I am now a "people's car" owner!
01-10-11, 05:12 AM
#16
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Thank you all for the positive responses. 
I drove to work with the Golf this morning and I'm loving it. It actually feels a bit more agile than the 118d, despite being the weaker car. I've still got awhile to get to know the car, but I am not regretting the purchase one bit. The Golf is also easier to park into small, tight parking spaces, which is a good thing given the lack of large parking slots around here.
Updates will follow, of course. While I am at it, the BMW 118d has been flawless. No problems or issues of any kind.
I drove to work with the Golf this morning and I'm loving it. It actually feels a bit more agile than the 118d, despite being the weaker car. I've still got awhile to get to know the car, but I am not regretting the purchase one bit. The Golf is also easier to park into small, tight parking spaces, which is a good thing given the lack of large parking slots around here.
Updates will follow, of course. While I am at it, the BMW 118d has been flawless. No problems or issues of any kind.
01-10-11, 05:15 AM
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Congrats.
On a side note, I love it when people say "the car feels amazing even with this high mileage". The car has what.... 106,000 km? That's like what? 60-65k miles? It would have to be a really crappy car to not feel new with that low of a miles, but than again, I'm probably spoiled by Toyota reliability and I can comfortably jump in my 150k+ mile SC and not have a shadow of a doubt that everything works perfectly!
On a side note, I love it when people say "the car feels amazing even with this high mileage". The car has what.... 106,000 km? That's like what? 60-65k miles? It would have to be a really crappy car to not feel new with that low of a miles, but than again, I'm probably spoiled by Toyota reliability and I can comfortably jump in my 150k+ mile SC and not have a shadow of a doubt that everything works perfectly!
The Europeans measure car quality, like virtually everyone else, in terms of mileage. 50,000, 100,000, 150,000, 200,000 km and so forth. Every 50,000 km interval is viewed as a sort of quality indication.
At any rate, the Golf, with the exception of the metal damage, is in great shape and feels very well-made.
01-10-11, 05:16 AM
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01-10-11, 05:18 AM
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Actually, I'm happy with the performance of the Golf. It's not that slow, actually, and for the purposes I need the car for the performance aspect is completely irrelevant. The gas mileage and top speed are all acceptable for my requirements.
01-10-11, 05:23 AM
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The car still feels solid and well-made. On many levels, it actually feels more solid than the BMW. I don't have any factual evidence to back up this claim, but it is purely subjective and psychological to begin with. And I also find it enjoyable to drive. Yesterday my wife and I visited her parents in Heslach (outside of Stuttgart) and the drive there was very relaxing and comfortable. In terms of comfort the 118d just cannot compete.
I look forward to a great ownership experience with the car.
01-10-11, 05:26 AM
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I'm not a very good driver when it comes to manual transmissions. I know how to work them, but I've never owned or desired a car with a manual transmission. Plus, I often drive within urban environments and on long-distance trips and an automatic transmission is just far more enjoyable and relaxing for those types of drives.
01-10-11, 05:27 AM
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01-10-11, 05:35 AM
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Nice buy! Those were solid and popular cars when first introduced. I had a 1999 Passat with a very similar interior and dashboard. Served me well. One way to see how well a car ages is how the interior holds up. Seat fabric worn, center armrest worn, and steering wheel and gear shift handle "shine." Looks like most things are in top shape. Maybe someone can pop up that front dent so you don't have to get the panel replaced.
The seats are indeed a bit worn, but truth be told, it doesn't bother me much. Neither that does the dent. You see, this car was purchased as an all-purpose (winter beater etc.) so my priorities were that it was in relatively good shape, had an automatic transmission, good cabin space and above all, cheap. This Golf fulfilled all these requirements.
Although I've had it for a very short time now, it feels much more confident to drive on icy roads and snowy surfaces than the RWD BMW 118d. I've actually gotten stuck in the snow on three occasions this winter with the 118d - twice on a parking lot! Can you believe that?
The 118d is absolutely horrible in the snow. According to my work colleagues it is one of the worst BMWs to drive in snowy environments - a few German magazine tests seem to confirm this, to. Thankfully, I now have a FWD car for the remaining winter months and the next few winters!
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