New (Used) Car Advice - Golf Again?

OwlishAgain

mgfvvc said:

Possibly one of the higher spec Peugots. I have a 2011 207CC GT and that is very comfortable as a motorway cruiser. I think the 207 is a bit smaller than a golf, so you might want the next size up which would have been the 307, but is now probably the 308

Thank you - I'd not considered a Peugeot - I'll go and have a read up on the 308 now.

OwlishAgain

AdrianC said:

As soon as you get a badge that laymen look at and go "Ooh, yes, they're reliable", you're paying a premium. And Golfs are the default for that in the middle of the market.

Outside those defaults, everybody will have a bunch of entrenched national-stereotype prejudices - French rubbish, Japanese dull-but-reliable, etc etc. They have as much basis in reality as any other prejudices and national stereotypes. Strangely, the "German" stereotypes that are applied to VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes never get applied to Ford or Vauxhall, despite the fact that both are just as much "German" as any other car brand on the UK market.

If you want the same basic ingredients, then look elsewhere in the VW brands - Skoda Octavia is the same thing under the (larger) skin, as is Seat Leon. Then there's lots of VW/Seat/Skoda sprogbuses and softroaders which are also the same thing, just taller/inflated. Audi, of course, is also the same base but "posher".

There are a lot of automatic Golfs(/Octavias/Leons) out there - but bear in mind most modern "automatics" aren't what we always used to think about as automatics. They're semi-autos, and are far more complex, which can mean more efficient and economical - but can also mean more unreliable. VW's "automatics" are what they call DSG - and are basically two manual gearboxes strapped together all controlled by computer. Cruise control is fairly ubiquitous on anything bar entry-level trim specs, simply because it's so easy to integrate to modern electronics, literally just the physical controls and telling the software to provide it.

Thank you - I used to work for VWs ad agency many years ago, and at that point the overall charts of purchase cost/servicing/RV did bring all VW models out ahead of Ford and Vauxhall in terms of value - but that was a long time ago and I'm open to ideas. However, having had a courtesy Ford Kuga I didn't think it felt anywhere near as solid as the VWs we've owned. I'll look at the Octavia and Leon and see how they compare, thank you. Good to know that CC is now not considered a luxury! Our VW Cali has a DSG gearbox and we've been very happy with that - famous last words to say something like that, isn't it?! 

OwlishAgain

Grumpy_chap said:

There is a lot to be said for "wanting" a car and that can trump any of the practical / financial reasons to choose one car or another.  If the OP "wants" a Golf, then that is the way to go.
By all means, consider the alternatives, within and without the VAG brands, but the OP will probably then decide on a Golf.

Not at all - I'm genuinely interested in looking outside my Golf comfort zone!

OwlishAgain

mobileron said:

Why not the skoda octavia, bigger,cheaper, more features and car of the year again

I'm going to check this out, thank you

OwlishAgain

noclaf said:

One thing I am curious about...VW, Seat and Skoda all fall under the VAG umbrella and share engines and in some cases the platform I believe..e.g: MQB?
So why is that there seem to be so many more issues reported with the VW's Vs Skoda or Seat? Is this simply down to the Golf for example being more popular than a Octavia/Fabia or Leon? 
I'm still not convinced personally on the long term reliability of a DSG mated to the smaller petrol engines ( sub 1.8l), it seems the higher powered engines have a more reliable variant but not certain. If you have the car on PCP or lease and have some warranty cover then some peace of mind I guess.
For example if there are known issues with the engine or gearbox in a 1.4 TSI DSG I would expect it to impact Goldfs, Leon's, Octavia's in fairly similar numbers unless there are other variables I am missing e.g: country or production of origin for different models

Oh crikey I didn't know that there was an issue with the smaller engine cars and DSG, thank you for alerting me to this. We have a DSG in the van with no issues but that's obviously a much bigger issue than the little engine we're looking at for the Golf's replacement. I'll go and do some research on this. 

AdrianC

"DSG" isn't just one thing. It's the name used for an entire family of two-shaft automated gearboxes, from 6-speed to 10-speed, wet clutch and dry. Some are better than others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct-shift_gearbox#List_of_DSG_variants

macman

'2 hours each way per day': so how many miles pa? It's got to be at least 15k, and possibly nearer 25k. In which case you really should be looking at a diesel, be it VW/Skoda/Seat. Diesel residuals have suffered badly post dieselgate and with the imminent expansion of the London ULEZ, so it's probably a very good time to buy a used one, as long as it's Euro 6 compliant, which any vehicle from September 2015 will be.

OwlishAgain

macman said:

'2 hours each way per day': so how many miles pa? It's got to be at least 15k, and possibly nearer 25k. In which case you really should be looking at a diesel, be it VW/Skoda/Seat. Diesel residuals have suffered badly post dieselgate and with the imminent expansion of the London ULEZ, so it's probably a very good time to buy a used one, as long as it's Euro 6 compliant, which any vehicle from September 2015 will be.

It's not daily - this week it's twice, but he might go weeks without travelling to London (from Gloucestershire) at all. Maybe a total of 8k per year. Parking in London is getting worse as some councils are now penalising diesels (Euro6 or not) it seems. Given this, a petrol seems like an OK bet for us perhaps?

Goudy

What about a Mazda 3 or even a CX-3 if you fancy a softroader?
Don't let larger size SkyActiv petrol engine put you off, it's a very efficient unit using some clever technology that Mazda have nailed when it comes to reliability. 
It'll easily match or beat a lot of smaller petrol engined cars for mpg.

They are well screwed together, feel sharper to drive than a Golf and if you steer clear of the models with large wheels and skinny low profile tyres, ride very comfortably.

The auto versions are a proper old school torque convertor auto's and was offered as an option on every trim in the line up, so you shouldn't have to look far to find one.

gord115

He needs something reliable so don't get a Peugeot.
Unless he likes AA mechanics of course LOL