2001 Volkswagen Golf review from North America

Glow plugs had to be replaced at 72,000 miles. The Beru brand runs almost $30 per glow plug.

Mass air flow sensor wet out at 65,000 miles. Cost was over $350 without labor.

Had to replace door remote battery on 2 separate occasions in the past year. Dealership wanted $18 to replace battery. Picked one up at the supermarket for $2.45.

The TDI model has serious power. It flew across the California Grape Vine at 95mph in August heat with the air conditioning on full blast and never cowered down.

I average 56 miles to the gallon in town and on the highway Unless you drive a Metro that's hard to beat.

Back seat leg room isn't anything to brag about, but the trunk storage holds as much as a large SUV can handle.

Front seat are wonderfully when heated, but if you are in a hurry to raise or lower them you might just want to pass than. They use the round turn knob to crank the seats up and down.

Definitely make sure you have a money reserve set aside for the maintenence of this car. You must use only stated brands on this car and they can be very pricey not to mention the cost of the mechanic to fix it and the time it takes to order and install and be without the car.

Make sure your mechanic is familiar with the diesel engine. They will not hook up to a standard OBD engine check light sensor.