2012 VW Golf vs Subaru Impreza Hatchback

[unusuallyawesome]

Hi, first time car buyer (with limited knowledge of cars) and was hoping for some input on these cars.

I narrowed my choices down to 2 vehicles 2012 VW Golf Sportsline and the 2012 Subaru Impreza Hatchback Sportsline.
(Not looking at the GTI or WRX/STI as my budget is around 30K OTR)

Based on JD Power Subaru is the more reliable car (1.5 problems/car compared to 1.7 for the Golf). Subaru also has better fuel economy and the AWD is a plus.

The golf has the higher hp and torque. Also, the 0% financing for 5 years seems like a pretty good deal.

Any owners/people willing to share their thoughts/experiences with these 2 models?

Thanks in advance!

[noob666]

AWD, that alone is a good reason for a first time car owner to get the subaru

i am not saying you are a bad driver but it does help when there is snow on the winter road

[onecoolloser]

Take them both for a drive if you already haven't.

[aleks]

I've had both. (granted last gen impreza but looked at new ones) Golf if a way nicer car inside and drives better. Real world fuel econ will be about the same if you're getting the 2.5L golf. AWD will give you better traction in winter with the impreza. Take them both out and pick the one you like better. Can't go wrong with either choice really as long as you stay away from turbos with each manufacturer.

[fallengod]

test drive a golf... then test drive a GTI....

you will know what you want!

[rileywai]

4WD is better for winter

[Isostar]

Had both of them (old generation Golf, new Impreza). There is no major difference, Golf has a better quality inside (even if new Impreza has some improvements). I prefere VW chairs, have better support for me but opposite for my wife, so it seems depends on how big you are.
Go drive both of them and see what you like. Ensure car you drive has the gearbox that will be on your car. I can't compare, as VW was manual while Subaru has CVT.

[sickcars]

+1 for the golf. The better more comfortable interior is worth it since you will be spending a lot of time in the car & want to enjoy it. Also the gold is more fun to drive so that will help keeping you in love with the car. the last thing you want is to get bored of the car after a year or 2.

if you are interested in the golf I can get you into contact with a really good vw dealer that will give you a good price on the car and probably even match & beat other prices you may have. Same dealer I bought 3 cars from.

jsut send me a PM with your email & name if interested.

[Punira]

it'd be hard to get a sportline 2012 golf OTR for 30K. You might be just over a little of 30k.

[new_vr]

I have had both. They drive pretty similar under normal conditions, a heavy feeling in the road.
The awd does help in the winter.
The golf has a way nicer interior.
I think,mileage on the new Subaru is actually better now..it was pretty bad on mine.
I had all sorts of weird problems with the Subaru, and will never buy another one.
Maintenance costs, the impreza was actually more expensive than the golf..the regular scheduled maintenance is quite expensive

[unusuallyawesome]

Thanks for all the feedback!

I test drove the Golf today and liked the way it handled. Really liked the interior. After the test drive, the rep gave me some numbers. The rep offered $1000 off MSRP + 0% financing for 5 years, $0 down off the bat. Is that a solid deal? or is there some more room for negotiation?

I will be testing the Subaru this weekend. I've been hearing bad things about the CVT. Is it as bad as people are saying it is?

Thanks again.

[Dicdick]

I will be testing the Subaru this weekend. I've been hearing bad things about the CVT. Is it as bad as people are saying it is?
Thanks again.

lol I am in the same situation, but I am considering mazda3 as well
how was the test drive on impreza?

[Andro]

AWD, that alone is a good reason for a first time car owner to get the subaru

i am not saying you are a bad driver but it does help when there is snow on the winter road

FWD car is easy to operate, first time driver or not. FWD + winter tires is pretty good in winter.


test drive a golf... then test drive a GTI....

you will know what you want!

+1000000


4WD is better for winter

FWD w/ winters is pretty good in winter

[qpixoraw]

Thanks for all the feedback!

I test drove the Golf today and liked the way it handled. Really liked the interior. After the test drive, the rep gave me some numbers. The rep offered $1000 off MSRP + 0% financing for 5 years, $0 down off the bat. Is that a solid deal? or is there some more room for negotiation?

I will be testing the Subaru this weekend. I've been hearing bad things about the CVT. Is it as bad as people are saying it is?

Thanks again.

I test drive Impreza 2.0 and personally, I would go with it but 5 doors and manual transmission. IMO, the 5 doors has better looking, sportier, good space cargo and lighter weight than Sedan version. Because of AWD advantage and this car has great handling, good brakes, steering is also good, the shifter feels better than previous version, interior looks pretty good. I like the dark tone. But the downside of this car it's the lack of torque and horsepower, weak A/C and a bit road noise. I personally hate automatic transmission cause you don't feel completely control of your car, it's no fun, boring to drive due to pre-programmed and CVT is crap, lagging between (slow) gear when shifting.

To me, if I have a choice to choose between automatic vs manual transmission, I would always choose manual unless I really like this car in term of design/look, handling and performance but it doesn't offer manual...

Regarding VW Golf 2.5, it's a good car no doubt in term of handling, brakes but no AWD and it cost more to maintance and gas, be careful your wallet will probably suffer more to keep it in good shape in long term used. Not that sure it's as reliable unless you're a fan of Das Auto...

[jdmkidd]

Hi, first time car buyer (with limited knowledge of cars) and was hoping for some input on these cars.

I narrowed my choices down to 2 vehicles 2012 VW Golf Sportsline and the 2012 Subaru Impreza Hatchback Sportsline.
(Not looking at the GTI or WRX/STI as my budget is around 30K OTR)

Based on JD Power Subaru is the more reliable car (1.5 problems/car compared to 1.7 for the Golf). Subaru also has better fuel economy and the AWD is a plus.

The golf has the higher hp and torque. Also, the 0% financing for 5 years seems like a pretty good deal.

Any owners/people willing to share their thoughts/experiences with these 2 models?

Thanks in advance!

if you are up to it there are used Subaru WRX's you can get under 30k with everything in. I recently picked one up over a VW / Veloster Turbo

[sickcars]

Thanks for all the feedback!

I test drove the Golf today and liked the way it handled. Really liked the interior. After the test drive, the rep gave me some numbers. The rep offered $1000 off MSRP + 0% financing for 5 years, $0 down off the bat. Is that a solid deal? or is there some more room for negotiation?

I will be testing the Subaru this weekend. I've been hearing bad things about the CVT. Is it as bad as people are saying it is?

Thanks again.

I knew you would love the golf, you may pay a little more but its worth it for the better ride/interior & the 2.5L engine is one of VW best gas engines they sell.

If you are interested I can get you into contact with a very good dealer that I & family have bought cars from. The sales manager would probably be willing to beat the quote you got from the other dealer. If interested PM me and we can go from there.

[qpixoraw]

if you are up to it there are used Subaru WRX's you can get under 30k with everything in. I recently picked one up over a VW / Veloster Turbo

It's a performance great car but no same category of what the OP is looking for I think.
Depending the needs but in term of gas economy the WRX only uses Premium gas and suffers lot of cost and IMO, I find the hood looks so ugly...

[unusuallyawesome]

test drive a golf... then test drive a GTI....

you will know what you want!

I would love to get the GTI but it'll put me over my budget....


I test drive Impreza 2.0 and personally, I would go with it but 5 doors and manual transmission. IMO, the 5 doors has better looking, sportier, good space cargo and lighter weight than Sedan version. Because of AWD advantage and this car has great handling, good brakes, steering is also good, the shifter feels better than previous version, interior looks pretty good. I like the dark tone. But the downside of this car it's the lack of torque and horsepower, weak A/C and a bit road noise. I personally hate automatic transmission cause you don't feel completely control of your car, it's no fun, boring to drive due to pre-programmed and CVT is crap, lagging between (slow) gear when shifting.

To me, if I have a choice to choose between automatic vs manual transmission, I would always choose manual unless I really like this car in term of design/look, handling and performance but it doesn't offer manual...

Regarding VW Golf 2.5, it's a good car no doubt in term of handling, brakes but no AWD and it cost more to maintance and gas, be careful your wallet will probably suffer more to keep it in good shape in long term used. Not that sure it's as reliable unless you're a fan of Das Auto...

I pretty much had the same thoughts as you... handling, brakes and steering were good, interior was ok....road noise was noticeably louder than the golf, lack of torque and felt the lag when shifting from reverse to drive.....(the dealer only had the base model for the test drive)

personally, i like the impreza's exterior better but like the golf's interior.... handling and braking felt the same for both cars (but that's mainly b/c it's summer)...will need a couple of days to think it over...

[thepotatohead]

I would love to get the GTI but it'll put me over my budget....



I pretty much had the same thoughts as you... handling, brakes and steering were good, interior was ok....road noise was noticeably louder than the golf, lack of torque and felt the lag when shifting from reverse to drive.....(the dealer only had the base model for the test drive)

personally, i like the impreza's exterior better but like the golf's interior.... handling and braking felt the same for both cars (but that's mainly b/c it's summer)...will need a couple of days to think it over...

I got my 5dr CVT limited back in Jan. Golf, Mazda3 and Focus were on my short list as well. I agree the car need more sound deaden material and a few more ponies under the hood. The peddle shift on CVT actually works pretty well. If you can live without 4WD, there are better options available. But, I was looking for snow day like never before over last winter. It is quite a fun little "angry bird"(some reviewers referring to its look).
I am not sure you can still factory order a 2012. Rear view camera may come as an option for 2013.

[qpixoraw]

I would love to get the GTI but it'll put me over my budget....



I pretty much had the same thoughts as you... handling, brakes and steering were good, interior was ok....road noise was noticeably louder than the golf, lack of torque and felt the lag when shifting from reverse to drive.....(the dealer only had the base model for the test drive)

personally, i like the impreza's exterior better but like the golf's interior.... handling and braking felt the same for both cars (but that's mainly b/c it's summer)...will need a couple of days to think it over...

Overall, Impreza is not a bad car and AWD is a plus to have especially during winter.

If you intend to get a VW, I think a better choice it's to get a TDI fuel economy but it will cost you a little more also maintenance...

[thelefteyeguy]

Hi, first time car buyer (with limited knowledge of cars) and was hoping for some input on these cars.

I narrowed my choices down to 2 vehicles 2012 VW Golf Sportsline and the 2012 Subaru Impreza Hatchback Sportsline.
(Not looking at the GTI or WRX/STI as my budget is around 30K OTR)

Based on JD Power Subaru is the more reliable car (1.5 problems/car compared to 1.7 for the Golf). Subaru also has better fuel economy and the AWD is a plus.

The golf has the higher hp and torque. Also, the 0% financing for 5 years seems like a pretty good deal.

Any owners/people willing to share their thoughts/experiences with these 2 models?

Thanks in advance!

call your insurance agent asap...and get a quote for both of them...you may get your answer pretty quickly :lol:

[gilboman]

look into maintenance costs as well..just returned from VW dealer for oil change for an econobox rabbit/golf... $210 + tax for an oil change and tire rotation ...ridiculous

spark plugs every 64k?? what are we? in the stone age?

[sickcars]

look into maintenance costs as well..just returned from VW dealer for oil change for an econobox rabbit/golf... $210 + tax for an oil change and tire rotation ...ridiculous

spark plugs every 64k?? what are we? in the stone age?


oil changes depending on the car are usually around $100, full synthetic & usually done every 15,000km or so. You usually pay around $60 for an oil change every 8,000km on the average car so $100 is actually no a bad price.

Tire Rotation is up to you, you cant deny the service and do it yourself if your can or take it somewhere cheaper if you wish.

As for spark plugs, I dont see what the big deal is? Spark plugs are not expensive and you are far better off changing them around that time to keep your car running good. Sure spark plugs can last up to over 100k but it does not mean you should wait that long to change them imo.

[gilboman]

oil changes depending on the car are usually around $100, full synthetic & usually done every 15,000km or so. You usually pay around $60 for an oil change every 8,000km on the average car so $100 is actually no a bad price.

Tire Rotation is up to you, you cant deny the service and do it yourself if your can or take it somewhere cheaper if you wish.

As for spark plugs, I dont see what the big deal is? Spark plugs are not expensive and you are far better off changing them around that time to keep your car running good. Sure spark plugs can last up to over 100k but it does not mean you should wait that long to change them imo.

VW does not do $100 oil changes even if you don't do tire rotation (why not) and none of the inspections. oil itself is $60, filter is $20, screw is $3 , oil disposal is $9 labour for VW is $130/hr, cheapest for an oil change with no rotation/inspections or anything will be $140 +tax give or take.

Spark plugs on every other make lasts 160k plus easily, don't know why VW won't join the 21st century and use iridium

even changing it at 160k is early for iridium plugs.

[new_vr]

VW does not do $100 oil changes even if you don't do tire rotation (why not) and none of the inspections. oil itself is $60, filter is $20, screw is $3 , oil disposal is $9 labour for VW is $130/hr, cheapest for an oil change with no rotation/inspections or anything will be $140 +tax give or take.

Spark plugs on every other make lasts 160k plus easily, don't know why VW won't join the 21st century and use iridium

even changing it at 160k is early for iridium plugs.
But they are comparing this car to an impreza not a civic or corolla. The maintenance costs on my impreza are very high too, and that's just for following the scheduled maintenance

[DaLurker]

VW does not do $100 oil changes even if you don't do tire rotation (why not) and none of the inspections. oil itself is $60, filter is $20, screw is $3 , oil disposal is $9 labour for VW is $130/hr, cheapest for an oil change with no rotation/inspections or anything will be $140 +tax give or take.

Spark plugs on every other make lasts 160k plus easily, don't know why VW won't join the 21st century and use iridium

even changing it at 160k is early for iridium plugs.


That's incorrect. You can get an oil change at a VW dealer for less than $100. I do synthetic oil changes on my GTI at Town and Country VW for $90 taxes in.

[sickcars]

VW does not do $100 oil changes even if you don't do tire rotation (why not) and none of the inspections. oil itself is $60, filter is $20, screw is $3 , oil disposal is $9 labour for VW is $130/hr, cheapest for an oil change with no rotation/inspections or anything will be $140 +tax give or take.

Spark plugs on every other make lasts 160k plus easily, don't know why VW won't join the 21st century and use iridium

even changing it at 160k is early for iridium plugs.

You are incorrect, please stop spreading wrong information. I went to a VW Dealer for my oil change on my VW GTI & Paid just under $100 taxes in for an oil change. Yes each car will vary depending on engine size and so on but yes you can get an oil change for $100 I do it.

Do they last 160k? Sure so the manufacture says so, does any good mechanic actually recommend that? Nope. They will tell you that you should do it much sooner to be on the safe side and have your car running as best as it can & for the price of spark plugs there is no reason to wait until 160k unless you are super cheap & dont care.

[unusuallyawesome]

Thanks all! Thanked everyone on the thread...

I ended up going with the Golf. I think I got a pretty good deal plus the insurance as ~$300 cheaper/yr.

It came up to $31,500 all in (financing option) for a 5dr, Auto Golf Sportsline w/ connectivity package.
Broker price for a 5dr sportsline was $28,600 (cash) ... so adding $2250 for cash incentive + ~$500 for connectivity = $31,350
so...between the broker and dealer was only $150....which seemed pretty good....

I noticed a few new threads w/ ppl interested in a golf..so if anyone has any q's feel free to pm me and i'll try my best to help..

btw...anyone know the proper way to 'break in' a new car? There's mixed views on this subject..some say baby it for the first 1-2k while others drive it like they stole it....

Hopefully someone who has owned a Golf can share their experiences?

[sickcars]

Thanks all! Thanked everyone on the thread...

I ended up going with the Golf. I think I got a pretty good deal plus the insurance as ~$300 cheaper/yr.

It came up to $31,500 all in (financing option) for a 5dr, Auto Golf Sportsline w/ connectivity package.
Broker price for a 5dr sportsline was $28,600 (cash) ... so adding $2250 for cash incentive + ~$500 for connectivity = $31,350
so...between the broker and dealer was only $150....which seemed pretty good....

I noticed a few new threads w/ ppl interested in a golf..so if anyone has any q's feel free to pm me and i'll try my best to help..

btw...anyone know the proper way to 'break in' a new car? There's mixed views on this subject..some say baby it for the first 1-2k while others drive it like they stole it....

Hopefully someone who has owned a Golf can share their experiences?

Search or ask on vwvortex.com they will know the proper way to break in the engine.

[malecoke]

Thanks all! Thanked everyone on the thread...

I ended up going with the Golf. I think I got a pretty good deal plus the insurance as ~$300 cheaper/yr.

It came up to $31,500 all in (financing option) for a 5dr, Auto Golf Sportsline w/ connectivity package.
Broker price for a 5dr sportsline was $28,600 (cash) ... so adding $2250 for cash incentive + ~$500 for connectivity = $31,350
so...between the broker and dealer was only $150....which seemed pretty good....

I noticed a few new threads w/ ppl interested in a golf..so if anyone has any q's feel free to pm me and i'll try my best to help..

btw...anyone know the proper way to 'break in' a new car? There's mixed views on this subject..some say baby it for the first 1-2k while others drive it like they stole it....

Hopefully someone who has owned a Golf can share their experiences?

Congrats, you've made a great choice.

In terms of breaking in the engine, it's mostly just common sense. You're gonna hear 1000 theories from different people. General rule of thumb, avoid hard braking and acceleration for the first 5000km, and long trips involving steady speeds for extended periods of time. Go easy on the A/C, don't just start the car and turn it on to full blast.

[betasharp]

Congrats, you've made a great choice.

In terms of breaking in the engine, it's mostly just common sense. You're gonna hear 1000 theories from different people. General rule of thumb, avoid hard braking and acceleration for the first 5000km, and long trips involving steady speeds for extended periods of time. Go easy on the A/C, don't just start the car and turn it on to full blast.

While I do agree on taking it easy and driving your car with a variety of speeds, I think the 5000km break in point is a little excessive. I remember looking into the manual once for that car and I think it said drive carefully till 1500 km but I could be wrong. Either way, like you said, its always different theories from everyone.

[brian.gerson]

Breaking in a Golf? Go easy for the first 2 tanks of gas, no full acceleration and no full braking. Also no cruise control. But don't worry too much about it, this is a fine piece of German engineering with cylnders honed to fractions of a thou by a robot. It ain't a 1970s Chevy.

[Spor 13]

Congrats on buying a golf! You'll love it! I bought mine (2.5L Comfortline w/ Connectivity) last year, which came to $29,700 and still happy I chose a Golf over a Civic, Elantra or Focus.

Re: Maintenance - The scheduled maintenance can get a bit expensive. I did my 15K service this past winter at Town and Country VW and it came out to $285. The 30K service is going to be even more expensive but I've got a little while before that happens. But I fully knew this going into the purchase so I don't mind too much.

As for breaking it in, I just drove a little more "sensible" and didn't really go hard until at least the engine warmed up for a while. I did this until 1500kms.