The Golf scores high in the top-10 lists of new and second-hand cars. It’s no longer the best-selling new car in the Netherlands. The cars are expensive here, but it does very well as a second-hand car. It’s not hard to understand why it’s doing so well. Volkswagen has been consistent in their marketing of the Golf. The design is recognizable but not too exciting. We just saw a Renault Mégane with the weird butt.I like it, but I can imagine others don’t. The Golf has always been a Golf. We can discuss wether the quality makes it a reliable car or not, but it feels sturdy. It feels that way. I’m not saying it is sturdy, but it feels like that. The materials are pretty, it doesn’t rattle, it has nice details, and things look good. That works. It’s no Rolls-Royce or a very expensive Mercedes, but it’s a little bit premium. That’s nice. There’s a choice in engines. Wonderful. It goes from 100 hp to over 300 hp for the Golf R.There’s a wide choice. The diesel engines are economical too. They’re nice. There’s an electric version and plug-in hybrid as well. ENGINES gasoline, diesel, electric and hybrid There are different body types: 3-doors, 5-doors, convertible, wagon, Golf Plus or Sportsvan… That’s the taller Golf. There’s a lot of choice. This Golf VII was introduced at the end of 2007 and it received a facelift at the end of 2016. We’re mainly talking about the normal Golf VII now, which is this one. The facelift is often called the VII.5 There haven’t been many changes. You can’t really tell from the outside. There have been some technology updates.The Golf is so popular we only have time to talk about the pre-facelift car. It uses the MQB platform. It shares technology with the Audi A3, Seat León, Škoda Kodiaq, Octavia, Ateca SUV, and Tiguan. They’re using this technology in other models, which means they’re producing high numbers and the Volkswagen Group can pay more attention to things. The technology follows the current trends. A lot of cars are for sale on AutoTrack; over 3,000 of this generation Golf. Prices… If you dare to choose a well-used Golf VII with 250,000 km (155,000 miles) on the clock, prices start at 10,000 euros.They go up quickly because new cars are for sale too. There’s a car for every budget. PRICES minimum, maximum If you don’t want this Golf… I’d prefer a Golf VII over a Golf VI. A Golf VII, to get ahead of the things to watch out for, is sturdier than a Golf
VI. Alternatives are the Volkswagen Polo, Mégane, Focus, Astra, Alfa Giulietta… I could list all the hatchbacks in the C segment. The reliability or things to watch out for. You can think a lot of things about the Golf, but that’s because of the sales figures. Many have been sold, often bought by enthusiasts even though it’s not special.There are a lot of these cars, so you can find a lot of information about them. That’s a disadvantage with cars like these. BMW has that problem too. You find all kinds of horror stories, but that’s because people work more on these cars. However, the Golf VII doesn’t seem to have the issues associated with early Volkswagens. For example, the powertrain’s 7-speed DSG did have problems. These problems appear to have been solved for the Golf VII. It’s important to check if the DSG shifts smoothly without problems. It needs to be good. The engines. The TDI engines are involved with the Dieselgate scandal. You could check if it has been updated. It would be the right thing to do and it’s beneficial.The TSI engines can have carbon deposits on the intake, just like every engine with direct injection. You can prevent this with premium fuel. The alternative is walnut shells to clean the intake. If the car burns oil and loses power, the carbon deposits may be the cause. Speaking of oil, that’s the other weakness of the Volkswagen Group. The TSI gasoline engines can burn oil. That’s mostly under control. There’s only 1 thing: the maintenance intervals are pretty long. That means it takes a long time before you visit the garage to check if everything is still okay. Check the oil level yourself every once in a while. These cars can burn some. An engine that doesn’t get enough oil isn’t happy. The 1.2 and 1.4 TSI engines can have a faulty ignition cable. The car will run on 3 cylinders, which needs fixing immediately. It can ruin your catalyst, which is an expensive part. The body and interior. Everything is okay. There are only a few things to watch out for. A wet footwell can be caused by an A/C drain hose that popped off. You want to fix this. For those who want to haul stuff: look at what’s allowed to. Volkswagen wants you to install a tow hitch at the official Volkswagen dealer.They can program it, making Trailer Assist work. ESP will make sure the trailer will be okay. You’ll be allowed to haul more than when you weld a tow hitch yourself. That’s something
to ask about if this applies to you. For the GTE drivers: a frozen charging cable is an issue with the GTE. It slots into the front VW logo. When it’s moist and it starts freezing, the cable can get stuck. It’s not heated, so there’s only 1 thing you can do: heat it with a blowdryer and pull it out. The suspension doesn’t have big problems either. The more powerful Golf with more than 120 hp has a better rear axle, just like the León.It’s a multi-link rear axle. You can ask yourself if that’s better or not, but the more powerful Golf is more comfortable. The disadvantage is that the multi-link rear axle can have an issue with the shock absorbers. You’ll hear a rattling sound coming from the shock absorber. If you hear a rattling sound coming from the rear, that may be the cause. Another problem has to do with comfort, as Volkswagen calls it. Rattling gears. I’ve never heard about that before, but apparently it’s a thing. There’s too much tolerance on the gears, causing them to rattle. I’ve never heard it myself so I don’t know what it’s like, but apparently it’s a thing.There aren’t many problems with the electronics. A GTE can have more problems with the electronics. There’s more talk about these problems than what actually occurs. If you’re considering a second-hand GTE, keep this in mind. 1, it’s complex technology. 2, check if everything works, including electric driving and charging. It is complex technology, it’s new for Volkswagen and other manufacturers, so there may be problems. Because it’s complex, troubleshooting and repairs can be very expensive. Check it. Small things that can occur: a touch screen that doesn’t respond when it’s cold. Check this. The satnav may be stuck at Wolfsburg. The GPS antenna is broken or the system needs an update. It’s important to always check all the electronics. Does everything work, do all the buttons work, and why doesn’t it work? Ask yourself these things, especially with a GTE. We found this car at Benderooy in Sint Philipsland, Zeeland. This area is really pretty. This is a nice edition.It has a calming 1.6 TDI. It’s not the fastest car, but it’s nice on long distances. The R-Line trim looks good. THIS CAR If you’re looking for a second-hand car and want our help, or if your company has a nice car for sale of which we may shoot a video, please send an e-mail to tips@autoblog.nl Subtitles – Maru’s Text Support .
source