Volkswagen Golf Estate (2013 - 2020) 2.0 TDI GTD 5d Owner Review

This is my first standard road car for 10 years so I can't compare to other current models, but I'd compare it to a Peugeot 306 Hdi estate I had about 15 years ago - it's a bit bigger, heavier and faster, but has very similar fuel economy - and is rather more reliable, although that wasn't bad for a French car. There's little to grumble about in this Golf. The driver's door occasionally sounds like it's not properly sealed (slight wind noise) but it's not leaked. It's a bit of a battle for folk under about 5' 2" and over 6' to get comfy behind the wheel - I'd say look elsewhere if you're bigger or smaller than average. The car came with Bridgestone Potenza tyres (as are nearly all of these cars) which are utter rubbish; I replaced them with Michelin PSS which are quiet and very grippy (but they wear quickly!) for last summer and have had Nokian winters on since November, which are fine. With the right tyres, the car sticks to the road really well even when pushed hard round corners - the suspension also soaks up the bumps well. Motorway journeys are easy and comfy. Overtaking is fine, there's plenty of poke from the 184PS engine. The car reports a long-term average fuel economy of 51mpg, which is from a wide range of driving, but excluding urban use - I stay out of town and the car rarely does any urban miles. My local VW dealer is ok although arranging servicing is like pulling teeth with the number of stupid questions I get asked and time spent going through pointless formalities with admin people who know nothing and care less about cars. One point on running the car has been oil consumption - I've had to add about 1 litre of oil between oil changes so far. It might have been helpful if I'd been warned of this. I don't know if this will continue. My night vision isn't wonderful so the headlights are a big plus - nice and bright.