(Prob shoulda posted here too, copied form Mk7 section). So my Mk7 on PCP ended and I moved on to the Mk8. Wasn’t a done deal though, I looked at other brands & options, there was very little in it money-wise, with Golfs arguably better cars than, say, a Ford Focus, Seat Leon, Vauxhall Astra, even the Polo etc. The Audi A3 is very good but isn’t worth the extra IMO, the Leon is a bit cheaper but not as good so thought I may as well go for the Mk8; Style in Atlantic blue, manual gearbox,1.5 petrol,150PS so as to get the multi-link rear suspension.
Won’t bother with the changes we all know about, (much fewer buttons, touch pads, etc). I actually took delivery a few weeks ago, so far covered a paltry 350ish miles, had stuff to do so not really thought about it that much. It’s a car after all and will see use, though not for work as it’s currently only 1.6 miles away and ‘service vehicle / car related incidents’ have been known to occur (!).
So, fresh from my Mk7, my 3rd in fact, the Mk8 even with sports seats &17” Belmont wheels is just as comfortable, the only extras I specced are Park Assist & spare wheel & jack. I didn’t bother with Driver Profile as the car has an Eco mode and the Lane Assist helps keep the car in line, so is similar to ‘race’ mode, or the rear view camera, didn’t think it worth it and the car has parking sensors. The dealer told me there are a lot of cars 7/8 built at the VW factory awaiting electronic components due to the microchip shortage.
Deleted ‘toys’ I personally miss: some storage areas the cubby hole by the drivers knee, roof storage & the so far uncovered areas in the centre console, but I have almost finished making custom lids for both as bits & bobs are kept in these and stuff on show can attract unwanted attention. The storage either side of the boot floor is still present though the plastic trim isn’t removable, never needed to be, they are handy for carrying large drinks bottles, etc.
New features / niggles: first off the bonnet is a lot heavier than I remember (no hydraulic stay), I like the flatter interior door handles and the blind spot indicators, the door mirror puddles lights area big improvement shining on the ground rather than the door, I’d prefer the infotainment screen was more enclosed as on the Polo, it doesn’t show outside temperature which passengers like though the digital cockpit does, its operation is much like that on a smart phone, (which I don’t have) the centre air vents don’t appear to blow much air, the touch pad for radio volume / temperature surprisingly don’t light up with the main lights. The Auto-hold doesn’t always release straight away from start up, requiring manual release with foot on the brake, the annoying (to me) start/stop is a bit more fiddly to de-activate, the Lane Assist doesn’t like just one row of white dotted lines, as on A-roads, though it works ok with 2 rows. The speedo increasing by 20mph each time is a bit of a thing on UK roads with so many speed cameras as we try to remain below 29, 39, etc mph but a digital speedo can also be displayed, road sign speed display is good as it gives speed warnings as the speed limit changes, though the car insists a local road has a 20mph speed limit (it doesn’t) and it appears to possess the ‘KMH / MPH confusion’ as it sometimes shows the speed limit as 110, presumably 110kmh / 68 mph, Travel Assist & Auto-Hold showed warnings in the digital cockpit then went away, software version is 1803 (this will mean something to Mk8 owners, it’s a later version). The car is on 4yrs PCP anyway so I’m not overly-fussed as long as the car drives ok, which it does, and the safety kit & ‘toys’ work ok, ditto, I won’t be trotting back and forth to & from the dealers.
The digital cockpit, which appears vertical rather than tilted toward the driver, is a lot like the centre screen on the Mk7 but with 3 customisable areas and it can appear a little cluttered. I found it easier locating options of interest by just ’diving in’ as the owner’s manual is a bit confusing, the LED main lights and interior lights are great, don’t quite turn night into day, but are a real step up.
Like the Mk7s, I likely won’t connect my phone to the car as in my experience such things either work brilliantly, or are the biggest hassle & waste of space & time. I no longer have the interest or patience for such things; if at first you don’t succeed, try, try try again - then move on, life is too short.
Main reason for choosing another Golf: comfort, economy, quality, etc. E.g. 1st ever journey: obviously from the dealership - home, nice day, air-con blowing, feeling good and The Force was certainly with me, 2nd : same day 11.30pm take long-term girlfriend / partner / BFF and her friend to 24/7 clinic for attention to ‘ladies condition’, 3rd: journey: self back home, studied handbook, 4th journey: 2.30am collect both ladies from said clinic, 5th (was more than a bit tired) 2.45am journey: return home. Both were ok, BTW and were actually smiling as they’d watched wild rabbits in the car park ! Anyway, I’m not whining or crying nor am I any kind of hero, that was just the first day of ownership, these situations can crop up and I can confirm at such times a nice, comfortable car of quality makes a heck of a difference. That is basically why I got another Golf.
Overall, stating the obvious; it’s the new Golf and is what it is, the car pleasantly surprised me and I like it much more than I thought I would. Still feeling good (and The Force is still with me)….
Won’t bother with the changes we all know about, (much fewer buttons, touch pads, etc). I actually took delivery a few weeks ago, so far covered a paltry 350ish miles, had stuff to do so not really thought about it that much. It’s a car after all and will see use, though not for work as it’s currently only 1.6 miles away and ‘service vehicle / car related incidents’ have been known to occur (!).
So, fresh from my Mk7, my 3rd in fact, the Mk8 even with sports seats &17” Belmont wheels is just as comfortable, the only extras I specced are Park Assist & spare wheel & jack. I didn’t bother with Driver Profile as the car has an Eco mode and the Lane Assist helps keep the car in line, so is similar to ‘race’ mode, or the rear view camera, didn’t think it worth it and the car has parking sensors. The dealer told me there are a lot of cars 7/8 built at the VW factory awaiting electronic components due to the microchip shortage.
Deleted ‘toys’ I personally miss: some storage areas the cubby hole by the drivers knee, roof storage & the so far uncovered areas in the centre console, but I have almost finished making custom lids for both as bits & bobs are kept in these and stuff on show can attract unwanted attention. The storage either side of the boot floor is still present though the plastic trim isn’t removable, never needed to be, they are handy for carrying large drinks bottles, etc.
New features / niggles: first off the bonnet is a lot heavier than I remember (no hydraulic stay), I like the flatter interior door handles and the blind spot indicators, the door mirror puddles lights area big improvement shining on the ground rather than the door, I’d prefer the infotainment screen was more enclosed as on the Polo, it doesn’t show outside temperature which passengers like though the digital cockpit does, its operation is much like that on a smart phone, (which I don’t have) the centre air vents don’t appear to blow much air, the touch pad for radio volume / temperature surprisingly don’t light up with the main lights. The Auto-hold doesn’t always release straight away from start up, requiring manual release with foot on the brake, the annoying (to me) start/stop is a bit more fiddly to de-activate, the Lane Assist doesn’t like just one row of white dotted lines, as on A-roads, though it works ok with 2 rows. The speedo increasing by 20mph each time is a bit of a thing on UK roads with so many speed cameras as we try to remain below 29, 39, etc mph but a digital speedo can also be displayed, road sign speed display is good as it gives speed warnings as the speed limit changes, though the car insists a local road has a 20mph speed limit (it doesn’t) and it appears to possess the ‘KMH / MPH confusion’ as it sometimes shows the speed limit as 110, presumably 110kmh / 68 mph, Travel Assist & Auto-Hold showed warnings in the digital cockpit then went away, software version is 1803 (this will mean something to Mk8 owners, it’s a later version). The car is on 4yrs PCP anyway so I’m not overly-fussed as long as the car drives ok, which it does, and the safety kit & ‘toys’ work ok, ditto, I won’t be trotting back and forth to & from the dealers.
The digital cockpit, which appears vertical rather than tilted toward the driver, is a lot like the centre screen on the Mk7 but with 3 customisable areas and it can appear a little cluttered. I found it easier locating options of interest by just ’diving in’ as the owner’s manual is a bit confusing, the LED main lights and interior lights are great, don’t quite turn night into day, but are a real step up.
Like the Mk7s, I likely won’t connect my phone to the car as in my experience such things either work brilliantly, or are the biggest hassle & waste of space & time. I no longer have the interest or patience for such things; if at first you don’t succeed, try, try try again - then move on, life is too short.
Main reason for choosing another Golf: comfort, economy, quality, etc. E.g. 1st ever journey: obviously from the dealership - home, nice day, air-con blowing, feeling good and The Force was certainly with me, 2nd : same day 11.30pm take long-term girlfriend / partner / BFF and her friend to 24/7 clinic for attention to ‘ladies condition’, 3rd: journey: self back home, studied handbook, 4th journey: 2.30am collect both ladies from said clinic, 5th (was more than a bit tired) 2.45am journey: return home. Both were ok, BTW and were actually smiling as they’d watched wild rabbits in the car park ! Anyway, I’m not whining or crying nor am I any kind of hero, that was just the first day of ownership, these situations can crop up and I can confirm at such times a nice, comfortable car of quality makes a heck of a difference. That is basically why I got another Golf.
Overall, stating the obvious; it’s the new Golf and is what it is, the car pleasantly surprised me and I like it much more than I thought I would. Still feeling good (and The Force is still with me)….
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