One of my rather odd habits is naming cars, or the ones I like, anyway. My 2018 Volkswagen Golf is a car I certainly like and what’s not to like? It is a hoot to drive, is very easy on fuel and can do many things very well. I didn’t take long to coin “Wolfgang von Wolfsburg de Puebla,” Wolfy for short.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about Wolfy is that in two years, absolutely nothing has broken or required warranty service. Nothing. Nada. The Golf VII was supposed to be more reliable and I guess Wolfy is the proof. The car is just a superb all-rounder. I’ve already taken him to the Rocky Mountains twice and to San Diego. The handling in mountain roads is superb and the limits higher than mine. It just barrels down the road at any speed you may choose and it gets better as one goes faster. The steering lets you feel every pebble and the motor is just a romper-stomper.
Yes, it’s the fabled and now dearly departed (for the Golf, anyway) EA888. This motor can easily handle 500 hp and has been built to 1000. The thing is very solid, with a grey iron block and all the high tech stuff. The stock engine is rated at 170 hp but every dyno test I have seen on the interwebs shows it making 190 hp. One has to remember I was raised driving Rabbit Diesels and Slant Sixes. The 184 ft/lb of torque maxes out at all of 1400 RPM and it will pick up beautifully from low revs-if you are using premium gasoline.
Yes, it much prefers premium over regular. The manual strongly hints that premium is better and the difference is very pronounced. With 87 octane, trying to get the motor to pick up at say 1000 RPM produces what seems to be turbo lag. In fact, it’s the PCM retarding the living daylights out of the timing so there are no holes blown in a piston. Put premium fuel in it and it picks up beautifully from 800 RPM.
It drives like two different motors in many ways. Below 2000 RPM is economy Wolfy, all quiet and torquey, making incredible fuel consumption figures. Above 2000 the torque rush is a hoot and makes the car feel faster than it is but one must remember I used to drive 48 hp Rabbits and was genuinely impressed by the 68 hp turbo diesel my dad had. One of the best features is the motor’s quietness. Go have a listen to a BMW N-series or the MB two litre in the A class cars; they clatter like a diesel. The EA888 is virtually silent all the time, unless you don’t want it to be.
Fuel economy is superb. I use Chevron 94 sans deathanol in all my vehicles and that alone is going to give a 5% improvement. The best tank I have had was 4.6l/100km (51 mpg), the absolute worst was 8.2 (28.6 mpg). In normal city driving-if driving in Vancouver could ever be considered normal- it does 7.2l/100km (33 mpg) . Highway trips are 5.0l/100km (47 mpg) and with the 50 litre tank it can go a lot longer without a stop than I can. The tank below is for a short distance at only 90 km/h, but it shows what is possible with a light foot. (ED: YMMV)
What I like most about Wolfy is his versatility. I’ve loaded him to the gills many times, including on the roof and he hasn’t missed a beat. The seats and driving position are very comfortable even on long days. Wolfy can go shopping or charge up a mountain road. A great feature for those of us in Soviet Canuckistan is how the engine warms up quickly and thus heats the cabin in no time. It can carry an eight foot 2X4 with the hatch closed, something impossible in a parlour truck. With the rear seats down, it is 190 cm long, which makes it possible to sleep inside. In fact, during my last Rocky Mountain Romp I did just that and slept great. Along with versatility, the car gives one a sense of security. It’s built like a tank and has zero rattles and squeaks. It’s easy to see why the Golf is so popular in Europe and China since the car can do so many things.
This car is my swansong. If I buy another, it will be an EV because here in Canuckistan anyway, it’s basically the same ownership cost for a Honda Accord or a Tesla Model 3. I will be retiring to places tropical in a couple of years but Wolfy will be in the garage when I come visit.
When I saw the headline and picture, I was hoping “Wolfy” was the name of the dog.
Dumb question: I know it’s fuel economy stats in your center info screen, but why does it say “ø economy?” Never seen that.
⌀ is often used as an arithmetic shorthand for “average.” So that “⌀ Economy” would mean “Average Economy.” It’s more commonly seen in German-speaking countries, although Volvo–which is Scandinavian–has done it for years. I believe it’s a Scandinavian character in the first place.
Ah, thank you! Makes sense.
I believe the ø is originally Swedish and was popularized by a TV chef.
Precursor of all the modern TV cooking shows!
A stick shift 1.8TSI Golf wagon exactly like this is one of the few modern cars that really speaks to me, and I’ve never really been much of a “euro” guy
The price differential between regular and premium fuels for a long period of time was about 10%. Now it is about 30%. That considerably negates the fuel economy advantage of using premium fuel. Nevertheless, it is most unfortunate that VW, like all manufacturers has stopped selling in the United State the most practical vehicle of all time, the station wagon.
Chevron 94 octane is 20% more expensive than 87 here but the car uses 10% less fuel on 94. It works out to $5.00 per tank which I feel is worth it.
Besides, I don’t care how much it costs.
Unfortunately Chevron 87 octane here is often 30% more expensive than off-brand stations’ 87; and in the case of our local stations the two are across the street from each other. But maybe if I compare off-brand premium to Chevron regular it would quiet the cheapskate in me enough to try it.
Not sure if Wolfy is 1.8 or 2.0 but we have the EA888 1.8T in our first-year (2015) Golf VII and it is indeed an amazing motor. With the 5 speed (not 6 in this non-GTI 1.8 config) it is incredibly torquey and tractable, a far superior power plant for daily driving in town, freeway cruising or mountain roads than the 3.5 V6 in our parlour-truck Tacoma. I’ve never tried premium fuel but maybe I should, especially as highway fuel economy is consistently mid-40’s US mpg. And so far (still under 50K miles) we’ve had zero issues. Plus, the oil filter design and location and the slotted (for a screwdriver) bayonet style drain plug make it the easiest oil changes I’ve done in almost 50 years of draining the black stuff.
True. That said, the later Golf SportWagen 4MOTION (4MOTION was only available on the base S) gave you the 1.8T and the 6MT, not the 5MT. And the related Golf Alltrack got the exact same powertrain, including the 6MT.
In my limited experience, the 5MT is still perfectly matched for both the 1.4T and 1.8T engines, and even the 2.slow and 2.5 engines that came before it. It’s well-spaced enough that you don’t miss sixth gear.
I have a Rabbit (Golf Mk5) with the 2.5 five and 5MT, and I do miss a sixth gear (as the optional automatic had). Without it, the engine does rev higher than I’d like at highway speeds, increasing noise and hurting fuel economy. I’m actually fine with having a 5 speed, just wish the the final drive ratio was taller which would result in lower RPMs in top gear. The five gears are spaced a bit too close together IMO.
VW changed to the 1.8T four with the Mk7, still with a 5MT except on AWD models which got a 6MT, which upped mpg even as acceleration slightly improved. A couple years back the driveline on FWD base Golfs again changed to the 1.4T, now with a 6MT or optional 8 speed automatic, again boosting mpg by several mpg at only a slight cost in acceleration (now back to 150hp, just like my early 2.5). So the EPA combined mpg with the 1.4T/6MT is now a whopping 11mpg higher than the 2.5/5MT on the previous generation Golf despite similar power, which is impressive. I find both the 1.8T and 1.4T engines to be smoother running as well.
My Sportwagen had the 2.5 and 5 speed as well, and I shall now defend the gearing! That 5 cylinder would spin at 3-4K rpm at 65-75mph freeway speeds in fifth, but because there was decent sound insulation and the engine was never as harsh as reviewers squawked about, I could never tell unless I looked at the tach. What I could tell, however, was the instantaneous engine response at those speeds. Rarely needed to downshift, even on grades. Nudge the pedal and the car just picked up speed with ease, it was very nice. The 6-speed automatic turned at far lower rpm on the highway and didn’t do any better in the EPA test cycle. Nothing was going to make that iron-block five return 40mpg.
Agreed that being able to get decent acceleration without downshifting likely led VW to go with the shorter gearing. Also agreed the engine is smooth at low RPM and not too bad at higher RPM either, and even if it was it’s not usually an issue because with all that torque down low there’s rarely a need to wind it up. I’d still prefer a 6th gear to drop down into when I don’t need to accelerate though; it’s not noisy in 5th as it is but it’s still a bit smoother and quieter with the revs 800rpm lower. The 2.5 has never been very fuel efficient, but it has proven to be very durable and reliable.
My B5 Audi with the 2.8L iron block V6 and a 5spd was the exact same way. Seemed needlessly under-geared for a decently torquey V6 in my mind, but in practice it was spectacular. For what on paper is hardly a “quick” car (190hp in 3300lb), 5th at 70mph was super responsive (just short of 3krpm). Just tap the throttle and you were going 80 and climbing. Awesome for passing. And that 2.8 was LASER smooth too, remarkably so. That and the way the car just got more and more stable with speed (I found myself cruising 85mph on th eregular), I started to “get” the German car thing with that car. it also threw some random misfires and coolant leaks at me to keep me on my toes in that 6 months of ownership, so I “got” that aspect of Euro car ownership as well.
I’ve got a much older ’00 Golf, with 5 speed /2.0. It has a tall final drive, such that it seems geared more for city than highway driving, the one thing I’ve never liked is the spacing of the gears between 2nd and 3rd, which is much too wide…I find myself hunting for the right gear much of the time in town.
I’m a confirmed Golf fan as well, I’ve owned the ’00 as only dealer purchased car from new, and before that had an ’86 GTi until I sold it when I got the ’00 Golf (brief period where I owned both before selling the ’86). I had a ’78 Scirocco Champagne Edition I bought 40 years ago which I sold when I bought the GTi (no Golf, but still a hatchback).
Eventually will need to get an automatic, the fun will cease (sound less than enthusiastic about it) as I’m getting older and no one in my family can drive my car (which sometimes is an issue). I’ll likely get another Golf, but hatchbacks are in short supply, as manufacturers are trying to steer people into a crossover, which I’m resisting (though I like the higher seating, don’t want anything offering AWD). Willing to sacrifice some fuel mileage for a bit more (tall) wind resistance to get higher seating.
It’s a 1.8. The SportWagen was never available with the 2.0, at least as far as I know.
The first year of the Mk5 Sportwagen (2009) was available with the 2.0T from the GTI/GLI.
My last VW was a mkvi Jetta but these have been tempting. If I was certain I could get by without a truck one of these would be on my shortlist for sure.
It’s great to hear that vw/audi is making significant headway in reliability issues. There’s nothing like the overall feel of a german car. Nobody makes doors which thunk like that. There’s a solidity and agility that is apparently difficult to replicate and german cars have soul. For too long though it was a high strung, finicky soul.
+1. VWs almost always get stellar reviews when they’re new. It’s a shame the reliability is so poor once they begin accumulating some mileage. I actually feel for those who can’t shake the VW allure and put up with the grief of owning one.
OTOH, about three years ago I got a Jetta sedan as a rental when my car was in the shop. I was most definitely unimpressed and happy to return it.
Love the EA888, manual or auto that thing hauls keister everywhere on the tach. The 1.4 that replaced it shoves just as well down low but they took all the top end away. My understanding is that north american EA888s didn’t get the dual injection that euro market engines received. I’m curious why that is, and whether increases carbon buildup.
Regardless, these are unusually satisfying cars for the price. Unfortunately, for every one of these I see, there are a bazillion crappy Tiguans, and that about says it all for market forces. From what I’ve seen of the new Jetta, this wagon was the last economy VW in the north american market with interior quality one or two price tiers above. I hope you get long, faithful service from yours!
It sounds like you enjoy this about as much as I enjoyed my 2015 Golf SportWagen TDI SEL, which is my favorite car of all time.
After my own experience and those of many others, I had lost all interest in VW. But over the last several years you and several others here have reported that VW seems to have upped its game considerably. You make a good case for the car, and perhaps I need to expand my horizons.
I did scratch my head at one sentence: “Perhaps the most amazing thing about Wolfy is that in two years, absolutely nothing has broken or required warranty service.” In my recent experience with Hondas and Kias, this isn’t really amazing at all but kinda normal. It will be great if/when VW gets to the point where owners can leave the word “amazing” out of an experience like this. 🙂
I also like the term “deathanol” and wish I could get fuel around my area without the stuff. Perhaps it is easier to find in Canada than in the US?
I felt the same way about that comment. Realistically, nowadays it would be rather surprising for any new car to require repairs in the first two years. Sure, there are exceptions, but on average, certainly not.
My 17 year old xB just required its first repair ever: a replacement of a leaky water pump.
My previous experience of my 1986 VW Jetta was it broke on the first trip on which I took it.
Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada also sell ethanol free premium fuel.
One of the locations that ethanol-free isn’t too hard to find are around large bodies of water (such as lakes) where recreational boats can be found. I would imagine any area where motorized, seasonal recreational vehicles (snowmobiles, ATVs) are common would be the same.
FWIW, pure-gas.org is a good way to find ethanol-free (there’s also an app). In addition to the recreational vehicle aspect, PHEVs that see very limited ICE use like it since the gas could remain stagnant for long periods of time.
Another happy VW owner here who loves the EA888 1.8T in his Passat. For all the negativism about VW, our experience has been anything but negative.
One day soon I will need to acquire a harp-hauler for the daughter. While I’m very open to whatever, these are higher on my short list than several other possibilities.
I drive one of these for work (2017 model) and it is easily the best car I’ve driven in years. My only complaint is that the driver’s side egress seems a little tight so I have to have the seat all the way back to get in. Once I’m in though, it’s a very comfortable ride and it can hold a lot of the stuff that I have to deliver each week. Why bother with a truck or van?
I really want to buy one for myself but I’m unsure if I could even afford it at this point.
I’d love to find a Golf Alltrack SEL with the 6 speed manual from 2019, the last year they sold them here (in previous years, you had to go to a lower trim level to get a stick). Not many were sold in that configuration so they’re hard to find, but if I do there’s that awesome 6 year/72000 mile *transferable* warranty, which means I’d get a few years of a new-car warranty on my used car. VW had this warranty (in the US) only in 2018 and 2019.
I had a trouble-free ownership experience with my own VW, for seven years, but I view their decision to cancel the 72-month warranty for model year 2020 as a bad omen, and I view that generation with more suspicion than the 2006-2011 MkVs because of it. Perhaps someone more familiar with the industry can enlighten me, but are there any reasons for VW to back away from it other than getting hosed on warranty repair costs?
I’m not buying VW’s line that the complimentary oil changes make up for it. Maybe everyone’s just leasing these.
The warranty on my car is 4 years/80,000 km. The 72 month warranty was USA only.
Although unofficial (of course), several people at my local VW dealers told me the 6/72 warranty was instituted shortly after the diesel scandal when negative publicity was hurting both sales and resale value, and two years later with that more in the past the (undoubtedly costly) long warranty was deemed no longer necessary. There are other cars with long warranties, like Hyundai, and you can usually purchase extended warranties (though they often aren’t as comprehensive), but what made the VW warranty unique was that it was transferrable to secondhand owners, which would have been great for keeping residual values high if only VW publicized that aspect more. As it is, an ’18 or ’19 VW will be a much less risky used car purchase for the next few years.
Yes, it’s a curious decision. They had to rebuild the brand after the corporate malfeasance came to light, and combined with their decades-long reliability stigma, that 72 month warranty seemed like a solid way of doing so. Dropping it like a hot potato after only two years only re-solidified the reliability stigma for me. If a company that large cannot afford to pay the warranty costs for only six years, and that becomes apparent after only 2 years of offering it, I don’t have a lot of faith in owning one for that long. Toyota gets away with average warranty lengths because they earned the right to do so.
Len, you nailed everything about these great Golfs! I’ve got a 2017 Alltrack S, and it’s been …delightful. Sublime. I haven’t enjoyed a car this much in a long time. When they released this first year, the manual wasn’t yet available. Due to back issues though, I’m very happy with the DSG.
I’m at 55k miles, and so far nothing has broken, no warranty issues, only 1 recall for a shift lever position micro switch contact that wasn’t acting up anyway.
It didn’t get any babying during break-in, in fact, quite the opposite! Oil usage is virtually nil. The first 10k miles, it used barely 1 quart. At the current mileage, I’m now using less than 1 quart every 16k miles.
I was very careful to go easy on my car for the first 10,000 km. In that time, it used one litre of oil. Since then the oil level has never budged.
Ordinarily, I’d usually be really careful about break-in, but then, life…..
Ended up taking delivery beginning of winter, moved to take care of my Dad. Hours daily of either short trips and long for medical, chauffeuring, etc.
Baptism by fire and ice. Most excellent in snow!
I had a 2008 GTI with the 6spd DSG tranny. Fun car, great for commuting to work. Radio problems and the very common defective thermostat. It got passed down to the son when the Caddy ATS4 was added to the fleet. The VW could have used one more gear, 3000 rpm at 70mph with a 2L turbo is not needed, 2000 would have been fine. The VW Sirocco in Germany had the 7 speed. VW should have imported that one.
My 2017 Alltrack with the DSG spins at < 2500 @ 70mph.
Wolfy spins 1800 RPM at 100 km/h.
So for me, about 2250rpm, adjusted. I think the 6spd manual Alltrack is geared lower than the DSG, as yours is.
I like the gearing, in that around 45mph (suburban driving), you’re floating along on right where the torque comes on. No downshift, no drama, just buy-bye!
I like these Golf wagons very much and one would do me and Mrs. M very well.
Checking out similar wagons on Kijiji or Autotrader I see many have high kms and I’m not surprised as these cars are made for long distance running. It doesn’t take long to pile up kilometres when you’re driving to the Rockies or driving through beautiful British Columbia. My perception is that these Golf models, perhaps like all Golfs are reliable. Certainly my 05 Jetta with 2.0 4 cyl has been good to me as well as the 02 Jetta my youngest daughter had for many years.
I’ve spent ten hours a day in Wolfy and I enjoyed every minute of it. Having mountains as your playground is gearhead heaven.
The next trip is to the Rockies via highway #3, through Manning Park. Super twisty and windy and not so many tourists due to the, ahem, somewhat challenging road.
I hope they come back. At some point, I’ll need to replace this one.
The new 8 series wagons have a 2” longer wheelbase, given to the back seat.
A devoted VW owner here…81 Scirocco S and an 18 Golf Alltrack SE…I love my Alltrack. Great in the Buffalo snow, no rattles, not one problem. I love the EA8888 engine and even added a Unitronic tune. 0-60 in 5.7 seconds using the launch control on the DSG.
I want that Scirocco!
+1 to what Len wrote! Bought 2015 silk blue metallic (just like Len’s) Sportwagen 5 speed base trim from original owner, a VW salesperson, in 2017 with 40k kms. Now at 105 k kms, had exactly one small problem soon after buying: dome lights would only go off if car locked. Dealer replaced light fixture, gave me free loaner over holiday weekend. Excellent fuel economy/performance: 5.5- 6 L/100 km highway driving to and from mountains. Have used mostly 87 octane, some mid-grade, will try premium.
I drive a 2015 GTI with the 6-speed manual, and love it. I could use the space of the wagon but the family already had two wagons when I got this car. I too have noticed how the mileage improves with premium fuel, but here in Oregon that means 91 or 92 octane. I don’t think I’ve ever seen 94 octane! If I could fill my GTI with that perhaps I could crack 40 mpg. My average is 31 mpg over almost 30000 miles, most of that with a roof rack and ski box. As a frequent mountain driver, I’ve also noticed how very high mileage figures are attainable if you can arrange a long downhill trip, such as Mt. Shasta to San Francisco.