What drew you to buy a Golf ?

[ricksterrr]

Are you the guy that turned up for last Sat's GTG in the Civic Sport?

Nope, wasn't me. I hope he wasn't waxing lyrical over VTEC in a VW GTG.

[Beaker]

I'm curious as to what made you decide a Golf was the vehicle for you ?

Is it because its the world's greatest car ?
Build quality that only the Lord himself could improve on?
Cause its "fully sik" ?

Well . . . here's my story.

I have never owned a Golf. Previously owned a 1974 VW Superbug, sweet ride too, especially for a first vehicle. Few friends with Family VW buses and I was lucky to drive a Golf while I was in Germany. Pretty much always liked the VW's, but never really thought about buying. GTI was always a pipedream.

We decided a few months back to upgrade our aging Nissan Patrol 4wd. Started looking at options, other 4wds, Pajero, Prado, SUV's Suby Forester, VW Tiguan, larger cars, Falcon XR6 Turbo, Dunnydore SIDI. Eventually decided on a new XT Forester.

Started to get quotes etc and was offered a crappy $6k for my Patrol (still selling the things for $16 - $20k), who is shafting who.

So we decided to look at a smaller car for my wife.

Really like the Focus XR5 but only comes in a manual, but the really cool Orange
Checked out the bigger XR5 Mondeo
Mazda MPS (another Manual only)
Mazda 3 PS25 seemed a really good compromise at a decent price.
WRX and Lancer Ralliart.

And then, sitting across the road at the VW Dealer . . . GTI.

My Wife INSTANTLY feel in love with a Black one. I knew of the GTI reputation, and this was an "auto". As soon as the Salesmen explained the DSG gearbox we were sold. I didn't want an auto, my wife didn't want a manual. This seemed the Ultimate compromise but . . . $$$$$

Although the $$$ were available the GTI seemed excessive, so the decision was made to purchase a Mazda SP25. Decent pricing $35k onroad, decent equipment levels, decent reviews, decent vehicle.

and then . . . it happened.

After visiting a Mazda Dealer I was walking back to work, when I could hear this vehicle approaching, rather rapidly. Green arrow at the lights it was . . . . bang bang bang as it went back through the gears , bang bang bang as it went back up through the gears . . . A red Golf GTI

I was sold . . . it was the noise . . . how sweet it sounded.

Then of course , Wheels Car of the Year, I think Top Gear awarded it Car of the Year, European Safest Car of the Year, typically ranked highly (if not always the best) Hot Hatch of the Year.

Made paying more for a Golf GTI over a Mazda really really simple.

So there it is . . . I bought a $50k Golf GTI because it sounds so bloody good . . . oh yeah and the fact its a quality and awarded car was a bonus.

Hey Flappa.

Like you I looked at most of those cars.

My thoughts.

XR5 Focus (quick on paper - not so quick when you drive it). It feels sluggish and I wasn't sold on the interior (very nice engine note and yeah it looks the part).

Mazda 3 MPS - quick! out of all those I drove it was by far the quickest off the line. Crappy steering feel, crappy ride and the torque steer was so bad I was sick of it after 5 minutes of giving it a hurry along. Very good equipment level stock though.

WRX - this was the only real contender to the GTI, but poor interior, lack of equipment and general ugliness, made it fall by the wayside (oh and for me its a big step down in performance from the XR6T anyway so why bother going for the 'fastest of the hot hatches').

Skoda VRS - nice car and could have gone this way, but why buy the copy when you can have the real thing for not much more.

Reno Megane - very nice to drive, nice equipment level, but man its been bashed with the ugly stick a lot.

Lancer Rallyart - as you well know I'm a big Mitsubishi fan, and my rally car was a Lancer - but this is biggest heap of rubbish I've ever driven - seriously Mitsubishi what were you thinking! Poor ride, poor handling, sluggish off the line and the DSG gearbox is nothing short of rubbish (they'd have been better putting the Trimatic box out of 1969 Kingswood into it.) I'm normaly very polite to sales people but on getting out of it and being asked what I thought, without thinking I said it was an embarssment to the marque.


That left Golfie - the GTI I drove was a bit poor performance wise (but I had just stepped out of a 270KW Falcon ) The ride was excellent, the handling excellent, the build quality is sensational (I drive a Falcon - they are all put togther by Joe and Fred with a hammer and nails).

I loved the GTI straight away - I'd really love the 'R' but can't wait or justify the cost. If I can slide it past my lease company I might chip the GTI on the sly to give it a little more jump. But otherwise there really wasn't a serious contender.

[cme2c]

My wife had had a 2007 Accord Euro Luxury for pushing 2 years. We started looking at cars, as it seemed thee were some deals around. She did find the Honda a bit too big, and wanted a hatch again (we traded a Peugeot 307 on the Honda). Safety is a big issue with us.

Our options were Corolla Levin ZR, Mazda3 SP25, Subaru Impreza, Lancer, Honda Civic Si and Golf.

The Honda was the fist eliminated. $40k+ and not even a rear wiper.

My wife has a quick check of build quality. Open and shut a door and the glovebox.

Goodbye Lancer and Impreza.

The Mazda wasn't bad, and we have a friend who is very happy with her SP23. Satnav was a must, however and the small screen and unusual input method in the Mazda eliminated that.

Then we drove the Golf. Blown away by the quietness. Surprised by the power. There's no way it sounds like a 1.4. Impressed by the front and rear sensors. The camera and automatic parking a bonus, So we ordered it. Wish there were more colours but we have had the 118TSI, DSG, Black, RNS 510, DynAudio, foglights, park assist, rear view camera and tint since September.

Getting 8.4l/100km in suburban driving as opposed to 10.4 -10.6 in both the Honda and Peugeot. Happy with that.

Got 5.8 on a country trip, and to think I was happy at 7.1 in the Honda under similar circumstances.

If there is one criticism of the Golf it is that it's so competent it's a bit boring. It can feel a bit isolated from the road. This does not bother my wife, who loves her Golf.

My wife complains that going over lane markers in my 206GTi Peugeot is like going over speed humps. Not boring, and a feel of "connectedness" to the road. But I have to try really hard to keep up with her boring Golf in a straight line.