Some people who know me would call me picky when it comes to cars. I have been through more than a few cars in my time. When I was little, I helped my Dad work on the many cars that went through his hands. He was a “fixer” – he bought broken down cars, fixed them and sold them only to turn around and get another project. In some ways his habits rubbed off on me, but when it comes to cars I am a fanatic about having a steady, reliable car.
I went through several cars before I finally found “the one”. Have you ever owned a car you love so much that you started mourning the day it will inevitably die? Nine years ago I started looking for a car because the one I had was driving me crazy. It was boring. It had NO get up and go. It had no personality. It didn’t drive well. It was loud. It had nothing to make up for all of these things it lacked. I had only had it for a year, so I knew I had to do a better job researching and testing my next car. It didn’t make sense financially to keep buying cars only to need to get rid of them for one crazy reason or another.
It was with much trepidation that I decided to move outside my comfort zone of what I considered reliable – Honda and Toyota. After reading about the incredible fuel economy of the Volkswagen Tdi diesel engine, I decided to give one a try. I took my friend and my son with me to help me maintain a level head. There were only a few VW’s on the lot with the diesel engine. I wanted to test both an automatic and manual transmission. The salesman took us out in a “slug” bug with an automatic transmission first. The New Beetle had just been introduced and I really liked the look.
Diesel cars have a pretty bad reputation for being slow, loud and dirty. The Beetle, however, had an incredible amount of get up and go. I actually made the tires squeal a bit – which is quite difficult in an automatic, front wheel drive vehicle. The car drove well. It was so quiet I couldn’t even hear it. I was impressed with the comfort of the seats and the amount of room in the back seat. My still growing teenage son had plenty of room. The upgraded stereo sounded terrific!
Next, we took out a Golf with a manual transmission. Some of us remember the Golf being called the Rabbit way back when. As soon as I got in and started driving I knew this was THE car. I liked the Beetle with the automatic transmission, but I LOVED the Golf I was driving. It was so much fun to zip from gear to gear. I was slightly worried that the car might not have enough get up and go in the hills where I lived. But the salesman took us to a road where we could test out the torque to horsepower ratio, also known as “get up and go”. One of my chief complaints with my previous car was that there was no uphill power. I couldn’t pass in the few passing lanes available in my area.
Fast forward nine years, and 130,000 miles. At first I worried about reliability. I had the preconceived notion that VW was not as reliable. I can happily report that I have had ZERO problems with my Golf Tdi.. I have done routine maintenance and changed the oil per the owner’s manual. After 8 years I replaced the original battery. I found some great tires that work well on the car, and got 80,000 miles out of one set! I’m thinking about changing the brakes for the first time.
I love that the car is reliable, but there has been an unexpected side that is incredibly satisfying. I can literally pass another car going uphill in 5th gear. This little 90hp car has so much acceleration power. On top of that, it holds the road like no other car I have ever driven. Volkswagen used the term “fahrvergnugen” commercials several years ago, and I totally understand the concept of “fun to drive” after driving this car. It handles so well that I look forward to the several switchback turns that take me to the nearest town.
Did I mention that I have averaged 45 mpg over all these miles? Sometimes I have gotten as “low” as 42 mpg, usually in the dead of winter. My area uses oxygenated fuel during the winter. I have gotten as high as 50 on an uninterrupted freeway trip. Many folks who frequent the various Tdi enthusiast forums report even higher mileage, but I like the comfort of running the cold air conditioning while I drive.
I can honestly say this Volkswagen Golf Tdi has been the most fun to drive, most reliable and most comfortable car I have ever owned. My darling son has been trying to pry the key from my grip for a few years now. Some days I get in and feel a little sad for the day that I will have to get rid of it.The only thing I would even remotely think about changing is the cup holder.
