90 TSI reliability (or buy a 103 TDI)

[Frankenstrat]

Well, naturally enough I'm biased towards the 103TDI manual. Excellent fuel economy, I only put BP Ultimate Diesel in the tank, it costs around $100/month. I've just passed 61,000km and it's just celebrated its third birthday.

Yes, the 103TDI/MT combination is difficult to find, and for some reason VWA have decided it's no longer an option.

[Umai Naa!!]

Well, naturally enough I'm biased towards the 103TDI manual. Excellent fuel economy, I only put BP Ultimate Diesel in the tank, it costs around $100/month. I've just passed 61,000km and it's just celebrated its third birthday.

Yes, the 103TDI/MT combination is difficult to find, and for some reason VWA have decided it's no longer an option.

Odd, because manual diesels are the cheapest to service.

[Tornado_ALIVE]

Someone told me Euro vehicles typically have soft rotors which wear reasonably quickly. When replacing, replace them with harder aftermarket units.

[ian]

When I had my Golf V Gt serviced last week I was told that my front pads were 80% but the rears were only 40% Is it usual for the rears to wear out twice as fast as the fronts and ive only done 55,000km,and I hardly use the brakes I always back off way before I have to brake.

[Corr]

Hey Umai Naa
If I remember correctly brakes were done at 60k.
Cheers
Corr

[Tornado_ALIVE]

When I had my Golf V Gt serviced last week I was told that my front pads were 80% but the rears were only 40% Is it usual for the rears to wear out twice as fast as the fronts and ive only done 55,000km,and I hardly use the brakes I always back off way before I have to brake.

Fronts do about 70% of the breaking.

[Captain Courteous]

I have the 90 in manual... best car I've owned... No major issues to report from me

TDI is great too... it was the model I was looking at first but by mid 2011 VW stopped selling them in manual (transmission was a deal breaker for me at the time)

I'd suggest driving both on the same day if you can... good luck mate!

[Mountainman]

I've been running my Golf and Forester (and a Forester before that) at the same time - in both cars nearly every day and doing way above the average distance. One of the cars just keeps growing and growing in my estimation (and it isn't the Golf) because of its completely trouble free and almost maintainance free behaviour. It doesn't have that very special tasteful design of the Golf but when you experience the oil use, turbo water pump replacements and then the rear pads and rotors wearing out by 60,000km, that "specialness" fades rapidly. Then I look at my brother's 118 TSI DSG and see similar problems plus the 2 engine replacements and gearbox problems and see his rear pads and rotors only lasting 45,000km and I wonder if VW really know how to design and build cars that can make customers happy. I've had too much experience with reliable, durable Jap cars that are still great to drive now to put up with VW's problems crap. There seem to be plenty of Golf owners who think it is normal to experience what I have experienced but then they have probably come from some other European brand where they have also had the same experiences and take that as being the norm.

[craig_the_german]

I have just got back from a work trip in my 90TSI. 500km round trip from Brisbane, up the Toowoomba Range, out to Dalby and back.
Average fuel consumption for the trip 5.1L/100km.....that's almost diesel consumption.....

[jessv3]

Average fuel consumption for the trip 5.1L/100km.....that's almost diesel consumption.....

Thats pretty impressive but then again all of golf range has impressive fuel consumption, I can push my manual GTI down to 6.1/100 on a 500km freeway trip.

[Mountainman]

I have just got back from a work trip in my 90TSI. 500km round trip from Brisbane, up the Toowoomba Range, out to Dalby and back.
Average fuel consumption for the trip 5.1L/100km.....that's almost diesel consumption.....

My wife or I are doing that sort of running in our Golf almost every day and we always get in the very low 5's but have never got to 5 or below. It is almost as good as a friends Mk5 1.9 TDI manual that I drive a bit. Our Forester XT gets down to 7.8 under the same conditions, which I find almost as remarkable considering its weight, aerodynamics and performance.

[stickshift3000]

My wife or I are doing that sort of running in our Golf almost every day and we always get in the very low 5's but have never got to 5 or below. It is almost as good as a friends Mk5 1.9 TDI manual that I drive a bit. Our Forester XT gets down to 7.8 under the same conditions, which I find almost as remarkable considering its weight, aerodynamics and performance.

Some of these figures are impressive.

My 103 tdi gets as low as 4.4L/100 on the mfd (Albury > Melbourne > Ballarat), which even accepting up to 10% optimism is fantastic economy.

[DKC]

My 90TSI havne't missed a beat. However reports of problems does worry me.

[Tornado_ALIVE]

If I spot the right TDI manual for 20k, then I may quickly forget about a TSI.

Well, I spotted the right TDI. 2009 Mk 6 103 TDI manual. 94,000 km roadworthy and 4 x brand new tyres for 18k. Very happy owner. Have been thinking about getting the ECU remapped, then remember it is the wife's car. Save the mods for the Amarok.

[stickshift3000]

Well done.

Have been thinking about getting the ECU remapped, then remember it is the wife's car. Save the mods for the Amarok.

Get it done, better performance and economy.