I'm looking at a VW GOLF 1.9 TDI 5 dr it then says TREND. It's on a 05 plate. 36,850 miles. Anybody any idea what it is (S, SE, Sport). Is it a local dealer upgrade?
Any valid opinions on it as a private buy for £9k? Currently running a Skoda Octavia Ambiente 2.0 on a Y. 130k. Is it worth switching to diesel in spite of the price differential. I do a 40-mile daily round to work on country roads + usual extra trips, hols, visits etc.
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The 1.9 litre PD diesel is the best engine VAG have produced and the later 2.0 diesels are less good - some are hopeless - (balancer shaft and oil pump drive failures + DPF blockages). If you can live with its noise (I can, but my car is bigger than a Golf) it offers unrivalled efficiency, performance - especially low speed "grunt" - and life if properly treated.
The Golf, however is a rip off. You will have your own views on Skoda build quality but I took that route with a Skoda Superb (I wanted this engine + a galvanised chassis as a towcar - don't care much about anything else) and have no regrets. It will be a long term bangernomic though; I have no delusions about its resale value. Considering what I paid for the Superb - from a dealer - the Golf seems unbelievably expensive to me. Apart from being cheaper than the Golf, I got exactly what I wanted - alloy wheels changed to steel, cruise control retrofitted etc.
So you pay for the badge and following fashion is expensive. I would have thought you could pick up a cracking Octavia Mk1 with a 1.9 PD diesel and have some change if you shop around. Skoda dealers seem to be keen when it comes to clinching a used deal - the servicing is the usual incompetent eyewateringly expensive VAG rubbish, so find an independent.
659.
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In Spain (Europe?) the base trim (UK S?) was called Trendline in 2005. However, VW does special runs with extra equipment, such as Match; could be Trend was one of these.
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I agree with 659, The 1.9 PD engine is one of the best of the "modern" diesels for reliability. The important thing is that it has only ever had the correct PD suitable oil.
Check the service history carefully.
But I too would buy a non-VW if I wanted that engine. The build quality on the current Skodas is very good. A friend has a Fabia vRS which has done 25,000 miles in its first year, still looks, feels and smells brand new, and hasn't had a single thing go wrong with it. Two services and a pair of front tyres - that's been it, and it's driven hard!
Cheers
DP
Edited by DP on 07/03/2008 at 10:42
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To answer the question instead of telling you you should have a Skoda instead...
I think it's a mainland Europe model. If you google it it comes up with lots of spanish sites and car hire places in Malaga. No luck on the spec so far though. Sounds basic, but that's only my assumption that it would be like a Match.
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A mainland model would have the steering wheel on der linkste siete, nein?
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How about Australian?
"We love Golf here too, and the 1.6-litre "entry level`` Trend line version has just won Australia`s Best cars Award"
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and Trend is also used by Ford as their level 2 trim name in Europe
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A mainland model would have the steering wheel on der linkste siete nein?
My German is, now, not very good but surely 'der linke seite' is somewhat nearer the correct phrasing? However I could be wrong
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You are not wrong, I fear, oldgit . Must revise!
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The second part of the OP's question was to ask for valid opinions on the car as a secondhand buy.
659.
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The Trend was also sold in Ireland.
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Of course I have a bias but I do think you could do better.
A SEAT Leon/Altea or a Skoda Octavia with the 2.0 Tdi engine from a dealer could be yours for the same money and with a years warranty included.
The slightly odd looking but capacious SEAT Toledo 2.0 Tdi would be a little cheaper still.
They're all the same car really.
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