2001 Volkswagen Golf V5 review from UK and Ireland
"Well built and good looking car, good performer"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Breather hose faulty when car was new, this caused a reduction in performance. The engine fault light came on after a couple of hundred miles.
The electric central locking mechanism did not open the rear hatch lock. This fault was present from new.
A fault occurred on the drivers door switch pack. The switch that disabled the rear electric windows kept popping up when depressed.
An annoying vibration noise has developed. It starts when I am driving at 30mph plus and it seems to be coming from the passengers side rear door. The noise stops if I lower the rear passenger door window a fraction. I can only assume something is loose behind the panel.
Electric engine cooling fan seems to start up more frequently than it used to when the engine is idling. It starts up even though the temperature gauge never moves.
General comments?
The car has a very solid feel to it, the doors are heavy and close with a satisfying clunk. The seats are comfortable and the sound system is 'sound'. The interior finish seems to be to a high standard. The damped action of the glove box door and grab handles and the delayed interior light shut off add to this. The climate control works well and the dashboard is laid out in a simple and logical way.
Gear selection is reasonably good, short travel with nice definite changes up and down the box.
The handling is good and the car feels solid on the road, brakes are great and the steering is responsive. The 2.3Ltr V5 engine sounds nice and performs well though it needs to be revved high to achieve best acceleration. I do a lot of motorway driving and the car cruises effortlessly at high speed, wind noise is reasonably low. I am regularly getting 30mpg on decent runs.
One thing I have noticed is that the wheels collect a lot of brake dust and the tailgate of the car attracts a lot of dirt due to the design. The dust and muck swirls around in the turbulent air behind the vehicle then sticks to the rear end of the car.
The nice thing about a golf is that it's class-less and looks good parked anywhere.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.3 Ltr petrol Manual |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 27500 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Escort |
| Date of Entry | 2nd May, 2003 |