Used 2012 Volkswagen Golf Diesel Consumer Reviews
Used Golf for sale
So far, so good
graham_line, 07/19/2013
2012 Volkswagen Golf 2.0L TDI 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
After 15 months and 17000 miles, car still feels like new. Plenty of room for two people and very comfortable on 600-700 mile days. Fuel economy is averaging in low 40s for a highway/city mix.
Drives great, economical. Media interface and customer care, not so good
radsm, 06/15/2012
2012 Volkswagen Golf 2.0L TDI 4dr Hatchback w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
We purchased the Golf TDI to be a solid feeling, fun to drive, high mileage commuter car. It has all off those attributes. It gets 40mpg combined highway and city. It's much zippier than my Passat V6, and is solid and well-built. The media interfaces, however, are very buggy. For instance, I pug in my iPhone and am listening to a track, when the bluetooth pairs with the phone. On that event, the multimedia interface dies and no sound comes out until I unplug the iPhone and re-plug it back in. This and other annoying bugs make the navigation/multimedia package a very bad deal. Customer CARE will not pass along bug reports to the QA department for fixing, so don't expect it to work ever.
2012 Volkswagen Golf for sale near you
Showing 3 of 3 listings
- 2.0L TDI Diesel 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $11,000251 mi away
- 2.0L TDI Diesel 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $6,995746 mi away
- 2.0L TDI Diesel 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $7,9951,337 mi away
Great car . . . BUT
volkswagon123, 06/13/2012
2012 Volkswagen Golf 2.0L TDI 4dr Hatchback w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
I love my VW Golf Diesel, BUT . . . the navigation system is faulty (tells you to get off the highway before your exit, turn right when you need to go left) and the FM radio song display shows only a few characters at a time (e.g. Jumpi; ng Jac; k Flash). There's no problem with the display while using satellite radio, CDs or an iPod. I researched both problems with the dealer and also called VW customer service about the FM radio display. They admitted these are problems, so if navigation or FM song display are important to you, then you need to look for a different car.
Love it... emissions and all.
Rockasaurus, 08/04/2015
updated 07/05/2017
2012 Volkswagen Golf 2.0L TDI 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
8 of 10 people found this review helpful
Three years later, "clean diesel" scandal and all, I still love this car. PROS: --The handling, suspension and brakes are excellent. You won't mistake it for a GTI, but it's sporty enough to be entertaining on a twisty road. --Acceleration, while not spectacular, is brisk enough to keep me out of trouble. Diesels are torque monsters, so you drive differently. As all of the oomph happens below 2500 RPM, there is no point in winding to the redline. The low end torque is great for city driving, but not so much on a twisty back road. --The interior layout is incredibly versatile. My two teenagers fit comfortably in the back (even on long trips). With the rear seats down, the cargo area becomes cavernous. I can't imagine ever buying another sedan. --Fit and finish are exceptional, and no other economy car feels this solid or substantial. Doors "thunk" when you close them, and noise isolation is excellent. Interior materials are high class and feel substantial. Ignore the VW logo on the steering wheel and you'd be hard pressed to differentiate the interior from an entry-level Audi. --And of course... the amazing fuel economy. I consistently average 44 MPG... COMBINED without making any special effort to do so. Tank range is over 600 miles; my bladder gives out long before my fuel supply does. I suspect (hope?) that the environmental damage that I'm causing by spewing nitrogen oxides is offset by the reduction in CO2 emissions. CONS: --Limited interior storage. To make room for the E-brake, the armrest storage bin is small and nearly useless. --The HVAC controls are almost impossible to read from the driver's seat, which is a stupid ergonomic mistake. Anyhow, most cars at this price point have climate control. --Mediocre electronics. The touchscreen and audio interface, while adequate, are well behind the state of the art. The interface with my iPhone is finicky and hasn't kept up with the many ways to listen to content (Spotify, podcasts, etc). The absence of a USB port (Until 2016, VW required a proprietary cable) is particularly annoying. --The driver's seats are weirdly articulated for my long torso, hunching me forward even with the lumbar cranked all the way up. I fixed this by removing the seats and stuffing a foam pad under the upholstery (takes about 45 minutes per seat). Now the seats are just about perfect. --Diesels don't like cold weather and I live in the upper Midwest. It takes a long time for the car to warm up on very cold mornings. The heated seats mitigate the sting considerably, however. The "cons" are really minor nits to pick. I absolutely love this car, and I'm dragging my feet on selling this car back to VW until I see what the "fix" does to performance and fuel economy. As is, I would be perfectly happy driving this baby until the wheels fall off.
- Safety
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Love my cute car!
rebby1, 07/31/2012
2012 Volkswagen Golf 2.0L TDI 2dr Hatchback w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I've had the car for 2k miles so far and I've loved every minute of it! Not only is it entertaining to drive, it is practical with a decent trunk and roomy cabin, it rides well, and it gets amazing mileage! So far I'm averaging 41.6mpg with about 1/4 highway, 1/4 city, and 1/2 suburban driving. And I'm not a slow driver either! I can fit my kids in the car with baggage for a 1 week trip without any problems, or a day's worth of activities and gear, all while leaving my work bag in the car. The Golf has enough pickup that I don't worry about passing or merging and a tight enough suspension to corner well and avoid accidents.