Mk7 Golf TSI & TDI - Observations and Questions

[kensell21]

Hi Brad.

Thanks again..

ahh your right colour is colour.. [emoji6].. just realised there are products like clear wrap available. My car is two years old. I thought I'd need to get the cars paint looked at before looking at those products..

I'll definitely look at that when we come back.

The guys at Bunnings will think I've got a lot of painting to do [emoji4]






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[kensell21]

Mk7 Golf TSI & TDI - Observations and Questions



Hi Brad
Just a picture of the the car ready to go!!
I'm currently at Broken Hill after 1,000 kms via Mildura. Blustery winds over 42c but the car drove well and all good so far.
When I return after a pro clean, I'm hoping to decide on a clear film or opticoat




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[R_LINE]

Anyone here ever attempt to install a BOV on their mk7?

If i install one will it need tuning or anything additional? Will their be cons other then cops not liking it?

Sorry I don't know much about this stuff. I'm more a visual guy. I don't know much about mechanical stuff.

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[kensell21]

Now this is not suppose to be a travel post but the car is still going strong apart from a little dirt. [emoji4]


Having lunch at Menindee lakes.

Hmm I was hoping my next golf was going to be a GTI, looks like it might have to be a Alltrack [emoji18]


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[Dan_3MPS]

New Comfortline DSG or 1 year old Highline TDI DSG hatch?

Hi All - need some opinions and advice from experienced Mk7 owners. My partner is looking to get a new car, she's narrowed it down to Golf (new or used), A3 (used) or Mazda 3 (new).

We looked at a very nice 2015 MY16 Highline TDI with the R-Line pack today at a non-VW dealer, however it had quite high km's (37000km) for only one year of use (delivered new in Jan 2016). The changeover price requested has been met, however it will need tyres in the next 10000km. Otherwise all appeared in excellent condition, I didn't drive it but passengered and it was good. It has two years factory warranty remaining.

We're visiting a VW dealer tomorrow to discuss a new Comfortline, hopefully changeover works out to about the same, most probably for a 2016 MY16, although 2016 MY17 could happen.

Any thoughts on which way to go? Car will primarlily be used for city commutes, although some longer highway trips once/twice a month may happen (which we use my Mk6 GTI for at the moment). She has never owned a new car before so that and the Highline TDI not being the exact colour also weigh in to the decision.

All thoughts and input appreciated! Heading down the road to see if we can get a drive of a Mazda 3 SP25 now

[Ozsko]

A one year old car should price should reflect the depreciation hit that they all take in the first year. The comfortline will take the same hit so in some ways the year old car is a better value buy.

[Guest001]

A petrol one would be better for mainly city driving. Diesels are better for long runs. Get them hot and keep them hot.
I only use mine when going far enough to get it that way.

Personally I would go for an upspec Mazda 3. Several friends have them and have had a good run out of them.

[Dan_3MPS]

Thanks Good point for in city re: petrol vs. diesel.

Just drove the SP25, motor sounded like a tractor and quite a boomy cabin! She noticed the torque deficit in the low RPM ranges compared to the VW motors...interesting that a 'non-car' person would pick that up so quickly. Looks like the SP25 is out of contention but good to drive it for comparison sake.

[Dan_3MPS]

And...Highline vs. Comfortline. Leather is not a huge deal (Qld...gets hot)

Is the difference between the 92kw and 110kw just a tune or is it hardware also (turbo etc)? Trying to work out if the cost difference is worth it to go up to Highline from Comfortline aside from the extra power.

[agentthumb]

New Comfortline DSG or 1 year old Highline TDI DSG hatch?

And...Highline vs. Comfortline. Leather is not a huge deal (Qld...gets hot)

Is the difference between the 92kw and 110kw just a tune or is it hardware also (turbo etc)? Trying to work out if the cost difference is worth it to go up to Highline from Comfortline aside from the extra power.

There is a review of the MY15 golfs comparing the comfort line against highline on CarAdvice.

If missing gear from the highline spec is not a deal breaker for you, then comfort line is the sweet spot in that you get all the stuff you really need, and cheaper price.

Apparently power difference between the two is negligible. I almost agree having driven both, however I felt there is just a little bit missing in the comfort line, not sure if it's just psychological tho on my part and only noticeable when driven back to back


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[Dan_3MPS]

I note you have one of each! (diesel vs. petrol)

Any pros/cons for each from your ownership experience worth sharing?

[agentthumb]

I note you have one of each! (diesel vs. petrol)

Any pros/cons for each from your ownership experience worth sharing?

Glad to share my experience

Upfront disclosure. The comparison below compares a Highline 110TDI diesel (110kw/ 320nm) against a Highline 103TSI petrol (103kw / 250nm). The comfort line petrol only loses a few KW, but a whopping 50nm of torque compared to the Highline petrol. While I didn't notice this driving them back to back with the car unladen, I cannot speak to how the comfort line petrol would drive when fully loaded.

In my opinion, without stepping into the performance range, the diesel is more of a driver's car given it's ridiculous amount of torque to the front wheels. However, not all of it is useable tho as a lot of the time when you apply moderate throttle with your foot, you just get smoke and noise.

The petrol on the other hand is better at putting it's available torque to the ground. This is not to say you can use all of it tho, go past 50% throttle on take off, you will get wheel spin even on dry roads. (I guess this further demonstrates how ridiculous the torque in the diesel is in the fwd configuration).

In terms of daily drive, we definitely have to make a point of taking the diesel for a longer drive once in a while to clean out the DPF, it's usually driven in city traffic so this step is important to not prematurely wear out the DPF.

I have had 4 adults + luggage in the petrol, or the camping trip where the car is loaded to the roof with 2 adults. The car pulls and overtakes just fine, so you don't have to worry about weight eroding away the available torque in the petrol.

The 6 speed DSG in the diesel is definitely less hesitant than the 7 speed DSG found in the petrol. The best I can describe it is the diesel takes off from stand still more like a traditional automatic, where as the petrol has more hesitation and feels more like a manual. You learn to adapt your driving to the petrol DSG tho. But you definitely notice the difference jumping from the petrol into the diesel.

For petrol, there is noticeable DSG hesitation from slow rolling speed to take off. Ie. when you slow to a roll to the entry of a roundabout and apply power to enter and exit the roundabout. I never noticed this hesitation in the diesel, but this is reproducible every time in the petrol. It's not dangerous, just catches you off guard if you are not expecting it the first time. Again, I've learned to anticipate it and adapt to it.

Last mechanical point, the diesel has been pretty good mechanically, nothing to fault. The petrol has had a wastegate rattle (also mentioned by other forum members) since just before it's first service at 15k. It doesn't affect the drivability of the car, but can be a little annoying at times. I've learned to ignore it. Having said that, I'm actively working with VW to get this resolved. Waiting to hear back from Germany for approval to replace the wastegate.

Earlier MK7 petrols had clutch pack issues (MY13 models). These were subsequently fixed. I have not had any clutch issues with my petrol.

Functionality wise, both diesel and petrol offer exactly the same thing inside and out, so nothing to add here. Also, if your budget will not stretch past a highline, take the comfort line and option the driver assistance package! Worth every penny! I would not get another car without the technology that comes in the package


Things to note for ongoing cost:

Both cars need to have brake fluid and pollen filter changed every 2 years. These items are not priced into the standard service schedule, can catch people off guard.

Diesel service is more expensive over the same lifetime compared to petrol. 6 speed DSG in the diesel takes DSG oil. This will set you back an extra $600-650 at the 60k mark, bring the 60k service to roughly $900 from the average $325. (If you do roughly 15k a year, this will run your 60k service into four digit territory when you do the brake fluid and pollen filter at the same time. Something to be mindful of.) I do believe VW has priced the DSG oil into their service schedule tho. (Edit, just checked. 60K service is $911 + pollen filter + brake fluid as required)

Petrol 7 speed is dry clutch. So no extra surprises other than the aforementioned pollen filter and brake fluid.



Which would I buy again? Both. If I know I'm going to do a lot of highway driving, or load the car up to the roof, or tow, diesel without a doubt. If I'm just driving to and from work with the occasional cross country trip, I'd get the petrol

Hopefully this has been informative for you Feel free to come back to me with any specific questions you have about either car.

[Dan_3MPS]

Fantastic response, thank you for taking the time to write that up!

Interesting comments re: the DSG behaviour between the 6 and 7 speed boxes. I have a Mk6 GTI, so same 6 spd DSG as the diesel and noted the 7 spd DSG differences in our drive the other day.

Good points about pollen filter and brake fluid too, I remember when they first popped up on mine as sneaky extras. Think my 60k service at VW was $1100 plus!

So...it's looking like a new Comfortline is the way to go. I think the available stock we are looking at doesn't come with the Driver Assistance Package which is a pity, need to read up more on it to see if it's a deal breaker.

[agentthumb]

New Comfortline DSG or 1 year old Highline TDI DSG hatch?

Fantastic response, thank you for taking the time to write that up!

Interesting comments re: the DSG behaviour between the 6 and 7 speed boxes. I have a Mk6 GTI, so same 6 spd DSG as the diesel and noted the 7 spd DSG differences in our drive the other day.

Good points about pollen filter and brake fluid too, I remember when they first popped up on mine as sneaky extras. Think my 60k service at VW was $1100 plus!

So...it's looking like a new Comfortline is the way to go. I think the available stock we are looking at doesn't come with the Driver Assistance Package which is a pity, need to read up more on it to see if it's a deal breaker.

No problem for me personally, the driver assistance pack is worth the wait.

Try another dealer to see if they can source a car with it for you. Sometimes even just a mention to your current dealer about the intention will see a magical car appear

They just have to do a swap with another dealer, more work


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[AdamD]

Issues with even late-build 7-speed dry clutch DQ200s still crop up from time to time. Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable buying a car with this gearbox knowing its history and the prevalence of clutchpack failures they've experienced. A manual TSI, no problem however. Obviously the TDI has its quirks too, but if your partner's commute is a long-ish one (the DPF takes around 30-40 minutes to properly warm up and become fully efficient, IIRC) then it might still be a suitable option. The 6-speed DQ250 is a very solid gearbox these days.