Is a 2015 GSW S model really an upgrade from a JSW?

Diesl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2012
Location
Chicago
TDI
'78 Golf Diesel (long gone); 2012 Jetta Sportwagen TDI w/ DSG
Used buyback 2015 GSW are becoming available, and a few are priced more reasonable than the new old stock (dealer lot) 2015s. But I'm still having a hard time convincing myself that I really want a 2015 GSW. Besides the issue with the smaller tank and slightly shorter reach and the missing independent rear suspension, there is the lack of heated seats in the 'S' model, and more than one report saying the GSW seats are just in general less comfortable than the old JSW TDI seats. The GSW supposedly is lighter and sits lower than the JSW, with weight savings attributed to lighter steel, lighter seats, and a lighter A/C system. These are all not necessarily good things. (I got the JSW stuck once in snow, so I don't want less ground clearance. I'm happy with the seats and the heating and A/C system, and I don't want worse.) Do the S models have foot well lighting? Is there other interior stuff missing? Does the GSW have the 1kW electric heater?

What conclusion have other people here come to? I'm very happy with my 2012 JSW, but I could return it and buy a 2015 GSW S for about $3k less than I get for the buyback. Or I could keep the car, and get about $6k if I let VW 'fix' it. Decisions, decisions.... I'm just not convinced the 2015 is really an upgrade.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
How much less ground clearance does the gsw have? I bet it's not more than a few millimeters less. You could easily just get slightly taller snow tires if that's a big concern. If your jsw is in really nice condition and you're attached to it, I'd probably keep it and get the fix. The gsw does have a cooler name though. :)
 

Diesl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2012
Location
Chicago
TDI
'78 Golf Diesel (long gone); 2012 Jetta Sportwagen TDI w/ DSG
Hi turbo, the GSW supposedly is an inch less tall, and has half an inch more headroom, so unless they made the seats a lot thinner, it should ride at least an inch closer to the ground. Does anybody know the numbers? - OK, I looked it up: same ground clearance (5.4in/138mm), but 23mm less tall (1481mm vs 1504mm).That means you are sitting 1.5 inches closer to the floor. Mhm.
 
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turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
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Nov 18, 2014
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maine
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2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
The MQB chassis architecture is completely different from the mk6 chassis. So having a lower roofline with the same ground clearance doesn't necessarily mean the seating is closer to the floor.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I doubt weight or ground clearance is significantly different. And initially I felt the seats in my S felt flat, but after a few thousand miles they've broken in and I find them comfortable. However, I preferred the cloth seats in my '12 over the leatherette in the '15. I hate seat heat so that's no loss for me.

Otherwise, I think the car is a clear improvement over the A5/MKVI cars. I've owned two of those and never warmed up to them. I thought they lacked the road and wind noise isolation of the MKIV, and the body always felt more flexible to me than the older cars. The VII is much stiffer and quieter.

And the engine is a clear improvement. Lower chance of HPFP failure, air to water intercooler eliminates the possibility of intercooler icing, and, like it or not, the use of Adblue improves fuel economy. I'm already seeing mid-40s in mixed driving on a far from broken in car. I am disappointed by the smaller fuel tank, but I'm still seeing 500 miles on a fill so I'll get used to it.

The JSW has a lot of fans. I'm not one of them. But you should drive a '15 and see what you think.
 

Diesl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2012
Location
Chicago
TDI
'78 Golf Diesel (long gone); 2012 Jetta Sportwagen TDI w/ DSG
Hi IBW, thanks for the input. So you'd say soundproofing on the GSW is better? I did test drive a 'new' 2015 for about 10 minutes, but not on the highway. It felt substantially the same as my JSW, but the drive was too short for a serious comparison. I'd just hate to get rid of the 2012 and then later discover deficiencies or more things I don't like in the GSW. I already know about the fake metal dash and the bottom mounted oil filter - both probably not a huge deal, but definitely things that I like better in my car. Therefore this post inquiring about other stuff that might be missing, or changed for the worse.
I agree that on paper the 2015 has an improved engine.

Turbo, 'conservation of space' requires that that missing distance between roofline and ground is coming from somewhere. It's not from below the car, so it's either a thinner floor frame, or less height inside.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
That's right, it could be thinner frame rail cross section, thinner headliner/ roof cross section, or just a chassis design that doesn't have the low spot hanging down quite as much. And it's possible the seating is closer to the floor, just not necessarily required. The end result is a car with a lower roofline, more headroom, the same ground clearance, and a lower center of gravity.
 

ezshift5

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2003
Location
West Coast
TDI
2013 JSW TDI (Enroute BB).......2017 Jetta 1.4 turbo 5M ....................
....it is good to hear reduced HPFP words.

Is the 2015 GSW TDI (w/Adblue providing possible MPG potential) equipped with a different - or a modified - HPFP?

With my TDI just under 50k, I'm looking at a new 1.4 Jetta 5M plus $10k in the bank following buyback.

I shall really miss the torque, space, V-tex and - of course - my 54 1/2 LA - SAC all time best MPG.

Plus we've until late next year..................easily after the '18 VW arrive on scene.


This sailor - perhaps naively - has no complaints.




ez
 

peterdaniel

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Location
Campbell, CA
TDI
2003 Jetta GL 5 spd TDi, 2003 Jetta GLS Indigo blue 5spd wagon. 2003 Jetta GLS Candy white wagon 5 speed
Sorry, I am of opinion that the new GSW is cheap. And that engine you think is so great is a complicated mess with more failure points than the JSW. Its also a one year only engine. Good luck with any parts support or tech know how. ANd when it needs to be fixed, good luck in getting any parts relatively quickly
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
You're entitled to your opinion, but it's not really any more complex than the CJAA. And the systems it has (adblue, air to water intercooler) are in use in many cars around the world. The technology is pretty reliable. I'm relieved to have an EA288 in the '15 instead of the CJAA in my '12. Despite knowing better, it was difficult for me to stop worrying about intercooler icing and HPFP failure.

It's a one year engine, but only here. It's still in production for Euro markets and has been since 2014. I can say with some knowledge that parts availability will be no problem.
 

KrisA

Active member
Joined
Mar 4, 2016
Location
Regina, SK
TDI
2010 Golf SportWagen
My wife has a TSI Golf 7, I've a 2010 JSW TDI (Gen 6).

My take is that the 7 has MORE ground clearance, the 6 is a LOW car, I've smashed my hitch on the ground lots. The 7 is definitely quieter at speed. I've test driven a 7 TDI and the new engine is much nicer, revs way faster than the engine in my 6. The lower fuel pressure is a plus, but the addition of DEF is a minus.

Things that are better about the 6:
- I find is has a much sportier drive than the 7, could be the lower ride height I mentioned above. I'm comparing TDI to TSI so it's not the lack of IRS.
- I prefer the styling, the super raked windshield and raised hood line of the 7 are not as nice. I get why they did that, lower noise, better MPG and pedestrian crash regs, but it still looks a bit goofy IMO.
- I HATE the cloth seats in my wife's 7. Too hard, they kill my butt on longer drives. I've done 6000km road trips in my 6 and was good the entire time.
- 6 has a slightly larger cargo area. I measured the 7 at 40" by 40" and my 6 at 41" by 41". Not a big difference but I find when stuffing a bike in the back every little bit helps.
 

Diesl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2012
Location
Chicago
TDI
'78 Golf Diesel (long gone); 2012 Jetta Sportwagen TDI w/ DSG
The 2015 TDI GSW has exactly the same ground clearance as the 2009-2014 TDI JSW.

I'm worried that most of the improvements are improvements for the company (=cheaper to make), not improvements for the owner. And that whole S/SE/SEL thing is a huge step backwards. With the 2015, to get rid of the sunroof, you have to get the S model. I'm pretty sure there is a bunch of stuff missing or cheapened, beyond the missing heated seats, compared to my 2012. How else could they charge $5000 more for the SE and SEL?
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Don't try and apply logic to automotive pricing. Pricing has little to do with product cost. Many manufacturers sell base versions of cars at a smaller profit or loss.
 

Diesl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2012
Location
Chicago
TDI
'78 Golf Diesel (long gone); 2012 Jetta Sportwagen TDI w/ DSG
Update: I now drove a 2015 GSW TDI DSG with sunroof and 17" wheels for two days as a loaner (due to a P0401 on my 2012 1300 miles after the fix - new DPF and EGR filter under warranty). I'm happy that I kept my 2012.

The main difference between the 2015 and my 2012 seems to be that the 2015 runs at about 15% lower rpms at the same speed in 6th gear. I haven't seen that mentioned before, but this might help explain the better highway fuel mileage, and maybe also the more anemic feel of the engine despite the 10 more horsepowers. DSG programming also seems to be more eco-oriented on the 2015, even in S mode.

Overall the 2015 felt a bit more sluggish or anemic than my 2012. The engine seems quieter, but overall highway noise is worse, probably due to the sunroof.

Ride quality is worse, I assume mostly due to the low cross section tires on the 17" (vs 16" on my 2012) wheels. This despite comparing all seasons on the 2015 to winter tires on my 2012.

Oddly enough, despite the harsher and louder ride over bumps, the 2015 seems to lean more in fast highway curves, and/or seems to have a bit more lean-to-steering coupling. It's a bit more like my old Nissan Altima in that regard, than my 2012.

Diesel mileage was significantly better, 41 mpg reported vs 35 mpg reported on the 2012 under the same conditions, averaged over the two days of commuting.


Interior plastic does feel cheaper in small details here and there; e.g. the windshield wiper interval selector.
 
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