with time.

It's good to hear that the A pillar is less intrusive, and I'd be interested to know which engine you have. My Golf Plus is a 1.6TDI DSG, which I've found very responsive, but I'm thinking of switching to the 1.4TSI (125 PS) DSG for the SV as I'm only doing around 9,000 miles a year now.

I've also been looking at the BMW 218i Active Tourer, but getting frustrated with their website which won'y let you download a detailed price list, doesn't explain what the various options do, and don't let you print out the brochure! Even the local dealers admit it's bad, but confirm that the 218 AT doesn't seem to offer a blind spot monitor :( The boot on the 218 AT looks good too until you realise the cars in the showrooms don't have the optional spare wheel fitted.

Chris

thorne
06-10-2014, 09:13 PM
Just got round to updating my signature. I do around 15-20k miles per annum and am happy to toodle along in the mid sixties getting approx. 60 mpg.