GOLF Edition 1.6 TDI 85kW 115CV 5speed

Over hyped

I rented this 2017 model whist holidaying in Spain. I had it for a week, so go to know it well.

It had 27k on the clock. The car was very easy to drive. The seats were comfortable. It was fairly comfortable on the roads. Visibility from the car was good.

I keep hearing about how good the VW Golf is. It was my first ever experience of driving a Golf but I must admit I was disappointed and it has been over-hyped. The car is n't anything special. It is n't a terrible car, but neither is it excellent.

When we got to the rental desk, I got a free upgrade to the VW Golf. However, I could only get one suitcase in the boot. I did not make a fuss, as I the VW Golf was free upgrade!. We had to put the seats down to accommodate the two suitcases and two hand carry.

The small boot, became an issue on the last day of our holiday, when we had to check out of the hotel at 12pm and our flight was at 9pm. We could not leave the luggage in the car boot with the seats down, as that would invite thieves. We had no option but to return to the hotel to collect our luggage. It was inconvenient and restricted what we could do on the last day, as we had to return to the hotel to pick the luggage and then go to the airport. The previous year we rented a BMW 1 series and managed to get the same suitcases in without any problems (two suitcases and two hand carry luggage).

For a 1.6 diesel engine, the Golf did n't have any kick. It was n't fun to drive on Spanish mountain roads. I was expecting a bit of a thrill, but it did not give me that. Nor did I like the road handling. The BMW 1 series was much 'poised' on such roads, as it did not throw me left to right went corning and it too did not give me a thrill either. The Golf is a good motorway cruiser, but not to great on the bumpy roads. The first gear is ever so jerky.

The VW Golf, is a good car, but I would not want to own one. The radio was good, but not outstanding. The car had a touchscreen panel navigation and radio, but it required the use of the phone for navigation. It would be better to get a VW edition with in built navigation, but on the model I got, I had to connect my smartphone with a USB cable. I had to install Android Auto app. On occasions, the car would loose connection with my phone and I would loose Google Map navigation. It required buttons to be pressed to re-establish communication. Causing me frustration, as I needed the navigation on complicated roads and roundabouts. I took wrong turns, because I could not stop on busy roads to re-establish connection whilst driving, I suspect it was my cable. The position of the screen is also too low for navigation. It makes for dangerous driving, as you have to look down. It would have been better if the screen was higher at eye level, so you can see the screen and road quickly, so as to reduce eye movement. However, if I owned this car, I would not want to connect my phone to the car. The USB connection, which should have charged my phone's battery, was infact loosing battery power, as it was using my phone for other things.

The car door lock (for all doors) is on driver's side, rather then in the centre. So if I leave the car and pop-in the shops, I can't get my partner to lock the door so she remain's safe.

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