2013 Golf SportWagen...Considering

[06YarisRS]

Hey Folks.

Since we've been thinking about downsizing from our van, we were out browsing car lots. We stumbled on this 2013 Golf Sportwagen. I have rarely seen a used car of this vintage in such pristene condition. The car has 31000 km on it. I negotiated down to ~$10900.00 plus tax of course. It is what I'd call a base model but it has a lot of features including power everything, heated seats etc. Oddly, it has bluetooth music streaming but not hands-free calling, though a module is available. The car has brand new tires. I checked all the fluids and they are all perfectly clear and fresh. The interior is about the same, apparently owned my a 50 year old bachelor, so I don't think the back seat was even used.

I got the car for the weekend with a $500.00 refundable deposit. Although I'm not really thrilled with the overall look of the car (exterior) it has absolutely perfect paint. I literally went over every square inch and could not find so much as even a paint chip. 100% straight body, zero door dings.

I have never owned a VW of any kind. I have been doing some research and the 5 cylinder 2.5L seems like a good engine, if not having a strange oil filter change procedure.

If anyone has any experiences with this car or similar 2.5 6-speed auto VW product, I'd love to hear about them. On to the pics...

https://i.imgur.com/FgOUcEj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EPsH8bW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rqKskuo.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3KlD4xA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/npq61qq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/n6poCys.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lVmJApk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/926e4QQ.jpg

[NYC-SE]

VWs are nice looking cars and they drive great, however they often turn into maintenance nightmares in my experience. Prior to my 2014 Yaris I owned a 2010 Golf. It is why I now own the Yaris. Several strandings, constant fights with the dealership, just an unreliable car. After that experience I specifically searched for a reliable vehicle and that's what lead me to the Yaris. (BTW thank you to Yarisworld for helping in that decision.)

At the time I owned the Golf there were about 6 other guys at work who also owned VWs. None of us now do. Take that for what it's worth. As for myself I will never own another VW. I learned my lesson.

[06YarisRS]

VWs are nice looking cars and they drive great, however they often turn into maintenance nightmares in my experience. Prior to my 2014 Yaris I owned a 2010 Golf. It is why I now own the Yaris. Several strandings, constant fights with the dealership, just an unreliable car. After that experience I specifically searched for a reliable vehicle and that's what lead me to the Yaris. (BTW thank you to Yarisworld for helping in that decision.)

At the time I owned the Golf there were about 6 other guys at work who also owned VWs. None of us now do. Take that for what it's worth. As for myself I will never own another VW. I learned my lesson.

Ahhh, that doesn't sound good at all. Did yours have the 2.5 5-cylinder and 6-speed auto? Regardless, could you please elaborate a bit on the types of issues you had? I do appreciate the input. Thanks for that.

One customer satisfaction site I was on gave the car a 4.8/5.

[NYC-SE]

Mine was the TDI (diesel) model with the DSG 6 speed. You can read my story here:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=416471

The diesels in general had a lot of problems, but I had general non diesel related issues with mine as well.

It is my understanding that the 2.5 gas engine is more reliable, but that is just based on what I have read, I have no direct experience with one. I would check Consumer Reports for their reliability rating for that model. It seems everyone hates CR but I have found their historical ownership data pretty accurate. It's their new car ratings that are more questionable.

[bentjazz]

Ditto what NYC-SE said. My experience with VW wasn't positive, at all. More like nightmarish. I also owned a VW Golf. Easily the most unreliable vehicle I've ever owned. I bought a low mileage Golf, but that didn't matter one iota. Literally in the shop every two months with everything under the sun going wrong. In my experience, VWs suck, it's hard to find competent mechanics that'll work on them, and the parts are expensive as hell. As the owner of Superior Imports (where I took my VW Golf when I had it and who has been working on VWs for decades) told me, modern VWs are fine as long as you have a warranty. 06YarisRS, I wouldn't touch a used VW Golf with a 10 foot pole. But then again, you and your family might love it and it might be the greatest car you've ever had. Highly doubtful, though. I definitely would pass on this car. I've owned my Yaris 9 years this month. After the stellar out-of-this-world reliability experience with my Yaris, I'll never buy another VW.

[06YarisRS]

Ditto what NYC-SE said. My experience with VW wasn't positive, at all. More like nightmarish. I also owned a VW Golf. Easily the most unreliable vehicle I've ever owned. I bought a low mileage Golf, but that didn't matter one iota. Literally in the shop every two months with everything under the sun going wrong. In my experience, VWs suck, it's hard to find competent mechanics that'll work on them, and the parts are expensive as hell. As the owner of Superior Imports (where I took my VW Golf when I had it and who has been working on VWs for decades) told me, modern VWs are fine as long as you have a warranty. 06YarisRS, I wouldn't touch a used VW Golf with a 10 foot pole. But then again, you and your family might love it and it might be the greatest car you've ever had. Highly doubtful, though. I definitely would pass on this car. I've owned my Yaris 9 years this month. After the stellar out-of-this-world reliability experience with my Yaris, I'll never buy another VW.

Thanks bentjazz. Again, not very encouraging.

[06YarisRS]

Some Basic Parts Pricing

Figured I'd do some preliminary general parts pricing in the event that we do go with the car. I read a lot about the 2.5 5-cylinder and the consensus seems to be that most of the bugs - which were few - we're ironed out well before the 2013 mode year. One had to do with the timing chain. I'll add more parts as I go...

Anyway, on to basic parts. Prices are from Rockauto (unless otherwise specified) as I normally order my parts from there. As a reference, I used my 2008 Yaris as a comparison. In the case that there is only one price listed, it's because only one part was available through rockauto. All prices are Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified. The prices below are not necessarily the least expensive as I didn't search many sources. I expect that if I went for OEM parts there might be a large disparity between the VW and Toyota. That said, I priced an OEM speed sensor for the Yaris U340e and they wanted $500.00 CAD!

Alternator (with core charge):

Golf: $217.00 - $276.00 Yaris: $164.00 - $262.00

Brake Caliper (with core charge)

Golf: $96.00 Yaris: $76.00 - $205.00

Brake Rotor (eBay Centric rotor for Golf):

Golf: $41.00 (USD) + Yaris: $17.00 - $95.00+

Brake Pads:

Golf: $20 - $43.00+ Yaris: $14.00 - $95.00+

Water Pump:

Golf: $74.00 - $83.00 Yaris: $26.00 - $49.00

MAF/MAP Sensor:

Golf: $59.00 Yaris: $50.00 - $144.00

Half Shaft/Axle:

Golf: $58.00 - $137.00 Yaris: $50.00 - $78.00

Wheel Bearing:

Golf: $196.00 (Napa in CAD) Yaris: $62.00 - $219.00

VVTi Solenoid:

Golf: $66.00 - $141.00 Yaris: $24.00 - $79.00

Timing Chain:

Golf: $46.00 Yaris: $23.00 - $37.00

Ignition Coil:

Golf: $22.00 - $30.00 Yaris: $23.00 - $71.00

A/C Compressor:

Golf: $424.00 Yaris: $348 - $437.00

Starter:

Golf: $169.00 - $258.00 (with core charge) Yaris: $126.00 - $215.00 (with core charge)

Evap Purge Valve:

Golf: $25.00 Yaris: $52.00 - $83.00

Transmission Filter:

Golf: $44.00 Yaris: $9.00 - $21.00



Additional Research (All OEM Parts):

Brake Rotors:

Golf: $52.25 Yaris: $72.57

Sway Bar End Link:

Golf: $91.00 Yaris: $84.00

Front Strut:

Golf: $170.00 Yaris: $143.00

CV Axle:

Golf: $402.00 Yaris: $509.00

Wheel Hub and Bearing:

Golf: $239.00 Yaris: $274.00

[bentjazz]

I hope it works out for you, 06YarisRS. It really is a very attractive station wagon, and it has been a good number of years since I owned my Golf. So, hopefully quality has gone up since then. I can see why you're smitten with it. I wish you the best.

[06YarisRS]

Mine was the TDI (diesel) model with the DSG 6 speed. You can read my story here:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=416471

The diesels in general had a lot of problems, but I had general non diesel related issues with mine as well.

It is my understanding that the 2.5 gas engine is more reliable, but that is just based on what I have read, I have no direct experience with one. I would check Consumer Reports for their reliability rating for that model. It seems everyone hates CR but I have found their historical ownership data pretty accurate. It's their new car ratings that are more questionable.

Thanks! I had a read of your post as well as many of the responses. Sounds definitely like the diesel variant did have quite a few issues. I may fork over whatever $ CR wants to view their report. Almost everything else I've read about the 2.5/6-speed has been positive. But, yeah, I'd be pretty disappointed if I had window regulator problems, electrical problems, noises and other reliability issues, for sure.

[bentjazz]

Just curious, did you make a decision over the weekend, 06YarisRS?

[myfirstyota]

The maintenance will be huge compared to your toyotas. I've had 2 vws and my buddy is still into them. Always something to fix

[Leegamer]

How often will you be driving it? What kind of mileage do you expect to put on it in a year?

[kimona]

Expect a plethora of electrical problems, broken switches, deteriorating and broken trim, fuel delivery issues... and outrageous parts and maintenance costs that will never end.

[3rdSEman]

Don't 06 please don't !!!!!

[06YarisRS]

Hey Gents.

No decision made yet. Also considering checking out a couple suvs. The Golf has the perfect amount of room for our needs and the driving characteristics are bang on. It is one of the silkiest shifting (almost imperceptible both driving and stationary shifting) cars I've driven, it's quiet and planted. Fit and finish inside and out is top knotch. The whole cabin speaks quality. I found info on reliability issues with the former Jetta Sportwagen, that apparently the updated Golf does not share.

Anyway, should we ultimately go ahead with the purchase - against better advice here - I am pre-approving "I told ya so's"

I forgot to add that my brother-in-law, who I would never term a 'car guy', has owned VWs (currently a '12 Jetta) over the past couple decades and he swears by them. His son has also owned a Golf and now a Passat. He too has had good experiences.

[myfirstyota]

I forgot to add that my brother-in-law, who I would never term a 'car guy'...

That's why I wouldn't believe him! Hahaha

All jokes aside, if you do pull the trigger, I hope it treats you well.

Check what kind of oil it takes. My friends old vr6 required some $70/jug oil to keep the timing chain guides from burning up. But I know other recent vw engines take regular dino juice. Something to be aware of.

[nortonfb]

Have you asked your BIL & nephew what their maintenance costs were?
That maybe a good indicator.

[06YarisRS]

That's why I wouldn't believe him! Hahaha

All jokes aside, if you do pull the trigger, I hope it treats you well.

Check what kind of oil it takes. My friends old vr6 required some $70/jug oil to keep the timing chain guides from burning up. But I know other recent vw engines take regular dino juice. Something to be aware of.

Thanks.

I think it requires VW502 and if so, that's great, as I have a huge stash of Supertech Full syn that's minimally 502, 505 approved. So no special requirements here.

[ern-diz]

Never owned one myself, but friends/family that have owned them have not reported great experiences. As others have mentioned, trim issues, electrical issues, funky fuel pump issues and more. They look, feel and drive nicely, no doubt.

To your point, many of the parts might be cheaper, but it only matters when you need to buy them. We also know what they say about getting what you pay for.

[06YarisRS]

Never owned one myself, but friends/family that have owned them have not reported great experiences. As others have mentioned, trim issues, electrical issues, funky fuel pump issues and more. They look, feel and drive nicely, no doubt.

To your point, many of the parts might be cheaper, but it only matters when you need to buy them. We also know what they say about getting what you pay for.

Well, I do appreciate everyone's advice, for sure. That said, we do plan to buy it. As I said before, I'm pre-granting "I told ya so" rights. Lol. If it does turn out to be problematic, we'll sell it and buy another Toyota. :laugh:

It looks like Thursday will be the day. It's taken a long time. Hockey and gymnastics schedules pretty much preclude everything these days.

[thebarber]

2.5L is often touted as being one of the most durable modern VW engines. 6A was good in our 2016 sportwagen (with 1.8T).

VW maintenance will likely mean a few specialty tools, but there are LOTS of how-to's on youtube. i just changed the DSG fluid in my wifes '13 GTI last week thanks to the vids on youtube.

let me say this: i would buy one.

[thebarber]

one thing i did get for my wifes '13 GTI was a stud conversion kit because i found the wheel bolts annoying. was $50 or so and i also converted to the 12M sizing so i could reuse the pile of toyota nuts i have here (VW runs 14M bolts so the holes on their wheels are a bit larger...

i would convert any VW/Audi to studs. 100% worth it. just use threadlocker red

[06YarisRS]

one thing i did get for my wifes '13 GTI was a stud conversion kit because i found the wheel bolts annoying. was $50 or so and i also converted to the 12M sizing so i could reuse the pile of toyota nuts i have here (VW runs 14M bolts so the holes on their wheels are a bit larger...

i would convert any VW/Audi to studs. 100% worth it. just use threadlocker red

Thanks, thebarber. I'm sure I posted a response to this a couple days ago but alas it did not show up. Excellent suggestion on the wheel stud conversion. I've started to investigate that. I did pick the car up Thursday evening. It has such an amazing ride. I had it up on the hoist yesterday and started my rust proofing process. The underneath is completely coated in Rust Check Coat and Protect including all subframes (inside and out), unibody tunnels, suspension and chassis parts (control arms, struts, backing plates, steering rack etc). I also did my doors and hood with the thinner red Rust Check. I have to investigate how to remove the small black hard plastic plugs on the bottom of liftgate to access the inside to apply product. I also tackled the engine bay (strut towers, frame rails, exposed parts of the firewall etc), front quarter panels. Later today I plan to drill the top of my rocker panels and drill for access into the wheel house area via the rear door jambs. I've ordered some 3M paint film to do the leading edge of the hood as well as all the door sill thresholds as they are subject to accelerated wear from shoes. I have a bid in on a used, but excellent shape, set of Husky liners floor liners on eBay.

I had the dealership install a new set of snow tires as the all season tires that were on there are new. Right now I'm looking at a set of alloys for the spring, summer and fall. I have a lead on a set of 16" Jetta 5-spoke wheels (practically brand new) or I can go with a set of Touren TR9 wheels in matte black. The former would give a nice stock look, but I think the Touren's would look so amazing against the bright white car which has black accents. Check out the links below. Always open to thoughts from anyone interested.

These?

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1470631242

Or, these?

https://www.canadawheels.ca/touren-wheels/tr9-matte-black-w5239

I'd really like to go with 17" wheels, but that's an added expense that would be hard to justify at this point.

EDIT: I did a really quick and crappy job pasting on the Touren wheels, but it gives an idea of what the car might look like.

https://i.imgur.com/L1jf3dE.png

[kimona]

Enjoy your new car!

I like the silver wheels. IMHO, those all black wheels make your nice car look like crap.

[06YarisRS]

Enjoy your new car!

I like the silver wheels. IMHO, those all black wheels make your nice car look like crap.

Haha, yeah, I know your opinion on black wheels. I think you mentioned that before when I was considering painting my Yaris wheels black when doing the repaint. I do like the silver ones very much, but the black goes well with the other back accents.

There were a few scratches on the driver's door sill, so I repainted that sill. I then applied grip tape on all high wear areas. Turned out pretty good and should stop all scratches in those areas. The tape went on great with the help of a heat gun. All my family members are feet draggers, when entering cars. Haha.

The leading 8" - 10" of the hood and the lower portions of the door sills will be getting 3M paint protection film applied. Just ordered some from eBay.

https://i.imgur.com/jEIXSIo.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xH77bar.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/b0ILdF3.jpg

[bentjazz]

Good luck with your new car, 06YarisRS. It's a beautiful VW.....

[Leegamer]

It is a great looking car.

[kimona]

There were a few scratches on the driver's door sill, so I repainted that sill. I then applied grip tape on all high wear areas. Turned out pretty good and should stop all scratches in those areas. The tape went on great with the help of a heat gun. All my family members are feet draggers, when entering cars. Haha.

You did a great job! "Feet Draggers" LOL are one of my pet peeves.

[myfirstyota]

I hope it treats you well buddy!

[06YarisRS]

2500 km Update.

Well, we've had the car for a few weeks now and I'm ready to share a few observations.

I'll start with the good:

Drive quality is unparalleled, at least to any other car I've owned. The car feels so solid and tight. It is incredibly comfortable. It handles like a dream with great predictability. Driving it for a few hours straight on the highway is a breeze. This car is definitely going to be our road trip vehicle.

The 2.5L engine strikes me as a very finely engineered and constructed masterpiece. Even starting cold at -20C, it is virtually silent and smooth from both inside and out. I would probably appreciate the extra torque of the diesel variant. At low rpms, the car can feel a little heavy, but a slight shot of gas and 2500 rpm and above and it's away like a scalded cat. The 6-speed auto shifts very smoothly.

The quality of the interior materials and fit and finish impress me every time I get in the car.

Interior space is very good with decent leg room front and back. While cargo space obviously isn't near what we had in the van, it is enough to carry all my son's hockey gear, a few kit bags and a bunch of smaller stuff.

The 'not-so-good'

The HVAC system pretty much sucks in this car. In extremely cold temps it's all it can do to keep the windshield and windows from fogging, and, no, it's not on recirc mode. The A/C does come on in defrost mode but I think the ducting and air distribution is lacking. With me, my wife and 3 kids in the car, it can start to fog up unless I either slightly crack a window or run the fan on max. The car does heat up well and is fairly easy to control but I think VW missed the boat overall in execution. I just figured every car made today had perfectly functioning HVAC systems.

What car these days does not come with heated mirrors as standard equipment???

No bluetooth, also, again, what vehicle these days does not come with bluetooth as standard equipment???

Almost illegible HVAC symbols. I need my glasses to adjust heat, cooling etc. And, unintuitive controls (wipers, and especially the rear wiper and washed sprayer). I don't like the fact that I can't independently control the marker lights. It's no lights, or all lights. The dash does look really great at night, though.

These are just a few initial observations. Overall, I'm really warming up to the car and thoroughly enjoy driving it. Hopefully we don't run into reliability issues with the car.

In the last two weeks, I've been picking away at a few 'protective measures'. I already posted about the sill protection. I finished covering all high wear areas (complete sill and rocker edges, vertical rear door jambs) with 3M paint film. Also did the rear bumper top with the film as well as lower liftgate. I'm awaiting the arrival of my roll of 12" wide film to do the hood of both the Vdub and Rio.

I did pick up the 2016 Jetta alloys that were for sale on kijiji. Can't wait for summer!

[myfirstyota]

Hopefully these are all the negatives and you dont find more. Good luck in the vdub world. Word of advice, dont listen to everyone on vw vortex. Theres a lot of shit talking and that community never seemed as eager to help as this one.

[06YarisRS]

Hopefully these are all the negatives and you dont find more. Good luck in the vdub world. Word of advice, dont listen to everyone on vw vortex. Theres a lot of shit talking and that community never seemed as eager to help as this one.

Yes, hopefully it proves reliable. I think you're right about VWVortex. I made a couple of posts and no one even acknowledged them or even replied. Definitely doesn't have the vibe this community does.

[06YarisRS]

Used Alloys Install Started

I degreased, sanded, degreased, primed and painted the calipers before installing the used alloys, just the front, so far.

Hopefully, later today, I can do the rears.

I have been finding everything VW maintenance-wise to be rather weird. I will say that once you have done a particular service routine, it starts to make more sense. I did an oil change and it was an involved process - much more so than any other car manufacturer vehicle I've worked on. Having wheel bolts instead of studs is - at first - a little challenging. But, once you hang the wheel on the hub insert, it's not too bad.

Anyway, on to the pics.

https://i.imgur.com/BT2Gc7U.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/UBeEsCp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/McMyPMc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oawM6nf.jpg

[kimona]

Going to look very nice. Good to have a project to work on these days.

[06YarisRS]

Going to look very nice. Good to have a project to work on these days.

Thanks man! I think it was you who advised me to go with the VW wheels. So, this is for you, kimona. :thumbsup:

https://i.imgur.com/idB6Vj9.jpg

[Leegamer]

Big improvement!

[06YarisRS]

Big improvement!

Yeah, I think so too. Thanks man! :thumbsup:

[thebarber]

noice