How much better is the Golf VII over the Golf VI?

[icebun]

I am due to change my car early next year and have considered moving to a Golf VII from my existing VI.


For those that have already done this can I ask the following questions:-


Q/
Is the new 2.0 TDI 150 BHP is significantly more refined than the previous 2.0 TDI 138 BHP is terms of noise and vibration at idle and when under load?


Q/
In winter, my car takes around 10-15mins to reach optimum temperature. How much faster is it now?


Q/
This will be a company car purchase so I would be interested if anyone switched from Diesel to Petrol because of the lower BIK charges which could end up balancing the books. My annual mileage is around 17-18K and I am considering the sacrifice on the MPG for the extra refinement if there is a minimum hit on the pocket overall.


Q/
How do do you rate overall road noise at motorway speeds in the later model? The problem seems to always be tyre roar so I was wondering if this area has improved.


Q/
In the Golf VI in summer, I have an issue where the door pillars would creak, requiring a spot of WD40. Has this been cured on the new model?


Q/
Are the lights used for the interior boot and licence plates LED? For the boot, is it a single light or is there an option for one either side for better illumination?


Q/
Is the handling better?


If there are any other comparisons I might of missed out worth mentioning, please let me know.


Thanks.

[maisbitt]

I have come from a Scirocco 170TDI to a MK7 GTD (manual), and the MK7 TDI fuel economy seems poor unless you are a high miler (which it appears you are). In the Scirocco I could drive it hard(ish) all day and get 50mpg (and that had no eco tech on it). With the MK7 I find the DPF regenning a lot and I get 47mpg if it isn’t regenning and 45mpg if it is. From other peoples accounts, it seems that the 150PS 2.0TDI unit from the GT doesn’t fare much better for most people either. Choice of fuel seems a big thing with the MK7 TDI. Shell V-power gives very poor mpg (but not many regens), some people reporting the best mpg are filling up with Tesco’s own! My mpg will not reflect what you get. I haven’t done a long journey yet, mainly commuting. My dad has a MK7 GTD DSG, and even driving Southampton to Newcastle (350 miles) recently, he was maintaining 85mph on the motorway via the active cruise control and got 53mpg for the journey (not bad considering the combined mpg figure for his is 60mpg).

The new MK7 is a huge jump in refinement over the MK6 and Scirocco, the car feels slower than it actually is because it’s change in pace is so smooth in both engine terms and ride composure. If you’re diesel adverse and 150PS is more than enough for you, have you considered the 1.4TSI ACT (140PS) instead? It is approaching diesel economy with its 2 cylinder mode when under reduced load etc (some people here reporting 50mpg – better than most 2.0TDIers), I assume the CO2 output leads to favourable taxation considerations too as official combined mpg is around 59mpg.

I find that my GTD is quicker to warm up on water temp than my Scirocco, but slower on oil temp. For fuel economy, I wouldn’t expect miracles in mpg – those 20% gains over the previous gen that are getting quoted seem to be achieved because of the newer way the cars are being tested rather than serious engineering advancements. I was realistically expecting an average of 55mpg from my “67mpg” (combined cycle) GTD, reality is more like 45mpg.

Tyre roar is subjective – depending on what tyres are used, but the MK7 does seem to be a little more insulated from the outside. Tyre choices fitted seem to be Continentals (OK grip in all conditions but quite noisy), Bridgestone Potenza S001 (have these on mine, very quiet but wet grip is terrible), Dunlop SP01 (good grip but very easily susceptible to pothole damage via sidewall bulges – went through 3 of these in my first winter on my Scirocco). My front passenger window squeaks against the rubber seal, unless you add a bit of “gummy pfledge” or just touch the switch to allow the window to drop a smidge. License plates are LED (on the GTD at least), but boot light isn’t (an LED festoon bulb 42mm length can be bought from ebay for about £1).

From a cost point of view, despite the GTD costing more (list price) than the GT 2.0TDI 150, the monthly cost of owning one via PCP/lease etc is almost exactly the same (literally a fiver a month between them) because the GTD holds its value much better. A GTD has GFV of 56% vs 47% for the GT. So the car costs about £2k more RRP, but depreciates about £2k less over 3 years, making the 3 year cost of ownership around the same. The GTD and GT 2.0TDIs are around the same for fuel economy on the motorways, and on a CO2 output basis there are only a few g of CO2 between them (my 5 door GTD is 109g CO2/Km, vs 107 for the 150GT).

[J400uk]

From my experiences so far (don't own one yet) the Mk7 is a much bigger jump from the Mk6 than the Mk6 was from the Mk5. Feels very refined and sophisticated. I've only tried out the 1.4 TSI 140 which drives exceptionally well. Felt a lot more urgent than my current 1.4 TSI 122. Its Co2 emissions are virtually the same as the 2.0 TDI 150 so would indeed make sense for a company car driver.

Oh and maisbitt is correct about GTD residuals, I too have noticed they are basically the same price as the 150 TDI on PCP. Definitely a good buy! Spec a bit odd though as GTD loses the Sat Nav which GT included.

[maisbitt]

Oh and maisbitt is correct about GTD residuals, I too have noticed they are basically the same price as the 150 TDI on PCP. Definitely a good buy! Spec a bit odd though as GTD loses the Sat Nav which GT included.

Although it loses £700 satnav, it gains a £1200 lighting set with Bixenons and LED everything else. Not bothered about satnav myself, but if you want both then i'd rather pay £700 for the satnav than £1200 for the lights. The lights look amazing front and back, the difference between halogens and Xenons in use are like light and day.

[andyCYM]

You really need an opinion from someone who's swapped model for model.

That said, I went from a Mk6 GTD to a Mk7 1.4ACT GT. The Mk7 is a far better car on every count apart from front seat comfort and I think it's more enjoyable to drive. This petrol engine feels seriously quick and there's no lack of torque. The stop / start is hardly noticeable. 50mpg on the motorway if you stick to 70-75mph, 43mpg long term average.

The door trim doesn't squeek (& no rattles in mine after 8.5k miles), handling is lighter and definitely better.

Sadly my company 1.4 goes back in January. I'm sorting a private purchase so I drove a 2.0TDI GT at the weekend. That was much more refined than the Mk6 GTD, but unsurprisingly not as quiet as the Mk7 1.4 GT. The 1.4 feels faster and I think it's the better car, but I bought the 2.0 because I'm expecting to do 18k miles and as a private buy it works out cheaper. May be less clear cut with BIK taken into account.

Of course, the only way to be sure is to get in a mk7 yourself. If you drive a 1.4 GT you may not be able to resist.

I think another big + compared to the Mk6 is the adaptive cruise control. Leccy handbrake with autohold is good too.

Good luck.

[icebun]

Hey AndyCM,

Thanks for your latest comments.

The Golf VI SE that I drive has been specified in such a way to be an equivalent GT because I found the GT seats too narrow for my shoulders.

I am interested in your comments regarding the Golf VII GT seats. May I ask what the issue is with them?

From the sound of it, in terms of maximum refinement, the ACT is the way to go (discounting MPG and even BIK). Good to know even if I end up with the 2.0 TDI, it is much nicer than the previous generation.

[andyCYM]

It might be a height thing (I'm 6ft 1) but I find the angle of the seat cushion is too flat so there's not enough support at the front of the cushion. I found the same with an SE I've driven. By contrast the Mk 6 GTD seats were superb.

If only it had an Audi-style independent front / rear height adjustment and extendable cushion...

Also, subjective I know but I think the Mk7 GT upholstery is naff - outer parts are obviously nylon and the alcantara always looks dirty when its not. All grey (which I have) looks better than grey / black, but again that's just my opinion!

Yes, 1.4 wins hands down for refinement. Although the torque figure is lower it has lower gearing then the 2.0 so it feels much faster through the gears. I shall miss it.