I noticed one on the forecourt of my local dealership this morning and had a quick look.
First impressions were that it is very similar to the outgoing one. I suppose that you could say this about every revised Golf from the 70s onwards!
The interior though, to me' looked like it had been downgraded to a Polo. No nice soft plastics.
Apparently the drive is a big improvement though as well as rear legroom etc.
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Obviously not set peoples' pulses racing then!
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Obviously not set peoples' pulses racing then!
Of course it hasn't, it's a Golf ;)
[ducks and runs]
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Actually I've been driving one for a while now, a 1.6FSH.
More or less concur with HJ's road test especially agree it does seem to be hewn from solid metal, except that I thought it was gutless and really had to be revved to produce any decent performance levels. Like the door mirror indicator repeaters.
The ESP, Electronic Diff lock and all that gubbins seemed to work OK-ish, but are definitely imo not as well set up as has been experienced on other brands.
Basically a bigger (but not by much) version of Mrs FiF's Fabia, but a lot lot more expensive.
:Dons Nomex, helmet and runs for cover:
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Another point about the new Golf I've been reminded about by some comments in the Ice & Snow thread.
People complaining about the wipers getting jammed down in the park position and freezing into place. Inability to lift off screen due to jamming on bonnet.
New golf has a neat trick to avoid this, when you switch engine off, pull wiper stalk into flick wipe position, they make a half sweep and park in the 12 o' clock pos'n.
Thus easy to lift off and don't get in the way for screen clearing. When you next start up they stay in this position until the car physically moves when they return to normal parked position.
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No, but caused a few pacemakers to skip a beat (must be the sophisticated electronics ;-).
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Boring, overpriced, overrated. (my opinion anyway!)
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PR,
Who has overrated it? Can you elaborate on how you have reached that conclusion? Presumably you have driven it - which model?
C
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Slightly puzzled by the reason for such a brusque put-down. In what way is any mass produced model capable of being exciting? Not thinking of top-whack high-powered derivatives, but just the run of the mill. Surely you don't become aroused by the design of Foci or Astras or Corollas? Now if you had a Porsche or Mclaren in mind, I'd agree that any Golf is tedious in comparison, but which of its plebian brethren are not of like mould? Perhaps you're too familiar with the exotic to judge:)
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I saw some comment from VW a while ago that said that buyers weren't that fussed about the soft feel plastic. They [VW] thought they would spend the money of improvements elsewhere on the car.
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Stripped some quality out to make more profit, more like. Still, HJ did talk about 'hewn from solid'. No rattles or squeaks are worth more than a nice feel, I reckon (as far as cars are concerned anyway).
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I saw some comment from VW a while ago that said that buyers weren't that fussed about the soft feel plastic. They [VW] thought they would spend the money of improvements elsewhere on the car.
Can't say that softness or otherwise of the plastic would make any difference to me -- I don't spend my time in a car touching the plastic dashboard.
If it saves a few quid to have harder stuff, I'd much prefer any one of lots of other things -- such as floor mats which don't cost an extra fifty quid, or a choice of colours other than black for the seats.
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>> I saw some comment from VW a while ago that said >> that buyers weren't that fussed about the soft feel plastic. They >> [VW] thought they would spend the money of improvements elsewhere on >> the car.
I think 'soft touch' plastics have a tendency to mark easily, in my experience - the hard plastics VW now uses (like in my New Beetle) are really hard wearing - remember the plastic coating that rubs off the armrests of the doors on the Mk4 ?!
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I think 'soft touch' plastics have a tendency to mark easily, in my experience - the hard plastics VW now uses (like in my New Beetle) are really hard wearing - remember the plastic coating that rubs off the armrests of the doors on the Mk4 ?!
True, my Leon suffered the same and the armrests were replaced under warranty.
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6 months ago I went and tested various cars with my GF for her. We were after a hatch diesel. We tested an Alfa 147 JTD, a Golf GT TDI 130 and an Ibiza TDI 130 (much the same).
I found the Golf totally uninvolving to drive, didnt like the design and didnt find the cabin either a nice place to be or particularly high quality. The Ibiza drove much the same, although felt a bit more livley, and the cabin had a far better design. The Alfa was well built, nicley designed, a better looking car, a smoother engine, lots of driver involvement (particularly the steering), had more kit, and was 4k less than the Golf.
7 Months and 13k miles later, its been a total joy.
No need to compare with exotics! ;)
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PR(P) If you tried the Mk IV, then agreed, it was stodgy. I hope the MKV is better. But to be truthful, there's nothing really exciting about any of these boxes: they just do a job of work. Now a Clio Cup is something else - brother in law will have the new 182 soon (replacing the 172). But maybe too exciting for my advanced years, especially with Simon driving!
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Slightly off topic (sorry) but have Renault upgraded from 172bhp to 182bhp to keep ahead of the basic Seat Leon?
And did Seat produce the 210, then 225bhp Leon because of the Civic 190bhp?
They like their little games of "mines better than yours"!
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Yep: its a hp race: but the Cup 182 about same weight as a Yaris) will widen the gap by adding lightness. Handling of the 172 Cup is amazing (to me anyway) and makes me Civic feel unhinged and ponderous. Better stop straying OT now.
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PR,
This thread is about the new golf - the Golf V. You tested the Golf 1V.
C
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I know, so I cant really comment on it, but how many here have driven it?
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C'mon, who has ever honestly bought a Golf for the way it drives? (R32/Mark II GTi excluded). It's all about image and residual values, which for a lot of people are the most important parts of buying a car.
As Autocar mentioned after testing the 2.0FSI version, a more sensible choice for many would be a Honda Civic Type S, (more reliable, more practical, cheaper, good residuals, great engine, good to drive) but again it boils down to looks.
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Road test that HJ refers to is here for anyone interested.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm
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Having owned one Mk3 and two Mk 4s I got invited to the Mk5 launch at the local dealer. Haven't driven it yet but it seemed pretty solid and was much roomier, particularly in the back. The quality of the plastics seems superficially worse but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say, since both my Mk4s have suffered from rattles and creaks. So we'll have to wait and see if these new ones stand up to the test of time. And I have to completely agree that the only reason I've bought three Golfs (with my own money) is residuals. Having said that, my one overriding thought about the equivalent new model to mine (the GT TDi 140 5dr.) was how unbelievably expensive it has become. £18530 + £320 for metallic is a hell of a lot to ask for a Golf and could be its downfall since you're into Audi and BMW territory at that point.
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Must admit that the price does look high unlike the last one on which I thought that I secured a reasonable deal when I part x'd my Mark 3.
My mate's wife has just ordered a 1.6 (I presume it's the FSI?) and has shelled out over 16k which seems about 1k over the odds to me for that type of car.
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Maybe the price is too high ...
According to today's FT:
"VW is halting production at three German car factories for four days during Easter amid concern about sales of its flagship Golf hatchback. The closure ... will reduce ouput of the relaunched Golf and larger Passat by about 20,000 units, raising doubts about the sales target of 600,000 Golfs for the year."
"Last week the company prompted concern when it began offering free air-conditioning worth Euros 1,225 on the car in an attempt to stimulate sales."
According to a motor industry analyst quoted in the FT "The rise in price from the previous version of the Golf would be a surprise for some buyers. VW was very ambitious with some of the pricing. There is a fair amount of 'sticker shock'. "
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Price may be too high for a large market for the Golf - what with the fall in strength of the dollar against the euro / pound. I wonder if price reductions will manage to skim their way across la manche?
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30 years in the making .......
Plenty of time then to develop that rubber ring around the waist then.
Looks as dull, boring and clearly the product of a design process that had the creativity sucked out of it from day 1.
In short, uninspired piece of badge snobbery.
And it'll probably breakdown.
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Well, I won't be replacing my mk4 with the new version. Quite like the look of the C-Max after reading the review on this site. Also, does anyone have any idea if the Honda Element will ever make it to this country?
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Yup - the Brokers are giving £1600 off the top 2.0GT diesel just for the asking. The price is just reaching its natural level due to the power of the Intenet!
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This week's Auto Express have tested the Golf 2.0GT TDI with the Audi A3/BMW 320td compact and they came to the same conclusion - boring looks don't help and nor does the price which once you've added xenons/cruise control/leather is virtually the same as the Audi. Plus you get better build quality/refinement/sporty ride in the Audi.
Looks like VW have got their nickers in a right old knot.
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The story continues ...
"Golf sales look below par as '80s icon loses its drive"
says today's FT on the back page.
Quoted in the FT is Dale Harrow, head of vehicle design at the Royal College of Art in London, says "The Mark II [Golf] really defined the 1980s."
In the 1990s the Golf succeeded in revolutionising the interior of the car, using new materials that appealed more to customers.
However, Mr Harrow believes the lack of significant changes
in its appearance [of Golf V] means it has "got a bit tired looking." "It is almost the default choice now."
Other quotes from the FT:
In other words, the Golf is dull. It looks, as Mr Pischetsrieder [VW's CEO] said when asked about its appearance, "umm, like a Golf."
Steve Cropley, editor in chief of Autocar magazine said: "It is perfectly competent but it doesn't set your trousers on fire."
Or, in the slightly more measured tones of Garel Rhys, director of the centre for automotive research at Cardiff University: "it no longer has a unique selling point."
Says the FT:
"Since rivals are just as reliable and match the Golf's advantages, such as the quality of the interior, the lack of
design pizzazz has left many observers wondering why anyone would pay extra for one.
also ...
The company remains publicly committed to the [sales] goal. But if the weak markets, particularly in Germany, continue for the rest of the year, insiders believe the company is unlikely to keep dropping prices to reach it. The Golf, like the original Beetle before it, may have had its day."
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I think that it is overpriced but it always has been. I think these are early teething troubles and that they will start selling well come the summer. Ford got away with selling junk in the UK market for years (e.g. Escort) and by all accounts the new Golf is a very good car - much better than the Mark IV. People will pay extra for one due to the badge and the feeling of solidity. VW just need to get them into the showrom....(and to have more sensible prices!)
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So.... in this thread we think the Golf is bland and too like the old one, in style terms at least.
In the Chris Bangle thread we think BMW designs are too off the wall and different.
Can we make our minds up please?
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The solution is easy: Buy an Alfa, they're STYLISH. ie, neither bland, nor ridiculous. ;)
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Or buy a SEAT/Skoda, and treat the family to a holiday?
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Was visiting Bremen ( N Germany ) for the day earlier this week....
Feedback from the locals suggests Golf V isn't selling so well in its home market because it's expensive for what is, after all, just a mass produced vehicle.
You also have to remember the weak state of the German economy which means that money in tight. In the Bremen area I was told that the unemployment rate is 19 (nineteen) per cent.
The new Opel Astra was praised but I don't by how much it undercuts Golf V on price. Judging from Opel's website it must already be on sale there.
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Is it too late on in this thread to do the old 'You can't see it, but the face I'm pulling at the moment looks EXACTLY like the new Golf' gag?
Of course it doesn't really, I can't pull a face that dull and underwhelming ;)
[Bazza sits tight and waits to be moderated...]
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sure, it's a great car, but so boring looking (IMHO)- particularly hate those thick rear pillars. VW mktg splurge pushes the 30 year theme, but in a exterior design sense, they haven't moved on at all, while many other makes have caught up (and even overtaken) in terms of quality, reliability and value ... and VW forget to encourage their dealers become more people friendly!
Audi arrogance I can tolerate, because they make a stylish car or two, with great interiors, too.
EH
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I followed one the other day and noticed they've copied the rear lights from the Fiat Bravo (the circular red ring!)
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just ordered a 2.0 GT FSI and got 10% discount from a main dealer just for asking, got to wait 8 weeks for it though
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on an earlier thread i posted news of the ugly bmw new 5 series and porsche cayenne producing recorrd breaking sales for these german manufacturers. see
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=19...2
yesterday and today it was the turn of VW and Daimler to announce their results. and they are disappointing to them. here are some snippets from a mixture of the times, telegraph and ft :
Golf relaunch rolls into a hole
IS THE Golf heading for the end of the road? Sales of the Volkswagen car that became an icon of the 1980s are slipping fast and the launch of the fifth generation of the hatchback has been a flop, forcing the German manufacturer to cut prices twice in its home market in two months.
The Golf is VW?s best- selling car and the new model, launched in October, is at the heart of a strategy to rebuild profits after last year?s slump. Bernd Pischetsrieder, chief executive of VW, predicted sales of 600,000 Golf cars this year, each unit priced to earn a bigger profit. But the company was forced to cut its 2003 production target by 18 per cent and since the launch sales have been weak.
Registrations of the vehicle in Germany were down 45 per cent in December while VW?s European sales last month were 11 per cent down on the previous year, much of that owing to the new Golf V.
VW got it wrong, pitching a mid-market car at a premium price to a depressed European consumer. In January it offered discounts of ?1,000 (£675) to new customers and, this month, free climate control on all models ? an incentive worth a further ?1,200
Volkswagen, Europe's largest car maker, yesterday cut its dividend for the first time in more than 10 years as sluggish demand, restructuring costs and the strong euro took its toll on full-year profits.
Chief financial officer Hans-Dieter Poetsch warned the euro-dollar rate would "remain critical" in 2004 and said he was still "worried" about the company's US operations.
Reporting a 62pc drop in pre-tax profits to ?1.53billion, Mr Poetsch said VW struggled with a 20pc overcapacity in its plants. He vowed the company would "pull out all the stops to reduce costs in the short-term".
VW is currently shedding 4,000 jobs in Brazil, while it took a one-off ?711m charge for restructuring and start-up costs on new models last year.
Full-year sales rose a mere 0.2pc to ?87.1billion, reflecting disappointing sales for its luxury Phaeton and the latest incarnation of the Golf, its most important model.
The past couple of years have been tough for the automotive industry, with the global economic slowdown stemming worldwide demand for new cars.
DaimlerChrysler missed its lowered goal of breaking even in its troubled US division last year and again deferred significant increases in profits for a year.
The German carmaker, which last summer abandoned hopes of a ?2bn ($2.54bn) profit from Chrysler in 2003, said the US operation lost ?40m at the operating level, before restructuring costs of ?469m.
The group as a whole also deferred significant profit growth for a further year. It said it was "striving" for a "slight" increase in group operating profits above last year's ?5.1bn before special items.
But the company was cautious about the short-term outlook for Mercedes, its cash cow, saying only that it faced heavy spending as it extended its range.
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golf seems over priced by 1k.
also lacks character - is very boring.
the diesel gti looks great, apparently the 1.4fsi is beautiful to.
waiting for new focus and astra, even consider lacetti - tempting if your after a mid family 1.4 engine.
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I am really disappointed by the new Golf.
I have owned 4 Golfs in my life. I saved up and delayed my replacing my old car so that I could get the new Mk V Golf. In my opinion the interior has been downgraded and it looks ever more like the Polo.
I am very pleased to say I voted with my wallet and bought the new Audi A3 instead - only slightly more expensive but twice as good in my opinion!
If you haven't looked around the new A3 - I strongly recommend you do. I think the VW golf has lost its place as the benchmark for top hatchbacks and it could well impact their second hand market too.
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Impressions of new Golf, Boring the end. Its not a Golf adventure because the cars too boring
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Zoooom,
"but twice as good in my opinion! "
You may prefer the looks and be of the opinion that the interior is better, but it is essentially the same car for which you have paid more money.
It is the same as years ago when Austin/Morris made the standard Mini/1100 and Wolsley/Riley/MG made tarted up versions.
C
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Yes, you pay more up front for the A3 but it will cost you around 1K less in depreciation over three years
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Yes, you pay more up front for the A3 but it will cost you around 1K less in depreciation over three years
SteveT,
That might turn out to be true - but it is based on 'wet finger in the air' predictions. Who knows what the market will be like in 3 years and Mk5 Golfs are being sold at quite heavily discounted prices already.
The point I was making is that the AudiA3 and Golf are basically the same car and IMO with not a great difference between them - certainly the Audi is not twice as good. You seemed to be saying much the same in another thread.
It is another case of Badge engineering.
C
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I agree with you - the A3 does seem to be of slightly higher quality overall - not sure if that alone justifies a 1.5K premium over the golf but then the Golf seems to be overpriced as well. I still think the Audi is a much safer bet for residuals. The best deals I've seen are offering 1.5K off the list of the Golf and 1.3K off the Audi so it looks a better bet to me (and it looks better as well IMO).
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see today 23feb04 telegraph opinion
www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml
Why new Golfs have free air-con
By George Trefgarne
(Filed: 23/02/2004)
Cars can tell you a great deal about the spirit of the times. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the VW Golf was the ultimate car for the man about town.
etc....
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perhaps time to merge this topic and the one above ...?
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