Golf - fall to bits and are hideously expensive to fix

[JustCruisn]

I saw this article on News.com.au
The best pre-loved family cars | News.com.au

The VW Golf, Peugeot 307 and Holden Astra are sweet drives but can also fall to bits and are hideously expensive to fix and service.

Skoda Roomster
It's a Volkswagen with a Czech badge, so the usual warnings apply about dubious reliability and high servicing costs.

Geez talk about a bad wrap.
I know my Golf is more reliable than their 1st pick the Lancer, having owned both. And the servicing of the VW is a lot less as it only goes in every 15,000km not 5,000km like most Jap cars.
Our Mazda 121 usually cost less per year to service, but not always, it needs oil and filter twice per year. On a KM basis the Golf cost less.

[kamold]

My own (limited) personal experience with VAG cars thus far has been very good.

If you use a specialist mechanic rather than the dealers it seems that service costs are pretty reasonable.

It seems like a lot of the bad press is based around experiences in the US, and the very flawed JDPower surveys. If VAG cars really were as bad as the 'reputation' made them out to be why are they consistently gaining market share in almost every market segment and country in the world?

VAG go out there and put new tech into mass market vehicles (eg DSG, direct injection engines) that may have some teething problems as they reach maturity, but the alternative is to make something old hat like a Corolla with a four speed torque convertor transmission and terribly inefficient petrol engine for its size...

[Mk3 AAA]

Who cares what they say it's on a site called news.com.au? It's conjecture without facts.

Granted our experience with Euros has been that they cost more to maintain over that of an Australian or Japanese car...generally speaking, and mostly at the latter end of the cars life (the family has had a lot of cars, probably 50 odd since '98 ), but he hasn't backed his harsh remarks with any factual evidence just assumptions he's made...making this about as reputable as a boostcruising post. I have reservations about Euros when they fall outside warranty as they do have the potential to land you in a pretty nasty spot (price up an Audi gearbox), granted this is the same with many other cars including the ZFs in Aussie cars. Euros as a whole remain a premium in Aus and the general gist of what he's saying probably has merit, just needs to be more specific as it's relative to brand/model/condition.....

Another case of slack research and straight to press (see a current affair, today tonight ). Anyone armed with google and Word 95 onwards could have produced this article.

Harsh? Well so are the Australian conditions. :p

[readerr0r]

Just a small note, this was published on April 01, 2012 at 12:00AM

[Mk3 AAA]

Just a small note, this was published on April 01, 2012 at 12:00AM

So I've been fooled and Euros are cheap and reliable?... yesssssssssss.

[mikinoz]

If I had to service a Lancer every 5000km, I would be at the dealer every month/5 weeks.

Our Peugeot 308 TDI is cheaper and more reliable to run than our MKV TDI Sportline was, both 103KW TDI engines as well as being cheaper to buy - an no less really as a car.

It is all conjecture really.

[brimway]

I suffer from withdrawal symptoms if I haven't driven my European (read VW Golf) car for even a few days. Can honestly say that I never had this problem with the Aussie, Japanese cars I've owned in the past.

[Speed]

Japanese cars may be reliable but my mk4 golf has a much stronger chassis/floor pan then any Lancer.
I used to have a cc lancer coupe with 200hp at the treads.
It was great and servicing was easy but my golf is a lot more solid and comfortable.. and stronger, which gives a fair bit of piece of mind.

[Spyda]

mmmm, finding out that my GF's bora's gearbox will cost $3500 to sort out and that her motor is also prone to ****ting itself I have been turned off new euro cars.
Not to mention you don't really get much of car for the amount that they costs and what they costs to fix, its small on the inside, big on the outside, slow, not really fuel economical for how slow it is, the ride is average if you can get comfortable in the overly sporty seats and ive had less rattles and squeaks in a mk2. The only real upside is that it looks good and has a big boot.
I can't see much difference with the newer models either, a small, slow, uncomfortable car for a lot of money and prone to very expensive problems.
It seems as if they are only good for their warranty period.
I also hear many stories of the DSG needing repairs very early on as well as being very complicated to fix. Not just VW either, speaking to a couple of mechanics and from a little of my own experience they are a pain to work on too with things being over complicated and to cramped.

BTW my GF bora is a 2L 8v Auto with 200,000km, my mk1 had 425,000km the 8v ran fine and the gearbox was tired at worst.

The commodore on the other hand, same money, same age, 10 times as much car.

[eskimo_unltd]

VWs imo are bulletproof. My dad had the same veedub beetle for about 20 years and didn't miss a beat. My vento has had no issues since i got it. Yes, euro car parts may be more expensive, but they break less. That's the theory anyway!

[phantomcamel]

Learn to drive "manual" and you will have years of undiluted fun!

But seriously...

1. yes, there have been issues with some of the DSGs - if you are looking at the DSGs sold versus the "issues" having had, you'll find the % is not that high - DSGs are being replaced under warranty & the car is as new. ALL manufacturers have "issues" and as good as the DSG is, it is very complicated from a technical point
2. using the POLO90 TSi as an example, it has won an award for lowest cost of ownership (3 years) last year