2005 Volkswagen Golf tdi SE from UK and Ireland - Comments

Nothing.

Not many miles under the belt yet, but its been excellent so far. A lease car from work, I needed something sensible, reliable, practical, cheap on fuel, maybe with a nod towards 'coolness' after the birth of our first baby.

If you ignore the 'cool' bit, its been all of those things. It looks quite nice in metallic grey, bit anonymous, but its got a bit of presence. I wish I'd specced bigger wheels, the lines of so many modern cars seem to look all wrong when you stick anything less than 16 inch rims in the arches.

The cabin is a nice place to be, well laid out, but steering wheel located radio controls should be standard. The steering wheel itself has a pretty horrid plasticky feel and your hands can slip now and then. The seats are very supportive and 300 mile journeys have been comfortable although you seem to sit 'on' rather than 'in' them. The controls are nicely weighted and I understand why people like that solid german feel to them.

To drive, the Golf does everything with little fuss. The engine does well considering it is the old VAG 1.9 tdi. Lots of torque as you'd expect and with 103bhp, doesn't feel much slower than my old 155bhp Alfa 156. Its not fast 0-60 of course, its all in the gears, but it feels relaxed and long-legged, loping along at quite pace if you want. When stationary, it has huge shove for joining moving traffic at a roundabout for example, the last car I drove with this instant go was an Impreza. If I'm completely honest though, I wish I'd got a quote for the new 2.0 tdi, and cruising at 90mph, the engine sounds a bit coarse without being too noisy. Easy 50-55 mpg though.

The handling is safe and I haven't really got it to lose grip yet even in the wet. Traction control and ESP unobtrusively help me out there I suspect. It doesn't feel quite as 'planted' as my Mum's Focus though and the nose dives too much if you give the brakes a light dab at speed, although they are strong and there's plenty of feel in then pedal. Its hardly outrageous 'fun' and feels ungainly changing direction sharply compared to my old Alfa, even if raw mechanical grip might let it corner more quickly. However, on the whole, the chassis does a fabulous job in what feels like quite a solid & heavy car, with a heavy lump of diesel engine in the front.

The steering is light, but could do with more feel and the gearbox is clunky, but easy and gear-changes are swift.

There's a fair amount of kit in the SE although not enough to make you feel special. Not sure if it's a big enough improvement on the base 'S' to command the asking price, particularly as air con is now standard on the lowlier model.

No reliability problems as yet, but one design issue is a bit annoying. When its raining, at speeds of 40 mph+ water pools between the drivers wiper and the 'A' pillar which is already quite wide. The result is up to 8 inches obstruction of your view. Anyone else found this? The thick pillars (A & B) may help the strength of the car, but you have to bob around quite a lot to ensure you haven't lost a car/cyclist in them.

To sum up, it's been an excellent car so far, a faithfull servant and a great all rounder. It feels like its going to go on and on and is very relaxing on long journeys. Fuel economy is brilliant too. The price for all this calm, sensible, rational, German excellence? Its a bit dull...

Happily the Alfa Romeo is still on the drive as my wife's car!

A good review. I own a Polo TDI which has the exact same 1.9TDI engine as yours except it has 130bhp and 6-speed gearbox. After owning VW's all my life I bought the Polo so that my girlfriend could get insured on it as my old Corrado VR6 was a no-no for a new driver. Although the Polo goes like stink and is about as quick as my old Corrado it feels dull and soulless compared to it, but I guess this is how all modern day cars are becoming. I am now desperately saving for another Corrado or perhaps a MK1 GTI!!

I've got a mk iv TDi 150. It's a good engine, but let down by the poor chassis. I can't wait to upgrade to the new mk v.

13k miles on the clock now and some disappointment is creeping in. Many of the qualities remain of course. Excellent fuel economy, grip, the engine remains torquey with plenty of usable power despite being 'only' 105bhp, and it feels very safe, which is increasingly important to me.

But three things are bothering me. Firstly, squeaks & rattles. Got a couple of these audible in the cabin, particularly on poor road surfaces or if I'm lazy and let the engine labour a bit. I thought VW Golfs weren't supposed to rattle or squeak. This car is less than a year old.

Secondly the 'boringness' of the car is starting to bug me. Its partly my fault of course, I ordered the thing, its spec and component bits. But even if I'd plumped for a boring 'Focus', at least the steering would have been pointy and satisfying. I'm afraid to say the the underlying character of the Golf is well, a bit old and grey.

Thirdly, the driver's seat which is excellent in terms of posture, is a pain in the posterior. Literally. Daily commuting and long journeys are giving me a painful bottom! Anyone else found this?

Yes - I suffered from "numb bum" syndrome though and also pins and needles in my legs on any journey over 1.5 hours. I finally cured all my Golf related problems (including the lousy dealers) by buying a Saab!

I have also just reached the 13,000 mile mark in my Golf (in six months) and have to say that I do not suffer from "posterior" problems. Quite the contrary in fact, I suffer from back pain and the Golf has been the most comfortable drive I have had for a while (compared to previous Peugeots and Fords). I think you bought the wrong model if you think it is "old" and "grey". Try the GT TDi - 50 mpg and 140 bhp, it's great! No problems at all with it to date so very pleased.

Hey, VW may be struggling in the quality department as of late... but one thing they aren't is "soulless".

Compared to an Alfa Romeo they are.

I think some people get 'soul' confused with temperamental reliability. Sure, you might not find the Golf to be quite as charismatic as an Alfa, but the VW will last longer and provide miles of service long after the Alfa has rusted away. Having owned both (147 previously and a 2.0 FSI currently) I feel that the VW is a far more rounded, better built and ultimately more satisfying car.

Oh come on! When did you last see a rusty Alfa Romeo? 1989? 1990? Anything of the 156 generation and later does not rust.

I have a 2004 156 2.4 JTD Veloce (facelift model with the 175 bhp M-Jet engine) which I bought new. It has done 65,000 miles without a breakdown or a single fault, knocks out 175 bhp, 0-60 in under 8 seconds and returns between 40 and 50 mpg depending on how I drive it. Oh, and it sounds wonderful, something no VW diesel I tried could even get close to.

Soul is to patchy reliability what fish are to laser printers. Completely irrelevant. My Alfa makes me smile when I get in it. My wife's Golf doesn't. The Germans still haven't quite grasped that part yet (unless you can afford an M badged BMW or a new Audi RS4)

To the 18th May commenter:

Yes, the Golf may prove to be a more rounded package. Personnally I wouldn't speak of reliability, at least not yet (see what happened with the Golf IV). I also drive a 147 and I agree that there are more constraints in its use: You simply cannot drive through potholes as if they were not there (or you'll find yourself replacing wishbones in an alarming rate) you cannot side park it (no lateral door protection) etc. But given the right kind of road, this car will give you more smiles per mile than its german or japanese competitors: the way the engine screams, the way the front refuses to let go even when provoked at full throttle, the way the rear end helps the front when (gently) lifting off the throttle... In fact all these factors that make you choose the longest way to work some days of the week (In fact I did it half an hour ago). That is called character or soul or whatever... and has nothing to do with the breakdown rate (which incidentally is NOT brilliant for the VW group either). It has to do with the evident feeling that whoever engineered this car was first of all a "driver" and then a "car user".

To resume, a Golf is a better "everyday" vehicle, if that is what you are looking for. However, having said that you'd be even better off with a Corolla (with its proven top-notch reliability). Quite simple actually: a car with soul appeals to your errm soul, the rest of them to your head.

OK, as the original poster, let me come back to a few points made here in recent weeks.

I suppose "soul" is not a helpful concept when trying to convey my feelings about this car. Its subjective and comes down to taste which will vary between different people.

This is the first Golf I have owned. In the past I had always admired from afar that chic, but classless image which has been well marketed over the last 20-25 years. Trendy, despite being common, but practical and reliable too. What I'm trying to say about my experience is that the Golf doesn't feel very special. It feels utilitarian and gets the 'job done' very well. It is very competent, and I would therefore recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone as a 'good car'. But it isn't cool and whilst I respect it, I can't bring myself to love it.

To the people who have suggested that I just haven't bought a fast or sporty enough model, you're missing the point. I used to own a Nissan Almera GTI, -brilliant hot hatch, great car that ran rings around more powerful Mk IV Golf GTIs -but it didn't make the lowly Almera range cool. Coolness should be evident in some measure throughout the range.

In addition I haven't confused 'soul' with 'temperamental reliability'. My Alfa hasn't gone wrong in 50,000 miles. But that is also missing the point. When you have a car with reliability issues and concerns which you STILL love, then it's got its hooks in you and has something special about it. I think I know the 156's lines very well by now, but I still walk up to it in the car park and am sometimes struck again by its design.

I went to a wedding yesterday. It was a smart event and I dressed accordingly, sharp suit, well chosen silk tie & 'groomed up'. Which car to take? No contest, -la bella Alfa in gleaming black. Went to work this morning, which car to take? The Golf -because its frugal and competent in the rush hour. But I was thinking of the Alfa...

I've enjoyed reading these posts! I've recently swapped a 156 for a Mark V Golf 1.6SE. The Golf is incredibly bland, and I wish I'd kept my Alfa (it was fault-free in the 5 and a half years I had it, but my wife wanted something more "normal" and "reliable"). The Golf is certainly normal, but it's been less reliable than the Alfa, and lacks its character, sheer beauty, and power. VW as a brand is not cool, and it has no soul. If I'd got a GTI I might think differently, but the run of the mill models are just DULL DULL DULL.

Original reviewer updating again. A year on and the car has got 31k miles on the clock.

Following my comments about the Golf being a touch dull and lacking in character I'm increasingly gaining grudging respect for it.

Fuel economy remains strong. The other day I was playing fuel light lottery and the driver display said I had 10 miles worth of fuel remaining for my 22 mile journey. Pah! There's always plenty in reserve I thought! But I still drove home with as little pressure on the accelerator as humanely possible. By the time I arrived at the petrol station close to home with fuel to spare, the driver display was showing 68mpg. I know these things over-estimate a bit, but I was impressed.

The torque, grip, chassis and brakes are still a pleasure and make swift, but measured "7/10ths" B road driving easy and relaxing.

No reliability problems either and the squeaks and rattles seem to have happily stopped. One growing annoyance regards visibility. Terrible road works in the town I work in mean regular lane changes in busy and selfish traffic. But the 'c' pillar is vast and left shoulder checks to check what's in the blind spot are frantic head bobbing affairs trying to spot traffic shooting up the inside as I move over.

It still doesn't make me feel special though. The lease period is up in a year or so and I'm already working out what's to be next. It probably won't be another Golf, but I suppose its testament to the qualities of my current car that I'm interested in a Seat Leon FR tdi, or Skoda Octavia VRs tdi. Both are a bit more exciting, look a bit more purposeful and certainly faster, but are essentially diesel Mk V Golfs underneath.

I nearly bought one of these, but I was put of by the blandness of it. The GT spec seems to lack anything that says 'GT' especially on the inside which is covered in swathes of cheap looking brittle black plastic with black seats, black roof, black switchgear, black carpets etc etc.

It was a nice car to drive, but nothing special. I came to the conclusion that to charge the premium that VW wants for this middle sized hatchback it really does need to have that 'something special' that makes you want to buy the car. And the Golf didn't have it for me.

Original reviewer updating again, 41,000 miles now.

Any faults yet? -Well one or two minor issues. The door sealing strips of foam rubber started coming off and had to be re-stuck by VW at the last service. No cost to me, but whatever glue they were using sprayed a few small spits and spots onto the dash -annoying. However, VW were good enough to arrange a free courtesy car at very short notice as the glue hadn't dried in time on collection. Another small issue is the auto-dimming rear view mirror. This is a nice comfort feature on the drive home this time of year, but recently it seems to turn itself off. Weird.

Otherwise, the car continues to run faultlessly.

Other grumbles? Our other car is now a diesel Volvo V70 which is not a truly fair comparison, but the Golf does sound a bit noisy and coarse in comparison.

However, the Golf still feels really nimble and is the car I jump into to scoot down to the shops etc.

The 105 bhp is just about enough for relaxed, but swift driving, but the 1.9 VAG lump is starting to show its age compared to the smoother more petrol-like common rail units. I'm still staggered by its 0-20mph grunt off the line to get me into traffic and onto busy roundabouts. Makes rush hour driving so much easier.