VW Golf Wagon is stable and efficient to drive
What you need to know:
One of the features that has endeared the VW Golf Wagon to its owners is its on and off-road capabilities such as braking efficiency and stability at high speeds, writes Roland D. Nasasira.
Bonny Barugaba
I bought the Volkswagen Golf Wagon in 2018. If feels heavy and firm when driving compared to other cars I have driven such as the Subaru. It is also comfortable. I had not gone out to buy it but the deal then was too good to ignore.
It runs on a 1980cc engine size and will give you approximately six kilometres on one litre of fuel on a normal day when I commute from Gayaza to office in Kololo. On a highway, it gives me approximately 14 kilometres for theone litre of fuel. Given the driving comfort it offers, the consumption is fair. The fear I had was that it was a German car but its performance and maintenance is beyond the common perception that people have about German cars.
Initially, I serviced it from a garage in Mengo but I would be overcharged until I was introduced to a specialised garage in Ndeeba that deals in German brands. The spare part shops in the neighbourhood of the garage also deal in German spares and they are cheaper compared to most garages and spare parts shops I have been to.
The mechanics at the garage are knowledgeable about German cars and they make the work easy.
On average, I spend between Shs170,000 to Shs200,000. The beauty with this car is that you do not need to carry a service manual in the car; the dashboard will be able to alert you on your next garage visit when you are left with approximately 500km or 200km before the next service date. It is also able to show you the mileage the engine oil can take you before you replace it.
I once replaced a component on the exhaust system that cost me Shs400,000. It was the most costly part I have had to replace since 2018.
When it comes to off-road performance, it is stable. The only challenge is that you have to drive slowly to avoid damaging some under parts such as the oil sump if you do not have a guard. It is generally a low ground clearance car that was built for urban roads. It is a front wheel drive.
Robert Batanda
One feature I like about the VW Golf wagon is its big and long trunk. When I travel upcountry, I can load as much luggage as I want because it even has a provision of adjusting the rear passenger seats to create more luggage space. However, it has to be light because heavy luggage has an impact on fuel consumption. You have to avoid loading it when you intend to drive on murram roads because it has a low ground clearance.
On the road, the VW Golf wagon goes up to 150km/hour and it gains even higher stability levels. The tyres tend to ‘come out’ of the car body to give you more driving stability. To the outsider, it may appear as though the car needs wheel alignment but it is how it was technologically made when driving at high speeds.
I live in Kungu , Wakiso and I use approximately Shs150,000 on fuel in a week. Sometimes it is less depending on what time I leave home and work to avoid being caught up in heavy traffic. My particular model of the VW Golf Wagon runs on a 2000cc engine that is affordable to maintain. The only challenge is that it consumes more fuel when driving in traffic jam compared to when I am driving on a highway.
Henry Oboth
I have driven the VW Golf Wagon for four years now. There is a popular perception and belief that German brands consume more fuel and are expensive to maintain but this car demystifies such beliefs. With its 2000cc engine size, I can afford to refuel it with Shs20,000 daily, enough to take me to work and back home. You may be damaging the fuel pump when refueling with such small amounts but it is sometimes unavoidable when you are not doing well financially.
It has an efficient braking system, a feature that most German brands have.
There are few garages that deal in genuine German spare parts and this makes sourcing for them a bit challenging. I sometimes import the spares online from Dubai and the United Kingdom when I fail to find what I need locally.
On average, I spend approximately Shs600,000 on major service and this is twice in a year. It is cheaper when you replace all parts and lubricants when you visit the garage than replacing one at a time.
