Trading up?

Martin Winterkorn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 29, 2018
Location
Valley of the Sun
TDI
2015 Golf TDI SE w/ Lighting Package
Hello everyone,

I have come to the point to make a decision on the faint of my 2015 Golf TDI SE. I am at the point of deciding whether to trade my car in for a 2017 Chevy Volt Premier. Before I make a final determination I wanted to see if I could get some outside input on the reasons to trade it and reasons not to. My car currently has just under 74k miles on it and has only had a few minor issues.

Mainly the headache for me has been the dreaded sunroof leak. I have tried nearly everything to include wrapping it completely and have had no success is resolving the matter. I did the VW patches on the cracks, siliconed the seams in the frame, which neither worked. Which ultimately lead me to wrapping over the sunroof. This has been great for the past year with no issues, however in Arizona sun has done its work on the wrap and this month I began to get tears from drying our where the seams are for the sunroof. So inevitably I will need to get it wrapped again. This seems the be the reoccurring theme with this car and it bothers me the most since I can't resolve it.

Secondly I just spent I good chunk of change refreshing the suspension with new struts and shocks, springs, LCAs, tie rods, and end links. Along with that, It got new rotors, pads, brake flush and tires. I was ready to put another 75k miles on it since I really don't have any qualms with the car, however immediately after the work was done, I began getting clunking from the front when brake at low speeds, and a click/snap when turning. I took it back to the shop and they could resolve the issue, after that I took it to another place with again no success.

Between these two issues, driving on the daily is driving me mad, with the continual noise and avoiding washing it and rain. This is what started me looking into something new. I am very particular on what I want to drive on my commute which is 50~ round trip a day. I wanted something comfortable, inexpensive and cheap to maintain as I have my other "fun" cars for the weekend. I just want something that I can drive day in and day out without much worry or annoyance. This led me to the Volt. From everything I have found it seems to check the boxes on most items, however I know it won't be as fun to drive as the TDI. I truly love the TDI as a daily, as I am sure we can all agree.

My thought with the Volt is I can save a good chunk of change on gas being able to drive on electric for my entire commute, however I still have a gas engine which can be driven indefinitely on gas if needed. I refuse to buy into the all electric fad and wont even go down that road until battery technology further advances. With all that said, what your guys thoughts? I am open to criticism and suggestions, I just would like to hear an alternative opinion beside my own.

Thanks in advance!
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2002 Golf 6MT; 2015 Sportwagen 6MT; 2016 A3 e-tron 6DSG
50 miles/day?
No way I'd want to do that in a dolled-up Chevy Cruze. I know you said you have other fun-mobiles, but sounds like you'll be spending more time in this car, so why not enjoy the drive instead of enduring it?
To be clear, I've never driven or even ridden in a Cruze / Volt, but they just look so vanilla....meh - give me a Golf that has some personality quirks any day of the week.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
The second gen Volt is a lot nicer to drive than the first gen. But it is, like the Golf [here], been orphaned and these manufacturers have ZERO problems thumbing their collective noses at parts availability.

But I hear ya on that stupid pano roof conundrum. You're not alone there. It ruins an otherwise nice car for sure.

I'd maybe look at some other less expensive less "exotic" cars, too.

FWIW, I'm driving a 2000 Golf to and from work... about 100 miles round trip... most days. It isn't pretty as much of the paint on its horizontals has gone away. But it is as reliable as the sun, still gets 50+ MPGs, and even though the odometer is about to stop counting as it is going to hit 1 million kilometers, I'd not hesitate to drive it anywhere. Still has the factory radio, tape deck and all.
 

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
Honestly I'd figure out how to get the suspension sorted on your GSW (might be the subframe creaking, there's a fix for that), have the roof wrapped again, and drive on. A Volt is another orphan car that will most likely have its own problems.

EDIT: oilhammer posted "orphan" the same time as me. And I'm with him on the MKIV cars. I still drive my Wagon daily, and my son has an '02 Golf that's approaching 500K miles. Not pretty, but it gets him through his 100 mile a day commute more economically than anything else. And it's still nice to drive.
 

bmwM5power

Veteran Member
Joined
May 3, 2007
Location
Rochester NY
TDI
15 GSW TDI S 6MT 02 JETTA TDI GLS 5MT 15 GOLF TDI SE 6MT 15 GOLF TDI SEL DSG
get the clunking sorted out, it wasnt clunking till you replaced the struts/brakes. and tape the sunroof, thats what I would do
 

Martin Winterkorn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 29, 2018
Location
Valley of the Sun
TDI
2015 Golf TDI SE w/ Lighting Package
50 miles/day?
No way I'd want to do that in a dolled-up Chevy Cruze. I know you said you have other fun-mobiles, but sounds like you'll be spending more time in this car, so why not enjoy the drive instead of enduring it?
To be clear, I've never driven or even ridden in a Cruze / Volt, but they just look so vanilla....meh - give me a Golf that has some personality quirks any day of the week.
I can agree this nearly everything you said. I think for me its the annoyances that really get me, which I'm sure any other car will have too.

The second gen Volt is a lot nicer to drive than the first gen. But it is, like the Golf [here], been orphaned and these manufacturers have ZERO problems thumbing their collective noses at parts availability.

But I hear ya on that stupid pano roof conundrum. You're not alone there. It ruins an otherwise nice car for sure.

I'd maybe look at some other less expensive less "exotic" cars, too.

FWIW, I'm driving a 2000 Golf to and from work... about 100 miles round trip... most days. It isn't pretty as much of the paint on its horizontals has gone away. But it is as reliable as the sun, still gets 50+ MPGs, and even though the odometer is about to stop counting as it is going to hit 1 million kilometers, I'd not hesitate to drive it anywhere. Still has the factory radio, tape deck and all.
Ya I have done a fair bit a research on that problems with the Volt and it seems to be the BECM and EGR issues that mainly plague the car. The BECM has been updated on this car already, and the EGR has a warranty until 2032, so I wouldn't really have to mess it myself. Mainly the driving factor with this particular car is that it is a one owner with only 14K~ miles on it, so its basically brand new. I paid $12k for the Golf and own it outright, dealer will give me $12.5k on trade for it. I am looking down the road for the long term and plan on keeping it for awhile, which was the plan with the Golf. Emissions on mine runs out December 2025 and planned a delete, so wanted to factor in that cost, plus DSG flush at 80k.

What other maintanence items would I expect with the Golf to keep it going?

Honestly I'd figure out how to get the suspension sorted on your GSW (might be the subframe creaking, there's a fix for that), have the roof wrapped again, and drive on. A Volt is another orphan car that will most likely have its own problems.

EDIT: oilhammer posted "orphan" the same time as me. And I'm with him on the MKIV cars. I still drive my Wagon daily, and my son has an '02 Golf that's approaching 500K miles. Not pretty, but it gets him through his 100 mile a day commute more economically than anything else. And it's still nice to drive.
I think you are accurate in the "orphan" assessment. I would love to get the front suspension issue figured out, because that really is the main issue. I mean it does have a few other issues, rock chips on the front hood, pano issue, had a ghost code for P240F00 - Exhaust Gas Recirculation Slow Response, which I hope would be coded out when emissions get deleted.

How much has it taken to keep your Golfs on the road as far as maintenance costs? I know the earlier gens were easier to sort out with the limited emissions. Do you think with a delete the EA288 would be solid long term. My other "worry" is how long the DSG will last and the expense to replace.

Thanks for the all the responses, this definitely highlights all the things I was already thinking when considering the swap.
 

MrCypherr

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Location
Ontario
TDI
Mk6 Wagon
If those are really the only two 'problems' with the car, then I wouldnt trade it up. Like said above, the clunking shouldnt be a hard fix. and the sunroof, I would try to apply with was said with taping up the roof. I've seen a couple cars north of 300k and thats with full emissions still on the car. If youre going to lose a few parts, then I would defs be keeping the car because it will be more reliable. The DSGs on these cars last if you arent hard on them and do the service on time. If you dont do them on time, youll start to see problems and then youre done another rabbit hole.
 

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 don't track maintenance costs, but they're not nothing. There are usual wear items: brakes, tires, filters, fluids, and sometimes major repairs.

When we bought my son's car it had 265K on it, and it needed some catch up maintenance: Timing belt, turbo actuator, rear calipers. We replaced the original clutch at 330K, new cylinder head and turbo at 425K, radiator at 480K. And the transmission just lost 5th at 487K, so we swapped that out, replacing a clutch while we were in there.

But let's be real, both my Wagon and the Golf are very close to a half million miles. As a colleague says, every part in my car is beyond its service life. What surprises me is these cars continue to be dead reliable and drive well. How many cars can you say that about when they're 22 years old with a half million miles on them?

I think the CRUA/CVCA engines will hold up well. They seem to have far fewer emissions related issues than the CBEA/CJAA cars, and are much, much better than the CKRA engine in the 12-14 Passat. So I think it will hold up well. And the DSG flywheel will probably give up at 150-200K, but the transmissions last well.

Having said all that, it sounds like you should jump on the Volt. That's basically a new car and seems like a good deal, especially with what they're offering for your trade. And it sounds like you may have emotionally moved on from the GSW. If that's the case, every issue is going to bug you.

If you hate the Volt, you can always seek out a good GSW without a sunroof.
 

pedroYUL

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 8, 2011
Location
MI, USA
TDI
2015 Passat CVCA; 2015 GSW CRUA; 2004 wagon BEW(brother)
I would imagine there will be some 2015 GSW coming up for sale, as soon as the dieselgate warranty is up and people just don't want to deal with them anymore. Then there will be plenty of good candidates for deletes.
 

MrCypherr

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Location
Ontario
TDI
Mk6 Wagon
Thats for sure. We see alot of CJAAs/CKRAs out of warranty now and it seems like everyone is just steering away from dealers.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2017 Alltrack SE; Totaled 2015 Passat SEL, BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat SE w/ Nav,
My coworker had a gen 1 volt for 9 years, loved it . . .

Until it wouldn't charge, GM replaced the charging port for $800 as first attempt, didn't solve the issue and they were just warming up the parts cannon, he cut his looses and is jumping over to a new volvo EV. His wife still has her gen2 volt.

He did unload the volt for 3k so all wasn't lost. Hopefully the online community has some depth of knowledge for those volts to keep them on the road, but if parts a NLA, that's tough battle to fight for a daily driver to commute with.

Why not look at an egolf? is the range to short for you? it prob has the same support form the dealer network as the volt so it couldn't be that much worse.
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2002 Golf 6MT; 2015 Sportwagen 6MT; 2016 A3 e-tron 6DSG
@Martin Winterkorn didn't say "GSW" anywhere, so I'm guessing his sunroof issue isn't the leaking, but the cracks that a few people here have had on the standard non-wagon Golf-Golf.

As others above have stated, that's addressable - tape, or the wrap that you've previously done. And same with the suspension issue - whoever did the work needs to make it right.
Why not look at an egolf? is the range to short for you? it prob has the same support form the dealer network as the volt so it couldn't be that much worse.
Stated range from VW was around 120miles, right? So if you can get it topped up every day at home, even with maybe only getting 70% of that due to weather....that sounds like a viable option to me. I'm guessing finding one of those at only 14K miles is going to be a challenge, though.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
The eGolfs are already cast-off. Parts availability is abysmal. Which is why I'm always left scratching my head as to why VAG wanted to go so hard on the EV bandwagon, when they already had eGolfs sitting on lots gathering dust (at the end, the $38k car could have been snatched up for around half priced... and they STILL couldn't sell them here!). I thought it'd be cool to get one and when the battery went TU in a couple years, the form factor allows for a nice ALH+02J drop in replacement powertrain, just need to get all the other stuff to work. :D Imagine having 2000-era emissions compliance in a 2015 car that is exempt from OBD testing forever!

Also, the short-lived poorly-sold Jetta hybrids are the same way... and those actually were not all that bad of a powertrain, but the NCS Jetta wasn't the ideal package and the poorly thought out battery placement nixed a good chunk of their trunk. But as far as performance+fuel economy they were great! But if you need a hybrid-specific part, you're screwed.
 

Martin Winterkorn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 29, 2018
Location
Valley of the Sun
TDI
2015 Golf TDI SE w/ Lighting Package
My coworker had a gen 1 volt for 9 years, loved it . . .

Until it wouldn't charge, GM replaced the charging port for $800 as first attempt, didn't solve the issue and they were just warming up the parts cannon, he cut his looses and is jumping over to a new volvo EV. His wife still has her gen2 volt.

He did unload the volt for 3k so all wasn't lost. Hopefully the online community has some depth of knowledge for those volts to keep them on the road, but if parts a NLA, that's tough battle to fight for a daily driver to commute with.

Why not look at an egolf? is the range to short for you? it prob has the same support form the dealer network as the volt so it couldn't be that much worse.
Ya those are certainly points I have considered. I am skeptical of the parts availability down the line for sure. The class action lawsuit filed against GM seems to have garnered some traction with the government, so hopefully they will force GM's hand at supporting these vehicles down the road and parts will be made more readily available.

I am not interested in an All electric vehicle what so ever, which is why I haven't even looked at them I like the idea of the Volt having the ICE which can simply be driven on that if you never wanted to charge it.

@Martin Winterkorn didn't say "GSW" anywhere, so I'm guessing his sunroof issue isn't the leaking, but the cracks that a few people here have had on the standard non-wagon Golf-Golf.

As others above have stated, that's addressable - tape, or the wrap that you've previously done. And same with the suspension issue - whoever did the work needs to make it right.

Stated range from VW was around 120miles, right? So if you can get it topped up every day at home, even with maybe only getting 70% of that due to weather....that sounds like a viable option to me. I'm guessing finding one of those at only 14K miles is going to be a challenge, though.
Yes you are correct, I have the hairline cracks in the sunroof frame. Wrapping it annually isn't ideal and I can also address the sunroof with tape, however I would like to not have a "hooptie" with tape on the roof, which otherwise is a nice vehicle.

I agree on the workmanship, however the prior shop whom I have gone through for many years with no issues stated they didn't find any issues with the install. I can certainly attempt to take it back again and see but not sure I will get a different result.
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2002 Golf 6MT; 2015 Sportwagen 6MT; 2016 A3 e-tron 6DSG
Given that @oilhammer brought up the Jetta hybrid (I looked at one and literally laughed when they opened the trunk and I saw how much room was taken over by the battery; you'd have had trouble getting a set of golf clubs in there), I'll put in my plug for our afore-referenced Audi A3 e-tron.
Up to 22miles of all-electric before the (pretty nice) 1.4T kicks in. Fun car to drive in either mode. Looks great (IMO). Replaced one wheel bearing, and apart from doing oil changes and DSG fluid change, that's been the only real issue.

Shares the same MQB basics as the Mk7 Golf ( sunroof on our e-tron has been fine (knocks on wood) - with our weather here ranging from -15°C to +35°C and rainy winters), with many parts shared between them (hubs, brakes, etc.), so most non-electric-drivetrain parts should be easily available for a good long while. And if/when the electric drivetrain does go south, (I hope) you can just drive the 1.4T and get pretty good fuel economy.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Well see, that's the issue with the hybrids... when the battery dies, you CAN'T simply drive the car like normal on the gasoline engine alone. Because it is all integrated. The older Honda hybrids had a backup 12v starter motor, and they'd revert to using it to start the engine if the battery couldn't (for whatever reason) work the main M-G unit. But that would just get the engine started, and running in a limp mode, which was basically enough to get you to the repair shop as you really cannot hardly drive them that way. But the rest? The M-G is what starts the engine, and it is powered by the high voltage battery pack (and of course, everything that controls it). No battery, no engine, no go. Why we get SO MANY Toyota hybrids towed in here. Fords, too, but those are easy... because they never get fixed, they just get towed right back out of here to the scrapper. But the Toyotas often do get a replacement battery and motor on.
 

RIP TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 16, 2000
Location
Santa Barbara, CA
TDI
2015 GSW SE 6MT 2001 Golf GLS 5MT 1996 Passat Wagon
Secondly I just spent I good chunk of change refreshing the suspension with new struts and shocks, springs, LCAs, tie rods, and end links. Along with that, It got new rotors, pads, brake flush and tires. I was ready to put another 75k miles on it since I really don't have any qualms with the car, however immediately after the work was done, I began getting clunking from the front when brake at low speeds, and a click/snap when turning. I took it back to the shop and they could resolve the issue, after that I took it to another place with again no success.
Regarding the click/snap and, possibly, the clunk, you might look at the LCA rear bushings. Because you replaced these, its unlikely that this is the problem (and definitely not the problem if you have TT bushings), however the click/snap is the exact description of a dry and hardened LCA rear bushing. My original factory bushings clicked/snapped in turns, particularly so when accompanied by vertical suspension movement. I think there was some clunking with fore/aft movement, too, but in my fading memory, it was pretty minor compared to the dramatic click/snap in turns.

Visual diagnosis is not really necessary since the solution is to simply apply silicone grease to the 2 void slots between inner and outer contact surfaces of each bushing. I used 3M Silicone Paste and it has remained quiet for the last 4 years.

Even though this is unlikely to be your issue, its so quick and easy to apply the silicone grease/paste (if not TT bushings) that it's probably worth doing considering that you're reaching dead ends with shops so far.
 
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RIP TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 16, 2000
Location
Santa Barbara, CA
TDI
2015 GSW SE 6MT 2001 Golf GLS 5MT 1996 Passat Wagon
BTW, is yours a wagon or hatch? The wagons have another cause of sunroof leaks that doesn't seem to be as widely known as the hatch's tray cracks and projecting weld issues.
 

Martin Winterkorn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 29, 2018
Location
Valley of the Sun
TDI
2015 Golf TDI SE w/ Lighting Package
Regarding the click/snap and, possibly, the clunk, you might look at the LCA rear bushings. Because you replaced these, its unlikely that this is the problem (and definitely not the problem if you have TT bushings), however the click/snap is the exact description of a dry and hardened LCA rear bushing. My original factory bushings clicked/snapped in turns, particularly so when accompanied by vertical suspension movement. I think there was some clunking with fore/aft movement, too, but in my fading memory, it was pretty minor compared to the dramatic click/snap in turns.

Visual diagnosis is not really necessary since the solution is to simply apply silicone grease to the 2 void slots between inner and outer contact surfaces of each bushing. I used 3M Silicone Paste and it has remained quiet for the last 4 years.

Even though this is unlikely to be your issue, its so quick and easy to apply the silicone grease/paste (if not TT bushings) that it's probably worth doing considering that you're reaching dead ends with shops so far.
I did in fact try to silicone the bushings, but it didn't seem to help. I can give it another shot and see if that makes any difference. The LCAs were replaced less than 3k miles ago with new ball joints as well.

BTW, is yours a wagon or hatch? The wagons have another cause of sunroof leaks that doesn't seem to be as widely known as the hatch's tray cracks and projecting weld issues.
I have a hatch.
 

Martin Winterkorn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 29, 2018
Location
Valley of the Sun
TDI
2015 Golf TDI SE w/ Lighting Package
*****UPDATE*****

Had the car looked at this morning. I was able replicate the clunk/pop noise when braking at low speeds and coming out of reverse and drive. Mechanic did a once over on all the subframe and suspension bolts, but didn't find anything loose. He checked the strut bolts, end links, and ball joints, everything checked out. Car is in perfect alignment but yet the noise still continues. I did a bit more research on this and the only other thing I can narrow it down to is movement within the subframe bolt holes.

From what I have gathered the holes are "oversized" for the bolts so that only the bolt head is making contact with the subframe and it leaves room as the bolt stretches over time for it to wander and shift within the hole. A number of companies make a "locking collar" kit for this issue. Has anyone else used these? Is it worth it to give it a shot? This was close to my last shot attempting to persuade myself to keep the car if it were resolved, however it has left me displeased once again. Again, I truly enjoy the car but the suspension noise really just kills it for me, and I haven't even resolved the sunroof issue for the long term.

Thoughts and suggestions appreciated.
 

pedroYUL

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 8, 2011
Location
MI, USA
TDI
2015 Passat CVCA; 2015 GSW CRUA; 2004 wagon BEW(brother)
I used those collars on an mk5 Jetta, it worked a charm, but I haven't face the need in either 2015 sportswagen or Passat.
 
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Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2002 Golf 6MT; 2015 Sportwagen 6MT; 2016 A3 e-tron 6DSG
So, did the shop who did your suspension work move the subframe? Or at least, loosen the bolts? And if they did...did they replace with the proper single-use TTY bolts and torque them properly?

Curious as to what would've caused the noise (movement) to start only after they did the work?
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Usually just a little snugging of those bolts with a 1/2" drive long ratchet is all that is needed. The later cars have those little mesh shim things that are supposed to help with this.

The collars in theory work fine BUT they assume the body/subframe are 100% perfect as built. You lose any fine tuning of the alignment then. Which is how a lot of cars are anyway (Toyota, Nissan, etc.). So when they get whacked, you either need to have it mounted up on the frame rack and pulled back straight, or go after some other means to try and get the alignment right.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2017 Alltrack SE; Totaled 2015 Passat SEL, BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat SE w/ Nav,
*****UPDATE*****

Had the car looked at this morning. I was able replicate the clunk/pop noise when braking at low speeds and coming out of reverse and drive. Mechanic did a once over on all the subframe and suspension bolts, but didn't find anything loose. He checked the strut bolts, end links, and ball joints, everything checked out. Car is in perfect alignment but yet the noise still continues. I did a bit more research on this and the only other thing I can narrow it down to is movement within the subframe bolt holes.

From what I have gathered the holes are "oversized" for the bolts so that only the bolt head is making contact with the subframe and it leaves room as the bolt stretches over time for it to wander and shift within the hole. A number of companies make a "locking collar" kit for this issue. Has anyone else used these? Is it worth it to give it a shot? This was close to my last shot attempting to persuade myself to keep the car if it were resolved, however it has left me displeased once again. Again, I truly enjoy the car but the suspension noise really just kills it for me, and I haven't even resolved the sunroof issue for the long term.

Thoughts and suggestions appreciated.
Do you only notice it at slow speeds?

Do you get any similar sound on start up? There are some mounts for the DPF/downpipe that can cause some clunk, out Passat has similar sound that is engine mount/dpf related. Waiting for phase2b and hopefully VW will address it.
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, MA. USA
TDI
2015 GSW 6M in S trim the other oil burners: 1967 two stroke Sonett 1988 Bolens DGT1700
That Lug_Nut,.... Always the contrarian.
I'm moving on from my gen1 Volt and have just purchased a 2015 GSW 6M S.

The Volt was ideal before retirement when a predictable daily commute distance within battery range meant the engine would run only when the fuel expiration date or oil lubrication circulation timers in the software caused it to run.
Now I've retired, don't have the daily battery-only work commute distances, but still have the longer, meaning beyond battery, trips. The ratio of miles under battery power to the miles under gasoline fueled generator power have changed from 5 to 1 with a work commute to 1 1/2 battery for each 1 on gasoline electric in retirement. The 32 mpg (my 'lifetime' average) of converting gasoline to rotation to electricity to rotation to miles really made the little 1.4 liter engine seem like a fuel pig. Oh, sure it was fine when it was needed for the last mile to get home to the charge cord, but not for the last 600 miles to get home.
Towing with the Volt? That was a shock. I averaged 14 (fourteen!) mpg on a 1200 mile trip. In fairness it was a 2,000 lb load. Eliminate that spreadsheet entry and the 'lifetime' mpg is 35.
Martin, Make note of the trips and distances per day that you do. The first 35~40 miles can be on battery electric. After those you'll be on 35 mpg gasoline powered electric generator power. Where is your 'break-even'?
re: 'orphan'. The Mk4 is also an 'orphan'. Yeah, the name continues, but that's like saying the Hudson Hornet is no longer an 'orphan' because FCA is building a Hornet, or a 1974 "Corolla" has unrestricted parts availability from Toyota because there's a 2024 "Corolla".
The gen1 (2011~2015) Volt is regarded on the Volt forums as superior in build to the cheapened gen2 (2017~2019). Should you choose the gen2, look at the 2019 Premier as it had the larger 7.2 kW on-board charger from the Bolt rather than the 3.6 kW on all other Volts. Charge time will be cut in half allowing afternoon errands to also be run on battery.
I had forgotten how convenient the 'express up' windows are on the VW product. GM has express up on only the driver's.
 

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
Welcome to the MK7 world! The 7 is vastly more refined than the MKIV, and with a tune (which I know you won't get :)) it's pretty responsive. But I have to confess that I still prefer to drive MKIVs. They may be "orphans" but I've yet to be stumped on parts availability.

You'll see over 50 MPG in the 7, until it regens. Then FE drops to the mid-40s. At least it does for me. But that's still significantly better than the Volt.
 
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