Golf TDi running costs

[Alexey]

Hi VW nuts!

I'm new to the board, so firstly I'll introduce myself. My name is Alexey, I live in Auckland and I drive a twin turbo subaru B4 RSK. This car has been great fun, but I'm thinking I'm maturing a bit and it's probably time to get something a bit more serious. VWs look just the ticket.

With the price of oil going through the roof, I've been seriously considering getting a Golf mark 5 TDI. However, the main thing holding me back is fear of the unknown, so to speak. I have heard horror stories about the poor reliability of european cars and, to add insult to injury, their horrific costs of repair. With this in mind, can anybody advise me on the reliability the Golf TDi, and how much they cost to service and repair compared to an average bread & butter Jap import?

I've included a poll for a graphical representation of your opinions.
Greatly appreciate your advice
Cheers
Alexey

[BOB]

We have a 2003 2.5 TDi in our work van and we love it. We get over 1000km per tank and love the power. It,s done 85 000km with no problems and is only due a clutch soon and normal cambelt water pump replacement at around 90 000 km. The mk5 runs a different fuel system and is even more fuel efficient. Take one for a drive before making up your mind. But keep in mind there aren't that many around so you would need to take it to someone with experience for servicing otherwise you would be paying someone to learn about your car