New golf sportwagen or Jetta?

Hi all, I'm tossing around the idea of a new car. Love my used toys, but would also love a car I know the complete history of.
My research leads me to the 1.4t powered cars. I drive 600 miles a week, so fuel economy is important. I love wagons, but the Jetta states better fuel economy. I don't clearly see how though. 100 pound difference between the two. Does that justify the 3mpg difference, or are there other factors? I'm stopping by the dealer today, but would like to hear your thoughts/facts about the two. Also the price difference is 3 Grand..

These are both hard to find new. But I was able to test drive a 16 Jetta with the 1.4 and it was a very good drive. The engine is great, I think it is faster than the 1.8 in the golf sportwagen of the same year that I drove. The shifter is a little sloppy and the ride a little soft and thuddy compared to the golf though.
The golf was overall tighter and more solid. But the extra 20 horses were not felt, the engine was not as fun to wind out as the 1.4. also, this could have been a problem with the linkage, but it would not let me downshift, Rev matching or not. It's as if the lower gears weren't there. Could always go up though!?
I'm looking forward to finding a sportwagen with the 1.4, a new addition for 19, the dealer I was at tells me they are getting one next month and could sell it for 20k out the door. That's damn good for a brand new car!

I'm looking forward to finding a sportwagen with the 1.4, a new addition for 19, the dealer I was at tells me they are getting one next month and could sell it for 20k out the door. That's damn good for a brand new car![/QUOTE]


After VW laid $25 large on me for my '13 JSW TDI 6M...................
I got me a '17 Jetta 1'4 turbo/5M.

This 85 cube 4 get about 90% of my TDI mpg-wise.

I'm also thinking about a 1.4 wagon down the road....(a 6M supersedes the 5M!!)
VW's new warranty be 'frosting of the cake'

best,


ez

Stupid question: since the 4-wheel drive option isn't all that much money, is it worth the cost, or does it simply mean more parts to break in the future?


Yuri

ymz said:

Stupid question: since the 4-wheel drive option isn't all that much money, is it worth the cost, or does it simply mean more parts to break in the future?


Yuri

Click to expand...

Can't have the 1.4 and AWD however- cursed with 1.8.

I like the 4motion in my 17 GSW.


it does so well in the occasional snow I drive in (mostly going to ski races) that I sold the set of snows I had.



it comes with the DSG, which is familiar after my TDI.

Dear Baby Jesus do NOT buy anything with that horrid 1.8L/2.0L engine.

oilhammer said:

Dear Baby Jesus do NOT buy anything with that horrid 1.8L/2.0L engine.

Click to expand...

Thank you OH for that education. The base model 1.4 is the only version I will consider, if that becomes necessary. Hopefully, my BHW will motor on for a good while.

Yeah, I am just finding out this morning that even in 2014, they were still updating things... the oil control valve that works the variable intake cam has an update, as does the cam bridge that supports the end of the cams and routes oil to the phaser(s).

I have a feeling the EA888 timing chain class action lawsuit will have even newer cars/engines to add to it before long.

Of course, the VR6 in the Q7 I have here today is perhaps even worse.

Post 2015, is the 1.4 the only safe option on VW's menu?

truman said:

Post 2015, is the 1.4 the only safe option on VW's menu?

Click to expand...

Or the eGolf, LOL.

I think if you don't care to take it past 80k miles, most anything is OK. I just cannot accept that short of a life span before something wallet burning pops up.

What really frightens me is how many Atlases I see on the roads already.

I'd be concerned about the eGolf since it has no thermal management for the battery.

oilhammer said:

Dear Baby Jesus do NOT buy anything with that horrid 1.8L/2.0L engine.

Click to expand...

Guess I am in denial on my 2017 1.8l engine. (since Oilhammer did not share his opinion where I could see it before I purchased one)


but I wonder what the real failure rate is on these.


other reviews I see for the cars report average reliability issues.


I understand it is not a TDI, and respect and appreciate oilhammer sharing his experiences,


but this is not a quantified estimation of expected failure rates.


having purchased it already, guess I will pay close attention to fluids and maintenance and see how it goes.

compu_85 said:

I'd be concerned about the eGolf since it has no thermal management for the battery.

Click to expand...

The Kia Soul EV, has so far on my research, one of the better 'bang for the money' BEV. For a non-luxury EV it has somewhat of a thermal management for the battery (via the AC I believe). Also the battery warranty is up to 10years/100,000 but I am not sure about being transferable to the second owner after a three year lease is up.

Yes, the Kia has a fan cooled battery, which pulls from the cabin.

compu_85 said:

I'd be concerned about the eGolf since it has no thermal management for the battery.

Click to expand...

I was joking. The only way I'd get one of those if it was given to me, and when it dies it would be a good body for an TDI transplant (a lot of work, but it would by VIN be able to skip the OBD tests... at least for now).

They'll drop to next to nothing in value before too long.

Used SE trims are already below 10k.

I saw one company in Germany offering an upgraded, larger, watercooled pack for them.

When they are under $1k let me know.

And I can already buy them at auction for a lot less than $10k.

Jezz, I swear that anything that doesn't run on diesel and emits copious amounts of NOx is horrible and shouldn't be on the road according to some people on this forum...

2.2TDI said:

Jezz, I swear that anything that doesn't run on diesel and emits copious amounts of NOx is horrible and shouldn't be on the road according to some people on this forum...

Click to expand...

Not me, my AWM 1.8t is a fantastic engine. Runs great, plenty of power, very reliable, and at nearly 230k miles and 14 years old has never, ever broken down. Considering it has spent all those miles and time pushing nearly two tons of AWD Passat down the road through a slushbox I'd say that is pretty darn good. It is a little thirsty, though.

And my F150 is great, last year for what was at the time an engine that was over 30 years old (albeit fuel injected... and even that was a decade old when my '96 left the factory).

Two of my three sisters currently drive 3MZ-FE powered 2006 Toyota Siennas. Zero problems with those engines. One is approaching 300k miles, too. Third sister has a Honda Pilot, and Honda's V6s are stellar powerplants, and hers has a ZF transmission in it, we'll see how it holds up, but so far so good.

My mom is rolling in a 1995 Corolla, with the old 4A-FE engine. Burns some oil, but is otherwise completely trouble free. Hang a new timing belt on it every 100k miles, that's about it. Car is slowly falling apart, but the engine runs good.

Lots of good gasoline fueled engines out there. Volkswagen just no longer sells as many of them here as they used to.

oilhammer said:

Lots of good gasoline fueled engines out there. Volkswagen just no longer sells as many of them here as they used to.

Click to expand...

OH, i'd be beholden if you would share your thoughts on the 2016 - 2019 1.4 turbo (I have one. It is OK - except it is so small that A/C use really causes MPG to fall big time.
I'm considering the GSW - 6M with that same engine (if still available when my Jetta S bargain basement special gets tired.
all the best,
ez

I've stated in multiple threads here that I have good things to say about that engine so far. It was first seen here in the short lived poor selling Jetta Hybrid.

It is its own engine family, not shared with anything else sold here. It thankfully does use a timing belt, so that should prove a long lasting design. Alldata shows a 150k mile replacement interval.

They run reasonably good I think. And while no TDI, are pretty frugal. Time will tell how they hold up.