Alternative Route Finance

Volkswagen Golf TDI Contract hire, leasing and contract car hire

Volkswagen Golf TDI, contract car leasing and personal contract hire of the Volkswagen Golf TDI

Alternative Route Finance offers contract hire purchase and personal contract leasing for the Volkswagen Golf TDI.

Review of the Volkswagen Golf TDI - Contract Hire and Personal Contract Leasing

I have been looking at various cars to replace my ailing Neon that was just going downhill fast. I test drove a '00 Jetta back in February and fell in love, even so it had over 50,000 miles it had this strange feel of solidness and quality. So my research started.

The Car:

So that brings us to my new Volkswagen Golf TDI. I purchased it June 19th from Dirito Brothers Volkswagen in Walnut Creek, CA. It is a Reflex Silver/Black cloth, 2 door Golf GL TDI. It has a 5 speed manual transmission, optional 8 speaker Monsoon CD/Cassette, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) which tries to keep the car under control if you happen to skid out of control during emergency maneuvers or during slippery conditions.

Engine:

I got the Golf 1.9L TDI (Turbo Direct Injection) Turbo Diesel, it is good for 90 HP and 155 lb/ft of torque. Do not let the 90hp fool you, this car has excellent torque and is no slouch. Even during light acceleration with upshifts around 2200-2500 RPM I can still accelerate faster then the flow of traffic. The gas mileage so far is amazing. The car is rated at 42 mpg city and 49 mpg highway. Considering I have gone about 360 miles on 1/2 tank I will say I am somewhere in between.

Transmission:

I opted for the Volkswagen Golf Tdi 5 speed manual transmission as I am not too fond of automatics and the 5 speed gets much better gas mileage. The clutch action in this car is extremely light and vague, the shifter has long throws and has a mechanical feel. It takes a few days to get used to but it is nowhere near as precise as my Neon. It felt about the same as the Civic I test drove.

Braking:

The Volkswagen Golf Tdi comes standard with disc brakes at all 4 wheels and ABS. Braking action is excellent, the brake pedal is positive in its feel and the brakes feel extremely strong.

Suspension:

The Volkswagen Golf Tdi does have a pretty antique suspension design that it shares with the Jetta and Beetle. I am not all about driving around corners as fast as possible so this is most likely not going to affect me. The ride is extremely comfortable, the car feels planted at all legal speeds and it handles corners very well at reasonable speeds. If you do happen to exceed the suspension and tires capability the ESP will intervene and try to correct your mistakes.

Interior & features:

This is where Volkswagen Golf TDI Contract Hire absolutely trumps the competition. There are tons of features that are standard on the base model that you cannot even get as options on the competition. Soft touch materials galore, silicon dampened glove box and assist handles, standard dome light, front/rear reading lights, door mounted puddle lamps, 6 way adjustable front driver and passenger seats, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, power windows, power heated mirrors, lighted vanity mirrors, keyless entry, alarm, full size spare, auto up/down front windows, key operated open/close feature for windows, lights for every switch you will use and a headlamp switch that is always lit so no fumbling in the dark. I will say this is what sold me on Volkswagen, the competition cannot even come close to the interior design or the interior quality of the Volkswagen.

Interior size is similar to other compacts. The front seat has tons of room but the back seat is pretty small. I do not travel with more then 1 passenger most times so this is a non-issue. It also really depends on the person sitting up front, I am 5'10" and when I am in the drivers seat there is plenty of legroom in the seat behind me. To get a good idea you should sit in the seat and get comfortable and see what type of room you have back there.

Safety:

The Volkswagen Golf Tdi has very good safety ratings with IIHS.ORG and NHTSA.GOV. It comes standard with 6 airbags (front, side and full length curtain airbags), ABS, seat belt pre-tensioners, front and rear crumple zones, collapsible steering column and break away pedals. Also if the car senses any airbags have deployed it automatically turns on the interior lights, unlocks the doors and cuts off the electrical system to prevent a fire.

Exterior:

Not much to say about the exterior except that I love the way it looks. Hatchbacks are very rare so it is not quite as widely accepted as a sedan such as the Jetta. But hey if you love the way it looks, why care what anyone else thinks.

Price:

Finally down to the nitty gritty. The Golf is a huge bargain. I did end up paying MSRP for mine because the TDI engine is quite hard to find in California and is subject to dealer markups and waitlists. I paid $17,900 before TTL, the standard 2.0 engine will set you back maybe $15,400 if you haggle enough. Even if you pay MSRP its still a steal considering what comes standard.

Overall:

I am extremely happy with my car, it has a great warranty. 4/50k bumper to bumper, 5/60k powertrain, 4/50k roadside assistance, and Volkswagens typically have some of the best resale values on the market. I will update this review if needed as time goes on.

Mileage:

My mileage has been absolutely amazing, my average over 10,000 miles is right around 45 MPG despite my heavy foot and fast cruising speeds. I love being able to go 640-700 miles on one single tank of diesel.

Problems:

I have had no mechanical or any other problems with my car. The only thing I found is you need to spray rubber conditioner on the door seals at least monthly to keep to doors from creaking.

Maintenance:

I have performed 2 maintenance services on my vehicle. For the first 10,000 miles Volkswagen recommends an oil change at 5,000 miles and a minor service at 10,000 miles. After that they recommend services every 10,000 miles. Oil changes on this vehicle are quite easy as the oil filter is accessible from above and is a cartridge type so its much cleaner and more environmentally friendly.

The only downside I have found is the types of fluids required on this vehicle and Volkswagens in general. For example if you drive a 98 and up TDI you MUST use synthetic oil which has the proper diesel ratings (ACEA B3 and/or API CF and/or VW 505.00) or you may risk engine damage and/or reduced engine life. I have been using Mobil Delvac 1 since the 5,000 mile service as it is one of the better synthetics available which was designed for diesel engines. It is not very widely available and is quite pricey, at my local Mobil supplier it was $25 for a gallon or you could purchase it online for about $28 + shipping. Also the transmission fluid, coolant and power steering fluid are all fluids where it is imperative you use Volkswagen/Audi fluids or fluids which meet Volkswagen/Audi specifications. The only fluid which does not really matter is the washer fluid.

Driving:

Initially I was not to happy with the transmission dynamics of my Golf. There was an initial learning curve with the clutch and shifter, I have overcome that and am actually very happy with the transmission. It turns out I was just being too forceful with it. It does have some issues going into reverse and first when the transmission is cold but that is typical of most manual transmission so its not much of a bother.

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