advertisement


VW Golf GTE?

stevec67 said:
0-60 is an area where hybrids score over conventional technology. If the electric bit of the car is good for (say) 50bhp, even if it can only deliver it for a couple of minutes, then this plus any modest petrol engine makes for a car that's going to go like the clappers in a 0-60 dash. Round a track, forget it, the battery will go flat and the engine won't have any spare power to put into recharging, so once it's done the first couple of minutes it will perform like a 1300 with 4 passengers and a bootful of luggage.
Click to expand...

Yup, and even for a performance measure that hybrids do relatively well at, the GTI is still quicker, with a 0-60 time of 6.2s/6.4s. The Focus ST also beats the GTE. Plenty of fairly unremarkable family cars now have 0-60 times under 10s - this isn't the 80s any more.

The GTE is a warm hatch, with some eco credentials thrown in. Nothing wrong with that per se, of course. Your money, your choice.
 
I'm thinking about a hatchback as a general runabout and did look at the GTE but as others have mentioned, given the price and the lack of capability on electric only, it looks more like a company car taxation solution than anything else.
 
zippy said:
"There seems to be a feeling from some in this thread that the GTE is a performance car."

VW claim 7.6 seconds 0-62, that's not your average family saloon ! (mind you after the diesel scandal maybe we shouldn't believe what VW says !)
Click to expand...
In my experience of VW if they told me it would get dark out side tonight I would go a check.
I have a video of the sales man lying when he sold us the car VW did nothing.
Cars are well built compared to others and have a loyal following but clearly they take advantage of it.
I look back at the PD150 Diesel 160BHP 50MPG around town easily did 200,000 miles fitted to Golfs Boras etc now that was a fantastic engine, the new Golf Diesel we have now is better on MPG but not much go in it and no 6 speed.
Going back to the OP could you not get an extended test drive or hire one as its a lot to spend?
 
No problem. I wouldn't say I understand it, the rules change every 5 minutes, but that's the basic principle. Its the giving of a benefit in addition to a salary that has to be taxed, same as it would be if your employer gave you a free lunch every day, paid rent on a house or paid for your holidays. All those things have a cash value and you know the taxman is going to want his slice.
 
The check engine light in my 2010 GTI came on this morning. I drove straight to the dealer, they checked it, and told me the intake manifold has to be replaced. My car is long out of warranty, but this part is covered by a 12 yr/120,000 mi warranty extension, so they're fixing it for free, on a Saturday, and sent me home with a 2017 GTI loaner car.

Apparently there is a similar 12 yr/120,000 mi warranty extension for the fuel injectors. These are components that have experienced premature failures in enough cars for Volkswagen to cover it, but not enough cars for them to issue a recall.
 
My word. VW in "honouring vehicle warranty" shocker. They must be feeling unwell.

120k mi!es is most of the lifespan of injectors. They often need a rebuild around 150k.
 
Sis in law has one in black

She's a senior sister with the local NHS and they were offered a salary sacrifice scheme for various cars and the distance she commutes is purely o electric, so it made a lot of sense

Superb car and I'm not a VW fan at all. Lovely interior, great drive, great speed pick up and brilliant on fuel (when the full engine is needed etc). Think she's filled the tank 10 times in just over 2 years :rolleyes::D
 
Second hand car insurance companies refuge to cover VAG TSI and TFSI engine cars, here in the Netherlands. Also the bigger VAG TDI's can't get covered second hand, they claim it is a certainty that all these VAG engines fail, not an uncertain risk.
 
markvdv said:
Second hand car insurance companies refuge to cover VAG TSI and TFSI engine cars, here in the Netherlands. Also the bigger VAG TDI's can't get covered second hand, they claim it is a certainty that all these VAG engines fail, not an uncertain risk.
Click to expand...

They refuse warranty insurance, or they won't insure you to drive them?
 
It's pretty clear that he is talking about mechanical breakdown and repair insurance on the engines in question.
 
stevec67 said:
It's pretty clear that he is talking about mechanical breakdown and repair insurance on the engines in question.
Click to expand...

Wasn't certain, different countries etc.

I don't blame them though. The first generation 1.4 TSI engine was highly prone to failure, especially in 170bhp guise. I know from experience. Fortunately it was warrantied, and the engine was replaced with a new one.
 
170 bhp from a 1.4 4 pot with a turbo unreliable, no surprise Sherlock!

A natasp 1.4 car engine is going to generate 100bhp with a nice tractable tune and 130ish with a lumpy cam and raised rev limit. More than this is going to need bike engine technology or extensive tuning, both costly and/or less driveable. A turbo to add 50-60 bhp to such an engine is going to have to run about 0.5bar, I'd imagine, and the thing is unlikely to last 100k miles.
 
The problem I have with electric cars at the moment is that you're essentially tied to the dealer network for servicing and repairs, for the forseeable future. I don't yet see aftermarket electric specialists popping up in every town, and don't think there is going to be enough market saturation to encourage that, any time soon. As somebody who likes to run cars for periods well beyond 5 years, at the very least, the additional expense isn't something I'd want to ignore.
 
stevec67 said:
170 bhp from a 1.4 4 pot with a turbo unreliable, no surprise Sherlock!

A natasp 1.4 car engine is going to generate 100bhp with a nice tractable tune and 130ish with a lumpy cam and raised rev limit. More than this is going to need bike engine technology or extensive tuning, both costly and/or less driveable. A turbo to add 50-60 bhp to such an engine is going to have to run about 0.5bar, I'd imagine, and the thing is unlikely to last 100k miles.
Click to expand...

Turbocharger and supercharger!

The technology in the engine was said to be pretty advanced, and VW won a stack of awards for it.

The problems started to emerge pretty quickly, at between 35,000 and 50,000 miles, sometimes even as little as 20,000, they revolved around a melting #4 (I think) piston and production problems in the timing chains and/or their associated gearing - stretching and loss of hardening respectively, which always resulted in the chain jumping a link and the top end self-destructing. Instead of fessing up, ceasing production and replacing cars that had already been sold, VW pretended that there wasn't a problem, and refused to acknowledge complaints, at least in this country. This continues to be the case. They ceased production of the twin charger unit with the MK6, despite its 'award-winning' status, but still wouldn't acknowledge that there had ever been a problem. In Germany I think there was some kind of a class action, and they replaced failed units out of warranty, but not here.

I believe that with later engines they released modifications to address the problems (though still without acknowledgement that there were any problems). My first unit failed at 56,000, I am using the replacement up - it has now covered 64,000 far from trouble free miles. The car is a 58 plate, and has no resale value.
 
I live in rural Essex, and I walked with my daughter through the woods this morning. Just for the oddness of it we went onto a footbridge over the M11 before coming back. The stench of fumes was very evident a good 200 yards before we reached the motorway. In urban and suburban areas millions of people live a lot closer to these fast roads than 200 yards. The noise and the fumes are awful. I walked home pretty convinced of the case for electric/hybrid cars.
 
eternumviti said:
Turbocharger and supercharger!
Click to expand...

First time I experienced one was an A3 that was going max chat past me up a crawler lane. It absolutely screamed as the driver had his right foot pushed all the way down on the Wilton. And not in a nice way either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top