Volkswagen Golf

The Golf has been loved by many generations and continues to be a staple family car all over the world. The reason is simple because it is such a perfect family car - spacious, affordable, drives well, comfortable, quiet and punchy. Naysayers will also talk about how unreliable VW is but their main point of contention is the 7 spd DSG (DQ200) gearbox and more specifically, the Mechantronic Unit (MU) which had a tendency to fail. Truth be told, during the early years of this fabled gearbox, there were problems that inconvenienced many. However, in 2015 VW has revised the gearbox and repositioned the MU and used a different sort of oil for our local climate. The problem has since been as good as eradicated *provided* you maintain the car properly and keep it stock. If your MU does fail, most workshops now are able to fit a new one for less than $2000 with a warranty. After all that's said, I love the drive with a DSG gearbox - lightning quick and seamless gearchanges. The 1.4L Turbo engine produces 123bhp and 200Nm of torque which may not sound that exciting on paper but in real world driving conditions actually provide a sprightly drive with good power for overtaking on expressways. Fuel efficiency is also good with an average of 14km/l with mixed driving. Coming from a Korean and Jap car ownership, the interior quality and insulation on a Continental car is really next level. The car comes with proper soundproofing in the doors, roof and wheelarches and the difference can really be felt coming from Jap/ Korean cars. The car is quiet on expressways, the sound from the speakers is crisper and journeys are just more comfortable. Even though the car weighs no more than a regular Jap/ Korean car, the stability on expressways even with stock suspension is quite significantly better. All round independent suspension is also superior to Jap/ Korean cars and can be felt around corners. What else really goes wrong with a VW besides the MU? Not much. The Germans have really thought thru the engineering and ergonomics of their cars. Change your mindset about VW's gearbox reliability and I'm sure you'll enjoy the drive and ownership.... Read More

There is a reason why Golf wins the title for Car of the Year for many years. Have driven the 1.4 TSI Golf MK7 for 5 years, and it is still in good condition. I like to accelerate aggressively, but petrol consumption stays at about 15km/L. Easy to drive, simple to handle. Ideal car for everyone.... Read More