I am looking to buy a VW hatchback be it the Golf, or the GTi. But I cannot decide between the two. I hear some people say the golf with the tdi because gas prices are only going to go up and others say the gti because its a nicer car and the prices are about the same. Either one is a massive upgrade from my 2002 gmc which averages at 12.2 mpgs.
New or used?
I say gasoline. I think the long-term maintenance will be less on the gas engine, and I doubt diesel will cost less than gasoline anytime soon.
We had a cold snap around thanksgiving 1989 and I tell you Diesels were a royal pain in the butt,but things are a bit different now with proper maintenence and winterized fuel,just be aware that without the necessary precautions they can be a bit more challenging when the mercury falls(a person can always go take a trip to the cold places and find out what they do around there)-Kevin
I’d go with the gasoline engine, but it really depends if there is a fuel economy advantage with the diesel, and how much that advantage is. Diesel currently costs more per gallon than gas, and it’s likely to stay that way with the new diesel refining standards. Crunch the numbers and see which one costs less to operate per mile. Use edmunds.com true cost to own estimates to help with the comparison.
Fuel prices are going to go up and down. Generally when the gasoline goes up diesel is also going up. Different times of the year can make a difference. For example during plowing season or harvesting time, diesel will go up.
I have an old VW diesel that still runs well and I can recall two times during 2012 that diesel fuel was priced less than 87 octane in our area. Diesel and 87 octane used to regularly exchange places in regard to price but for several of the recent past years, diesel was more expensive without exceptions. Modern diesels in my view are not an economic alternative to a gasoline car of the same size. Gasoline cars are less maintenance intensive than a diesel. Between my wife and myself we presently own our third diesel car since our first in 1981. We will likely not buy another; not worth it if the goal is overall economical operation.
both golf are the same price the tdi does get about 10 mpg better then the gti but what is more inporant fuel ecomany or fun to drive. the base golf is less money the the gti or the tdi and does well on fuel for a five cylinder . deive them all first
Diesel prices tend to fluctuate more wildly then gas prices. When gas prices go up…Diesel goes WAY UP. Right now in my area Diesel is selling about the same price as the mid-grade gas. If you get acceptable performance and the price is close…then get the Diesel. I can’t attend to the reliability of either vehicle.
Thanks everyone, and the golf tdi mpg’s are 30 city and 40 highway the gti mpgs are 24 city and 33 highway.
Today I went to the vw dealership and looked at the Jetta GLI, a very nice car and now its seems the decision is between the gti and gli.
Make sure you drive the GTI and GLI back-to-back, the impression I get from reviews is that the GTI is a much sharper driving car. Here’s an example:
I know I enjoyed my GTI ('83) for 13 years, and given the choice would get a new one over the GLI.
If you want fuel mileage that approaches a diesel, get a Hyundai Elantra with direct injection or a Mazda 3 Sky-active with the new high mileage engine. Both have better performance than a VW diesel, and are less expensive to maintain.
Both are fun to drive as well.
The MPG numbers from the Golf TDI are what you can get from a Mazda 3 skyactiv, and it’s gas, not diesel.