[Closed] Like a Golf

Didn't the VII only launch in 2013?

Anyway I've had 46k of trouble free driving out of mine. Best car I've ever had, miles better than the A6 it replaced

Great car! two and a half years and 32k miles. what model are you looking at?

Probably a Match. We both had 2006 Golf SE's for our last cars.

have you driven one yet? electric handbrake and adaptive cruise took some getting used to but i don't think i could go back now

No,, test drive booked though. Both current cars (Astra and Avensis) have electric handbrakes so we're used to those.

Had my GTD for a year and a half now. 45k miles and it's not missed a beat. Brilliant car. ACC is a game changer.

Does anyone know if all the petrol engines have start-stop, or is it just the Bluemotion models? VW website not clear on this.

I'm sure they're all start stop, if you're in the habit of keeping your foot on the clutch at lights etc it wont kick in anyway

Yeah ACC makes driving an entirely different experience on the motorway

^ coupled with auto 'box, auto lights and auto park brake, it really is worryingly easy to drive w.o. effort compared to my old mark II & V manuals (the latter w.o. a/c issues).

Did 110,000 miles in mine in 3 years only issue fuel pump packed up the day it was due to go back to lease company. No air con issues, it was the 2.0tdi

I've got a Manual 63 plate GTD. No issues only had mine for about 4k miles its 54k on the clock with no issues in its history just regular servicing. ACC is amazing and would be even more amazing with DSG auto box. When you just have the manual you have to change down if the traffic flow get too slow for the gear you're in its a real hard ship. Although i was put off DSG by stories of them being a bit poor in the snow.

I can't believe no one has mentioned a Skoda Octavia yet.

I can't believe you haven't mentioned that you can't left-foot brake in a VAG...

the latter w.o. a/c issues

I should point out that my father in law's A3 and brother in law's Passat, both about the same age and vintage, also had the air con compressor die.

I can't believe no one has mentioned a Skoda Octavia yet.

You can mention it and the Leon (which I really like the look of) if you like, but there's no dealer for either locally and there is a VW franchise.

I'd wait a little bit. VW are about to announce the facelifted Mk VII, rumour has it in November. Which should give you the option to grab the latest version, or pick up the slightly dated model at a better price.

have you driven one yet? electric handbrake and adaptive cruise took some getting used to but i don't think i could go back now

^ coupled with auto 'box, auto lights and auto park brake, it really is worryingly easy to drive w.o. effort compared to my old mark II & V manuals

I can't believe you haven't mentioned that you can't left-foot brake in a VAG...

I have a 13 plate 2.0TDI GT and love it...had it 2 years without issue.
You can override the stop/start if you don't like it.
I do nearly 250 miles on the M1 a week but have never used ACC - am I a berk?

I actually think the Stop Start is probably a Good Thing; just wasn't clear whether the all did it.

Didn't VW offer a Mk 2 Golf with Stop Start?

Incidentally, I am I the only person who fits roof bars with a torque wrench? Is this unnecessarily sad?

have a '13, no probs but the electric handbrake is annoying.

No backing into parking spaces with the door open to see obstacles. Seatbelt on or it wont move.

Once parked downhill with car right in front and it would release the handbrake too early (i.e. before the clutch was balanced). Inched closer and closer to the other car.

I can't believe you haven't mentioned that you can't left-foot brake in a VAG...

You can (2l manual). Maybe you can't with a dsg but who wants an auto anyway.

have a '13, no probs but the electric handbrake is annoying.

No backing into parking spaces with the door open to see obstacles. Seatbelt on or it wont move.

Once parked downhill with car right in front and it would release the handbrake too early (i.e. before the clutch was balanced). Inched closer and closer to the other car.

If we are being fair both of these are driver issues not an issue with the handbrake.

I'd wait a little bit. VW are about to announce the facelifted Mk VII, rumour has it in November.

[s]2018 is a long way off yet.[/s]

Oh facelift, time I had some sleep. 😳

Wzzz the reverse parking issue you are describing is the auto hold, which you can turn off at the push of a button

If you haven't already done so check out the lease offers on the Match, at one point it was around £5k to lease one for two years. There is a lease deals thread on PistonHeads that's worth keeping an eye on if you fancy going down the lease route.

Auto handbrakes have their uses but are a pain when trying to manoeuvre into tight spaces in my experience. Our BMW auto won't let me reverse with the door open, when you try to do so it just puts the gearbox back into park.

Oh facelift, time I had some sleep.

Aye, and from the pictures and knowing the VIII is due in 2 years it's not looking like a big facelift either.

Seatbelt on or it wont move

There was a thing on the telly that said in certain Southern European countries you can buy buckle blanks to defeat such things. On the other hand, I've never reversed the car with the door open...

My mum had a Polo with stop/start 20 (?) years ago

I would be cautious about waiting as VW will be under pressure to raise prices with €/£ exchange rate

Wzzz the reverse parking issue you are describing is the auto hold, which you can turn off at the push of a button

Even with auto hold off, the car releases the handbrake when you bring the clutch up. And it does this too early on steep hills.

* on steep hills, in reverse, pointing downhill with a parked car in front and parked car at the back.

I think it assumes you are "setting off" not manouvering out of a parking space.

Who makes VW's roof bars, by the way?

On my second mk7 golf, had a GTD and 3 weeks ago picked up my R estate.
The electronic handbrake takes getting used to like the DSG but when you do both a fantastic imo.
Stop/Start on the other hand was a right pain in the manual GTD and was turned off at the start of every journey, on the my new car with DSG it is much better - there is also the option to disable it using VCDS.

Can't say I've has any issues with the stop start barely notice it's there most of the time.

Wzzzz you need to be quicker with the clutch. It's not difficult to then hold the car on the clutch and manoeuvre.

I think the automatic handbrake makes you forget how to hold the clutch, I got caught out the other day but just applied the brake again, dipped the clutch and gave it a few more revs and away it went with no issues.

On my second mk7 golf, had a GTD and 3 weeks ago picked up my R estate.

Ohhh... The R estate is on my next car list when the GTD goes back. How do you rate it Simon ?

I just found a workaround:

Take seatbelt off, that way the handbrake doesn't auto release. You need to push the button.

So in those very close, parked on a steep hill situations, I can balance clutch and release handbrake at a moment of my choice. As you would do in a manual handbrake.

No backing into parking spaces with the door open to see obstacles. Seatbelt on or it wont move.

the original owner of our Golf had the camera installed, so this isn't an issue for us. the boot VW badge flips up and a little camera pokes out, like james bond....

Does it not have mirrors or windows?

Does it not have mirrors or windows?

You forgot '...and driver skill.'

I should expect condescension here from a bunch of Audi driving IT managers with bikes on credit....but to qualify my skill level further:

I rarely ever do it, but occasionally I need to reverse back really close to a small wall, like within an inch - its much easier to judge looking by popping open the door than moving the mirrors and then reseting them.

The options for reversing camera and distance sensors remained unticked.

I never had a problem operating a handbrake. Why did they need to 'fix' it?

I should expect condescension here from a bunch of Audi driving IT managers with bikes on credit....but to qualify my skill level further:

I drive a Golf. 😀

I should expect condescension here from a bunch of Audi driving IT managers with bikes on credit

Use the tape on wheelarch trick I mention here - http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/reversing-parking-sensors

I never had a problem operating a handbrake. Why did they need to 'fix' it?

Handbrakes do occasionally fail. Happened outside my house last week - Volvo started rolling downhill. Fortunately it hit the next car down and didn't crash into the house at the bottom.

Due to the design of the electronic brake that can't happen. It screws the pads onto the wheel and the mechanism can't be turned backwards, so it can't come off. It works very well as long as you haven't got the older model where the casing cracks and the mechanism seizes up. Auto hold is the solution for hill starts. No rolling.

Also people do occasionally forget to put them on or don't put them on hard enough. Electronic brake solves that problem too.

It also frees up space in the centre console for cupholders and whatnot.

In my Dad's new model the auto hold and handbrake appear to be the same thing. It just disengages when you pull away - no drama.

Great, until you find out you can't remove the handbrake without the engine running. We will have fun towing these cars when they are bangers and break down....

I agree that auto hold is great most of the time!

To some extent its like the auto flush toilet. Its not something you particularly enjoy doing (pushing the flush) but its part of the routine you have embedded for many years. Not going through that routine feels wrong and takes some getting used to, and when you go back to a manual flush theres a risk you will omit to flush!

I never had a problem operating a handbrake. Why did they need to 'fix' it?

Indeed

Great, until you find out you can't remove the handbrake without the engine running. We will have fun towing these cars when they are bangers and break down....

I'm sure the manual on my golf said you have to get underneath with a drill and reverse the pad screw to remove the handbrake if it needs towing or the battery is dead.

Great, until you find out you can't remove the handbrake without the engine running. We will have fun towing these cars when they are bangers and break down.

You can do it without the engine running, just the ignition needs to be on. The only time that is a problem is when the steering lock fails and the immobiliser won't switch on the ignition. The breakdown people just whack slidey plastic wedges under the wheels.

when you go back to a manual flush theres a risk you will omit to flush!

Yes, but notice how many people forget to flush public toilets anyway.

I'm sure the manual on my golf said you have to get underneath with a drill and reverse the pad screw to remove the handbrake if it needs towing or the battery is dead.

you must have been REALLY bored that day 😆

you must have been REALLY bored that day

I've had bad luck with cars so knowing that could have been useful at some point.

If it was for parking safety, there would be no need to have an electric handbrake, just a backup that comes on regardless.

Of course, if people left the car in gear with the wheels pointing to the kerb and the handbrake on, there would be very little chance of a serious accident due to a failed handbrake...

My wife's aunt watched an old lady get crushed to death because she forgot to put her automatic car in park and it rolled forward when she tried to get out. She fell under the car and got dragged along somehow. People can forget anything. So even with proper procedure in place someone's always going to forget or cock it up.

Here's another one. People up the road had a motorbike stolen from the garage. Their pickup was parked right in front of the door so the thieves crawled under it and snipped the handbrake cable. Very much harder with an electronic handbrake.

just a backup that comes on regardless.

It'd need a live system to detect that, which would require battery power.

The one thing i did notice with the Golf which was a tad annoying...

If you took the handbrake off manually because you were reversing without a seatbelt on it wouldn't put it back on at automatically at the end of the journey or when the ignition was powered off.

That resulted in my car rolling away a few times as normally as soon as I turned the ignition off it would put the handbrake on. Thankfully no major damage done and it did get me in the habit of checking it or leaving the car in gear.

According to my dad it doesn't come on unless the car is completely stationary. So if you let the brakes off slightly too soon it won't engage and you can end up rolling.

Very much harder with an electronic handbrake.

Wouldn't work on mine. You'd have to remove the actuators first which is pretty difficult with the wheel on. Might've changed.

According to my dad it doesn't come on unless the car is completely stationary. So if you let the brakes off slightly too soon it won't engage and you can end up rolling.

Yes you have to stop for the handbrake to engage. Who would think it?

I think you have to stop with your foot on the brake too - so rolling in gently won't work either.

Yeap stop with the brake for auto hold.

For stopping the engine on yes you do as it applies the handbrake relevant to the pressure you applied to the foot brake. If you switch off the engine it engages the handbrake.