Volkswagen Golf

The Golf has been loved by many generations and continues to be a staple family car all over the world. The reason is simple because it is such a perfect family car - spacious, affordable, drives well, comfortable, quiet and punchy.

Naysayers will also talk about how unreliable VW is but their main point of contention is the 7 spd DSG (DQ200) gearbox and more specifically, the Mechantronic Unit (MU) which had a tendency to fail. Truth be told, during the early years of this fabled gearbox, there were problems that inconvenienced many. However, in 2015 VW has revised the gearbox and repositioned the MU and used a different sort of oil for our local climate. The problem has since been as good as eradicated *provided* you maintain the car properly and keep it stock. If your MU does fail, most workshops now are able to fit a new one for less than $2000 with a warranty. After all that's said, I love the drive with a DSG gearbox - lightning quick and seamless gearchanges.

The 1.4L Turbo engine produces 123bhp and 200Nm of torque which may not sound that exciting on paper but in real world driving conditions actually provide a sprightly drive with good power for overtaking on expressways. Fuel efficiency is also good with an average of 14km/l with mixed driving.

Coming from a Korean and Jap car ownership, the interior quality and insulation on a Continental car is really next level. The car comes with proper soundproofing in the doors, roof and wheelarches and the difference can really be felt coming from Jap/ Korean cars. The car is quiet on expressways, the sound from the speakers is crisper and journeys are just more comfortable.

Even though the car weighs no more than a regular Jap/ Korean car, the stability on expressways even with stock suspension is quite significantly better. All round independent suspension is also superior to Jap/ Korean cars and can be felt around corners.

What else really goes wrong with a VW besides the MU? Not much. The Germans have really thought thru the engineering and ergonomics of their cars.

Change your mindset about VW's gearbox reliability and I'm sure you'll enjoy the drive and ownership.

There is a reason why Golf wins the title for Car of the Year for many years.

Have driven the 1.4 TSI Golf MK7 for 5 years, and it is still in good condition. I like to accelerate aggressively, but petrol consumption stays at about 15km/L.

Easy to drive, simple to handle. Ideal car for everyone.

Having driven 3 Toyotas & 2 Hondas in the past 20+ years, I finally bought a Golf MK7 R-Line thinking the DSG issue is history. During the 3 years warranty period, besides the 3 servicing that are included, I have to bring the car to VW Leng Kee for troubleshooting 5 times. 1. DGS issue, gearbox needed new parts 2. Air con sensor was spoiled & no in house stock 3. Auto hold is not working, need repair 4. Battery problem, need to be changed, 5 Start-stop button need change. The warranty was just expired last month, this week the car stalled on the road twice during morning rush hour traffic. After waiting for more than 6 hours in VW workshop, they told me it is Mechatronics fault, costs $4k to replace since the warranty is just over by 2+ weeks. After long negotiation with the servicing manager, he offered 20% Discount which is still $3k+! I am not sure how many major parts are yet to be replaced if I continue to keep this car in the remaining 6+ years...

Driving it for the past 4 years. No regrets. Excellent handling from the best chassis. Smooth gear change and great acceleration when needed. Amazing power from this 1.4 variant. Fuel consumption is surprisingly good.

Have been driving Golf for 2 months now. On the exterior, I love how it's not loud, being sharp and simple at the same time. Not a luxurious continental car but definitely one of the best in its class.

For interior, I like how it provides really good all-round view from all the windows and screens. Built quality is impeccable for its price point with decent noise insulation, materials used and attention was given to minor details.

Fuel economy, quick pick up speed are great for city driving. Audio and air-con are also better than most in its class to enjoy even while stuck in slow traffic.

Maintenance can set you back a little bit more and you have to really pay attention to oil changes/parts replacement intervals to minimize serious problems from arising.

Overall, weighing the pros and cons, its a definite recommended car for its comfort and quality.

I have been driving 1.0L TSI since jul18.

this is the MK7.5 version, hope the gearbox issue is a history for car owners now.

prefer hatchback due to the spacious interior vs sedan.

I have been driving the 1.4 highline for two month plus already. Seems like mine was the first to be on road in singapore :)nothing to complain about. The handling and interior of the car was good.

The VW Golf is a quick and nimble car, and is especially good for city driving! It's small from the outside, but the interior space is bigger than the Audi A3. My head would hit the roof when I sit at the back of an A3, but in the Golf, there's no such issue. The engine is powerful enough for city driving, however, for highway driving especially for NSHW, you don't really feel it's power in the high end. Overall, it's still a good car!

Test drove the 1.4 TSI during the weekend. It was badged "230" Which meant that it was supposed to have 230Nm of torque but on paper it only has 200Nm. VW marketing gimmick or 'cheating' again?

Although there was a promotion of $95k for the 1.2 TSI aka 180 which has 175NM on paper and $105 for the 1.4 TSI aka 230, which was 'cheap' for a Cconti compared to Jap/Thai or Korean, I didn't enjoy the drive as it felt boring and slow to me.

I've owned this wonderful facelifted Golf 1.2 since 11/17. Very happy with the 108hp tsi superb punchy engine, good responsive pick up & handling especially from the DSG gearbox in "S" Mode (not tiptronic).

Can easily outrun any 1.6 Jap or Korean car

When accelerating in Sport mode, the Golf will tend to shift to the next higher gear later than normal, revving the engine to a higher rpm. This can be useful for passing cars on the expressway or just when you want a sportier driving experience (also easy to filter out when overtaking).

Normally, under "D" Mode the engine would shift earlier when accelerating in order to save fuel. Decelerating in Sport mode will have the opposite effect, causing the vehicle to shift into lower gears earlier than normal in order to keep the engine rpm high.

Mileage done around 12k+ without hiccups (keeping my fingers crossed)

Excellent firm suspension soaking every bump & uneven surface with a comfortable ride.

My previous car was a Colt Version R

Own a mk6 model thus naturally will be incline to test drive the mk7 model to test the difference. The gearbox seems to be smoother as compared to my mk6, the car is well insulated even thought I tested the R-line which comes with 19” Inch rims, not much road noise or harshness felt, the equipments level is high only with EQP or R-line while the base model still does not have keyless entry/start which is a norm for car nowadays. The EQP/R-line model have better headunit as oppose to the base model. Generally feel the car is well build but price wise it is not really attractive no thanks to the COE.

Been driving my brand new golf for the past 2 months, and I love it!

Was driving a Mazda 3 for the past 5 years and wanted to get an upgrade, with a budget of 130k+ and originally wanted to get the A3 sedan, and never considered a Golf as I always found it to boring in looks and had never driven a hatchback before.

Test drove the A3 1 litre sedan and found it pretty decent, but still lacking in power, and cabin space.

Then I walked into the VW showroom looking to view the jetta sport line and saw the Golf R line, and the sporty looks with the moon roof and 19 inch rims sold me.

When I test drove it, I found it to be a much faster car then the A3, especially when driven in sports mode. With 148bhp and 250Nm, on paper it hits 0-100km in 8.2 seconds which is amazing for a Golf! Even faster then the new Civic 1.5 turbo.

Exterior: Its a Golf R styling for the price of a normal golf ++ with LED Daytime running lights and LED headlights.

Interior: Nice black piano trim, but lacks the control nob like in the A3 or new mazda 3. Has electric seat for the driver which is good, but no memory function.

Features: Hill Hold Control, so you no longer need to keep depressing the brakes when stopping at traffic lights. Push start button, build in navigation system, tyre pressure monitoring system, apple and android car play and my favourite a sun roof or moon roof which is able to retract and you can drive like a partial convertible.

Comfort: Suspension is good despite the large 19 inch wheels. Cabin insulation is good there is ample space for 3 adults in the back with plenty of knee and head room.

The Drive: Overtaking is a breeze, as compared to my previous car. Car corners very well and feels solid. Many people have mention about the unreliable 7 speed DSG gear box, but so far I have no problems and it is smooth and changes gears quickly.

FC: Not so great and nowhere near as stated on paper. But mostly due to the fact I have been driving hard in sports mode.

I have yet to send my car in for 1st servicing , so I can't comment on the after sales service.

There is a 20k+ difference between the basic 1.4 and the R Line, but I believe its money worth spent for the sportier looks, extra build in features and the more powerful engine. It might be a poor man's Golf R, but I still love it.

Got it brand new 1.4TSI within 6 month clutch required replacement and on the 12month of ownership the gear selector lever was defective and required to replace. Sold it off after repair. Will never touch this brand again!

I have been driving the Golf 1.2 TSI for the past 2 weeks and thought that I should share my experience.

The Golf 1.2 TSI is really basic and does not come with the gadgets that other trims have to offer. If you are looking for a safe, fuel-efficient and a comfortable car to drive in, this is the car to consider.

My purchase came with the following:

1) 3-year warranty (all parts).

2) Free servicing at 15k, 30k, 45k intervals.

3) Free 1 year road tax.

4) Free BlackVue DR450-1CH without GPS

5) Free 3M solar film, but RikeCool was installed when I collected the car. They claim 3M was out of stock but the car beside mine at the car collection bay had 3M solar film installed.

6) Free customised boot tray.

7) Free VW umbrella.

Test drove this car few months ago and I thought this is a fun car to drive. Easy to drive and overtaking is easy due to its shorter wheelbase.