As someone who has bought and sold cars for a living for 2 decades + I tend to have a pessimistic view of car reliability. That's from experience not from forums but a quick search brings up a varierty of issues (see below). The key point with this car is that it's not just sat on motorways and the clean, EU6 compliant engine has a lot of emission control equipment that makes it a lot more complicated than an old PD engine. And it's had an ongoing issue with coolant loss. forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/gtd-help-with-engine-issues.522834/ www.volkswagenforum.co.uk/threads/2014-golf-gtd-engine-problems.36119/ www.vagdrivers.net/threads/golf-mk7-gtd-coolant-issue.114855/
I had the Seat version, a Leon FR estate with 184 bhp diesel engine. Brilliant, versatile car for the time I owned it. I noticed your coolant tank had 'mit silikat' stamped on it, which means it has a bag of silicate in the tank. These are known to split and block the heater matrix. I have always removed the bags on my cars. All the best.
10:09 I believe the car was doing a DPF regeneration when the revs don’t drop below 1k as they should idle at about 800-850 even when coasting. This is exactly what mine does when doing a regen and I’ve had several VAG DSG/ S-Tronic products which all do the same. This of course impedes on the MPG too but once it’s completed it increases. 👍🏼
ACC uses more mpg i think than standard cruise as it picks up cars slows and accelerates when really there's no need most the time. also i used to notice comfort would be best for mpg more responsive. Also looked like you were doing a regen when you arrived to get your wheels revs were a tell tale 1k rpm
Yes I find even the smallest gap on ACC is too large, but they are being over cautious I guess. But as you say it makes the car just stop and then accelerate again. I may swap over to the normal mode on the next trip and see how that fares.
Have a 2016 GTD Estate had from 2017 and has nearly 130k. Mine does best mpg in low 50s, typically high 40s but mine is a 6 speed DSG. Great car and still runs like new. What on earth would I change it for?
I had a GTD back in 2016 for a couple of years as a company car. One of the best all round cars I’ve ever had although it did average low 40’s in the overall mpg which is less than my petrol i20N. I will say though, I’m still a fan of diesel cars and how they drive so effortlessly and I wouldn’t dismiss another one.
Good to see your back with more vw content on the channel Andrew, enjoying the GTD vidoes. As a few of the comments have suggested, get rid of the silicate bag in the header tank, either fish it out or for £40 ish just fit another header tank without the silicate bag
I was curious as to what MPG you were getting; I can get mid 50s pretty easily on a long run in my leon estate 1.4 tsi 150 (I never turn my AC off) When you factor in the added complexity of diesels and added fuel cost, not sure they're worth it tbh.
True, same for any parking space, I can turn around on my drive normally but mirrors were missed up so safer just to back out. Exactly why you back up at the end of a journey. TBH Not sure why the car was even there, I was maybe going to film the intro there
@volkswizard yea I always back into parking spots at stores etc...especially with rear camera on my golf r 2019. .its smooth. Diesel is still a great way to go.
REALLY need some advice Mr Hill, when i purchased my vw many years ago, it ORIGINALLY came with 19" wheels, on the way home after purchase of the said vehicle , the road noise was so LOUD (whoflungdung) was the tire brand i believe, anyway i digress, that i decided to change the wheels for 16" and fitted good quality tires, however, should i have had someone connect V.C.D.S, TO ALTER THE CAR`S COMPUTER, so i could get an accurate mpg, ( due to smaller wheels) OR IS THIS MODIFICATION not NEEDED ?
I have a B8 Passat Estate 2.0 TDi with 160K on the clock, will sit at 70 on the motorway averaging 55-60 MPG all day long! don't think 127K is High Mileage to be fair, it's got lots of life in it
Nice Andrew, as before I love the GTDs - great cars. Reminded me, eco mode really useful for adaptive cruise, with distance set other cars are always jumping in and out in front and eco stops the car from gearing down and racing to close the gap…makes for a much more relaxing drive as well as helping mpg. Keep up the good work fella 👍🏼
I was surprised to see you drive off without wearing the seatbelt, not for some elf & safety concern: My Mk 7 refuses to release the parking brake until the drivers seat belt is engaged! Looking forward to seeing the mods, as this car is on the wish list, including in that colour. I did see a GTD with a displaced exhaust system similar to the GTI, fit one of those Andrew and I may buy it off you
I used to have a 2016 Golf GTD Estate, which had keyless entry/start, with the ‘Start’ button down by the gear-lever. Your 7.5 seems to have a traditional ignition key on the side of the steering column. Did they make keyless entry and start an option on the 7.5?
Keyless was always an option. It was forced upon UK buyers from 2019ish, just when keyless car theft was at its peak. Every time I drive a keyless car I can't get over how much bloody hassle it is not having anywhere to put the key. I am sure you get used to it like I did with Mk8 but there's always the feeling this is more convenient for VW (to not have to have 1000s of different ignition barrels) than me.
I have a 66reg GTD 5 door hatch, manual in Carbon Grey with a few nice extras inc Dynaudio. Mine since new. 146k miles. Began to loose water randomly approx 120k miles. Firstly changed expansion tank cap, then tank still no change. Did some research. Issue was gunk in the heater matrix. Changed it and no trouble since. Previously would loose water when it did a regen every few hundred miles. Frustrating. Brother owns own garage, takes care of anything the car needs so decided to keep the car (although have been tempted to sell only because of higher miles) for something (nice) else. It runs perfectly (typically 52mpg combined) on Michelin Primacy 4’s and looks great. Also, now not worth enough (because of the milage) for me to let it go. So makes sense to keep it and hopefully continue to have cheap, good looking miles to 200k
A moist magic eraser sponge with a drop of detergent does the trick. I have a mk6 and even after 14 years the leather steering wheel looks like new after this.
Lots of great tips in the comments, I used glass cleaner and a blue microfibre which turned yellow as grime came off. I know it’s clean now but this magic eraser sounds like it might make it even better
I have a 2013 Beetle Cab. 2 ltr diesel dsg 140bhp covered only 26500 miles ( car is summer use only). We take it to S Devon on holidays during the Summer months and it returns, according to the computer, about 64 mpg. Roof up during motorway driving and roof down ( weather permitting ) on general running about. I enjoy the performance and together with the economy it's a win win situation.
I have a lot of respect for the 2.0 Beetles especially as cabrio as Beetle shape does lend itself to being open top 64 mpg is very impressive, I don't think diesels have got more efficient, just cleaner in later years.
The 3 door GTD looks like a great but rare spec car - will be interesting to see how the estate looks with alternative wheels albeit I am a stickler for OEM 🎯👍
I had a 2015 Gtd hatch with a manual gear box. It was a company car that I had from new and it was great fun to drive and really economical without being boring. I don’t think a lot of people get the Gtd, because it’s diesel, but in my opinion you get the best of both worlds. The estate adds even more practicality as well, when you can carry large items but without it looking ugly. Looking forward to seeing you improve the engine further with a tune, because there’s a whole lot more that engine can give without pushing it too far and I think you’ll see even better fuel returns as a byproduct
I had a remapped b9 a5 3.0 tdi 218 coupe that did 65mpg (according to the computer and seemingly the pump too) at the expense of a bit of go...you can get "economy remaps" that actually work... might be an idea if all you care about is mpg?
I like the BBS alloys you have bought and have a Watkins Glen vibe to them. I’m sure they will look good when fitted and suspension mods fitted too in due course. I think you are right, you don’t need to have the most expensive car to see places, just a good all rounder like the high miler GTD Variant you have bought will do it all. I think someone we both know with a certain Up! Said something similar.
There is definitely a Watkins Glen vibe about them, slightly concerned they don't stack without metal on metal so risk of kerb damage is high so need to careful but should be worth it. Having said that it will be nice to have the original wheels refurbed and shod with the Goodyear All Season tyres.
Thanks Jason, good tip. Was hoping they turned off automatically like the heated rear window but will keep an eye on that as I've seen that issue before on Mk4 I think
The cheap tyres will hit fuel economy badly, this is where tyres like Continental and Michelin excel. Electric car specific tyres take this up a notch again scarifying grip a bit.
Great content Andrew. The XRs are going to look fantastic on the GTD! There’s just something ‘right’ about BBS wheels a on a VW…. You won’t go wrong holding onto those when you eventually move the car on, either. The seller’s 3-door BlueLine was a bit quirky, didn’t know they were a thing until I did an eBay search. If you haven’t see a TCR with leather it’s rather nice too. 🙌🏼
I have a 2017 GTD 5 door, (Isaac blue metallic, with the 18s + osram dynamic indicators after following your video tutorial 😊) mine lives at 50-55 MPG on the motorway without much compromise aircon etc. The starting roughness might be the cam position sensor issue? Try it with auto hold off and it could diagnose it. Excited to see what you do with the GTD 😊
Using full Eco mode does help, cirtainly the coasting aspect. It also puts aircon into eco (whatever that is), but there's no need to turn aircon off. Also, if it's a Bluemotion (there was a changeover period when they all were), make sure you keep your Adblue topped up. There's 2 injectors 1 pre-dpf, 1 post. The pre inject keeps the dpf clean. In 24,000 miles in my 2019 GTD it never went into regen mode. My 67 GTD would regen twice a tank. Hth.
Another good video! I regularly got early to mid 50s mpg on my Mk7 manual GTD (grey leather seats btw) using premium fuels with mixed driving, about 10% less than than my DSG Mk8 - much longer gearing with 7th gear in DSG than 6th in manual. I think I prefer the original wheels were they to be refurbed, sorry!
The best i managed from my mk7 gtd 3 door manual was 59mpg. Since refuel said 62 mpg. That was brim to brim calculations but that was hard work. I generally get 52-54 mpg per tank usually sitting at 50-55mph on the work commute.
There’s something really nice about a mile munching car. Me and a mate travelled miles in an Audi A6 Le Mans and you could see how the car filled this role perfectly overtaking on winding A and B roads and motorways etc. It was great doing comfortable but fast mileage. Never felt tired and no back aches!
I wouldn't expect any issues at that mileage. I recently sold my Passat with 154k on and everything worked just fine. No rattles from the suspension or anything like that. It was a manual though. I did used to have a mk7 GTD manual. The fuel economy was excellent and if you can stick to 70mph the economy would be about 60mpg. If you had the AC on and used the cruise control you could knock 10% off. I once got 70mpg out of it on a 100 mile journey on the M6/M1. Had to really try though.
I adore my golf 7.5 r estate. But as it has a pan roof i suppose its a right off in youre opinion. 😂 anyway that model is a highpoint and deserves some recognition.
I love a pan roof but when there's a fault that VW dealers aren't very good at fixing, suddenly the hassle outweighs the positives. Maybe a specialist will sort this out correctly and for a lot less cash. Not surprised you adore your R Estate, it's a great car.
@@volkswizard thankyou mate, I'm only joking, I know you loved you're white one. I've not had any issues with my turmeric, leather,DCC one. It's currently under the extended warranty to be safe. I enjoy every episode you do, and hope you keep it up. Many thanks.x
Ps my Pretorias could do with a refurb and I've had another one non DCC on Cadiz and had more feel.Considering our crappy road surfaces what's you're opinion? That Southport coastline is a hidden gem, glad you enjoyed it.❤
I recently bought a 7R because it didn't have one 😂 My previous mk 7 1.8 had a sunroof leak, was going to cost almost $3.5k to fix. My dealer had a nice GTI (non-sunroof) that sold as I got there, so I *settled* for the R. It's a wonderful car.
Admittedly I do live in fear of a crack or leak on the pan roof. I know every car has its faults but VW should recall and resolve this issue. Not a problem if you live in California but during our Lancashire monsoon season it is. Got to love a wagon/ variant though. Hope you enjoy you're new buys guys.
If it felt unsafe I wouldn’t do it but I think you’ve answered the mystery why a lot of reviewers have the camera on the side windows. This might be within the law but it involves taking eyes off the road more than my position does so questionable if it is actually safer even if it’s within the law. Good point though, I’ll consciously check if it obstructs & act accordingly
@@mgcarmkm4520 Generally DRLs are brighter than dipped beam for other road users as they are designed to be visible in day light so no issues with visibility at the front
16:50 Speedos generally over read by 10% so you can take 10% off that displayed mpg figure. So displayed 58 minus 6 makes 52 about right. Not great for a 7 speed diesel.
The computer knows the actual speed so your trip meter, mileage and fuel economy is correct. Otherwise you’ll be driving around in a car with less miles on the clock.
Thanks lanehogger that means a lot! I totally understand the appeal of BMW and apparently their PCP APR is a lot less than Audis so a lot of people are jumping ship it seems. Glad you still like the cars and most importantly the channel👍🏻👍🏻
honestly was disappointed with my mk7 GTD with its mpg. I found it very poor but I didn't do many miles so I think the DPF might have been clogged. Bear that it in mind if you think about buying one of these because I get not far off same MPG in my 7.5 R now!! GTD was about low 50s high 40s and the R I have gotten mid 40s
Really. Is that on a fairly long run? Even on a lengthy trip I can only really get mid to highish 30s. Not sure how I'd even hit 40 😂. I'm still getting used to my R since trading in my mk6 GTD.
@@jonathanphang probably about 80 miles there and back to the nearest big town as I live rurally. Ive hit 40+ mpg many times in the R, the gtd is more suited to motorway miles id say
Good to see you up my neck of the woods. I hope you enjoyed the Forever M6 roadworks that are going on and on..! Love the new wheels, BBS and VW are a match made in heaven.
With regard to the Lansail tyres….. if I’m correct they are Continental tyres. They bought them out, stripped out the factory and use the same equipment to produce as they do for the Continental brand.. I’ve had them in the past and they were excellent 👍
Well done Andrew sounds like a great buy in both regards the car has proven to be reliable and wheels look great looking forward to seeing it recieve the Volkswizard magic!
My MK4 golf gt TDI pd130 has always averages high 60s mpg on motorway. even round town averages low 50s mpg. Done 116k miles and would never sell it. Love it 🎆🎆🎆🎆
I went to the launch in 2017 of the Arteon so have a soft spot for it. I've done a couple of videos on them, in late 2020 I did facelift vs original Arteon and I've done a short video the R Shooting Brake which I'll be reviewing fully very soon
Love the wheels they suit it. Best I’ve had in mine was 64.9mpg on a run from Birmingham to Sheffield in sports mode. Always found eco a bit slower to respond. Definitely recommend a remap as the torque is something else.
The 17” wheels do make a big difference to the economy - I’ve got 17s on my Superb Combi 190 TDi and regularly get 60mpg on local trips and up to 75mpg on longer journeys. (In eco most of the time and with aircon off, of course :)
When you have full hybrids that have better fuel economy, instant torque from the electric motor, far more reliable and less to go wrong, and last but not least, runs off cheaper fuel, I just dont see the point in diesels anymore.
The main difference is a Full hybrid won’t do those mpg’s on a motorway for much more than 2 hours until the Hy battery is flat and the car starts charging it from the engine which kills the mpg.
Bearing in mind I filmed this before the reveal video was published after which a lot of very kind people offered a lot of steering wheel cleaning advice via the comments. I used some glass cleaner and a microfibre, you can see the cloth turning yellow as the dirt comes off, this one was definitely not as bad as most though!
You have picked a very good car It’s a very good looking car and with them wheels it will look great Look forward to seeing them. Great episode Vdub Bbs
@@volkswizardI thought that G12 Evo coolant was the successor to G13 and contained the additional silicates/additives. So might be worth getting that in on your next flush which might mean you don't need to flush so often.
Don't lower it with suspension mods - one of the absolute features of the GTD is its discrete elegance - a lowered one would be evidence of hick behind the wheel 🙂. Lowering it will not give you driving improvement that makes a difference on M4 (possibly just worse).
@@volkswizard The GTD was re-tested under WLTP rules in Q3 2018. They probably didn’t have capacity on the test jigs to do both models. In my experience the Blueline is ~10% more efficient.
we have 2017 tiguan r line 190 tdi we are doing around 47.6 mpg on a long run if driven up to 70 m per hour, if you go up to 65 miles per hour can get even better mpg
Hello just recently sold my mk7 golf gtd 14 plate had 75.000 miles had it 5 years thought time for a change, bought a 19 plate audi a1 1.5 tsfi manual drove terrible so after 2 months sold it and got a 7.5 gtd 18 with 40k love it 👍
Welcome back to the GTD club Paul! The 7.5 is generally a much nicer package, enjoy it. The 1.5 had a few issues when launched and they seem quite strangulated by emissions restrictions so I can understand the change.
@volkswizard hello thanks yes this will be our 8th golf but still like a good audi I've got a fl 8v s3 2 door and maybe was comparing to that as well 😀
I have also have a gtd 7.5 dsg estate and I love it. I have a 420bhp Ttrs and find myself getting in the golf more because of how comfortable and easy it is to drive.
I've got a 2018 petrol 1.5 TSI bluemotion estate and get 60mpg on the motorway. Only flaw with it is the cambelt should be changed after 5 years or 60,000 miles (iirc) and that costs a grand with that engine!
My wife has an 14 plate A3 2.0 tdi 184 on 168k, drives like new. Had a coolant problem not so long ago, I did cambelt and water pump on it and the heater matrix and it’s fine now
The 911 is awesome but having something less awesome when you are feeling less awesome is definitely great. Also means every time you get into the good car it's like the first time all over again as you forget quickly the feel once you've driven other cars. Can't wait to get in GT4 now with its smell and pedal weights and manual shift and that view of the rising wings etc.
@@volkswizard in the pre security days I often used to go to sliverstone on testing days, big camcorder on me shoulder and in those days you had access to ALL areas gratis, anyway, the REAL Damon was testing and I sort of sidled into the garage as they were starting his Williams, it started, I NEARLY WENT DEAF , AND THE fumes, I Never made THAT mistake again 🤭🤭
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That mileage is not much for a quality engine like that. I don't understand why you're surprised it drives well.
As someone who has bought and sold cars for a living for 2 decades + I tend to have a pessimistic view of car reliability. That's from experience not from forums but a quick search brings up a varierty of issues (see below). The key point with this car is that it's not just sat on motorways and the clean, EU6 compliant engine has a lot of emission control equipment that makes it a lot more complicated than an old PD engine. And it's had an ongoing issue with coolant loss.
forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/gtd-help-with-engine-issues.522834/
www.volkswagenforum.co.uk/threads/2014-golf-gtd-engine-problems.36119/
www.vagdrivers.net/threads/golf-mk7-gtd-coolant-issue.114855/
I had the Seat version, a Leon FR estate with 184 bhp diesel engine. Brilliant, versatile car for the time I owned it. I noticed your coolant tank had 'mit silikat' stamped on it, which means it has a bag of silicate in the tank. These are known to split and block the heater matrix. I have always removed the bags on my cars. All the best.
I had the same brilliant car but very vanilla did everything right but was a tad boring if you get me 😅 also +1 for the bag in the coolant ditch it!
Any tips on removing those bags ?
10:09 I believe the car was doing a DPF regeneration when the revs don’t drop below 1k as they should idle at about 800-850 even when coasting. This is exactly what mine does when doing a regen and I’ve had several VAG DSG/ S-Tronic products which all do the same. This of course impedes on the MPG too but once it’s completed it increases. 👍🏼
13:58 - nice to see a Yeti doing one of the many things it’s good at.
ACC uses more mpg i think than standard cruise as it picks up cars slows and accelerates when really there's no need most the time. also i used to notice comfort would be best for mpg more responsive. Also looked like you were doing a regen when you arrived to get your wheels revs were a tell tale 1k rpm
Yes I find even the smallest gap on ACC is too large, but they are being over cautious I guess. But as you say it makes the car just stop and then accelerate again. I may swap over to the normal mode on the next trip and see how that fares.
My passat was doing that today. Thought as much. Cheers
Watching this encouraged me to get the Estate version of the GTD (7.5) for some extra practicality. Had it just a week and love it so far.
Have a 2016 GTD Estate had from 2017 and has nearly 130k. Mine does best mpg in low 50s, typically high 40s but mine is a 6 speed DSG. Great car and still runs like new. What on earth would I change it for?
You can get much better cars than such a noisy tractor..
Sad fact but the guy driving the evil owl Porsche owns the company for the flashing place mats you get at restaurants when you foods ready
I had a GTD back in 2016 for a couple of years as a company car. One of the best all round cars I’ve ever had although it did average low 40’s in the overall mpg which is less than my petrol i20N. I will say though, I’m still a fan of diesel cars and how they drive so effortlessly and I wouldn’t dismiss another one.
Good to see your back with more vw content on the channel Andrew, enjoying the GTD vidoes. As a few of the comments have suggested, get rid of the silicate bag in the header tank, either fish it out or for £40 ish just fit another header tank without the silicate bag
My vrs 245 at 70 mph on motorway will do over 47 mpg on a run. With headlights and A/C on. Absolutely love mine
I was curious as to what MPG you were getting; I can get mid 50s pretty easily on a long run in my leon estate 1.4 tsi 150 (I never turn my AC off)
When you factor in the added complexity of diesels and added fuel cost, not sure they're worth it tbh.
You should back into the driveway,so you can drive out safer and faster
True, same for any parking space, I can turn around on my drive normally but mirrors were missed up so safer just to back out. Exactly why you back up at the end of a journey. TBH Not sure why the car was even there, I was maybe going to film the intro there
@volkswizard yea I always back into parking spots at stores etc...especially with rear camera on my golf r 2019. .its smooth. Diesel is still a great way to go.
Combat parking 👊🏼👍🏼
I had a 16 plate from brand new mk7 GTD estate, did 260k over 6 years, never skipped a beat or failed on me in those 6 years.
REALLY need some advice Mr Hill, when i purchased my vw many years ago, it ORIGINALLY came with 19" wheels, on the way home after purchase of the said vehicle , the road noise was so LOUD (whoflungdung) was the tire brand i believe, anyway i digress, that i decided to change the wheels for 16" and fitted good quality tires, however, should i have had someone connect V.C.D.S, TO ALTER THE CAR`S COMPUTER, so i could get an accurate mpg, ( due to smaller wheels) OR IS THIS MODIFICATION not NEEDED ?
I have a B8 Passat Estate 2.0 TDi with 160K on the clock, will sit at 70 on the motorway averaging 55-60 MPG all day long! don't think 127K is High Mileage to be fair, it's got lots of life in it
good vid my tcr does 48mpg on runs from s.wales to southampton at the legal limit regularly
Can you tell us how you cleaned the steering wheel please?
Nice Andrew, as before I love the GTDs - great cars. Reminded me, eco mode really useful for adaptive cruise, with distance set other cars are always jumping in and out in front and eco stops the car from gearing down and racing to close the gap…makes for a much more relaxing drive as well as helping mpg. Keep up the good work fella 👍🏼
I was surprised to see you drive off without wearing the seatbelt, not for some elf & safety concern: My Mk 7 refuses to release the parking brake until the drivers seat belt is engaged!
Looking forward to seeing the mods, as this car is on the wish list, including in that colour. I did see a GTD with a displaced exhaust system similar to the GTI, fit one of those Andrew and I may buy it off you
I used to have a 2016 Golf GTD Estate, which had keyless entry/start, with the ‘Start’ button down by the gear-lever.
Your 7.5 seems to have a traditional ignition key on the side of the steering column.
Did they make keyless entry and start an option on the 7.5?
Keyless was always an option. It was forced upon UK buyers from 2019ish, just when keyless car theft was at its peak. Every time I drive a keyless car I can't get over how much bloody hassle it is not having anywhere to put the key. I am sure you get used to it like I did with Mk8 but there's always the feeling this is more convenient for VW (to not have to have 1000s of different ignition barrels) than me.
I have a 66reg GTD 5 door hatch, manual in Carbon Grey with a few nice extras inc Dynaudio. Mine since new. 146k miles. Began to loose water randomly approx 120k miles. Firstly changed expansion tank cap, then tank still no change. Did some research. Issue was gunk in the heater matrix. Changed it and no trouble since. Previously would loose water when it did a regen every few hundred miles. Frustrating. Brother owns own garage, takes care of anything the car needs so decided to keep the car (although have been tempted to sell only because of higher miles) for something (nice) else. It runs perfectly (typically 52mpg combined) on Michelin Primacy 4’s and looks great. Also, now not worth enough (because of the milage) for me to let it go. So makes sense to keep it and hopefully continue to have cheap, good looking miles to 200k
What did you clean your steering wheel with to remove shine?
A moist magic eraser sponge with a drop of detergent does the trick. I have a mk6 and even after 14 years the leather steering wheel looks like new after this.
Lots of great tips in the comments, I used glass cleaner and a blue microfibre which turned yellow as grime came off. I know it’s clean now but this magic eraser sounds like it might make it even better
Thanks I’ll be doing that tonight! Any recommendations for alloy refurb companies in the south east would be appreciated.
Pretty sure I was getting 46-48mpg all day long in my manual up to 90k miles on mixed trips.
I have a 2013 Beetle Cab. 2 ltr diesel dsg 140bhp covered only 26500 miles ( car is summer use only). We take it to S Devon on holidays during the Summer months and it returns, according to the computer, about 64 mpg. Roof up during motorway driving and roof down ( weather permitting ) on general running about. I enjoy the performance and together with the economy it's a win win situation.
I have a lot of respect for the 2.0 Beetles especially as cabrio as Beetle shape does lend itself to being open top 64 mpg is very impressive, I don't think diesels have got more efficient, just cleaner in later years.
The 3 door GTD looks like a great but rare spec car - will be interesting to see how the estate looks with alternative wheels albeit I am a stickler for OEM 🎯👍
I like OEM too but BBS is next best, made in Germany too
I had a 2015 Gtd hatch with a manual gear box. It was a company car that I had from new and it was great fun to drive and really economical without being boring. I don’t think a lot of people get the Gtd, because it’s diesel, but in my opinion you get the best of both worlds. The estate adds even more practicality as well, when you can carry large items but without it looking ugly.
Looking forward to seeing you improve the engine further with a tune, because there’s a whole lot more that engine can give without pushing it too far and I think you’ll see even better fuel returns as a byproduct
I had a remapped b9 a5 3.0 tdi 218 coupe that did 65mpg (according to the computer and seemingly the pump too) at the expense of a bit of go...you can get "economy remaps" that actually work... might be an idea if all you care about is mpg?
I like the BBS alloys you have bought and have a Watkins Glen vibe to them. I’m sure they will look good when fitted and suspension mods fitted too in due course.
I think you are right, you don’t need to have the most expensive car to see places, just a good all rounder like the high miler GTD Variant you have bought will do it all. I think someone we both know with a certain Up! Said something similar.
There is definitely a Watkins Glen vibe about them, slightly concerned they don't stack without metal on metal so risk of kerb damage is high so need to careful but should be worth it. Having said that it will be nice to have the original wheels refurbed and shod with the Goodyear All Season tyres.
What did you do with the wheels you took off??
make sure you switch that heated mirror off. I've replaced 2 of mine as the glue melts and they fall out!!
Thanks Jason, good tip. Was hoping they turned off automatically like the heated rear window but will keep an eye on that as I've seen that issue before on Mk4 I think
The cheap tyres will hit fuel economy badly, this is where tyres like Continental and Michelin excel. Electric car specific tyres take this up a notch again scarifying grip a bit.
Great content Andrew. The XRs are going to look fantastic on the GTD! There’s just something ‘right’ about BBS wheels a on a VW…. You won’t go wrong holding onto those when you eventually move the car on, either.
The seller’s 3-door BlueLine was a bit quirky, didn’t know they were a thing until I did an eBay search.
If you haven’t see a TCR with leather it’s rather nice too. 🙌🏼
Wouldn't need to change wheels if back on the Mk7 18".. Plush standard!
Well put it this way, I won't sell the original wheels :)
Andrew, great video as always. Nothing beats a road trip whether in the U.K., Europe, or the USA even.
great drive ..wheels look great can't wait to see them on the car, plus next time you're in stoke give me a knock I've got a bucket hat for you. 😂
It's deal!
I have a 2017 GTD 5 door, (Isaac blue metallic, with the 18s + osram dynamic indicators after following your video tutorial 😊) mine lives at 50-55 MPG on the motorway without much compromise aircon etc. The starting roughness might be the cam position sensor issue? Try it with auto hold off and it could diagnose it. Excited to see what you do with the GTD 😊
Using full Eco mode does help, cirtainly the coasting aspect. It also puts aircon into eco (whatever that is), but there's no need to turn aircon off.
Also, if it's a Bluemotion (there was a changeover period when they all were), make sure you keep your Adblue topped up. There's 2 injectors 1 pre-dpf, 1 post. The pre inject keeps the dpf clean. In 24,000 miles in my 2019 GTD it never went into regen mode.
My 67 GTD would regen twice a tank.
Hth.
Does the rear wiper not work. Give it a wipe man. 😂😂
Another good video! I regularly got early to mid 50s mpg on my Mk7 manual GTD (grey leather seats btw) using premium fuels with mixed driving, about 10% less than than my DSG Mk8 - much longer gearing with 7th gear in DSG than 6th in manual. I think I prefer the original wheels were they to be refurbed, sorry!
I’m
Saying that’s been remapped unless u were doing 55 mph. I’ve got a gtd estate and best it gets at 70mph is about 50mpg.
DSG or manual? DSG will be a bit better even though official figures say otherwise. 100% sure no remap
The mpg on my old 2004 Bora diesel improved after switching to premium shell fuel and some high speed runs. I used to get nearly 70 sometimes!
The old diesels were very efficient, pretty sure these ones are cleaner but less efficient, that's what they call progress
Are you gonna re map this car. My local tuner says he can get 230-240 bhp and 460-480 lft .
Isaac Blue FTW! 😆 🖖
Nice wheels Andrew, although I must say I quiet like the ones on there already 😊
250k is a high mile diesel, not 127 :-)
The best i managed from my mk7 gtd 3 door manual was 59mpg. Since refuel said 62 mpg. That was brim to brim calculations but that was hard work. I generally get 52-54 mpg per tank usually sitting at 50-55mph on the work commute.
is it true that most patrons of stoke on trent are "broke & bent" ?
No. I'm from Stoke and I'm neither. But I do love GTD's.
There’s something really nice about a mile munching car. Me and a mate travelled miles in an Audi A6 Le Mans and you could see how the car filled this role perfectly overtaking on winding A and B roads and motorways etc. It was great doing comfortable but fast mileage. Never felt tired and no back aches!
I wouldn't expect any issues at that mileage. I recently sold my Passat with 154k on and everything worked just fine. No rattles from the suspension or anything like that. It was a manual though. I did used to have a mk7 GTD manual. The fuel economy was excellent and if you can stick to 70mph the economy would be about 60mpg. If you had the AC on and used the cruise control you could knock 10% off. I once got 70mpg out of it on a 100 mile journey on the M6/M1. Had to really try though.
Great video. Had a Mk7.5 GTD 3 door in White as a company sled. Great car with bags of torque. Enjoy Andrew.
Get the dpf “fixed” before you start get issues in 40k miles
I adore my golf 7.5 r estate. But as it has a pan roof i suppose its a right off in youre opinion. 😂 anyway that model is a highpoint and deserves some recognition.
I love a pan roof but when there's a fault that VW dealers aren't very good at fixing, suddenly the hassle outweighs the positives. Maybe a specialist will sort this out correctly and for a lot less cash. Not surprised you adore your R Estate, it's a great car.
@@volkswizard thankyou mate, I'm only joking, I know you loved you're white one. I've not had any issues with my turmeric, leather,DCC one. It's currently under the extended warranty to be safe. I enjoy every episode you do, and hope you keep it up. Many thanks.x
Ps my Pretorias could do with a refurb and I've had another one non DCC on Cadiz and had more feel.Considering our crappy road surfaces what's you're opinion? That Southport coastline is a hidden gem, glad you enjoyed it.❤
I recently bought a 7R because it didn't have one 😂
My previous mk 7 1.8 had a sunroof leak, was going to cost almost $3.5k to fix. My dealer had a nice GTI (non-sunroof) that sold as I got there, so I *settled* for the R. It's a wonderful car.
Admittedly I do live in fear of a crack or leak on the pan roof. I know every car has its faults but VW should recall and resolve this issue. Not a problem if you live in California but during our Lancashire monsoon season it is. Got to love a wagon/ variant though. Hope you enjoy you're new buys guys.
ID3 (too tight to have the air con on) 😂😂😂😂
Surely things blocking the view out of the windscreen isn't the best idea and against the law😕
If it felt unsafe I wouldn’t do it but I think you’ve answered the mystery why a lot of reviewers have the camera on the side windows. This might be within the law but it involves taking eyes off the road more than my position does so questionable if it is actually safer even if it’s within the law. Good point though, I’ll consciously check if it obstructs & act accordingly
Do a real world by tanking up and then tanking up again. Dashboard mpg is nonsense
I'm sorry, but I don't get it. Where's the jeopardy in driving a 3 yr old Golf?
I can't believe having the headlamps off would impact the economy by any noticeable amount, please let me know if I'm wrong!
It's a saving that probably couldn't be measured in money. Although having them helps others see you especially this time of year.
@@mgcarmkm4520 Generally DRLs are brighter than dipped beam for other road users as they are designed to be visible in day light so no issues with visibility at the front
Minicab drivers in Birmingham do it all the time!
16:50 Speedos generally over read by 10% so you can take 10% off that displayed mpg figure. So displayed 58 minus 6 makes 52 about right. Not great for a 7 speed diesel.
The computer knows the actual speed so your trip meter, mileage and fuel economy is correct. Otherwise you’ll be driving around in a car with less miles on the clock.
When my gf bought her a5 that had landsails on, the side wall basically disintegrated. I dont get why people put budget tyres on a premium car
Or have a car worth 50’000 plus without any tread, makes you wonder about MOTs
Back in January I moved to the dark side! Bought a BMW 😅 But I genuinely love your channel and still like VAG cars. Great content as always 👍🏼
Thanks lanehogger that means a lot! I totally understand the appeal of BMW and apparently their PCP APR is a lot less than Audis so a lot of people are jumping ship it seems. Glad you still like the cars and most importantly the channel👍🏻👍🏻
Really enjoyed the video, up north isn't all that bad Andrew.
honestly was disappointed with my mk7 GTD with its mpg. I found it very poor but I didn't do many miles so I think the DPF might have been clogged. Bear that it in mind if you think about buying one of these because I get not far off same MPG in my 7.5 R now!! GTD was about low 50s high 40s and the R I have gotten mid 40s
Really. Is that on a fairly long run? Even on a lengthy trip I can only really get mid to highish 30s. Not sure how I'd even hit 40 😂. I'm still getting used to my R since trading in my mk6 GTD.
@@jonathanphang probably about 80 miles there and back to the nearest big town as I live rurally. Ive hit 40+ mpg many times in the R, the gtd is more suited to motorway miles id say
The best Mpg i got from my Up Gti was 59 .... This week i got 48Mpg from my Polo Gti which i was very happy with
M69 M1 A50 cross country to the M6....to get to Southport? Would think M6 direct all day long or was it gridlocked?
I live just enough to the east to make either route viable and the less time on the M6 the better :)
We’re heading to Southport,where’s the wife in the boot ?
Regarding coolant loss, keep an eye on mist out of the exhaust, could be an EGR cooler, had that problem on octavia 2.0 tdi 150
Yes indeed, I'd been warned about that. Was a big issue on the previous gen cars too. So far so good anyway.
Andrew brilliant video and honestly a video where you look really happy 🎉. Keep it up 👍
Good to see you up my neck of the woods. I hope you enjoyed the Forever M6 roadworks that are going on and on..! Love the new wheels, BBS and VW are a match made in heaven.
Thanks Daz! M6 north of Stoke was lovely but roadworks soon arrived. It’s still much better than it has been though
With regard to the Lansail tyres….. if I’m correct they are Continental tyres. They bought them out, stripped out the factory and use the same equipment to produce as they do for the Continental brand.. I’ve had them in the past and they were excellent 👍
That’s good to know. There are quite a few like that where big brand is behind the budgets
Southport for us is about 40 miles Andrew .Good stuff 👏
Is it a good place to visit? From what I could see it doesn't actually have a sea side does it?
@volkswizard it has a Fair near Morrisons. Then Lord st for shopping. Formby is lovely too and Ainsdale. And you are not that far from Liverpool.
Well done Andrew sounds like a great buy in both regards the car has proven to be reliable and wheels look great looking forward to seeing it recieve the Volkswizard magic!
My MK4 golf gt TDI pd130 has always averages high 60s mpg on motorway. even round town averages low 50s mpg. Done 116k miles and would never sell it. Love it 🎆🎆🎆🎆
No problems with leaking seals? Love my 1.8t but soon fall out of love with it again once the wet weather comes in
Have you reviewed the VW Arteon? That car seems to go under the radar, great video 😁
I went to the launch in 2017 of the Arteon so have a soft spot for it. I've done a couple of videos on them, in late 2020 I did facelift vs original Arteon and I've done a short video the R Shooting Brake which I'll be reviewing fully very soon
Love the wheels they suit it. Best I’ve had in mine was 64.9mpg on a run from Birmingham to Sheffield in sports mode. Always found eco a bit slower to respond. Definitely recommend a remap as the torque is something else.
The 17” wheels do make a big difference to the economy - I’ve got 17s on my Superb Combi 190 TDi and regularly get 60mpg on local trips and up to 75mpg on longer journeys. (In eco most of the time and with aircon off, of course :)
Another addictive video Andrew - sounds a great buy!
Thanks Jim, very kind of you. Yes so far so good but early days yet!
Of course Andrew - you never know!😂
We wear flap caps oop norf, not bucket hats 😂😂😂😢
🤣🤣🤣
When you have full hybrids that have better fuel economy, instant torque from the electric motor, far more reliable and less to go wrong, and last but not least, runs off cheaper fuel, I just dont see the point in diesels anymore.
The main difference is a Full hybrid won’t do those mpg’s on a motorway for much more than 2 hours until the Hy battery is flat and the car starts charging it from the engine which kills the mpg.
Another great video Andrew, if you ever venture to Cork in Ireland you are more than welcome to do some sort of follow up video in my Clubsport. 😀😀
can you not help me old mate ?
What did you use to clean the steering wheel?
Bearing in mind I filmed this before the reveal video was published after which a lot of very kind people offered a lot of steering wheel cleaning advice via the comments. I used some glass cleaner and a microfibre, you can see the cloth turning yellow as the dirt comes off, this one was definitely not as bad as most though!
You have picked a very good car
It’s a very good looking car and with them wheels it will look great
Look forward to seeing them.
Great episode Vdub Bbs
Gerry Ellis Dublin, I did a bit of gliding. It is great to see a glider trailer
Landsail tyres??.. Red flag
Best of the worst to be fair
Whats your opinion on removing the silica bag from the coolant tank?
Probably a good idea, did it on my Leon Cupra. Changing the coolant every few years is better than that causing havoc in the cooling system
@volkswizard are you going to do it with your gtd?
@@volkswizardI thought that G12 Evo coolant was the successor to G13 and contained the additional silicates/additives. So might be worth getting that in on your next flush which might mean you don't need to flush so often.
Don't lower it with suspension mods - one of the absolute features of the GTD is its discrete elegance - a lowered one would be evidence of hick behind the wheel 🙂. Lowering it will not give you driving improvement that makes a difference on M4 (possibly just worse).
127,000 miles should be just enough mileage for the engine to be run-in 👍
Let's hope so!
@@volkswizard OOH you bitches 😲😲😲😲
On my second 7.5 GTD DSG - a Blueline with 17” wheels. Rides better than the 18”s and regularly gets 65-73mpg. Brilliant cars.
Nice! Weirdly for 2018 and 2019 model year the GTD and GTD Blueline are quoted as having same mpg and Co2 emissions.
@@volkswizard The GTD was re-tested under WLTP rules in Q3 2018. They probably didn’t have capacity on the test jigs to do both models. In my experience the Blueline is ~10% more efficient.
Brilliant video and a grest car - itbis do easy to overlook these high milers and the new wheels look fab 🎉
Thanks so much Martin👍
we have 2017 tiguan r line 190 tdi we are doing around 47.6 mpg on a long run if driven up to 70 m per hour, if you go up to 65 miles per hour can get even better mpg
Hello just recently sold my mk7 golf gtd 14 plate had 75.000 miles had it 5 years thought time for a change, bought a 19 plate audi a1 1.5 tsfi manual drove terrible so after 2 months sold it and got a 7.5 gtd 18 with 40k love it 👍
Welcome back to the GTD club Paul! The 7.5 is generally a much nicer package, enjoy it. The 1.5 had a few issues when launched and they seem quite strangulated by emissions restrictions so I can understand the change.
@volkswizard hello thanks yes this will be our 8th golf but still like a good audi I've got a fl 8v s3 2 door and maybe was comparing to that as well 😀
I have also have a gtd 7.5 dsg estate and I love it. I have a 420bhp Ttrs and find myself getting in the golf more because of how comfortable and easy it is to drive.
Thinking of buying on of these golfs on the back of your findings, really enjoy your channel and content
Thanks 👍TBH I'm enjoying the GTD Estate more than expected
I've got a 2018 petrol 1.5 TSI bluemotion estate and get 60mpg on the motorway. Only flaw with it is the cambelt should be changed after 5 years or 60,000 miles (iirc) and that costs a grand with that engine!
My wife has an 14 plate A3 2.0 tdi 184 on 168k, drives like new. Had a coolant problem not so long ago, I did cambelt and water pump on it and the heater matrix and it’s fine now
Wow more than twice as good in fuel than my 911 Carrera 4S 😂. I keep thinking about getting a more utilitarian vehicle like yours in the fleet
The 911 is awesome but having something less awesome when you are feeling less awesome is definitely great. Also means every time you get into the good car it's like the first time all over again as you forget quickly the feel once you've driven other cars. Can't wait to get in GT4 now with its smell and pedal weights and manual shift and that view of the rising wings etc.
Bet that’s a great car. Isn’t old enough be worn out. How cheap was she the wagon GTD thanks.
Thanks! Guide price was £9750 less any refurb costs so
I’ll let you work that out 😁
Big mileage for young car! Also nice porsche
In your racing days Damon, you'd have been happy to get 8.9 MPG 👍👍👍🤣🤣
it was 8.9 gallons per miles me old mucker
@@volkswizard in the pre security days I often used to go to sliverstone on testing days, big camcorder on me shoulder and in those days you had access to ALL areas gratis, anyway, the REAL Damon was testing and I sort of sidled into the garage as they were starting his Williams, it started, I NEARLY WENT DEAF , AND THE fumes, I Never made THAT mistake again 🤭🤭