Golf Hatch vs Golf/Jetta Sportwagen TDI

So I am thinking of trading the B6 wagon on a TDI. Jetta is out of the question. Hate it. So it boils down to a Golf hatch or Golf wagon (Jetta Sportwagon for you Usonians).

Which would you chose? Golf hatch is on newer MkVI platform; wagon is on older MkV (which is not that much of a downgrade from MkVI) but is more practical (room).

Criteria: I need to get a road bike in back (with rear seats folded), OK to remove front wheel (56 cm frame).

Not that it matters, but if it happens it will be a 6-speed manual.

Heresy Mike! You have always extolled the virtues of your gasser B6. What has changed?

vw4life said:

Heresy Mike! You have always extolled the virtues of your gasser B6. What has changed?

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I had previously been working from home 4/5 days a week. Now I have a daily 98 km each way commute

The B6 is up to nearly 150k km, and I still owe 3 years on it... did the math and either way it's going to cost me a bundle, either by having a car with 300k on it at end of payments or by getting rid of it now. My preference would be to roll it over to my wife and sell her B5.5 TDI (214k km), but she won't bite! She only drives 20k km a year.

The job change was not a choice alas. Another «restructuring» victim. I'm currently spending $120 a week on gas. I figure I'd save $7500 on fuel over the next 5 years, and quite a bundle on repairs as well as the TDI would have about 3 yrs of warranty on major stuff (I figure an extra timing belt, set of tires, brakes, plus a reserve for surprises). It would pretty much match the $10k hit I'd take by trading now.

sounds logical.

I always had a hard time fitting a bike in the back of my mk4 golf. Both wheels had to come off.

How often do you need to transport your bike? Why not get a bike rack, rather than trying to shove a bike into the back of the car? Removing the passenger seat seems like an odd way to accommodate it.

I would say test drive both and see which you like better. Obviously the regular Golf will have less room, but will be a bit sportier than a wagon.

MayorDJQ said:

How often do you need to transport your bike? Why not get a bike rack, rather than trying to shove a bike into the back of the car? Removing the passenger seat seems like an odd way to accommodate it.

I would say test drive both and see which you like better. Obviously the regular Golf will have less room, but will be a bit sportier than a wagon.

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In summer, a couple of times a week. A rack increases fuel consumption. I wouldn't remove the passenger seat, just fold the rear seats. Presently in my Passat wagon, I can get the whole bike in with the rear seats folded, without removing any wheels. I realize that may no longer be possible but the front wheel is easy to pop off and back on.

Duh. I misread the first post. I thought you said you planned to remove the seat. :facepalm:

With the front wheel removed, you might be able to fit a bike in a regular Golf. I've never tried it with mine.

vw4life said:

sounds logical.

I always had a hard time fitting a bike in the back of my mk4 golf. Both wheels had to come off.

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I have both a mkiv golf (gasser) and a mkvi golf (2010) TDI. There is a lot more space in the trunk of the mkiv so if you had trouble with the iv, the OP is going to have a lot more with the vi.

Note that this is the trunk only and I've not even had the seats down in the vi yet. I say take the bike to the dealer and try them out. I think you're going to find the golf a challenge with your bike.

I used to put my Specialized SJ size large in the back of my MkIV golf. Front wheel and seat off it would stand upright with half the back seat down. No problem.
I ride a 61cm road bike so I think a large SJ is bigger than your 56cm bike.

I prefer the Golf mainly for aesthetic reasons. I find the rounded rear end of the Sport Wagon a little feminine.

I say if you really want a MkVI version Golf, get the more performance oriented GTI or the 2.5L version. Otherwise, buying a TDI with efficiency in mind and trying to maximize the potential of this generation's chassis capacity, one really should take a hard look at the wagon version. It's like buying a 4 core vs 6 core AMD CPU OR in an Intel example, the same 4 core CPU one w/o hyperthreading and one with hyperthreading, that extra capacity on the same die doesn't really cost that much but the extra capacity really comes in handy in real life application. Why would you restrict your motherboard's capacity by installing a 4 core Phonem II when the board can easily take on a 6 core version.

Back to car, so that extra trunk space on the wagon doesn't really hurt anything when you don't need it, but as soon as you find yourself needing more space than what the Golf hatch can provide, you'd wonder why didn't you get the wagon in the first place.

fastalan said:

I say if you really want a MkVI version Golf, get the more performance oriented GTI or the 2.5L version. Otherwise, buying a TDI with efficiency in mind and trying to maximize the potential of this generation's chassis capacity, one really should take a hard look at the wagon version. It's like buying a 4 core vs 6 core AMD CPU OR in an Intel example, the same 4 core CPU one w/o hyperthreading and one with hyperthreading, that extra capacity on the same die doesn't really cost that much but the extra capacity really comes in handy in real life application. Why would you restrict your motherboard's capacity by installing a 4 core Phonem II when the board can easily take on a 6 core version.

Back to car, so that extra trunk space on the wagon doesn't really hurt anything when you don't need it, but as soon as you find yourself needing more space than what the Golf hatch can provide, you'd wonder why didn't you get the wagon in the first place.

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The GTI is out; I would have no efficiency advantage over my current 2.0T Passat wagon... although I'd love a GTI. The 2.5 is marginally better, slightly more efficient than the 2.0T according to 2011 numbers from Transport Canada, and it does burn RUG ($1.30/l) instead of premium ($1.38/L) or diesel ($1.33/L). The primary purpose is a practical commuter car, that's also easy to manoever and park on the rare times I take it into the city.

Also there's a small chance that Mrs. PC would buy my Passat wagon as her B5.5 is getting long in the tooth (214k km, lots of rust, etc). If she buys the wagon it's a no-brainer, the hatch. If she doesn't I should probably lean to the wagon.

PlaneCrazy, regarding fitting a bicycle on the wagon, I can fit my bicycle in the back of the wagon w/o removing the wheel but if I have to do it all the time, I'd install a bike mount. Also you could wait for the new Passat wagon, that car would be significantly larger and roomier than the Golf Wagon.

fastalan said:

PlaneCrazy, regarding fitting a bicycle on the wagon, I can fit my bicycle in the back of the wagon w/o removing the wheel but if I have to do it all the time, I'd install a bike mount. Also you could wait for the new Passat wagon, that car would be significantly larger and roomier than the Golf Wagon.

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Last I heard was that there was no wagon version of the N. American Passat being planned. Assuming one does appear, the odds of it having the combination of 1) being a Passat, 2) having a TDI and 3) having a manual transmission, seems like a crapshoot at best. However if that combo DID magically appear, and it has a 70 L fuel tank like my B6 (which can routinely beat 900 km per tank on GASOLINE), it should have enough range to get me through my entire week of commuting plus a healthy dose of weekend driving as well.

For now though the wish list is a Golf, although Mrs PC is not keen on the idea so I may still end up having to run the B6 into the ground, hoping the car outlasts the payments without anything major going south (like turbo, engine, etc.)

Well I finally test drove a wagon yesterday; I test drove the hatch a couple of weeks ago. Since I will have to drive the thing 200 km a day, the drive is important to me. Also I do go into the city from time to time so ease of parking, manoeuvering, etc, is important to me. All told I prefered the drive of the Mk VI hatch. I found it somewhat more agile, and I don't know if it's my imagination, but it also seemed quieter. I could easily hear the turbo spooling in the wagon but didn't notice this in the hatch. I also, oddly enough, am not crazy about the panorama sunroof of the wagon, and I do like sunroof. I only use A/C when strictly necessary (100 km/h on autoroute) otherwise I prefer a sunroof, but that panorama roof looks like trouble waiting for a date.

Mrs PC hasn't said NO yet, but nor has she said YES. I have my eyes on a neat white highline, 6-sp manual, with navi, on the lot. If I can sway Mrs. PC I may be driving it by next week this time. Meanwhile Mrs PC's B5.5 TDI is being re-shod with Michelins today

Update; later this week I should be driving a new Golf TDI highline with navigation, 6-sp manual. Unfortunately we Canucks get a castrated version of the highline compared to the US (no bi-xenons, 16 in. wheels). But it is what it is, my new commute (100 km each way each day), and the high km on my B6 wagon seal the deal for me. Soo, in addition to the B5.5 forum I'll be hanging out on the A6 Golf forum as well.

Went for the hatch instead of the wagon. We'll soon be empty-nesters, and the wagon with the features I wanted was just out of my budget. Also I am a fan of premium hatches: SUVs for a post-peak oil world!

FWIW, most of the time I carry my bike on a rack mounted on the hatch. Sometimes I carry it in the car with the rear seat down.

Same rack works on the wagon. Tight fit in the Golf with the wheels on the bike - relatively easy with the front wheel removed. Same but easier to do in the (B5.5) wagon. I don't think I lose much mileage with the bike on the hatch mounted rack.

I was never interested in a roof mount - except to carry my Canoe.

I have both. My 2010 Ssportwagen is fancier and more upscale looking/feeling but heavy and sluggish. The Golf is lighter and porty looking/feeling. I gave the 2013 golf to my kid when I sold her way too fast and thirsty 03 GTI that was have $$$ ABS issues. My 2003 Jetta TDI sedan is by far the quickest of the TDI I have however. I drive this one and let the wife have the wagen. the Wagen is so gutless it pisses me off to drive but its great on corners and road trips

You do realize this thread is almost 3 years old...?

No...?

I did... its still a valid and common question worth my time

FWIW, we have both now, still have the 2011 Golf Hatch that was the result of this thread, and in Dec. 2012 my wife bought a 2013 Golf wagon, Comfortline + connectivity package, 6-speed manual.

I still prefer the way the hatchback drives but I have to say her Mexican-built Golf wagon has been WAYYY more reliable than my Germain-built hatchback, at least in her first 23000 km. My hatch now has over 105k km.

That said, with rear seat folded, I can get my road bike into it without taking any wheels off. Tight, but works.

His:



Hers:



Mine with road bike in the back:

Realizing that................

.........beauty is in the eyes of the beholder............

....the wagon's lines, curves and proportions seem much more pleasing than those of the Golf 4-door.

My bike has not yet been in the rear seat down cavernous cargo area (but it's
good to know that it fits!) Thanks.

ez