I just had a test drive this week and today(drove to different dealerships
).
The salesman at Charles Maund was really pushy about making a sale. I had to firmly assert multiple times that I'm just here for a test drive and have no intention of buying today. The salesman at Hewlett VW was much more relaxed and friendly; he explained me the features of the car(even though I know it inside out thanks to this site and vwvortex
) . The test drive there was a lot more pleasant and I felt relaxed and not pushed by the salesman; and drove both 2009 and 2010(both DSG; sorry manual is 20th century) just to see the differences between the two cars.
Here are some quick observations for those who are in the market for one:
1. 2009 seems to have more of the "pop rocks in a soda can" syndrome (more info here: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4729854) than the 2010, although it is reported that the engine is exactly the same for the 2009 and 2010.
2. 2010 is a lot smoother than the 2009 in terms of power delivery, I didn't feel the turbo lag or pedal lag that people have talked about here and on vwvortex. I did feel a very noticeable lag in the 2009.
3. The paddle shifters are awesome on both cars, so is the tiptronic.
4. Interior is better in the 2010 vs 2009, especially the steering wheel and music/nav unit are much nicer, gauges are clearer. Mazda speed3 and WRX put up against the GTI are plain rubbish in terms of interior quality. I had some visibility problems since my current car isn't tinted, but I think it's just something you get used to. The cloth seats are much better than regular car cloth seats; IMO these will wear much better. The seats themselves are well bolstered and provide good support. In summary, the 2010 interior is a lot more polished than 2009 and certainly a billion times better than a Mazda speed3 and WRX.
5. The power delivery is so smooth on these vehicles that I did not realize that I was going at 85mph on the highway (as opposed to my Civic which starts vibrating at 75mph
). I had a big smile on my face when I saw the speedometer 
6. I also drove on some winding roads behind Hewlett VW and the handling was brilliant. The steering wheel is thick and F1 styled which is cool.
Although this also means I can no longer drive with my knees
It reminded me as if I was driving in a video game in an arcade(those born after 1993 will not understand or appreciate the awesomeness of video game arcades). I didn't try out the steering wheel buttons but it's really more of a fancy feature than being an absolute necessity for me.
Honestly, I think if VW works on their perceived quality issues, buying this car(and probably other VW's) is a no brainer. Fun to drive, great handling, awesome interior, decent cabin space and great fuel mileage.
So I'm pretty much set on ordering one soon; I'll probably wait to see what VW financing has to offer next month (1.9% expires March 31st). This will be my first new car purchase so I'm hoping I do not encounter the dreaded VW "gremlins".
The salesman at Charles Maund was really pushy about making a sale. I had to firmly assert multiple times that I'm just here for a test drive and have no intention of buying today. The salesman at Hewlett VW was much more relaxed and friendly; he explained me the features of the car(even though I know it inside out thanks to this site and vwvortex
Here are some quick observations for those who are in the market for one:
1. 2009 seems to have more of the "pop rocks in a soda can" syndrome (more info here: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4729854) than the 2010, although it is reported that the engine is exactly the same for the 2009 and 2010.
2. 2010 is a lot smoother than the 2009 in terms of power delivery, I didn't feel the turbo lag or pedal lag that people have talked about here and on vwvortex. I did feel a very noticeable lag in the 2009.
3. The paddle shifters are awesome on both cars, so is the tiptronic.
4. Interior is better in the 2010 vs 2009, especially the steering wheel and music/nav unit are much nicer, gauges are clearer. Mazda speed3 and WRX put up against the GTI are plain rubbish in terms of interior quality. I had some visibility problems since my current car isn't tinted, but I think it's just something you get used to. The cloth seats are much better than regular car cloth seats; IMO these will wear much better. The seats themselves are well bolstered and provide good support. In summary, the 2010 interior is a lot more polished than 2009 and certainly a billion times better than a Mazda speed3 and WRX.
5. The power delivery is so smooth on these vehicles that I did not realize that I was going at 85mph on the highway (as opposed to my Civic which starts vibrating at 75mph
6. I also drove on some winding roads behind Hewlett VW and the handling was brilliant. The steering wheel is thick and F1 styled which is cool.
Although this also means I can no longer drive with my knees
It reminded me as if I was driving in a video game in an arcade(those born after 1993 will not understand or appreciate the awesomeness of video game arcades). I didn't try out the steering wheel buttons but it's really more of a fancy feature than being an absolute necessity for me.
Honestly, I think if VW works on their perceived quality issues, buying this car(and probably other VW's) is a no brainer. Fun to drive, great handling, awesome interior, decent cabin space and great fuel mileage.
So I'm pretty much set on ordering one soon; I'll probably wait to see what VW financing has to offer next month (1.9% expires March 31st). This will be my first new car purchase so I'm hoping I do not encounter the dreaded VW "gremlins".