Used 2011 Volkswagen Golf Hatchback Consumer Reviews
Used Golf for sale
Why consider anything else?
audivin, 12/27/2011
2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 5M)
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
I purchased my '11 Golf 3 door Manual transmission straight out of college. Prior to making this decision, I tested many similarly priced compact cars like the Dodge Caliber, Various Hondas, and even some subarus. While I really liked the Subaru's and had a hard time deciding between the two, the VW Golf was simply in another league. This is probably the best compact car on the us market for the price. The interior and exterior build quality and craftsmanship are excellent and there are no rattling noises. I have put 17,000 miles since I purchased the car in June of 2011. Thats right, 17000 already. This car handles/performs exceptionally well. At all speeds it feels secure/ planted.
Smokin Car - Updated in 2018
Nikki, 05/12/2016
updated 06/26/2018
2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 6A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I bought my automatic Gold TDI in tornado red in 2011. It was my first new car. It was difficult to find as I was living in Louisiana and had to get it in Texas. This car is so much fun to drive -- and this coming from someone who doesn't particularly enjoy driving! The car has peppy pickup but it's the diesel torque (256 feet pounds of it!) that will blow you -- and other car drivers! -- away. The cabin design is fairly upscale for a moderately priced sub-compact car . . . and once "Red" (yes that's her name) turned over 40k miles, her mileage got even better (averaging 47 mpg). The driving dynamics are solid -- she hugs the road and has no list on cornering. The seats are bolstered, include a lumbar support on the driver's side, and are very comfortable. I wish leather seats and seat memory were offered. The diesels do have one quirky thing: they warm up slowly so they feel quite "hurky jerky" for about five minutes after startup. I understand this is by design and a fuel efficiency thing. If you are looking for a smart car that can hold her own on the highway, has great driving dynamics and will same you money at the pump, it doesn't get any better than this in this class. If you're willing to spend more, the BMW Series 3 Diesel is a plusher ride but it has a much heftier price tag. I am writing this at a time when the diesel scandal at VW has broken. I still love my car and emissions aside, I think it's a better environmental choice than gas guzzlers. Red truly is a smoking car...and my husband loves it even more than I do. UPDATE -- Because my car was affected by the recalls for the emissions, I came to the hard decision to sell it back to VW last year. VW made the process fairly easy and actually paid us 70% of the new car cost for our vehicle which had nearly 100k miles on it. Mind you, the car was in cream-puff shape. We ended up getting a 2015 Mercedes GLK - Bluetech (their version of the diesel) to replace it. I love the Mercedes GLK and as a compact SUV it gives me enough height to scan the road that is now filled with large SUVs and trucks. But...it broke my heart to give up the VW. I actually wept when we had to turn it in and my husband was the one to clean it out. The main reason we let it go was because we were concerned that eventually, the state would force us to have the emission "updated" by VW and I had no idea what that would do to the performance of the car. Also, it was a sweet deal financially to sell a car back 5 years later (regardless of its shape) for 70% of what I paid. I know a lot of people are turned off from VW...but I would buy another VW in a heartbeat. They make great cars that are actually fun to drive!
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2011 Volkswagen Golf for sale near you
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Keeping My Golf pt. 6
Dave Ernst, 03/19/2016
updated 09/24/2018
2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L PZEV 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Really amazed at how this car retains its new-car feel. Not a squeak or rattle. Everything works, all buttons/knobs. Have kept up with all scheduled maintenance. Recently made an unscheduled visit, due to a faulty oil filter housing flange breaking. Whether this was due to part failure, or an overzealous oil change-tech (at a local Euro shop), I’ll never really know. The repair was pricey, and I’m not sure if I should dock the reliability stars a bit, or attribute it to tech-error. I can say the car has been totally reliable, incident notwithstanding. All in all, as I approach 7 years of ownership, thus far, it’s been a solid, enjoyable performer.
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Fun to drive, practical, reliable.
jdmarrapese, 06/23/2015
updated 12/23/2016
2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L 2dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I bought this car as a CPO with 20k miles. It was totaled around 70k miles. Fun to drive car, the 2.5 engine is torquey, but certainly not on par with the GTI. The interior is comfortable and holds up well, except for the headliner, which began to sag when the car was 4 years old; out of warranty & VW won't fix it. That aside I haven't had any other issues with the car, and I drove the car pretty hard. If you're driving it in the snow, I'd suggest getting snow tires. Sad to see the car get towed away. Besides the headliner issue I've been very happy with the car and would buy another one.
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Fun little car
etomic, 11/07/2010
2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L 4dr Hatchback (2.5L 5cyl 6A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
After test driving many cars, Honda Accord Coupe, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Civic, Fit, Toyota Corrolla. I settled on the 2011 Golf because I appreciated the lavish interior, I loved the drive, the insurance wasn't killer, and it had a four door option. I really couldn't find anything that was quite as fun to drive as a Golf in this price range. The Surge/Lag effect that was noted in earlier reviews looks like the effect of the normal drive mode up-shifting out of 1st gear to get the best fuel economy. If you truly can't stand it drive it in tiptronic. I really wanted a small compact fun to drive 4 dour and I believe the Golf offered the best interior and most fun to drive for the money.