Yeah, you need to try them both and see what you think as it's going to come down to personal choice. The Golf is a nice car for sure and probably not going to be much more to run than a Honda unless you're unlucky so I think you just need to see how they both suit you. I am just sold on Honda reliability as I've had 6 and none of them have ever missed a beat but it's probably a mis-placed conception in some ways. Totally agree about driving in London, it's a joyless experience with horrible congested roads, a mayor trying to rid the city of cars without actually ever asking why people still use them despite his 'world class' public transport system and a signifiant portion of drivers acting like aggressive knobs. Good luck in your quest and let us know what you choose.
Is a Honda Civic Mk 9 a good choice?
- Thread starter Elephantears
- Start date
Yeah, you need to try them both and see what you think as it's going to come down to personal choice. The Golf is a nice car for sure and probably not going to be much more to run than a Honda unless you're unlucky so I think you just need to see how they both suit you. I am just sold on Honda reliability as I've had 6 and none of them have ever missed a beat but it's probably a mis-placed conception in some ways. Totally agree about driving in London, it's a joyless experience with horrible congested roads, a mayor trying to rid the city of cars without actually ever asking why people still use them despite his 'world class' public transport system and a signifiant portion of drivers acting like aggressive knobs. Good luck in your quest and let us know what you choose.
I still think there is a lot to be said for Honda / Japanese reliability unless funds are just not an issue. I was completely shocked to hear that a friend of mine recently spent 6k repairing his Golf - the diagnostics found a list of faults as long as your arm. Last time I looked Golfs are much more expensive to buy second-hand than Civics and when you factor in long term reliability I've never been tempted no matter how good the ride. YMMV of course!
SteveG
pfm Member
I've had quite a few Hondas (although only 1 Civic) and they've been the most reliable cars (and motorbikes) I've owned. It's a shame they don't really make anything now that I'm actually interested in owning (other than a Jazz which would still be my first choice if looking for a small car).
Last time I looked at Golf's was about 2016 or so and while I did quite like them and the build quality seemed decent we ended up getting a Mercedes A-Class instead.
Last time I looked at Golf's was about 2016 or so and while I did quite like them and the build quality seemed decent we ended up getting a Mercedes A-Class instead.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
This.
Having owned an Audi for 16 years, I reckon the much-vaunted quality of Volkswagen/Audi products is somewhat exaggerated.
These days I think they are. They are still riding on the coat tails of the work they did in the 80s. I remember the ads of the 80s, where Golfs were famous for having zinc strips inserted between inner and outer bolt-on wings, along with other anti corrosion measures. I and my car mad mates all sneered at this. "As if that's necessary". Fast forward a few years, when I was running a Fiesta that needed its first rust-perforated panel repaired at 6 years old and regular paint repairs, and Golfs and Polos always looked good. Some years on again, I was in for an MoT and took a stroll under a Golf Mk 2 on the ramp. The thing was 12+ years old and looked like new. My then (Dutch built, so not a real one) Volvo at 10 years old was looking very rough indeed.
20 years on everyone else has caught up, after all when did you last see a rusty car? However the electronics has multiplied exponentially and the cost of fixing this can be very high indeed, to say nothing of the difficulty of getting a reliable diagonisos of the fault. I don't think VW (and others) have mastered this as well as the Japanese manufacturers.
Yank
Bulbous Also Tapered
How about the Skoda or Seat equivalent to a Golf? Could either of these be had at a significant savings compared to the VW?
SteveG
pfm Member
A Yeti maybe.
I'm in a similar position to Elephantears, needing a modest-sized auto, but there is a confusing selection of auto boxes it seems. I have an old Nissan Note, with a torque-converter, and it's been totally trouble-free. I see that Honda Jazz uses CVT, and need regular fluid changes (plus a flush occasionally); then there's the DSG boxes on Skoda, VW etc. which seem to divide opinion. I have a mate with Yeti and he loves it (and the auto box) but others report problems. Is there a consensus on which automatic box is best ?
SteveG
pfm Member
My wife had a CVT Jazz for the best part of 10 years without any issues other than a flush that was done under warranty. We've also had autos from Mercedes, Audi, Vauxhall (an old Carlton) and Ford and other than a rebuild being needed on one of the older Mercs we've not really had any gearbox issues. In the Ford (a V6 Mondeo) the gearbox was just about the only thing that didn't go wrong.
The DSG boxes are technically brilliant, but they do have issues as they get old and they are not cheap to fix. CVTs are OK, but require maintenance and the ones I have tried seem sluggish. In my book you still can't beat a good old fashioned torque convertor auto as they are reliable and almost maintenance free.
One thing to be aware of with Golfs is that the Golf 7 comes with two different rear suspension designs. Models below 120 bhp have a simple torsion-beam design, while those above have a multi-link setup. The latter, multi-link, is what you want for ride comfort on poor road surfaces. Of course, VW only sent the higher-spec models to magazines for review...
If you’re seriously considering a Golf, put aside your prejudices and look at an Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The model has proven to be very reliable, and I would consider to be a better car than the Golf on every technical measure - and I put my money where my mouth was and bought one: I owned a diesel Giulietta for eight years with no issues. If you must have an auto, though that means opting for another DSG-type transmission, and while Alfa’s dual clutch is one of the good ones (it uses the same BorgWarner-sourced technology as the VW boxes), dual dry-clutch technology in general has mixed reviews, and these are all expensive to fix if anything goes awry.
If you’re seriously considering a Golf, put aside your prejudices and look at an Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The model has proven to be very reliable, and I would consider to be a better car than the Golf on every technical measure - and I put my money where my mouth was and bought one: I owned a diesel Giulietta for eight years with no issues. If you must have an auto, though that means opting for another DSG-type transmission, and while Alfa’s dual clutch is one of the good ones (it uses the same BorgWarner-sourced technology as the VW boxes), dual dry-clutch technology in general has mixed reviews, and these are all expensive to fix if anything goes awry.
I had a ride into town the other day in a VW Passat taxi with the DSG box, so I asked him how reliable it had been. He said it needed a full re-build at around 110,000 which cost him about 1,800 (if i remember) but he was now on around 150,000 plus , so pretty good going. It also seemed smooth to me so I may have to have a think...
Nic Robinson
Moderator
The 6 speed "wet"box is better than he 7 speed "dry" by all accounts.
My Octavia had the 6 and I had the oil changed every 40k which, apparently, is the way to go.
My Octavia had the 6 and I had the oil changed every 40k which, apparently, is the way to go.
I've not driven either but I'd prefer to have a Giulietta.
Be aware that DSG is nothing more than a brand-name. There are two very different gearbox technologies in use under that brand: one has “dry” clutches like you’d find in a traditional manual, and the other has “wet” clutches, which are cooled by the transmission fluid, and are closer to a traditional automatic. VW group basically has one design of dry-clutch gearbox, but about four different wet-clutch ones - some are only seen in Audi models, though. The wet-clutch boxes tend to be more reliable, but which type you have in a given vehicle is not straightforward (the dry clutches tend to be in smaller petrol cars; larger >2.0 litre diesels tend to use the wet type).
And as ever, if you’re looking at a VW Passat, consider a Skoda Superb instead. They’re a bit roomier, and Skodas are much better built than their Volkswagen cousins.
Elephantears
Trunkated Aesthete
I just drove a 2013 Golf - 1.4 S TSI with a DSG gearbox. I really liked it a lot - it felt super smooth to drive and has great visibility. The tech is a bit basic and there's nothing luxurious about it inside, but as a machine made for going from one place to another, I couldn't fault it. It does feel more pleasing than the Civic I tried, but I think there was something wrong with the gearbox on that. So that's where I am now. Seriously tempted by the Golf.
However I note the comments above about the DSG gearbox - going to do some more reading. Don't want to be paying for a rebuild.
However I note the comments above about the DSG gearbox - going to do some more reading. Don't want to be paying for a rebuild.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Is it still the case that the VW TSI engines have to be run on premium unleaded fuel?
lordsummit
Moderator
I think only the Fabia Vrs and the Poli GTi had the twincharger engine. I had a Fabia and it was fabulous, but it had a new engine under warranty, and at the end of the warranty I part-ex’d it. The issue was needing new oil sprinklers at the base of the cylinder. I guess they’ve mostly been sorted now, but…
I bought a mk8 Golf 18 months ago, basic model that does my needs, however it is by a long way one of the worst cars I've had in more recent years. Driver interface is pretty horrid, far too much touchscreen that doesn't work well, screen mists up at the slightest hint of damp, sat nav is all but useless, no rear cameras or retractable wing mirrors, the list could go on. I wouldn't have another one if you paid me. In contrast the Hyundai I30 it replaced was pretty good, boring but at my age thats fine, and it only went because it was diesel. I think I might have another one or perhaps a Honda, there's a lot to be said for average.