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[Varche]

Predictably it was a mixed bag.

Only 90 minutes away which was a huge plus with dog and MIL in tow on a blazing hot day.

Despite arranging the viewing for Friday the young lad got the date wrong and waited on Thursday before sending a message "thanks for not coming and not advising me". He wanted to meet at a shopping centre (private seller). Come the appointed time and no sign so I called him on the mobile he had given us. wrong number. Got online and sent him an email saying we are waiting.

The car was a 4 year old 50,000mile 2.0 diesel VW auto golf estate. High spec. Visual inspection was good. No spare wheel but he assured me that was normal and showed me the 12v pump and glue supplied with car.

Paperwork. First problem as I specifically wanted to avoid private sellers. Ad said full VW service history. Verbally he advised just VW for first year as it was free. Rest was without receipts to avoid paying VAT by a local garage.

Air con. It was pathetic. He said it was black car and hot day.  Today he rang to say he hadn't pressed the on button!

He hadn't a clue about how some of the many features worked. It had park assist 2 and I asked him to demo that. Very impressive on paper BUT it kerbed reversing and then again going forward. I didn't look but earlier the wheels and tyres had no damage whatsoever on them. Third set of tyres in 50k miles just fitted.

He assured me it was the highline model but on my test drive I went to try cruise and it wasn't fitted. Can't imagine why someone would despecify a feature. Deal breaker!! maybe tunnie knows as in addition to the model e.g. Sport, Advance, Highline you can also opt for various packs when buying new . safety pack, comfort pack and so on. This one had leather and cloth seats which were really good. In fact tunnie what features would you advise to have?

Overall a bit dissappointing as it is a military excercise finding a car and viewing.   

Next steps. We are going to look at similar Passat estates ,but a few more miles, which are more plentiful but still rare. There is one in Madrid which for 150 euros they will ship to their Seville depot for viewing. Sounds a lot but not compared with six driving hours each way and a hotel . 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Predictably it was a mixed bag.

Only 90 minutes away which was a huge plus with dog and MIL in tow on a blazing hot day.

Despite arranging the viewing for Friday the young lad got the date wrong and waited on Thursday before sending a message "thanks for not coming and not advising me". He wanted to meet at a shopping centre (private seller). Come the appointed time and no sign so I called him on the mobile he had given us. wrong number. Got online and sent him an email saying we are waiting.

The car was a 4 year old 50,000mile 2.0 diesel VW auto golf estate. High spec. Visual inspection was good. No spare wheel but he assured me that was normal and showed me the 12v pump and glue supplied with car.

Paperwork. First problem as I specifically wanted to avoid private sellers. Ad said full VW service history. Verbally he advised just VW for first year as it was free. Rest was without receipts to avoid paying VAT by a local garage.

Air con. It was pathetic. He said it was black car and hot day.  Today he rang to say he hadn't pressed the on button!

He hadn't a clue about how some of the many features worked. It had park assist 2 and I asked him to demo that. Very impressive on paper BUT it kerbed reversing and then again going forward. I didn't look but earlier the wheels and tyres had no damage whatsoever on them. Third set of tyres in 50k miles just fitted.

He assured me it was the highline model but on my test drive I went to try cruise and it wasn't fitted. Can't imagine why someone would despecify a feature. Deal breaker!! maybe tunnie knows as in addition to the model e.g. Sport, Advance, Highline you can also opt for various packs when buying new . safety pack, comfort pack and so on. This one had leather and cloth seats which were really good. In fact tunnie what features would you advise to have?

Overall a bit dissappointing as it is a military excercise finding a car and viewing.   

Next steps. We are going to look at similar Passat estates ,but a few more miles, which are more plentiful but still rare. There is one in Madrid which for 150 euros they will ship to their Seville depot for viewing. Sounds a lot but not compared with six driving hours each way and a hotel .

Running on petrol.

I know they are scarce but the alternative is a horrible smoky device that is not long for this world.

[tunnie]

Does not sound highline spec, normally in the UK they have Leather, did yours have this? Cruise would be standard too via the extra stalk, also air-con should be ice cold. In the heat-wave we had here a while ago the VW's aircon was excellent!

You can get extra packs, light upgrade to LED front/rear for DLR's, there are sport packs and so on. Do you have a link to the advert?

Running on petrol.

I know they are scarce but the alternative is a horrible smoky device that is not long for this world.

If I lost the CC tomorrow, I would actively seek a diesel over petrol. At speed on the motorway my CC is more refined engine was, it's just silent thanks to it's low idle and it's effortless 50-70 say. The 3.2 drones and and makes a nice noise, but likes to let you know you are going faster. 

Mine is not smokey and I love the low down torque and turbo. Suits my driving style and I genuinely prefer the power delivery over petrol. 

[Andy H]

Predictably it was a mixed bag.

Only 90 minutes away which was a huge plus with dog and MIL in tow on a blazing hot day.

Despite arranging the viewing for Friday the young lad got the date wrong and waited on Thursday before sending a message "thanks for not coming and not advising me". He wanted to meet at a shopping centre (private seller). Come the appointed time and no sign so I called him on the mobile he had given us. wrong number. Got online and sent him an email saying we are waiting.

The car was a 4 year old 50,000mile 2.0 diesel VW auto golf estate. High spec. Visual inspection was good. No spare wheel but he assured me that was normal and showed me the 12v pump and glue supplied with car.

Paperwork. First problem as I specifically wanted to avoid private sellers. Ad said full VW service history. Verbally he advised just VW for first year as it was free. Rest was without receipts to avoid paying VAT by a local garage.

Air con. It was pathetic. He said it was black car and hot day.  Today he rang to say he hadn't pressed the on button!

He hadn't a clue about how some of the many features worked. It had park assist 2 and I asked him to demo that. Very impressive on paper BUT it kerbed reversing and then again going forward. I didn't look but earlier the wheels and tyres had no damage whatsoever on them. Third set of tyres in 50k miles just fitted.

He assured me it was the highline model but on my test drive I went to try cruise and it wasn't fitted. Can't imagine why someone would despecify a feature. Deal breaker!! maybe tunnie knows as in addition to the model e.g. Sport, Advance, Highline you can also opt for various packs when buying new . safety pack, comfort pack and so on. This one had leather and cloth seats which were really good. In fact tunnie what features would you advise to have?

Overall a bit dissappointing as it is a military excercise finding a car and viewing.   

Next steps. We are going to look at similar Passat estates ,but a few more miles, which are more plentiful but still rare. There is one in Madrid which for 150 euros they will ship to their Seville depot for viewing. Sounds a lot but not compared with six driving hours each way and a hotel .

I think it should be a simple task to enable cruise using VCDS or else there might be an error code that is preventing it from engaging

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Mr Tunnie....we must agree to disagree.

The fact that I'm right and you are wrong is irrelevant.

[tunnie]

Mr Tunnie....we must agree to disagree.

The fact that I'm right and you are wrong is irrelevant.

Sadly not all of us can run an XF-R (which if I could afford, would run in a heat-beat) *actually I would probably run a BMW M5 with that budget. 

Nor can I afford £50/m to tax a big Vectra. 

So I must do with my sleek diesel saloon, which costs £30/yr to tax and can do anything from 50 to 75mpg depending how I drive. 

[STEMO]

Mr Tunnie....we must agree to disagree.

The fact that I'm right and you are wrong is irrelevant.

Sadly not all of us can run an XF-R (which if I could afford, would run in a heat-beat) *actually I would probably run a BMW M5 with that budget. 

Nor can I afford £50/m to tax a big Vectra. 

So I must do with my sleek diesel saloon, which costs £30/yr to tax and can do anything from 50 to 75mpg depending how I drive. 

Mine's showing 32mpg at the moment, but that will settle down when I stop 'playing' with it.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Mr Tunnie....we must agree to disagree.

The fact that I'm right and you are wrong is irrelevant.

Sadly not all of us can run an XF-R (which if I could afford, would run in a heat-beat) *actually I would probably run a BMW M5 with that budget. 

Nor can I afford £50/m to tax a big Vectra. 

So I must do with my sleek diesel saloon, which costs £30/yr to tax and can do anything from 50 to 75mpg depending how I drive. 

Er....Signum. Vectra's are as common as muck. The mighty Signum is for the lucky few.

Very few 2.8T Signum about........

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

STMO says he will see far more than 32 MPG.....'when he stops playing with it'

From personal experience cutting back on self-abuse makes no difference to how much derv a car will use.

[Doctor Gollum]

STMO says he will see far more than 32 MPG.....'when he stops playing with it'

From personal experience cutting back on self-abuse makes no difference to how much derv a car will use.

True. Although it will last longer once the novelty has worn off

[tigers_gonads]

STMO says he will see far more than 32 MPG.....'when he stops playing with it'

From personal experience cutting back on self-abuse makes no difference to how much derv a car will use.

All depends if he is driving at the same time tbh 

I can imagine the old right foot could get a little twitchy near the vinegar stroke which would affect the mpg figures 
I suppose he could use cruise control if fitted 

[biggriffin]

Predictably it was a mixed bag.

Only 90 minutes away which was a huge plus with dog and MIL in tow on a blazing hot day.

Despite arranging the viewing for Friday the young lad got the date wrong and waited on Thursday before sending a message "thanks for not coming and not advising me". He wanted to meet at a shopping centre (private seller). Come the appointed time and no sign so I called him on the mobile he had given us. wrong number. Got online and sent him an email saying we are waiting.

The car was a 4 year old 50,000mile 2.0 diesel VW auto golf estate. High spec. Visual inspection was good. No spare wheel but he assured me that was normal and showed me the 12v pump and glue supplied with car.

Paperwork. First problem as I specifically wanted to avoid private sellers. Ad said full VW service history. Verbally he advised just VW for first year as it was free. Rest was without receipts to avoid paying VAT by a local garage.

Air con. It was pathetic. He said it was black car and hot day.  Today he rang to say he hadn't pressed the on button!

He hadn't a clue about how some of the many features worked. It had park assist 2 and I asked him to demo that. Very impressive on paper BUT it kerbed reversing and then again going forward. I didn't look but earlier the wheels and tyres had no damage whatsoever on them. Third set of tyres in 50k miles just fitted.

He assured me it was the highline model but on my test drive I went to try cruise and it wasn't fitted. Can't imagine why someone would despecify a feature. Deal breaker!! maybe tunnie knows as in addition to the model e.g. Sport, Advance, Highline you can also opt for various packs when buying new . safety pack, comfort pack and so on. This one had leather and cloth seats which were really good. In fact tunnie what features would you advise to have?

Overall a bit dissappointing as it is a military excercise finding a car and viewing.   

Next steps. We are going to look at similar Passat estates ,but a few more miles, which are more plentiful but still rare. There is one in Madrid which for 150 euros they will ship to their Seville depot for viewing. Sounds a lot but not compared with six driving hours each way and a hotel .

. 


Cars in Europe, might be same model as UK, but have different spec, 
I think you missed a chance  snr varche, on getting a deal.

[Varche]

We have done the diesel/petrol bit before. Can't risk a 1.4 petrol with known issues e.g. cam jumping a tooth if you leave it in gear on a slope! Hardly any petrol engined bigger cars anyway.

tunnie. he rang later to say he hadn't pressed the on button for air con. I believe him. He wasn't switched on like Brits are with buying/selling.

Here is the advert link https://www.milanuncios.com/volkswagen-de-segunda-mano/volkswagen-golf-237536766.htm
Translated it reads "Selling Volkswagen golf variant in perfect condition. Engine 2.0 tdi of 150hp with automatic dsg change. Bi-xenon directional headlamps, navigator, hard disk, front and rear parking sensors, park assist, heated leather seats with lumbar massage. Volkswagen complete maintenance. Colour Black"

It also had aux point, door strip lights, wing mirrors that angle themselves down when reversing on the kerbside.touchscreen sat nav ,radio etc. Not sure what you would use the hard drive for.

I agree that in the Uk the models seem fairly consistent with what you get. The Golf cruise function is operated by a switch on the steering wheel itself on the left. This car had something there but not cruise. It was volume I think. The basic(very basic) 1.6 diesel golf estate we hired for holidays in June had cruise. Getting it retrofitted might be easy or more likely over here a whole load of expensive main dealer hassle. Easier to have it as standard. I do agree that no dfoubt the wiring loom is there.

[Doctor Gollum]

That looked tidy enough

[Varche]

It had one six foot shallow scratch down the passenger side. From a roadside branch.

The reason he was selling was to get a small petrol car. Granada isheading forbanning diesels in the centre where his wife works.

[TD]

Two points here...

1. He wanted to meet you at a shopping centre to show you the car
2. He gave you a mobile phone number that didn't work

Run away from it!

Theres something not right with someone not willing to show you a car at their home address and not giving you a working mobile number! He's hiding something and doesn't want you coming back to him!

[Sir Tigger KC]

Jeez I can't believe the price difference between that and a comparable here in Blighty! It's almost double!!   

[Lincs Robert]

You can't compare trim levels between markets really. The manufacturers mix standard & optional features around between countries, so what's standard in one might be optional in another.

Even the names are confusing. When Omega B was launched the MV6 model was sort of equivalent to Elite spec in the rest of Europe & I think Elite was only ever used in UK market.

[Varche]

Two points here...

1. He wanted to meet you at a shopping centre to show you the car
2. He gave you a mobile phone number that didn't work

Run away from it!

Theres something not right with someone not willing to show you a car at their home address and not giving you a working mobile number! He's hiding something and doesn't want you coming back to him!

Good points . Which is why i prefer a dealer. You have a bit of comeback. His ( or someones name) was on the vehicle documents. If i had been buying he would have had to prove his Id. One plus of having to have Id cards.

Price differences. Got to be some disadvantage for living in paradise. Have investigated lhd in uk. They are still marked up plus you have the rigmarole of viewing and getting vehicle back and then the real rigmarole of putting onto Spanish plates.

Spot on about trim levels. Hardly any sun roofs here. Much as we love the extra light , the recent thread on sunroofs caused us to stop looking for them.

[tunnie]

It looks highline spec in those photos, it looks like very tidy.

To me it looks like it has the light upgrade we see in the UK, normally on R spec. Perhaps standard there on that trim, the radio is also the later generation than mine, all looks very good to me 

I don't use the HDD myself, nor the SD card reader. Thanks for bluetooth audio streaming, I just use that and Spotify. Too much hassle transferring tunes manually.

I'd echo TD's comments, why not meet at his house if he is selling? Or is it he one of these part time traders with viewing by appointment only job?

[TheBoy]

Mr Tunnie....we must agree to disagree.

The fact that I'm right and you are wrong is irrelevant.

Sadly not all of us can run an XF-R (which if I could afford, would run in a heat-beat) *actually I would probably run a BMW M5 with that budget. 

Nor can I afford £50/m to tax a big Vectra. 

So I must do with my sleek diesel saloon, which costs £30/yr to tax and can do anything from 50 to 75mpg depending how I drive. 

Mine's showing 32mpg at the moment, but that will settle down when I stop 'playing' with it.

My newer soot chucker manages about that when averaged out over a few tanks.  In line with all Jag fuel computers, it claims far, far more (40ish I believe, last time I looked, which isn't often when you know its 'dangle berries')

Mrs TB is relegated to the Battlesbus currently, as TBE is awaiting some DTM magic, and she doesn't like driving the XJ solo.  She's boasting she got 42mpg out of the last tankful.  Christ, I'm glad I wasn't on any of those journeys

[TheBoy]

I don't use the HDD myself, nor the SD card reader. Thanks for bluetooth audio streaming, I just use that and Spotify. Too much hassle transferring tunes manually.

I'm guessing, going by many threads over the years, the other disadvantage to living in Varche's paradise compared to Londonium, is a complete lack of usable mobile internet.

A small price to pay, IMHO.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Its a DSG.....move on and walk away!

[Varche]

To what though ? Much less powershift fords Aroundfor example.

163 cv auto diesel 2.0 Insignia? Cheaper than VW.

[Doctor Gollum]

To what though ? Much less powershift fords Aroundfor example.

163 cv auto diesel 2.0 Insignia? Cheaper than VW.

At least that has a regular gearbox