Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel

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Sun 18 Jul 2010 16:11
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - Jonesy127

I'm considering a VW Golf Mk5. My daily commute is around 18 miles, and longer journeys through work and at the weekend would be fairly rare.

The appeal of the diesel is purely a matter of torque. SWMBO has a 2002 Mazda 323F 1.6 GSi, and that's frankly horrible to drive if you want to climb a hill or overtake anything.

I have a budget of around £6.5k. For a 2.0 TDi, that suggests I will have to accept high mileage. I'm slightly put off other Mk5 diesel derivatives from HJ's comments of "1.9 TDI diesels are noisy, too many expensive problems".

So should I go the petrol route? I certainly get less miles on the clock for my money. The 1.6FSi has 114 lb-ft of torque compared to the 323's 105 - too close to call?

My assumption is that for the 2.0 petrol FSi, I'm looking at similar prices to the 2.0 TDi?

I hope to live with the car for a good 5 years.

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Sun 18 Jul 2010 17:40
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - woodster

Each to their own and everyone's opinion is valid but I thought my Golf GT TDi was a 10/10 car. I can't see myself going back to petrol but wouldn't it be good advice to drive likely candidates? That way you'd be making a properly informed choice. My mi8leage is much more than yours which is another factor that pushes me towards Diesel. If my mileage was less perhaps I'd be looking at a 2 litre petrol. I'd have thought you'd do quite nicely for 6.5k bearing in mind you're not doing many miles.

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Sun 18 Jul 2010 22:33
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - Avant

The last three cars we've hired on holiday in South Africa have been a Mazda 3, VW Polo Classic and Toyota Corolla - all with 1.6 petrol engines. Both Japanese cars were pedestrian in the extreme, but the Polo was lively and vigorous.

You'll find that VAG petrol engines are torquier than Japanese engines, so as Woodster says go and try cars with either the 1.8 or.2.0. It's worth bearing in mind that for your budget you'll get a newer Skoda or SEAT than you will a VW.

Edited by Avant on 22/07/2010 at 01:07

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Thu 22 Jul 2010 00:08
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - chewy

"I'm considering a VW Golf Mk5. "

Don't.

"My daily commute is around 18 miles, and longer journeys through work and at the weekend would be fairly rare."

Do you have any idea how awful your fuel consumption will be with a diesel doing that?

"1.6 GSi, and that's frankly horrible to drive if you want to climb a hill or overtake anything."

That's because it's a 1.6, not because it's a petrol. You want a minimum of a 1.8.

"I hope to live with the car for a good 5 years."

Then you definitely don't want a MkV Golf.

See Honest John's Reviews section and see just how utterly unreliable a car can be within 3 years of production - yes they're my comments on there!!

Edited by Avant on 22/07/2010 at 01:05

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Thu 22 Jul 2010 07:51
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - Jonesy127

So I definitely don't want a car that HJ gives 4 out of 5 for? Can you suggest an alternative, please?

You clearly have had lots of issues, but I'm wondering, given the number of Golfs sold and the figures on reliabilityindex.com, they are not awfully unreliable cars?

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Thu 22 Jul 2010 13:12
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - woodster
Jonesy - If you trawl through the 'car by car breakdown' on HJ's website, you'd find known faults with almost every make/model. There are going to be percentage failures with everything. My neighbours Passatt did 130k, other neighbour's A4 is passing through 150k, my old Golf at 100k and the one I've just outed at 100k - all trouble free Diesels. Someone will have a bad one and they'll likely make much of it - can't say I wouldn't, but I don't necessarily think it blights the whole marque or model. There are, after all, many happy VW cistomers.
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Thu 22 Jul 2010 17:30
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - quizman

Wife's Golf Mk5 1.9 SE TDI, 3 year old not one single fault. Easily gets 55mpg.

My Passat 130 SE TDI, 9 years old only fault drivers window winder. Easily gets 47mpg.

Chewy you are talking absolute tosh.

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Thu 22 Jul 2010 22:08
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - JohnM{P}

I've posted about my Mk5 1.9 TDi a couple of times, last time was at

w w w.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=80894

It's now at 150k - problems have been turbo and radiator replacements at 103k and 120k respectively, plus both CV boots have just been replaced. Also, there was a severe boot leak due to sealing around the underfloor boot vent failing. I've been very happy with it; the 1.9TDi is no tractor - in the MK5 is a lot more refined than in the MK4.

However, be aware that in the winter the VW TDi engines take 5+ miles (on open roads) to get up to temperature - the penalty you pay for the excellent economy. An 18 mile commute will not give such good figures as my current 160 mile return trips, but petrol would be even worse for short trips.

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Mon 26 Jul 2010 19:18
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - Jonesy127
Thank you for your useful post and link, JohnM.

It's interested to hear the 1.9 diesel isn't as rough as a lot of reviewers on the internet (including HJ) claim; I have to admit I'd discounted the engine because of what I'd read.

However I'm still not sure whether a petrol wouldn't be the better choice, given my relative lack of mileage? I'm still yet to test drive a Mk5, so can't comment yet, but I think the 2.0 petrol could be the way to go.

I see you recommend the VW Bath dealer - I live in Bath. Trustworthy and friendly, then?
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Tue 27 Jul 2010 00:37
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - JohnM{P}

Yes - from my experiences I would happily recommend VW Bath (and their Chippenham servicing branch), together with the independant VW Audi Cars at Bradford on Avon.

I have often wondered if Bath would be one of the few places where a Prius (within your budget, just) might work well. There are so many hills there you have to use the brakes a lot and so would reclaim a bigger percentage of otherwise lost energy. Question is, would that offset the increased fuel consumption of a small petrol engine having to lug the heavy batteries back up the next hill...?

(Petrol or diesel Golf - check to see if the ABS/ESP unit has been replaced!)

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Tue 27 Jul 2010 18:44
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - idle_chatterer

Based on experience of a Golf VI with the 1.4 TSi engine which I believe was available in the Golf V - I'd recommend you try one, plenty of low down torque and over 40mpg. I suspect the 2.0FSi will be cheaper (being fitted to older cars) but wonder why this was only fitted to VAG cars for a relatively short period - quickly being superseded by variants of the 1.4TSi ?

As for the diesels, I've experience of the 1.9 130PD (Golf IV) and the 2.0 170PD (A4 B7), the first was a peach, the second a complete lemon, not sure about the 140PD but would advise avoiding cars with a DPF (if they fitted one) as I suspect it was the PD/DPF combination which made my 170PD so horrid. Personally I couldn't live with the gruffness and peakiness of a PD engine now I've tried better (Honda CTDi and BMW 330d).

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Wed 28 Jul 2010 12:44
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - Jonesy127

Based on experience of a Golf VI with the 1.4 TSi engine which I believe was available in the Golf V - I'd recommend you try one

Unfortunately I can't see a budget of £6.5K will stretch to a 1.4TSi...

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Tue 27 Jul 2010 19:05
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - SteveLee
If you like overpriced, overweight podgy handling cars then a MkV Golf is just your thing. I'd buy a Focus instead, even the equivalent aged Astra is a better car!
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Tue 27 Jul 2010 22:04
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - woodster
Steve - each to their own and I must respect your opinion. I've never driven the Honda but I've driven more focus's than I can recall and I'd never buy one. I simply cannot see it as being in the same ball park as a Golf. It feels like a cheaper product made from cheaper materials to me. Whilst a Golf feels bloated and overweight to you, it feels solid, quiet and assured to me. The Nth degree of handling is irrelevant in everyday use but the quality of plastics and the feel of the cabin matters in something I'm using everyday. If handling is the issue then my old GT TDi falls apart beyond 8/10ths. By which time we're going too quickly on twisty roads. On A roads the Golf is doing a ton at 3k rpm in blissful peace still feeling like the day it was new, despite 100k. I've driven more Fords than I can remember and they all feel baggy to me after relatively few miles. Maybe if you can afford to have them new for 3 years only, they're a different prospect, but as older buys, I can't see them as realistic competition.
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Wed 28 Jul 2010 06:21
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - SteveLee
Well, the last Golf I drove was the supposedly much improved and lightened MkVI, being a GT it was a horrid bone shaker - I wouldn't have one if it was given to me, the supposed "quality" cabin was nothing to write home about either with nasty plastically door handles. The MkV I drove was at the other end of the scale, poor body control and inexplicably poorly rated damping, perhaps it works on smooth autobahns, it was smooth to a point then crashed over larger potholes. Handling was ponderous and inconsistent. As you say - horses for courses.
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Wed 28 Jul 2010 12:45
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - Jonesy127
If you like overpriced, overweight podgy handling cars then a MkV Golf is just your thing. I'd buy a Focus instead, even the equivalent aged Astra is a better car!

Having previously owned a Mk3 Golf 1.8 petrol and loved it to bits, I'm hoping the Mk5 will prove to be as good, and then some. :-)

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Wed 28 Jul 2010 20:01
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - SteveLee

Having previously owned a Mk3 Golf 1.8 petrol and loved it to bits, I'm hoping the Mk5 will prove to be as good, and then some. :-)

The Mk1 was pure genius, the Mk2 heavier but more refined, mk3 heavier still, lost most of it's zest and appeal but still decent, Mk4 too heavy, poor suspension setup, refined but unappealing. Mk5, Mk4+ even more weight, Mk6 supposed to be the rebirth of the Golf, lightish and a good all rounder, though the model I drove was awful.
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Wed 28 Jul 2010 21:28
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - Avant

Clearly, each to their own. Personally I'm a VAG fan and I'm on my fourth (an Octavia vRS TDI estate). At 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year I might well go back to petrol next time.

But if you don't like the Golf, there's plenty of opposition.

If you think it's:

- Podgy: go for a Ford Focus.

- Overpriced: Octavia or Kia Ceed.

- Too small for the price: Octavia again, but don't forget the Golf estate.

- Too expensive secondhand but like it otherwise: SEAT Leon (or Octavia yet again)

- Too unreliable - Toyota Auris / Corolla.

- Image too pedestrian: Audi A3.

- You have a friend who needs this size of car but doesn't enjoy driving (so isn't on this forum) - used Vauxhall Astra.

- I want a GTI estate and VW don't do them - Octavia vRS like mine.

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Wed 28 Jul 2010 21:31
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - Jonesy127

- Image too pedestrian: Audi A3.

I thought the Golf was the only car with no image issues?!
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Wed 28 Jul 2010 21:54
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - mattbod

I've heard that the 2.0 TDI 140 PD engine is troublesome but the 1.9 105 is a really solid lump. Not the most refined thing in the world but 50 mpg easily and effortless torque. Loads of them around so might be worth a try. Have you also considered a Skoda Octavia? A really lovely car and a lot cheaper than a Golf.

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Wed 28 Jul 2010 22:14
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - woodster
Steve -on the point of Golf's being lardy: the 2004-2007 Focus 5 door 2 litre Diesel weighs 1405 kg, MKV Golf in same spec 1451kg. 46kg being the weight of a child. Hardly enough to separate the two. (Probably a result of better bits in the Golf!!)
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Thu 29 Jul 2010 00:02
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - Avant

"I thought the Golf was the only car with no image issues?! "

A few years ago it was voted the most popular car by accountants. I don't have a problem with that, but that's because I trained as a chartered accountant. Others might see this as an 'image issue' !

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Thu 29 Jul 2010 10:13
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - Armstrong Sid
I think "image issue" is only in the eye of the beholder. What is desirable to some people is to be avoided by others (see BMW).

Similarly, some cars are seen as having a lack of image. But then you could argue that "lack of image" is itself an image.

Quite philosophical for so early in early morning
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Thu 29 Jul 2010 10:48
Volkswagen Golf V - Petrol or diesel - corax

I think "image issue" is only in the eye of the beholder. What is desirable to some people is to be avoided by others (see BMW).

Some people don't buy BMW's for image. You'll find people like me who own the older ones have found they are extremely durable and cheap to run due to availability of parts and are relatively easy to work on compared to most modern front wheel drive set ups.

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