2005 Volkswagen Golf

This car handles like it's on rails. It's solid as a rock, and feels the same on the interstate at 90 mph as it does when cruising at 60 mph. It has a 5-speed Automatic Tiptronic Trans. I can feel it shifting up and down through the gears, but it's not something that I dis-like. It's simply different from my Cadillac which is obviously a much different car. I've been driving big American Sedans for years. My recent Golf purchase is a rapid departure from what I am used to. The price of fuel spawned my desire for this car. I plan to run BIODIESEL in the near futre.

This car has the GLS package with a lot of bells and whistles. Everything works exactly as it should. All controls seem very solid and extremely well made. The stereo sounds great, and is very clear and loud. It has the Monsoon sound system with the 6-disk changer in the rear.

The TDI engine offers a different driving experience from the typical Japanese gas 4 cylinder engines
in this country. It does not have to rev high rpms to move the car. The max torque of 177 lb/ft is generated at a mear 1800 rpm. The turbo kicks in around 2000 rpm from what I've read, and if you decide you want to accelerate quickly, there's no problem. In short, this car will move on out in a hurry. It is comparable to a 150+ hp Japanese 4 cylinder car.

Other nice features:
Owner's manual claims there is no need to change the engine Coolant. We'll see.
10,000 mile oil changes. Again, we'll see.
No Transmission Fluid changes. The trans is sealed.
The engine temp is rock solid on 190 Degrees F. Never moves.
MPG: Got 39 on my 600 mile trip back home from where I purchase the car. I did have to sit idling in traffic on the interstate for about 45 minutes, so that had affect I'm sure. I expect to get much better mpg with a new K and N air filter and BIODIESEL. The local biodiesel distributor told me that if I started running biodiesel I could expect on average a 16% increase in fuel efficiency.

Downside:
My learning curve is steep right now with regards to maintenance. There is a qualified VW shop in town, which I plan to use until I learn enough about the car to perform routine maintenance myself.
The cost of parts appears to be higher that typical American cars.

Good to know:
The oil in a diesel engine stays char coal black... ALL THE TIME. So don't be surprised when you check the oil of your TDI VW, and the oil is black!