2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Review

[@matman142]

your guys reviews are so much better than motortrend or car and driver! the 0-60 in the review was awesome. keep making cool reviews

[@mpgomatic]

@turbo311 Thanks for the feedback! We always include a link to the full review on our website that goes into more depth. If there are specific things that you think we should add, please let us know. :)

[@mpgomatic]

Rest assured, the fuel pump nozzle is NOT a prop. :) We drive the wheels off our test vehicles. Diesel fuel pumps are not always green here in the Garden State (where we are not allowed by law to pump our own fuel).

[@mpgomatic]

Thanks for the kind and inspiring words, Matman! :)

[@frankmerkt4723]

I will share my opinion on the 2010 VW Golf TDI. I have been in the Car Business for 15 years, and have seen and driven virtually every make and model out there. 4 months ago, the dealer where I worked at, traded for a 2010 4-door Golf TDI with the DSG. I had never driven, so took it for a spin. 2 hous later, I was signing contracts and bought the car. I get 34-36 mpg's in town DRIVING IT HARD!!! If I ease it, I get 37-42 MPG in town!! Best value on the market BAR NONE if you like to DRIVE!

[@juukame]

@mpgomatic i was watching an episode of top gear once, and jeremy had said that americans want cars so much cheaper than the rest of the world because a long time for us is half a decade, and by that time we're looking for a new car. i think this is a good point to add to your reasoning; even though the golf may be a little more expensive upfront, it's built more reliably and built to last far beyond our expectations. instead of developing faults as early as 3-4 years

[@mpgomatic]

Diesel fuel prices may be an issue. That said, things appeared to go back to normal when the Oil Men left Washington DC. Diesel fuel prices traditionally rise and fall with the seasons: higher in the winter and lower in the summer. Throughout this past winter, diesel fuel prices have hovered between the price of regular and premium unleaded. Diesel was LESS expensive than regular last summer around these parts. Over the past month or so, it cost me less to fill up a Golf TDI than a GTI. :)

[@ClayColwell]

@Fnyar You might also want to take into account that a diesel vehicle will typically last longer than the gas counterpart and thus reduce the need for buying a second car when the gas car goes ka-put.

[@Trojanman2006]

Excellent review. The 0-60 footage was awesome!

[@MechRider89]

I loved my 2010 golf TDI, it was a solid car. Even got good mileage when I auto crossed it haha

[@porschefan102]

Diesel Model: (30,41)MPG ($1.76 per mile) Gas Model: (22,30) MPG ($2.19 per mile) Using these numbers, you would pay off the difference in price in about a year. Diesels are also known to last longer and the engines run less stressed than the gas, meaning less mechanic visits.

[@Fnyar]

@mpgomatic I would expect the TDI to have a higher resale value though, given that it costs more up front. To make it a factor worth considering you'd want to consider the average resale percentage (resale price/new price) and see if that percentage is higher for the TDI or not. Just because it resells for more doesn't necessarily mean it's a better deal if you paid more for it to begin with. Thanks for the good review.

[@ClayColwell]

@Fnyar Also take into account that diesel powered cars last longer than their gasoline counterparts and one does not need to change the oil as often. My dad has a 2005 VW Passat TDI that gets about 39 MPG on the highway, so with the smaller Golf, you are more likely to get in the high 40's or the low 50's with highway driving. One of my teachers last year has a a 2006 Jetta TDI and he gets about 45 MPG highway.

[@teisenmenger9748]

That $6K difference buys you a lot more than just a TDI engine, since the base TDI includes a lot of features that you can't get on a base Golf (17" alloys, sport suspension, Bluetooth, iPod interface, heated seats, premium sound system, etc.). I owned a '99 Beetle TDI and it was a superb car. Sold it to buy an '08 Accord and am ready to go back to VW.

[@mancheskia]

@mpgomatic also diesel will outlast the gas model. along with diesels are generally less maintenance

[@mpgomatic]

I'm still at it, Ken ... trying to keep the bills paid! :) I've been posting reviews in the Autobytel channel - Chevy Cruze Diesel, Impala, BMW 335 xdrive, Chrysler 200 convertible are all up. Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Honda Civic Hybrid will be posted soon. Doing a lot of media first drive events too, 2014 Spark EV, 2014 Fiesta, Hyundai Equus, Audi TDI ... I will continue to post stuff here in the MPGomatic channel. Working on the first pilot episode of Ain't Fuelin' .. stay tuned!

[@mpgomatic]

@gwalia4 That's awesome! It's wonderful that folks can choose a wide range of vehicles here in the USA and that you're so devoted to your Prius. Preventive maintenance is often overlooked.

[@mpgomatic]

The VW/Audi 2.0-liter clean diesel TDIs do not use Urea fluid like the MB and BMW engines.

[@HadaCakraningrat]

Diesels are not 0-60 cars, they are more of 35-75 mph cars, the torque pulls at mid RPM are craaaazy with these TDIs, I've just test driven this yesterday.

[@lockheed08]

Obviously, most people prefer better engines to a better chassis. My 10yr old Honda has never had problems in 3years of owning it. This is despite serious abuse;redlining the engine, peeling out, pedal pegged at 130mph(i was immature back then), and having only 2 oil changes! If there were ever a German car with a Japanese motor, I'd be very interested in it

[@bloodyright77]

@Fnyar You are getting a lot more options with the base TDI than the base non-TDI. Also the golf TDI is still less than the GTI. I've heard that the interiors are almost identical (except the TDI doesn't have the plaid seats of course).

[@mpgomatic]

@Fnyar You might also want to factor in the historically higher resale value for TDIs ...

[@Fnyar]

I like the TDI in concept. Doing a little math this evening shows a few things though: * Diesel is ~12% more expensive in my area (WA). * The 2 door TDI base price is $3884 more than the non-TDI even with the $850 tax credit taken into account. * My calculation is based on the best highway millage for both cars (42 vs. 30). 3884 + (3.29/42) x = (2.93/30) x x = Miles to Break Even = ~200,000 Plug in your numbers. Maybe it makes more sense from a purely economic standpoint in your area.

[@noob616]

Mom and Dad just bought the 2011 TDi Golf Wagon. It's a great car, the engine makes an obscene amount of torque for such a small car. Tiny bit of turbo lag, and then you're off.

[@PavelCS]

@Fnyar I would suggest looking at price of biodiesel instead of diesel and also taking into account that biodiesel is not likely to be getting more expensive, while petrol for sure will. And if you are planning to be seriously saving on fuel, you can buy for 10k a machine that will be making certified biodiesel for you. But then it would make sense to buy only diesels after that.

[@TheCarArchives96]

the 2009-present Volkswagen Golf is assembled in Wolfsburg, Germany Changchun, China Jakarta, Indonesia Pekan, Malaysia Solomonovo, Ukraine

[@l0lum4d]

Also, I've got a number of friends with Japanese cars, Toyotas, hondas... with more than 100k miles, they all rattle, and really show their age. My VW is solid. It feels better than most other high mileage cars I've ridden in.

[@Spyster007]

@Fnyar don't forget to take into account the higher than EPA fuel mileage with the TDI's. Check fuelly.com

[@mpgomatic]

@triphorn19 Thanks for the catch! I'm adding an annotation to the video.

[@00stangmang]

@Fnyar I just test drove a 2011 TDI Golf manaul today and over an 18 mile trip through town of start and stop driving only, I never exceeding 40 mph I had averaged 42.2 MPGs. I was testing with regular driving to compare with a Prius.

[@mpgomatic]

@digitalrebelxti - The Civic and Corolla are nice cars, but you have to look at the full cost of ownership, including depreciation. TDIs hold their value quite well.

[@timtrain35]

Also, don't forget the $1500-$2000 you have to pay up front to get the diesel. Once you do the math, it takes a lot of miles just to get to your break even point.

[@Spyster007]

@Fnyar you might want to also factor in that historically Diesels, tend to meet or exceed EPA ratings. Check out fuelly.com there are alof of 2010 Golf TDI's that are averaging combined 40-50 mpg. Compared to the 36 combined that the EPA rates this vehicle at. Your actual fuel savings tend to be higher than expected.

[@Fnyar]

@Bra23we12: 1 Imperial gallon = 1.2 US gallons. My MPG numbers come from the US Department of Energy, which does fuel efficiency testing. Note that their numbers may now appear somewhat conservative (see fueleconomy.gov for details about how they test). You can look up the vehicle through their website under "find and compare cars" on the left side of the page.

[@petuniacar]

Having looked at both a Prius and the Golf, I decided on the Golf. Main reason is that I am mostly highway (70%) that makes the Prius not as fuel efficient where city mileage is its forte. My cousin consistently averaged 37-39 on his commute that is mostly highway. My Golf is averaging about 45-48. By the way, price ended up about the same in Purchase price. Again MPG is based on % of hwy vs city

[@timtrain35]

You have to be careful when comparing a diesel to a gas engine. While the MPG number may look impressive, it's a little deceiving. You have to ask yourself what's the upcharge for diesel fuel in your area? What's the price difference for the diesel vs. gas engine? Do the math and work out the cost per mile rather than MPG. You may find out that you have to drive the car for 60K + miles before you recoup your initial diesel investment. Food for thought.

[@mindfield7]

I love this car- I average 36mpg per tank (manual calculation) but i do drive it hard and in the city mostly. The TDI just feels perfect - 6sp manual of course. :)

[@nilocking17]

@coolerdude44 I am 100% with you. Im really tired of people pushing the idea of hybrid technology. If they really want the best possible milage start developing hybrid diesel. I own a 04 TDI and milage is excelent in the car. Dont forget how bad mining for the metals used in the batteries is either, the tailings ponds left behind from the process are filled with toxic pollutants that destroy the surrounding area as well as wipeout large amounts of wildlife.

[@Fnyar]

@mpgomatic I should say that I do like the idea of cars that get better mileage (who doesn't?). Assuming the environmental impact of producing a TDI and a non-TDI are the same and that emissions are the same (I'm not sure that's the case), better mileage wins. If the break even point were 50,000 miles rather than 200,000 miles people might have a financial incentive, or at least not a disincentive, to buy the more efficient vehicle. A 50K break even would mean about a $1000 price premium.

[@ddnn3]

@Fnyar Are you comparing the TDI to a regular golf? Because the TDI has a turbo, making it much more fun to drive than a regular gas powered golf.

[@crazzythingg555]

I just bought this car and I'm in love with it!

[@PocketBeemRocket]

This looks interesting. I've had an interest in the TDI, and I hope to look into some decent used Golfs in the future.

[@funfun3443]

i thought it was a great video.....to the point, features/specs covered. succinct, thorough what more do you need?

[@10tenable]

@nielkainama93 TDI is a turbocharged diesel engine, TSI a turbocharged petrol from VW.

[@javidz123]

@mpgomatic You must also remember that VW Diesel's are much more reliable and have about twice the engine life than a gas model.

[@04smallmj]

@sausagenmuff Actually, the manual version of this (I think it's just manual, anyway) has a stop and start system. If you shift into neutral, the engine cuts out, then starts again when you put the clutch down. I know this because my driving instructer has one, and it was quick to restart when I stalled it LOL.

[@lfsracer79]

great mileage as expected

[@Fussinated]

@coolerdude44 "if you think hybrids are the way to go" This is such a genius deduction. I must say I thought no one would understand me, but apparently I was wrong. Even mofe amazing it took only few words for you to understand and analyze me. You are amazing. "you know nothing about chemistry" If I didn't know better, I would have said I do. But, you put it in such an elegant and eloquent way. Now, I can't deny that I know nothing about chemistry. >>

[@VidSir]

Does entering the backseat of the two door model involve squeezing between the two front seats and over the armrest?

[@mpgomatic]

Every station must have pump jockeys. But I wouldn't call it full service ... can't remember the last time they cleaned the windshield. :) The only tip? Sea Biscuit in the Eighth at Belmont!

[@Spyster007]

@gwalia4 funny you mention that because the TDI is actually quieter than the gas engine.

[@l0lum4d]

Yes, some VW's have electrical gremlins, they're reasonably easy to work out, however. More importantly is your understanding of engines... I don't know of any 2.0l 200hp engines that aren't either Supercharged, or have to rev to 8k rpm to make ANY power. That 2.5l 5 cylinder engine produces very good torque, and so it is an engine with very good road characteristics, but not good at drag racing... but who buys a jetta to drag race?

[@coolerdude44]

i like you, mpgomatic, because you seem to be a proponent for diesel over hybrid technology like me. if you think about it, what's the point of all the effort honda goes through to make the insight get 43 mpg when it's cheap inside and drives horribly when a golf 1.8 tdi is easily more economical, quicker, and possibly more fun to drive as well. not to mention diesels are much more economical to maintain, and less costly to the environment to be manufactured in the first place.

[@gkohlj]

@LyleWeathersby the gas golf would have steel wheels and hubcaps and no blue tooth, no touch screen radio and different transmissions. so 2975 is wrong

[@lamboman1000]

Great Vid, pretty informative. I have one question, I'm looking for my first car, like the fuel economy of the TDI but also like the Horsepower of the GTI, which doesn't have terrible fuel economy either. Is there a noticeable difference in "zipiness" with the reduced hp?

[@bigcrowfly]

Does this car require occasional fill up of special fluids like the MB diesels? If so how much does it cost?

[@mpgomatic]

Thanks, Matt!

[@bmtimv]

I have a 09 jetta tdi and never heard of any special fluids i need to put in the fuel

[@mpgomatic]

That's great stuff, DZ302XRAM. I'd be happy to publish a report on that. Some questions ... How many miles do you have on your Volt, so far? How much does each 40 MPG charge cost in your location? What do you project your total cost of ownership to be over five years? What vehicle did you trade in on the Volt?

[@mpgomatic]

@coolerdude44 - We need 'em both. Hybrids are cool at lower speeds (while gliding under electric power) and in heavy-duty traffic, when driven properly. That said, I'd love to have the ability/funds to import a Honda i-CDTi clean diesel engine from England and drop it between the Insight's fenders. One of our goals is to take a TDI engine and drop it into something slick and light. There's a kit car in the works that'll do just that ...

[@Forshbr04]

@Fnyar I would also factor in all that extra torque...

[@Fnyar]

@xxxmosh, Please explain how this is relevant. I don't understand your point. The rate at which diesel or gasoline burns is inherently taken into account when one looks at how many miles can be travelled on a gallon of fuel.

[@coolerdude44]

damn that's pretty quick... definitely quicker than my mom's altima, and this is more practical, smaller, and more economical.

[@lockheed08]

Not as long as my brother's gasoline Integra with 230k. Its not my opinion, its fact, backed by various reputable car reviewers and product testers. Reputations are based off of realities. A vw passing 200k miles is really something special, while a formidable japanese car doing that is old news. Cant wait to see how long my sister's Rabbit will last her

[@l0lum4d]

I have a Jetta TDI with 216,000 miles... Tell me again how many years they last?

[@glickle]

"A shot across the bow of the highways"? Who writes this stuff?

[@shahulhusman]

Not really.. Because hybrids start acceleration usIng electricity and getting the car in motion from a standstill is a big reason for the better city mpg ( where gas is used the most, watch your realtime gas gauge). I think diesel hybrids are coming.. Volvo has a plug in diesel hybrid they showed off before and Audi used those tdi hybrids in lemans. I'll buy a tdi hybrid whenever

[@neptronix]

Ah, i was talking about the regular Civic just to be clear. That sucks, Honda's 1.3 IMA is horrendous. I bet he has to stand on the pedal at all times.

[@04smallmj]

@spritz0 Depends how slowly you release the clutch after changing gear!

[@TimpBizkit]

@Bra23we12 a US gallon is only 3.7854 litres

[@Fussinated]

@coolerdude44 Yeah, but you should also consider that oil companies should sell gas as well, that is why diesel is way more expensive than gas. So since diesel will never be cheap enough for Americans to shift, hybrid is the way to go.

[@aodhanof90]

@Fnyar I feel when I get my jetta TDI I won't have trouble adding those miles on... I'm trying to get an 04 Jetta TDI with the manual trans. my goal is to get at least 600K miles out of it, so I think it'll pay for it's self. I knew it was the right car for me when I had my friends Jetta for a week and thought I was doing really bad on fuel economy... I found out when I refueled that I had gotten 43 mpg :-D

[@04smallmj]

@Fordmustang315 Modern diesels like this one are much quieter than older ones, it almost sounds like a petrol version. Haven't you heard the engine in the 0-60 video?

[@pagkratiasths]

Nice review, the prices though to buy one golf 1.4 with decent equipment in Greece are near to a Mercedes C200. Maybe the engines are made from gold or something!

[@mpgomatic]

To do the math comprehensively, one must take the entire life of the vehicle into account. Diesel's have significantly higher resale values, due largely to the fact that diesel engines last far longer than gas engines. Spend a little more up front, save in the long run ...

[@prodigy1210]

Love your reviews!

[@Transit_my-way]

@9K58 It cost that much for the machine brand new? I seen one on craigslist used for 2 grand..

[@juukame]

is there any chance vw would do a golf in carbon steel grey like they do for the golf gti?; i simply love that color

[@mpgomatic]

@eduardosantacruz Whooo yeah, how did I forget the torque?

[@xxxmosh]

@Fnyar also diesel burns slower the gas maybe you an put that in there to

[@1209MArky]

is getting a diesel worth the extra $ for gas

[@aaronchungrulez]

how fast is the "pick up and go" in comparison with the GTI?

[@rsxzx6r]

@adamslurch71 diesels are also less regulated over seas

[@aodhanof90]

@gwalia4 how does the Prius stack up with the cost of replacing the batteries if you want to keep your car for 400-600k Miles?

[@shahulhusman]

If you do lots of highway driving... And travel great distances. A hybrid would be better around town like a insight/prius/cmax. Mpgomatic got 47 hwy with the tdi and 50mpg hwy with a honda insight (cheaper and more fun than a prius)....Or even maybe a cheaper gasoline city car like a fit, sonic, fiesta.

[@cosmodave69]

You can grow your own fuel for the tdi.

[@VentoDriver]

@adamslurch71 maybe but they got better fuel too...helps a lot!

[@supercooled]

Tom Sellick is reviewing cars now?

[@Spyster007]

@gwalia4 It might not be quieter than an electric motor, we can all agree that is pretty obvious, but it's quieter than the Prius Gas motor, especially under full throttle.

[@Spyster007]

@gwalia4 all depends on your driving i got 300k out of a set of brakes on my bug, and the new tdi engines go 200,000 km on a timing belt.

[@Kingisland32]

That guy needs to make sure he warms up the glo plugs at the start-up.

[@Fnyar]

@Bra23we12 Yes, I live in Washington (the state, not D.C.). Diesel is more expensive than regular gasoline (petrol) here whereas in Europe the reverse is true. Looking at the TCO is indeed important. I agree that resale of a TDI will be higher but really what matters is the comparative depreciation on both cars. If the TDI is less, then it's a winer in that regard. I don't think the data points exist yet to make that comparison though. Believe it or not I had actually considered buying a TDI.

[@flatblackstrat]

German's know how to build an engine but now they have good fuel economy. German Diesels are usually the refined ones out of the bunch too since Europe is one of the only places that has been using them for so long. Japan its all Unleaded same as the U.S.

[@TheEGGtech]

@lamboman1000 I've test driven the TDI and got given the GTI as a loan car from VW when my polo was in for service and well they are different. The TDI has a nice initial 'thump' when u hit the accelerator from a standing start but I would have to say I would have the GTI, a much more fun car to drive imo. Also have a look at the GTD I found it to be a mix of the GTI and TDI.

[@l0lum4d]

Head over to Tdiclub.com, there are hundreds of VW's surpassing 200k miles, and still driving like new. All it takes is an owner who knows what they're doing. I'm not saying VW's aren't without their quirks, but they don't significantly detract from the overall reliability of the car. It is a tinker's car, gotta know what you're doing.

[@MattyH1992]

Pretty cool review, I always liked your guys' the most! (:

[@mpgomatic]

That's "a shot across the bow of the HYBRIDS," if I'm not mistaken. =)

[@porschefan102]

@andyman2370 Sorry, I took the average miles per gallon of both gas and diesel and used the current average gas prices in my area (Northern California). I also found used TDI's (about 20k miles) for a similar price the the new and barely used Golf's on AutoTrader. I am looking to buy a TDI, but need to research more to see if I actually save money.

[@Fnyar]

Even using the best highway mileage reported in this video (47.3) and the EPA mileage for the non-TDI the break even for me would be 138,500 miles. Better but still not great.

[@mikemiklavic1930]

Any current golf tdi owners here? I’m thinking about buying a used one.

[@rickeyeaster1176]

Just got one last week, love it so far