The 2000 Golf or 2000 Honda Accord

morty

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 11, 1999
Location
Sunny Arizona
TDI
00 Golf Silver
Hi all
I've read almost the entire forum..whew..good stuff, and now I have some questions.

The new 2000 Accords have the 100K no tune-up (read platinum spark plugs) and I love the car.

I've always loved the Passat, but the new ones never came with the TDI (WEEP). I've always liked the Accord. Here in Phoenix you can sell a 3 year old Accord for a little less than what you paid for it. Reliability is bullet proof...etc etc. You guys hate this stuff right?

Anyways, I think I've found the perfect solution: 2000 Accord for my wife and a 2000 Golf GLS (silver or candy white) for me.

It seems like you have to do a lot of little maintenance to the TDIs. (a small payoff for the power and long life I guess)

I called my dealer who informed me that the 40K t-belt is $200-250 depending on if the tentioner needs replacing. That I can live with. Maybe we can have a t-belt clinic for TDI owners here in Phoenix. We could be changing 10 of them.

Will I always have to add additives to the diesel?

Has anybody written a complete maintenace guide to 400K+ miles of happy TDI'ing?

On the Accord we can get life time oilchanges for $240. Quaker State Ultra Premium. Would this work for the TDI? (If I should post this in the specific forum - let me know.

I'm thinking about holding out for the 115 HP pumpe duse, with no $2K injection pump and more power, not to mention longer t-belt life. It would kill me if they came out next year and I had just bought one. I currently drive a little 91' Civic DX HB with only 70K miles. I drive approx. 400 miles/week.

Thanks for all the great stuff.

Great site Fred!

Morty

[This message has been edited by morty (edited September 13, 1999).]
 

Norman

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 11, 1999
Location
In a flood zone
TDI
'00 Golf GLS, '03 Wagon GL
...Mickey, SkyPup,...which of you would like to address Morty's comment about the 115hp pumpe duse TDI engine, as it relates to snowballs in a certain geographical locale?...


The only comment I would have is that it has got to be more comfortable driving 400 miles a week in a MkIV TDI than an eight year old Civic DX hb. I once had a job where I put in over 60K miles/yr. in a MkI GTI (w/o A/C, too!). I actually didn't mind the driving because the car was pretty damn entertaining. Now this may be a gross generalization, but I wouldn't quite put the Civic in the "damn entertaining" category just yet.

It's your call.

[This message has been edited by Norman (edited September 13, 1999).]
 
M

mickey

Guest
Everything you said about the Accord is true. If you plan to drive your new car until it wears out, resale value doesn't matter.

The Pumpe Duse won't be available here in the foreseeable future. It requires ultra low-sulphur fuel, which is only available in Europe. It might happen here if/when the Feds decide to require it, but at this point it's all just talk. You can install a Wetterauer chip in a 90hp TDI and get 115 hp and 190 lb*ft of torque. Total cost, including shipping, would be around $600.

Lot's of little maintainance? Not really. Timing belt changes happen compartively often, and you need to replace the fuel filter every 20,000 miles. Other than that, it's just oil changes (10,000 miles) and other routine maintainance.

You don't have to use any fuel additives. It is a good idea to make regular use of a fuel system lubricant. Keep a bottle in the garage, and add the stuff either before or after you fill up. It's not a big deal if you forget. Just wait till the next fill up and remember to add it then.

Quaker State Ultra Premium? Fine, if it has a CG-4 or CH-4 rating. Check the API symbol on the bottle.

There are rumours that the V6 TDI will be available in the Passat in a year or two. You can get fantastic short term lease deals on Accords. If you really want a TDI Passat you might want to consider that as a "temporary" solution.

-mickey
 

Craig

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 8, 1999
Location
Kitchener, Ont., Canada
Tuf choice! If I was to have two cars it would be an Accord and a Gulf/Jetta TDI. I just traded a perfectly good V-TEC Accord EX-R with auto for my Jetta. My wife still has her Accord. I found the Accord just a bit too big for my liking. The Jetta is just perfect. It is also much more fun to drive than the Accord. The brakes and A/C are noticeable better on the Jetta, but the Accord cornered far flatter, has better suspension control (shocks) and the top-end power was incredible. The seats were also more comfortable for me in the Accord. Also I miss my power sunroof.

The fun factor in the TDI is in the mid-range, turbo blasting up hills. To do this in the Accord means revs and lots of noise. That would shoot the mileage to the ground. The difference with gently driving the Accord, and having fun in the TDI, is that the TDI has cut my fuel costs in half (diesel is cheap here)!

I am looking forward to a Wett chip. That should increase the fun to F-U-N!!

I drove a 1.8T Passat for a day while a dealer got my Accord appraised. The Passat is a big car like the Accord, so I was not impressed. On the other hand the dealer was raving over the V-TEC: "Does that ever go! I thought it was a V-6!" And he drives 1.8Ts. He asked me what I thought of the 1.8T Passat. I said it was nice, but for the size and price "I'd rather have a new Accord. It is a better car!" You can keep the premium gas--the Accord ran on regular just fine.


------------------
“Snow White II”
2000 Jetta TDI-white/gray
16” alloys
205/55 HR16” tires
tint, etc.
 

morty

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 11, 1999
Location
Sunny Arizona
TDI
00 Golf Silver
Mickey,
V6 TDI Passat in a year or two. Sounds good to me. That uses the common rail injection like the MB, and shouldn't have any problems with the high sulfor diesel, right?

Well, it looks like I'm back on track with the Golf.

Probably still going with the Accord for the first choiche for the wife. She'll get hers first, because she bought a 97 Cavalier, THREE WEEKS before I met her. Well, that thing is depreciating faster than a rock sinking to the bottom. I'm not even going to comment on the way it drives. My Civic still feels brand new - it had been super maintained by previous owner. oh...BTW, I get 36MPG consistently.

I've enjoyed reading all your entries, you seem to know a LOT. Thanks for sharing the wealth.
 

morty

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 11, 1999
Location
Sunny Arizona
TDI
00 Golf Silver
Craig:

How much power does your Accord have?

They are both great cars and it can be so difficult to decide. I must be one of those rare species that can fully love 2.


I had a pretty rare 1990 Mazda 626 GT with turbo, and I didn't like it at all. I just don't care for Turbocharged gas engines. They are so tempermental. BTW, I did 220K miles before I sold it, and as far as I know, it is still running, but with lots of little problems.

Morty
 

Craig

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 8, 1999
Location
Kitchener, Ont., Canada
It had 145 HP. I believe that they are 150 now. Actually if I could have two cars and gas is no problem it might be the V6 VTEC Accord. That has 200 HP. But the Acura 3.2TL has 220 I think. Does that ever move!

But then I had to fill up the Accord at 4 days max. (usually 3), same with my old 1.6 Jetta TD (small tank). It is beautiful to drive for a week or 6 days before filling the TDI.
 

jtm

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 1999
I find it a bit odd that you're deciding between a Golf and the Accord. If you like the Golf (TDI or not), then the logical cars to compare with are the Passat 1.8T or Jetta TDI. They all ride and handle better than the Accord, not to mention safer. As for reliability, the new Passat has been available in the US for longer than the new Golf and Jetta, i.e. more bugs worked out, and Consumer Reports rated it reliable.

Is it a matter of cost? Right now, availability of the base Passat is much better than the TDIs, so you should be able to get much closer to the invoice price. I got my new Passat 1.8T for $19,300 + TTL, and it's worth every penny and more.

jtm

[This message has been edited by jtm (edited September 15, 1999).]
 
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