S vs. SE vs. SEL

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
Forgive me if this is already a thread somewhere.

I’ve been trying to figure out the differences between the models.

I know the basics:

S
No Pano roof
Silver center console
“Cheapest” looking seats
Wheels are different

SE
Pano roof?
Silver center console
“Cheaper” looking sport seats
Wheels are different

SEL
Pano Roof
Black center console
Sport Seats
18” Alloy wheels
Lighting package somewhat common as an option (mine has it)

Is the dash on all TDI Golf/GSW models the same? My fiancé has a 2015 Jetta SE 1.8t with the hard plastic dash. My SEL has a soft touch dash which I really like. The TDI is a higher priced MSRP so that’s why I was wondering if the “better” interior was standard.

All models I’ve seen have a leather steering wheel, leatherette, backup cam, and Bluetooth connectivity.
 

cascade7997

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Location
Pickens, SC
TDI
2005 Golf TDI sold, 2015 Golf SE TDI 6MT
** comments below



Forgive me if this is already a thread somewhere.

I’ve been trying to figure out the differences between the models.

I know the basics:

S
No Pano roof
Silver center console
“Cheapest” looking seats
Wheels are different

SE
Pano roof?
Silver center console
“Cheaper” looking sport seats
Wheels are different
** Pano roof standard
** Lighting package options


SEL
Pano Roof
Black center console
Sport Seats
18” Alloy wheels
Lighting package somewhat common as an option (mine has it)
** Navigation system standard


Is the dash on all TDI Golf/GSW models the same? My fiancé has a 2015 Jetta SE 1.8t with the hard plastic dash. My SEL has a soft touch dash which I really like. The TDI is a higher priced MSRP so that’s why I was wondering if the “better” interior was standard.

All models I’ve seen have a leather steering wheel, leatherette, backup cam, and Bluetooth connectivity.
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
You will come to hate the sunroof when it starts leaking/having troubles as well as the soft touch when the "soft" part starts peeling away and looking nasty. All that stuff is nice when new but is just something else to break or need replacing at great expense. The VW radio/nav units aren't worth having in my opinion. BT and my phone work much better.

I bought the base level trim Beetle this time rather than the SEL Passat I had before. I like it (Beetle) better.
 

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
You will come to hate the sunroof when it starts leaking/having troubles as well as the soft touch when the "soft" part starts peeling away and looking nasty. All that stuff is nice when new but is just something else to break or need replacing at great expense. The VW radio/nav units aren't worth having in my opinion. BT and my phone work much better.

I bought the base level trim Beetle this time rather than the SEL Passat I had before. I like it (Beetle) better.


I know the peeling was an issue on the earlier cars. The dash is more of a sponge like material than soft touch. I have heard about the issues with the sunroof as well. I really like them and am aware it could become a major issue down the road. The S model GSW is much more abundant than the SE and SEL that’s why I’m wondering differences.

Nav isn’t a huge issue to lose, but is nice to have. It’s not great at being current though I’ve found. The black center console is a huge plus in my opinion. Looks much better. I could always wrap the silver though. The climatronic is nice IMO too.
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
Climatronic was okay in my 2013 Passat. But setting the air controls in my Beetle is no big deal and they generally stay there except when seasons change. Huge issue when the climatronic needs repairs though. I am happy with simpler is better and usually cheaper.
 

The Tortoise

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Location
Ottawa
TDI
2015 GSW Trendline - White
The black center console is a huge plus in my opinion. Looks much better. I could always wrap the silver though.
That's like, your opinion man.

I much prefer the silver to the black. It's brighter and not glossy so fingerprints don't show up. And I like the pattern on the silver.
 

15TDICommuter

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2019
Location
South Florida
TDI
2015 GSW
S = Less stuff to break/fail. Also the cheapest, which for a commuter car makes sense for me.

Lot of the SE & SEL parts are often obtainable on the used market or have a aftermarket option. Lighting package is one and its not unheard of to find the 18" SEL wheels on facebook market place/craigslist.
 

bigb

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Location
Arizona
TDI
2015 Sportwagon S
I'm not sure what a soft touch dash is or if I have one, I don't see it on the brochure that was linked.
 

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
That's like, your opinion man.



I much prefer the silver to the black. It's brighter and not glossy so fingerprints don't show up. And I like the pattern on the silver.


See I like the darkness of it. The silver looks too “old man” IMO. lol. Fingerprints are annoying though. I do agree there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
S = Less stuff to break/fail. Also the cheapest, which for a commuter car makes sense for me.

Lot of the SE & SEL parts are often obtainable on the used market or have a aftermarket option. Lighting package is one and its not unheard of to find the 18" SEL wheels on facebook market place/craigslist.


Wheels aren’t a big concern of mine. I plan on getting some decent aftermarket ones either way. The lighting package and heated seats are almost musts to me. Living in WI I’m sick of shivering because the cabin doesn’t stay warm unless I’m on the highway. Haha. Lighting package is just really nice, and now that I have it, it’d be hard to get rid of.
 

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
I'm not sure what a soft touch dash is or if I have one, I don't see it on the brochure that was linked.


Push on the material. My fiancé’s car sounds/feels like hard plastic. Mine is coated in a thin layer of foam/sponge like material.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
mk6 jettas had a split and the el cheapo saved tons of coin, pathetic cluster and hard dash are the two big things they cheaped out on.

There was no such split on the golf mqb platform this side of the pond.
 

bigb

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Location
Arizona
TDI
2015 Sportwagon S
So I pushed on the dash and yes it has a very thin layer of padding. My Infiniti FX-35 also has this and it started to bubble just before the warranty expired. Infinity replaced it free.
 

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
Most of the SEL’s available for sale don’t have the lighting package or parking sensor package. They’re hard to come by with both. I looked for months and settled for one without the lights and purchased the Osram lights.
 

nathanso

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Location
Redwood City, CA
TDI
2015 GSW TDI S 6M (sold)
Read some of the leaking pano roof threads from SE and SEL owners and you'll be shopping for an S like I was. The S's 16" wheels are said to offer a better ride and be less susceptible to bending from potholes. Tires are also more affordable. No regrets on my S purchase thus far though I do wonder about retrofiitting SEL front seats one of these days.
 

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
Read some of the leaking pano roof threads from SE and SEL owners and you'll be shopping for an S like I was. The S's 16" wheels are said to offer a better ride and be less susceptible to bending from potholes. Tires are also more affordable. No regrets on my S purchase thus far though I do wonder about retrofiitting SEL front seats one of these days.


Yeah I know it’s a problem. One I’m willing to live with at this point. Wheels/tires I’m not concerned with either. Whatever the factory wheels are would become my winter set.

I really do enjoy the SEL seats. Wish the GSW SEL 6MT wasn’t such a unicorn.
 

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
Most of the SEL’s available for sale don’t have the lighting package or parking sensor package. They’re hard to come by with both. I looked for months and settled for one without the lights and purchased the Osram lights.


Most of the SEL trims around here have the lighting package thankfully.

Osram lights? I’ll have to check into that.
 

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
What does everyone use to find their cars? I can only find one GSW SEL 6MT in the U.S. with any of the usual ways I search for cars.
 

bigb

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Location
Arizona
TDI
2015 Sportwagon S
What does everyone use to find their cars? I can only find one GSW SEL 6MT in the U.S. with any of the usual ways I search for cars.
Craigslist, Carfax, Car Gurus, Truecar. I found Car Gurus to be the best as far as customized searches with email notification. Also Search Tempest for Craigslist is good, just be wary of scams and there are plenty. It took a while for one to show up that I wanted, there doesn't seem to be a lot of these on the market everywhere. I was lucky I guess only had to drive 125 miles.
 

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
Craigslist, Carfax, Car Gurus, Truecar. I found Car Gurus to be the best as far as customized searches with email notification. Also Search Tempest for Craigslist.

I’ve been using Craigslist, cars.com, Facebook and autotrader. Forgot about Car Gurus and True Car. I’ll look into those - thanks.
 
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