New Car!! - Edition 30 Content ;o)

[Sir_Dave]

Well, after only getting my BMW last month (http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=457739), my boss decided that it wasnt right for the company & that we should look into alternatives ... he also wanted a new car lol.

A such, he bought a 550i Sport yesterday (touring as its ummmm practical for the kids & he got offered a decent deal on the BMW as part-ex. As such, there was an Edition 30 floating around, & i offered him a deal he couldnt refuse :rasp:

So meet the new member of the family

As people are probably aware, i'm not the greatest fan of Golfs, but well, sometimes you need to give things a better chance i suppose.

1st things 1st, this one understeers like a pig. Reason? Its got Minerva tyres on the front lol. Seriously, its a 230bhp FWD hatch, no wonder it handles so badly. These are getting changed asap!!

So, here are my initial thoughts, done 400 miles in it today, but ill update this again in a month or so with some more in depth feedback...

Pro's:

1. Engine pulls well, boost is delivered nicer than Sarahs TT, torque is good, bit of turbo lag, but that actually helps keep it all together at low speeds. Certainly better than the under-powered 320i ...
2. DSG is a very fast & almost seamless gearbox, i like the 'thunk' noise on full acceleration changes lol.
3. Lots of toys & buttons to play with, sat nav, DVD player & hard drive!!
4. Nice looking, not elegant like the BMW, bit 'chav' tbh, but i like its 'sportiness' ...
5. Very practical & easy to drive, 5dr's are definately a bonus.

Con's:

1. Engine sounds like a rattly bag of spanners/a high powered washing machine, mind you so did the 320i.
2. Its DSG. Id prefer a manual, throttle blips on downchange are clever, but i can do that myself with a clutch thanks!!
3. Interior quality is very poor compared to BMW, carpets arent held down properly, seat trim isnt tight fitting & you can really see where they save costs compared to Audi.
4. Steering feel is somewhat lacking, it doesnt load up in corners effectively like the BMW did.
5. Not as quiet/refined as the 3 series for motorway work.
6. It makes me drive like a c*nt for some reason.

I cant assess the handling properly yet, ie undesteer traits and/or ultimate adjustability (the tyres are truly woeful), but my initial thoughts of the overall driving experience would suggest that i wont want to sell the saxo just yet ...

PS. It wont be remapped or modded in any way. That cash is earmarked for my other project

 

[*Clare*]

Cool... My friend has one, in dark grey. Has the proto type Milltek exhaust on it, shifts well for an auto!

Enjoy... Cant keep up with you and your car threads! :rasp:

 

[Seedy172]

Saw one just like this before. Lovely sir.

 

[.GAZ.]

Love it mate!

 

[Jamie]

LOVE the wheels on these. Mint. Would you have pref 3 dr?

 

[Aluco]

I love these, shame about the extra doors wheels are f**king ace!

 

[Gareth]

nice, not keen on the interior though

 

[Sir_Dave]

Enjoy... Cant keep up with you and your car threads! :rasp:

Im back to what i love best, trying lots of cars in a short space of time, five since January

nice, not keen on the interior though

Interiors rank lol, seriously, Germans & tartan dont mix. Plain black leather would be far nicer!!

Re: the extra doors, im not that bothered, parking spaces at work are tiny & the 3drs doors are massive, so this is much better in that respect! Also kinda like the fact that its not trying too hard to be 'sporty', it just looks like a 5dr tdi

 

[Brett]

I like it. For some reason I think of the GTI's are more of a cruiser than hot hatch, I think its the looks, torquey but not particually revvy engines, availability of 5 doors and auto box.

Despite this i'd still have one. Its a car that can do everything well.

 

[r_dizzel*]

Nice wheels..

interior aint too bad either :star:

want...

 

[ForceIndia]

I love them. I'd have one over a 197 any day. They get better the harder you push.

 

[mat-nos]

pimp, dsg ftw.
loved mine, wish i wasnt forced into selling it, best all round car ive owned, was pretty quick too, mine was stage 2 tuned though.

 

[Beef-Mc]

Like it from the outside but that interior, especially the seat pattern is utter pish.

 

[Fletcher]

Me likes!

 

[Ollie82.]

Well Davbvfedfvb....excuse me there...i was stifling a yawn.

So you went for the Ed then.....well, i suppose its not that bad a wagon...as long as Project Sexo remains then i guess its ok with me.

And just think....if you get really really serious with the Sax, you could make it a complete track only slaag, chuck a towbar on the Dub and you have the perfect towcar.
Nice

 

[Englebert]

What a shame it's a 5dr, ruins them in my eyes! Might look better with a roof rack on or something...

I think the tartan comes across bad in photos, i think it's fine in the flesh and of course it isn't random, its a nod to the Mk1.

 

[Sir_Dave]

So you went for the Ed then.....well, i suppose its not that bad a wagon...as long as Project Sexo remains then i guess its ok with me.

Oh you know me, cant resist a good deal

Sexo will remain, its needs to be flogged around a track. Destiny i think they call it :evil:

 

[martynrg]

Very nice. I've been in my bosses black E30 a few times and think it's ace.

I'm a fan of the interior

 

[R20 CWH]

get off to MRC

http://mrctuning.com/index.php?opti...catid=53:volkswagen-golf-edition-30&Itemid=62

330bhp project

 

[hughski]

cant complain about that for a company car! better than a bog standard vauxhaull!

party on!

 

[Ian_182]

Great company car.Poor seats but i'd not be complaining if it was mine...

 

[Sir_Dave]

Well, heres the one month update ...

Soo, after doing 3k miles in the past month, i've spent a fair bit of time in the Golf lately, so what do i think now?

Well, my opinions havent changed that much tbh, even after fitting new tyres it still understeers like a pig in anything resembling damp. Dry weather handling is much better, but ultimately it will again, understeer :dead: & wash wide, the back end isnt interested in coming into play & it would seem that the traction/stability cant be switched off completely ...

I havent once just grabbed the keys and thought 'bugger it, im just going to go for a drive'. The paddles dont make it any better tbh, i get no pleasure out of changing gear manually when it all involves is pulling a lever behind the steering wheel ...

So as an ultimate fun car it fails miserably. It is however very good at the 'im lazy & just want to get from A to B' kind of driving, the auto is very smooth & its a nice place to be with the heated seats, toys etc. Its pretty good on the motorway as well.

My only gripe with it being good at the boring stuff is that well, for a boring car (which it certainly is), the mpg is truly shocking. No matter how fast or slow i drive it, 26-30mpg is all it will give. Combined with a tiny fuel tank, the tank gives 280-300 miles - i've been filling up £50 every 3-4 days. In an M3, id be happy with that, but not a sodding golf, f*ck buying an R32 anytime soon lol :S

So really, in my opinion, the car is completely pointless, a diesel golf auto i could understand, just to trundle about in, cheaply. But with the Edition 30, i dont really see what segment its aiming itself at - it just does everything averagely - although maybe, thats just the point ...

Lets just say, i'm now rushing the saxo's build completion forward, i need some fun back in my life :evil:

 

[Mike_182]

Well, my opinions havent changed that much tbh, even after fitting new tyres it still understeers like a pig in anything resembling damp. Dry weather handling is much better, but ultimately it will again, understeer :dead: & wash wide, the back end isnt interested in coming into play & it would seem that the traction/stability cant be switched off completely ...

Can - you've got to hold it down. Lots. Big clouds of tyre smoke if you do so and decide to try and kill your tyres though! And it's FWD - I can't think of an FWD car that does anything other than understeer when it gets to the edge.

I think you're looking for something you'll never find. And you're not driving it nicely if all you can manage is 30mpg - I used to get 40mpg easy. Either that or it's broken!

The rest of it's all opinion, and that's fair enough - if you don't like it, you don't like it!

 

[clio007]

Well, heres the one month update ...

My only gripe with it being good at the boring stuff is that well, for a boring car (which it certainly is), the mpg is truly shocking. No matter how fast or slow i drive it, 26-30mpg is all it will give. Combined with a tiny fuel tank, the tank gives 280-300 miles - i've been filling up £50 every 3-4 days. In an M3, id be happy with that, but not a sodding golf, f*ck buying an R32 anytime soon lol :S

Good update but I wish i got 26mpg in my golf. Mid teens around town isnt fun.

 

[Englebert]

Perhaps you want to look at BBR's handling mods?

"And, thanks to some very intelligent handling modifications (a simple swap of the OE wishbones to Powergrip static geometry wishbones, widening front track, and a Morego wheel alignment), this Golf handles like no other I have driven. It's still a heavy car, but the suspension mods bring the GTi character alive brilliantly; with excellent turn-in and bringing the back end into play and a lovely light blend of neutrality and exploitable oversteer, bought on by the increase in negative camber the clever wishbone modification adds."

http://www.morego.co.uk/road_tests_item.php?road-test=7

 

[JD]

Apart from the seats, lovely Dave!

Although already spotted in the TT thread

 

[Sir_Dave]

Can - you've got to hold it down.
Will try that later on

And it's FWD - I can't think of an FWD car that does anything other than understeer when it gets to the edge.
You can get LOOS out of most decent hot hatches, the golfs problem is that its not very mobile or adjustable on the limit. Its just too safe tbh.

I think you're looking for something you'll never find. And you're not driving it nicely if all you can manage is 30mpg - I used to get 40mpg easy. Either that or it's broken!
I used to get 42mpg out of my 172/182/328i if driven sensibly ... How did you get your golf that high lol.

I sit on the motorway at 75mph for 99% of my driving. Highest i've managed was 33mpg after sitting at 65mph for an age ... i have found that Super Unleaded gives slightly better mpg & performance though.

The rest of it's all opinion, and that's fair enough - if you don't like it, you don't like it!

No i do like it, so you missed my point lol. Its a great day to day car if you have something else to give your kicks. So for me its perfect, as i have another car ...

The only thing that makes me question its existence is it cr4p fuel consumption, its currently worse than an M3 for the type of driving i do. So as a 'boring day to day car' its not making much financial sense :dapprove:

Englebert - the suspension mods sound good, but at £500 id rather buy cams & a remap for the sexo or 5 track days ...

 

[Mike_182]

I ran mine on Optislurp which may have helped matters, but it went as high at 45mpg at times. Try giving it hell for a couple of days with some fuel system cleaner in it, new air filter (careful, apparently you can break the engine cover taking it off to do it?!) and go from there? But on a barely run-in Edition 30 in drag it was way better than you're getting.

Tyres, I liked the Pirelli P-Zeros that were on mine. So much so that I used them again - yes it understeered a load past the limit but I could tripod it no bother in the dry.

The other plus side is Volkswagen don't rape you for servicing like Renault do!

 

[Sir_Dave]

Hmmm, more things to consider then!! Even if i can eek it up to 35mpg that'll make me feel a whole lot warmer inside

Its getting serviced on Thursday as well, the 26k mile one, £200 all in, not too bad i dont think and thats London prices ...

 

[Mike_182]

It'll probably be a load better for the service anyway! Mine when it had it's 12k one or whatever, was a grand total of £90. Including being picked up and dropped off. From a VW dealer.

Renault's cheapest services round here are the £200-mark!

 

[R20 CWH]

iv noticed the pricing mirrors the R32 which is weird, i thought it would be alot better than that, one to avoid then!!!!

26mpg isnt great, what about mapping that may improve it?

I know the mrc boys have a few kicking out 330bhp

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

I love the Ed30's especially the 3 door white ones, seems like your not enjoying it that much?

 

[Alan]

Very nice mate..

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

Very nice mate..

IIRC just like your face x

 

[Sir_Dave]

I love the Ed30's especially the 3 door white ones, seems like your not enjoying it that much?

Its good, but its constrained by its VAGness imho. As such, whilst a great everyday proposition, it would ultimately never be a keen drivers choice as a single mode of transport imho.

For me, it just isnt able to switch between dull/fun in the same way a BMW does.

 

[Chris n nic]

My m8 has a white 5 door (he has a little girl) with 300ish bhp and it is a brilliant motor imo. Obviously living with it might be a different prospect but for the looks and sheer pace of the thing it is amazing...every gear just pulls and pulls and certainly from the passenger seat it seems to have a fair bit of grip

Chris

 

[H182]

^He's driven the cup hasn't he. Did he say how the handling compares?

 

[Chris n nic]

No he hasn't driven it m8. I imagine it would the highlight the difference between handling and grip...his will grip very well but changes of direction would show up its weight I think. Mine was absolutly flying last time out and we had a few motorway blasts...side by side 50 upto early 4th gear I was only about 1 or 2 cars behind...then he just pulled and pulled and it would end up being 20 car length in no time

 

[clio_luke]

i love edition 30's, they can shift too

 

[scott1205]

stunning mate there is a white one with dark wheels i see driving around near mine and i love it. never seen a silver one until now. much better than the BMW!