Thanks Ryan, that's very kind of you! I don't know how to get more subs apart from making the best videos I can. It's a hard slog though but comments like yours make it worthwhile so big 👍
Nice review. I've had my 7.5 GTE advance 4 years and it really does everything you need. I had a GTi while mine was in for a service and didn't enjoy it as much. I believe the mk8 has had some of the driving options removed which is a shame, but guess it makes it simpler to use for the majority of drivers. I do tend to switch between electric, hybrid and hold to make the most of the batteries and to warm the engine before a motorway or faster driving as the default is the electric remains active until the engine is warm, which of course depletes the batteries quickly.
I run the 2017 Passat GTE (produces slightly more power, and slightly more electric range) I've been very impressed by the car! In GTE mode, when driving sensibly it charges the battery(s) and when you put your foot down, its 30-70, 50-90 times are really impressive, the torque and pull from the electric motor combined to the revvy little petrol turbo engine make the car feel a lot more 'swift' than it would seem on paper. I've recorded (on full charge in GTE mode) a constant 0-60 time of 5.8/5.9 seconds. Which considering it can do 'infinite' miles per gallon on my daily commute (10 miles to work, charge at work, 10 miles home) I cannot ask for more! - I average 900-1100 miles per tank. I appreciate for some people it wouldn't work out so cost effective but for me its been an excellent water test for an electric/hybrid vehicle. Cannot wait for the technology to continue getting better!!
I have one and I love it. Since my daily commute is less than 10 miles, I only use petrol on weekends. I had a tank lasted 2 months! Regarding the time to open the petrol flap, the delay happens because the petrol tank is pressurized due to its location further back in the car because of the batteries.
That's not the reason ("due to its location further back in the car") the tank is pressurised. Petrol is a mix of various substances with varying degrees of volatility (the tendency to vaporise). In the car's manual it states that over time, the petrol's most volatile components may vaporise and escape the tank. Over 2 months this may add up to be significant and the petrol still in the tank would be of a lower quality. Keeping the tank pressurized keeps all the components inside and, as such, it keeps up the quality of the fuel.
Great review that is very relatable! My parents drive an 2017 a3-etron, and there isn't a better car for them at the moment. Because they only do short trips. They charge it with the solar panels on the roof and use the combustion engine maybe 20 times a year (their previous car, a Q3 2.0q did on average 14L/100km with that kind of driving). And lets not forget the massive engine wear for an engine that comes up to temperature only a few times a year, poor Q3). Must say the a3 feels initially as quite good fun to drive, but push it a little harder and its just understeer and quite a bit of weight to carry around. In driving dynamics I prefer my tuned up tsi by far. But comapring a tuned car to a standard one is incorrect. And for everyday driving, the a3 is much more silent and comfortable, especially the nightheater and pre-cooling available via the myaudi app are just utter luxury.
Interesting feedback Damian thanks. I think the A3 e-tron isn't setup to drive as well as GTE, it's targetting a different audience even though the ingredients are the same. As for the weight, I found the GTE more likely to oversteer than a standard car because of the extra weight over the rear but the A3 is probably setup to go into understeer earlier. The hybrid weight distribution is more balanced then in an IC MQB based car so it's not all bad!
I think so, must be the same for the passat gte. The golf looks much more sporty than the a3 and it’s not as high on his springs. I’m curious to see how a golf gte drives.
18:45 i did that once in my GTE and felt so bad tbh. It was a cold day and the engine had been sitting for 2 weeks and i pressed kickdown not realizing it and the engine went straight to redline😭
Not seen this before but it could be describing my 2015 audi A3 e-tron which I've had for 3years now and it tremendous fun. It's a great short trip EV and longer trips with a battery support it returns 80 to 110 mpg on a tank. The petrol tank is vacuumed (I assume to preserve the petrol which you might not use for ages) so the release button is equalising the pressure.
Charge mode is only for occasional use. On long trips if you have a lot of city driving coming up I occasionally top the battery so I am emission free in town. Later models will not self charge beyond 50%
Hey man, I'm a GTE 7.5 owner... and I love the car, and I feel your review! BUT: the weight and the subsequent handling really is an issue for someone looking for cornering pleasure... No matter how talented the chassis is... My previous car was a Ford Focus ST, and there simply is no comparison. The ST had any corner for breakfast, and the GTE, well... let's say it's most comfortable going straight and 'eating' long highway corners... But backroads, no thank you. That said, it remains a superb daily driver, with amazing performance for great economy, if you do charge at any possible occasion. :-)
I have a 68 plate GTE, love it. With a 10 mile each way commute I hardly ever use the ICE during the week. Costs around £1 to charge in around 2 hours with my 7kw charge point in the garage. I find that the air con doesn't affect range too much if you use it on a low setting, I think the expected range displayed assumes a worst case scenario. Just under a year to go on the lease, will happily extend it... or maybe look at full electric, we'll see.
Hi, Can you please help me with a few questions. What is the long term reliability of the GTE? My only concern is the cost as its a hybrid and I have heard VW do not have many spare parts for the GTE. Also, what is the range of pure electric drive during a cold day and a hot day?
Great review as always Andrew! Nice cars, drive well and a great low cost option for company car drivers but I think a GTD makes more sense if you are spending your own money. They handle better, are pretty rapid for a sub-200hp 2.0 diesel and also very frugal pretty much however they are driven. Pre facelift cars make a very good value warm hatch now as well.
B - mode just loses energy by bypassing the kinetic energy to motor brake. Comes in handy when you come down for 30 miles from the mountains and there risk of charging overheating. I have used it in northern Norway, never otherwise. You never need B - mode in every day driving. The energy is collected better in D - mode, as in my gte Passat.
Thanks for that one, Andrew. A great and practical review as usual. It has given me food for thought for my next car in about two years.... All best from Wolverhampton!!👍🏼
If you have the chance, i think taking a look ar oil samples from the engine and the DSG shortly before they are changed might indicate how good the TSI and the fancy 0DD-Gearbox will keep up in the long-term...
Anyone who thinks they'll never go Electric, once you've driven this car.. you will want one. I have one and have had it for 7 months, I have a courtesy car atm which is diesel as I was rear ended so in for repairs. I am missing the electric/petrol feeling. It's insanely smooth, addictive and feels so natural. Not many cars on a normal drive will beat you from the lights in this thing.
I own one of these and have had it for about 6 weeks. Mine is the same spec with DCC and can only echo what Andrew has said about this car. Absolutely fantastic car and one of your doing short journeys and have a driveway so home charging isn’t a problem. If you have solar power then it makes even more sense. Costs around 80 pence to charge it fully,.. No joke I’ve saved around £120 costs in fuel a month over a using a diesel doing only 180 miles a week.
Another thing to point out , its costs around £779 for a Pod Point charging dock to have installed at your home , of which the Government will pay £500 of it as a Free Grant, so for £279 ive had my own Pod point installed. See @Saintsteve330 on Instagram for Photo.
What worries me about hybrids like these is say you cruise around on electric then you floor it and the engine cuts in to the red line, is that engine cold? Because I wouldn't thrash my petrol engine when it's cold.. Otherwise its a great idea if you've got a short commute especially if you can charge at work.
That's a great point Steve, I've looked at the digital display and can't see a coolant temp display, suspect the battery range display has taken its place. Maybe it's available in the trip computer? Will check it out. Didn't you have a Mk7 version for a very short time? That had the analogue instruments, did it have a coolant gauge?
I was thinking exactly the same, but the 1.4tsi used in the hybrids has a few other engine parts (like the pistons) so its less harmful to hammer it fro (ice)cold. But it still can’t be good for long term reliability in my opinion. Our A3 e-tron facelift has an oil temp meter but no coolant temp meter. The oil still takes 10-15 mins/ 10-15km to heat up to 90 celcius. In winter and in hybrid mode the oil takes even 20-30km to heat up, and cools down very quickly when in E mode. What’s also weird, you cant select a mode where the engine is always running (to warm it up for sporty driving/cool down after sporty driving)
Hello Volkswizard, What is the long term reliability of the GTE? My only concern is the cost as its a hybrid and I have heard VW do not have many spare parts for the GTE.
@volkswizard the reason the gas lid is sort of delayed is that it's pressurized to ensure no gas vaporizes over time. A lot of drivers of these cars won't fill the tanks for months. At least that's what the dealer told me when I bought it.
The delay on the fuel flap: There's a service bulletin released because the flap STICKS. A few times I've not been able to open mine at a garage. The bulletin was a simple check & fix. Check for signs of rubbing on the latch & if found shave (less than 1mm) from the plastic rib. I did mine & lubricated the contact faces. So far, NO DELAY at all when opening the flap.
Great video! Good to see you embracing the electric future (whether we like it or not) a friend of mine has one of these, I was impressed. I think a hybrid would suit me just fine nowadays. I don't do many longer journeys anymore. One thing I wanted to know though, running the car in hybrid mode, does that charge the battery?
Well you will have regenerative braking which will charge it when you slow down. There is a mode to hold battery charge state like some do of the plug in hybrids do from other manufacturers. Also a mode to charge the battery by running the engine, though that would be very in efficient to do for extended periods.
Thanks JamesyBoyJim👍 - yes I am pretty sure Hybrid mode charges the battery to some degree but probably just from regenerative braking. Batttery charge mode will charge it more quickly but less efficiently. So many things to learn! Because I've been charging via the cable I've just been using e-mode and then GTE mode for fun - the two opposite ends of the spectrum and the 2 modes that really make this car stand out.
Im on my second golf GTE (lease) and always thought the 7.6 seconds 0-60 stated by VW was down playing it a bit. Ive Performance hack! Set off in eclectic mode to roughly 25-30 mph then engage gte mode flick the paddle to 2nd gear and floor the throttle, the car will pin you to your seat!! You have to be in the car on your own or have a light weight passenger, its crazy fast, oh an be careful it can dance around because of the torque. I'm averaging 109mg over the year despite occasionally driving like a dick head! Because it does demand it and eggs you on as the music volume increasing automatically the faster you go which I think only happens in the 7.5 edition.
I've got a Passat GTE and feel the exact same. When you are on your own in the car it absolutely fly's! I think the 400nm of torque has a lot to do with it. It's a very fast car once moving I think what holds it back on the 0-60 runs is the wheel spin off the line.
Hi, Can you please help me with a few questions. What is the long term reliability of the GTE? My only concern is the cost as its a hybrid and I have heard VW do not have many spare parts for the GTE. Also, what is the range of pure electric drive during a cold day?
Really enjoyed this video. Thinking about getting a Passat GTE Estate for family duties and am impressed with the hybrid powertrain, but fear the Passat platform will be numb and uninspiring compared to the Golf (and certainly compared to our current Suzuki Swift Sport runaround). Really wish they'd done a Golf 7.5 GTE Estate.
The fuel tank is pressurised to keep fuel vapours sealed in. When you press the fuel tank button the fuel vapours are led to an activated charcoal filter and then when pressure is equalised the lid opens.
These are very good reviews, I am new to VW ownership (in 45 years of driving!) I only have a 1.6 TDI Golf, but I am very impressed with it, and fancy something a bit more fun. In this video at 23:55 you show some "performance comparisons" where is that very useful data sourced from? Thanks in anticipation of a response
Thanks for showing. I have had 7 Golfs since I was 17 and still have one, but until this video I knew nothing of the GTE. I have almost zero interest in going electric, but hybrid maybe bearable...
Great to see you diversify your content into electric Andrew. Yet another balanced and measured review of what looks to be a rounded stab at hybrid success. A touch more range perhaps would be more attractive (noting the battery wasn't fully charged during filming). A quality product to match your review. Keep up the good work. Subscribe good folk - one of 'the' best channels out there.
"heathed seats use a lot of electricity" well no. compared to the draw you would get from trying to heat up the entire cabin, specially during short trips, they draw very little electricty and should be standard on anything with a plug. also, its part of the connector standard to not be able to drive off(or move the car at all) while plugged in. but anyways, this is probably the car i would end up getting if i ever decided to go PHEV and its mostly down to the fact that when the engine is on, it switches gears like a normal car and doesn't sound like an abused blender.
I'm looking at getting one of these. Not sure about comparing them to GTi and R models as they are different. Love seeing how this drives and has made me want one. Very good video
I live on the Isle of Man and have a commute of about 24 miles round trip...using a combination of battery hold and electric I can get about 140 mpg (hybrid is useless as uses the electricity up far too fast). Go further afield eg over to the uk and it is a pointless car...you end up with a 1.4 petrol Golf (albeit a very nice one) carrying a redundant battery of circa. 300kg and an electric motor. Plus without electricity you can’t use the GTE mode so boredom takes over and you end up charging the battery while on the move (hello 28mpg) so you can get back the performance. So if your commute is 20 odd miles and you have access to chargers at your place if work then happy days. If not then it is a bit pointless
This is very true, personally i do around 42 miles a day in mine going to work and back on A roads. I usually have battery hold on going there, then use whatever battery i have left on the way back and occasionally stick it in GTE mode if i get bored or am overtaking. I spend about £55 a month on fuel a month and the added electricity cost is around £40 a month. It's a great car to drive and very quick but if you can't get free charging just get a GTI instead
Definite food for thought and had no idea the GTE went that quick on pure electric - I'd assumed the electric only was only good for 30-40mph based on my experience of Prius taxis used at work 🤢! My commute is 35-40 miles each way, with no opportunity to charge at work. Still makes sense though - 20 miles each way, use the electric saving mode and use the pure electric for the urban south London bit of the journey each way.... interesting.
Best review of the GTE. A proper VW Golf enthusiast and know your stuff. I was not sure about getting one as of hearing its not good on mpg due the heavy body and you can’t get any fun from driving it but you have just made my mind up,
You can get a Passat GTE Estate, new model launches soon. ID 3 will be interesting. Seeing as it's a pure EV like e-Golf I think e-Golf will instantly become obsolete but hybrids like GTE will have their uses until infrastructure finds its feet (if it ever will!).
@@sparkford04 not yet as wanted to see it in real life and was hoping to save for the buzz Transportor replacement. Either way the electric vision VW has is exciting just hope our infrastructure can make it a success.
@@sparkford04 Not yet, have you? I trust VW to make a good car but so much is out of their control. Imagine a world with a handful of petrol stations? That would make the best petrol car useless and at the moment I can't see things changing much. Plus I am wary that charging points will cost as much as filling stations on motorways, too many unknown variables for risk averse old me :)
I’ve just bought a T-Roc 1.5 R-Line (DSG). Beyond any doubt if this GTE hybrid set up had been available for it then I would have had that every time. I’m sure the GTE (Golf) is no longer available either?
Indeed, the GTE was deleted in Feb 2018 so had a very short time on sale on 7.5 format which was significantly better value than when it was a Mk7 as the price was slashed.
Well it’s 2022 July. Diesel is £2.05 per litre. I’ve got a GTD 7.5. Probably going to get a GTE after watching this and reading the comments. My commute to work is 8 miles through London. So this is kind of a no brainier at the moment
Heated seats don't use a lot of electricity - they use a fraction of what the cabin heater will if thats running off of electric - and not engine heat.
I wanna buy a Golf GTE now, im looking at a 2015 model, but im not sure for how long this hybrid car can drive. It has almost 150.000KM driven. Is this still a great car to buy for a few years or should I get one with less KM?
I have a Renault Zoe (all electric) and for what it is it is fun to drive. It has decent poke at lower speeds. For what I wanted it for it is perfect though as you said in the video all electric won’t suit everyone at the moment and that GTE is a great car to get people into driving cars that have electric powertrains, for me they were just a little out of my price range.
Love it and although a petrolhead I will be ready to embrace the next era of cars. My only concern is where you did the kick down the petrol engine cut in at high revs to help out. Surely if the petrol engine is cold it won’t do it much good in the long term wearwise?
In short, this ("you did the kick down the petrol engine cut in at high revs to help out") should be done only when it's necessary for your protection to get out of a dangerous situation. I have a Passat GTE. In electric mode, the car stays in electric mode. Under the accelerator pedal there's a rubber button (called Kickdown in the manual). The only way to activate the ICE (internal combustion engine) in electric mode is to press the accelerator pedal to the floor and then some to press that Kickdown rubber button under the pedal. So it's entirely up to the driver if you want to activate the ICE. The damage (of red-lining the ICE) depends on its lubrification. If the car has run only in electric mode for weeks, forcing the ICE like that may cause some wear. If you have just been on a highway and just switched to electric mode in the city 5 minutes before, that's ok because the engine is still lubricated.
Hey Madoc, thanks for the comment! The app has been a bit unreliable but I've got it to work and YES it is now running cooling the car while it's charging! You can also flash the blinkers from the app, beep the horn (presumably to find the car in a car park). Plus the car has the SOS button on headliner storage compartment so it has an inbuilt tracker which also works with the app. Very cool stuff (excuse pun!)🤦♂️😊
You can download the app for free and it works with a lot of VWs but works better with cars that have the SOS function such as this GTE. I've read somewhere that the GTE can use the nav to work out whether to use petrol or electric for your journey so it can say run on petrol out of town then use electric to get you home in town arriving with zero range remaining.
I am going to be purchasing one of these this week but don't have my charging point ready. Which mode would be best for me to use? My daily commute is 18 miles each way, combination of town and motorway
Just use hybrid mode. The battery is good for 50Km or 30 miles. If the battery runs out, it will still work as a hybrid like a Prius, with regeneration recharging the battery. Standard household powerpoint will charge overnight.
E mode is chosen automatically from start - leave it there and when empty it will go to hybrid mode. If you put it in hybrid to start you'll get home with too much unused (Thus wasted) battery charge.
Over a typical year and mixed driving, including a regular 45 round commute to work, we typically get over 100 MPG. Less in winter, more in summer. Bear in mind that the MPG figures are for petrol use; there is also a consumption for electric use. Even when charging at home there is a cost to this, which has increased considerably in the last year. For me, at least, electric only use is about one third the cost of petrol for the equivalent mileage when using cheaper overnight electricity. With the scheduled charging function available in the car menus this is no hassle at all.
Excited to see how the 2 drivetrains can work work together - excellent compromise and thoroughly practical to have best of both worlds plus MQB platform = excellent car. Great review 👍
Thanks as ever Malcolm, it's a peculiar concept not helped by perceptions of the Prius but VW have some how made it work and to my eyes at least, desirable 👏
Only "Deliberate" problem I've found with "Hybrids" is they're way too quiet..mainly for pensioners in terms of.."you can't here em coming". If they step out to cross a road..they'll get clipped. Even I as a young bloke have nearly walked out in front of 2 cos you just can't here em coming before you catch them your peripheral-vision....
Too true, hence why the law changed this month to make it mandatory for all EVs to make a noise. This GTE has a noise maker but it's not that loud. I don't think the Mk7 version had it.
@@volkswizard Thats good to here..at least we'll be able to remotely here them..and I'm what you'd call sharp..but at the moment.. they're all a bit like a warehouse-forklift..without the "Peep-Peeps"....
Great concept and not a bad car at all, but how on earth is this country even remotely ready for charging these cars when they are full electric? Sitting around for hours or even an hour on a long journey really isn’t convenient Tesla’s fast charge is one thing but what about everything else? Queue up for a few hours for a power point whilst mrs miggins fills her leaf up to the brim with electric? We can’t even run a decent public transport service let alone the government paying for the infrastructure to assist electric car drivers
Audi's E-tron does 80% charge in 30 mins, can't recall the range but think it's around 180 miles so not bad. There are many problems that face full electric mobility. I get your point about Mrs Miggins, what about when Mrs. Miggins' car has been charged but she doesn't return to it for another few hours as she's having a tea cake in M&S Cafe, meanwhile clogging up the charging point? Or who's going to penalise IC drivers for parking in the spaces? Petrol stations aren't government funded so should we should expect the infrastructure to be? VW have big plans to get everyone working together to sort this and they tend to achieve what they set out. The big issue is the electricity network as the demand will be huge especially at certain times of day. Presumably the energy providers make a decent profit so the more they sell the better so they just need to invest in making and distributing more, easier said than done no doubt. It's all to play for yet but to me, a hybrid seems to be the best solution, for the moment anyway.
@James watch reviews All good points - my suspicion is that Co2 and environmental issues are a smoke screen (excuse pun!), the real reason for this is that the powers that be want to cut our dependence on Arab oil as our economy depends on it and that's not a great position to be in. Look at the tensions in the Gulf over oil right now..
James watch reviews and that is the mystery, where will the govt recoup the revenue from lost fuel and road tax? I also agree with your point on the green thing, producing millions of battery cells and all the other usual components is hardly a green process at all, nor is the disposal But then we live in a country where 3000 people will go and stand shouting at a coal fired power station for months when less than 50 miles across the Chanel there are 9 hydro nuclear power stations which are equally if not potentially more harmful to the environment 😂 I will stick with my RS3 and my Mk1 golf for the foreseeable 😂👍🏻
volkswizard i agree, there are many pitfalls to overcome or find solutions for, like you say if someone just P’s off on a jolly you can’t just unplug their car and use it Home charging points are easy, i recently seen some new homes that had outside charging points built in! and easy enough to retro fit It’s just everywhere else, we can hardly park as it is in major town and cities let alone on a charging point on demand like a fuel pump Needs some careful consideration and people not to be selfish with the process, asking a lot from what i have seen recently 😂
Some good comments by all here. In the car park I use for work, there are charge points, with more going in all the time, the car park has signs stating only eV cars whilst charging can be parked there but people park there in the morning, plug the car in and return to the car in 12 hours. So essentially they have exclusive parking for owning an eV. Even though they are supposed to move the car once charged. Car parks need to get around this problem as more evs hit the roads and competition for these public charge points hot up.
Hi, Can you please help me with a few questions. What is the long term reliability of the GTE? My only concern is the cost as its a hybrid and I have heard VW do not have many spare parts for the GTE. Also, what is the range of pure electric drive during a cold day?
Would anyone recommend this car for long distance driving, I have the mk7 GTD and my commute to work is 35 miles one way, at least 20 miles motorway and thought a GTE might help with some financial cost doing the amount of mileage I do. But heard mixed opinions that sticking with my GTD for this distance is better than a GTE. I'd move closer to work obviously if I could but not an option, but my work are moving an extra 10 miles away so thought maybe a gte would cut down extra costs of running a diesel ??
I've done a lot of motorway driving in my GTE. I get 50mpg with cruise on at 70mph with a full battery. That's in GTE mode as well. Hybrid mode would be better with a full battery. It's quicker than a GTD as well. Off the line, a GTD wouldn't stand a chance.
How should people, who dont have a house or a garage, and park on a street, charge this? You are saying, we have to accept that its coming. But first, there has to be millions of new charging plugs in the streets, on all streets, in all cities, in all countries in the world
I used to have a GTI, I live where I don’t have easy access to charge at home, would this still be a practical car? How much power would I have if the batteries ran completely out? It wouldn’t be as fast right?
If the battery is at 0% on a cold day, it can happen that it won't provide any Electric Boost. When that's the case, the ICE internal combustion engine is cold anyway so full throttle acceleration is not advised. In hybrid mode, the car keeps the battery charged at least at the 1 kWh level (by regenerative braking or using some extra energy from the ICE). 1 kWh is about 14% of the usable battery capacity. That always gives it enough power to be able to do GTE-ing with full throttle acceleration. When the full acceleration ends, the car stops the ICE and recuperates as much as possible kinetic energy into the battery when going down to the previous lower speed. My guess is that it manages to recuperate at least 50% of electricity that it just used. From a wall-box, the car charges at 3.5 kW. The regenerative braking can provide as much as 70 kW (as shown in the dashboard) but it's for a limited time (it doesn't last for hours). When accelerating a lot in GTE mode, I have even seen the car keeping the charge level at 50%.
This was asked earlier on and I checked it out and yes you are BUT apparently the oil is super trick and designed to minimise engine damage (so they say..)
In the vid, the engine wasn't cold (it was the height of summer too) BUT for efficiency sakes the engine won't be pre-warmed normally so if you decide you need the boost of petrol power all of a sudden you will be waking a cold engine. However the GTE's engine oil used is a special type, chosen to mitigate the effects of that.
I'd imagine a 1.5 TSI Evo would be better on fuel overall but depends how you drive, if you can charge and use the electric range as pure EV or hybrid mode then it will be a bit better but it's a lot heavier and more costly to maintain and who knows what's it's worth when battery life has reduced? As for tuning, don't even go there, way too complicated
Very good review Andrew, it is going to be the future for sure, electric motors provide huge amounts torque, and a very satifying power delivery. The vehicles are getting better all the time, however there is someway to go yet to reduce overall cost, and weight, increase the range, as Neil pointed out at the time the range would just about been okay in the summer months, in the depths of winter it was not ideal.
why is the speedometer digital on the 2015 GTE? I just bought a GTE 2017 and it has a analog speedometer. I looked up 2015 GTE's too and they too got analog. Is this a special version?
The changeover to the digital cluster from the Audi A3 occurred in 2017. So early, analogue, later, digital. The model tested is not a 2015 model, but a later facelift model.
Hi, what kind of issues. I have a VW MK7 1.6TDi and wanted to get either the GTE or the A3 Etron. Mainly for economy as I am spending well over £200 a month on fuel.
You can top it all the way to full in time, depends on the terrain and how much petrol use. I drove to Cambridge from Birmingham in hybrid mode and battery was full on arrival.
I don’t understand how this channel has less than 10k suns. Amazing quality videos!
Thanks Ryan, that's very kind of you! I don't know how to get more subs apart from making the best videos I can. It's a hard slog though but comments like yours make it worthwhile so big 👍
I second that
@@volkswizard keep at it buddy, hard work pays off in the end. Perhaps you need some click bait titles, I don't know!
Always look forward to your videos just like Harry’s Garage!
Great quality and passion for all things Golf GTi related!
Totally agree Andrew is very knowledgeable on the car he reviews and explains in deep detail keep up the great work buddy
Nice review. I've had my 7.5 GTE advance 4 years and it really does everything you need. I had a GTi while mine was in for a service and didn't enjoy it as much. I believe the mk8 has had some of the driving options removed which is a shame, but guess it makes it simpler to use for the majority of drivers. I do tend to switch between electric, hybrid and hold to make the most of the batteries and to warm the engine before a motorway or faster driving as the default is the electric remains active until the engine is warm, which of course depletes the batteries quickly.
I run the 2017 Passat GTE (produces slightly more power, and slightly more electric range) I've been very impressed by the car! In GTE mode, when driving sensibly it charges the battery(s) and when you put your foot down, its 30-70, 50-90 times are really impressive, the torque and pull from the electric motor combined to the revvy little petrol turbo engine make the car feel a lot more 'swift' than it would seem on paper. I've recorded (on full charge in GTE mode) a constant 0-60 time of 5.8/5.9 seconds. Which considering it can do 'infinite' miles per gallon on my daily commute (10 miles to work, charge at work, 10 miles home) I cannot ask for more! - I average 900-1100 miles per tank. I appreciate for some people it wouldn't work out so cost effective but for me its been an excellent water test for an electric/hybrid vehicle. Cannot wait for the technology to continue getting better!!
I have one and I love it. Since my daily commute is less than 10 miles, I only use petrol on weekends. I had a tank lasted 2 months!
Regarding the time to open the petrol flap, the delay happens because the petrol tank is pressurized due to its location further back in the car because of the batteries.
That's not the reason ("due to its location further back in the car") the tank is pressurised.
Petrol is a mix of various substances with varying degrees of volatility (the tendency to vaporise).
In the car's manual it states that over time, the petrol's most volatile components may vaporise and escape the tank. Over 2 months this may add up to be significant and the petrol still in the tank would be of a lower quality. Keeping the tank pressurized keeps all the components inside and, as such, it keeps up the quality of the fuel.
Great review that is very relatable! My parents drive an 2017 a3-etron, and there isn't a better car for them at the moment. Because they only do short trips. They charge it with the solar panels on the roof and use the combustion engine maybe 20 times a year (their previous car, a Q3 2.0q did on average 14L/100km with that kind of driving). And lets not forget the massive engine wear for an engine that comes up to temperature only a few times a year, poor Q3).
Must say the a3 feels initially as quite good fun to drive, but push it a little harder and its just understeer and quite a bit of weight to carry around. In driving dynamics I prefer my tuned up tsi by far. But comapring a tuned car to a standard one is incorrect. And for everyday driving, the a3 is much more silent and comfortable, especially the nightheater and pre-cooling available via the myaudi app are just utter luxury.
Interesting feedback Damian thanks. I think the A3 e-tron isn't setup to drive as well as GTE, it's targetting a different audience even though the ingredients are the same. As for the weight, I found the GTE more likely to oversteer than a standard car because of the extra weight over the rear but the A3 is probably setup to go into understeer earlier. The hybrid weight distribution is more balanced then in an IC MQB based car so it's not all bad!
I think so, must be the same for the passat gte. The golf looks much more sporty than the a3 and it’s not as high on his springs. I’m curious to see how a golf gte drives.
18:45 i did that once in my GTE and felt so bad tbh. It was a cold day and the engine had been sitting for 2 weeks and i pressed kickdown not realizing it and the engine went straight to redline😭
Not seen this before but it could be describing my 2015 audi A3 e-tron which I've had for 3years now and it tremendous fun. It's a great short trip EV and longer trips with a battery support it returns 80 to 110 mpg on a tank. The petrol tank is vacuumed (I assume to preserve the petrol which you might not use for ages) so the release button is equalising the pressure.
Charge mode is only for occasional use. On long trips if you have a lot of city driving coming up I occasionally top the battery so I am emission free in town. Later models will not self charge beyond 50%
Hey man, I'm a GTE 7.5 owner... and I love the car, and I feel your review! BUT: the weight and the subsequent handling really is an issue for someone looking for cornering pleasure... No matter how talented the chassis is... My previous car was a Ford Focus ST, and there simply is no comparison. The ST had any corner for breakfast, and the GTE, well... let's say it's most comfortable going straight and 'eating' long highway corners... But backroads, no thank you. That said, it remains a superb daily driver, with amazing performance for great economy, if you do charge at any possible occasion. :-)
I have a 68 plate GTE, love it. With a 10 mile each way commute I hardly ever use the ICE during the week. Costs around £1 to charge in around 2 hours with my 7kw charge point in the garage. I find that the air con doesn't affect range too much if you use it on a low setting, I think the expected range displayed assumes a worst case scenario. Just under a year to go on the lease, will happily extend it... or maybe look at full electric, we'll see.
How is the reliability? I was thinking of a used Passat gte.
Hi, Can you please help me with a few questions. What is the long term reliability of the GTE? My only concern is the cost as its a hybrid and I have heard VW do not have many spare parts for the GTE. Also, what is the range of pure electric drive during a cold day and a hot day?
@@kb8570 My Golf was 100% reliable for the length of the lease (2 yrs). Yes, range is down maybe to 80% in the middle of winter.
Great review as always Andrew!
Nice cars, drive well and a great low cost option for company car drivers but I think a GTD makes more sense if you are spending your own money. They handle better, are pretty rapid for a sub-200hp 2.0 diesel and also very frugal pretty much however they are driven.
Pre facelift cars make a very good value warm hatch now as well.
B - mode just loses energy by bypassing the kinetic energy to motor brake. Comes in handy when you come down for 30 miles from the mountains and there risk of charging overheating. I have used it in northern Norway, never otherwise. You never need B - mode in every day driving. The energy is collected better in D - mode, as in my gte Passat.
Thanks for that one, Andrew. A great and practical review as usual. It has given me food for thought for my next car in about two years.... All best from Wolverhampton!!👍🏼
If you have the chance, i think taking a look ar oil samples from the engine and the DSG shortly before they are changed might indicate how good the TSI and the fancy 0DD-Gearbox will keep up in the long-term...
Anyone who thinks they'll never go Electric, once you've driven this car.. you will want one. I have one and have had it for 7 months, I have a courtesy car atm which is diesel as I was rear ended so in for repairs. I am missing the electric/petrol feeling. It's insanely smooth, addictive and feels so natural. Not many cars on a normal drive will beat you from the lights in this thing.
I own one of these and have had it for about 6 weeks.
Mine is the same spec with DCC and can only echo what Andrew has said about this car.
Absolutely fantastic car and one of your doing short journeys and have a driveway so home charging isn’t a problem.
If you have solar power then it makes even more sense.
Costs around 80 pence to charge it fully,.. No joke
I’ve saved around £120 costs in fuel a month over a using a diesel doing only 180 miles a week.
Another thing to point out , its costs around £779 for a Pod Point charging dock to have installed at your home , of which the Government will pay £500 of it as a Free Grant, so for £279 ive had my own Pod point installed. See @Saintsteve330 on Instagram for Photo.
@@stevehulbert would send me the link for this pkease
@@chrisstaniforth6263 www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants
GTE is category 2 and eligible for £500 Grant
HTH
What worries me about hybrids like these is say you cruise around on electric then you floor it and the engine cuts in to the red line, is that engine cold? Because I wouldn't thrash my petrol engine when it's cold.. Otherwise its a great idea if you've got a short commute especially if you can charge at work.
That's a great point Steve, I've looked at the digital display and can't see a coolant temp display, suspect the battery range display has taken its place. Maybe it's available in the trip computer? Will check it out. Didn't you have a Mk7 version for a very short time? That had the analogue instruments, did it have a coolant gauge?
I was thinking exactly the same, but the 1.4tsi used in the hybrids has a few other engine parts (like the pistons) so its less harmful to hammer it fro (ice)cold. But it still can’t be good for long term reliability in my opinion.
Our A3 e-tron facelift has an oil temp meter but no coolant temp meter. The oil still takes 10-15 mins/ 10-15km to heat up to 90 celcius. In winter and in hybrid mode the oil takes even 20-30km to heat up, and cools down very quickly when in E mode.
What’s also weird, you cant select a mode where the engine is always running (to warm it up for sporty driving/cool down after sporty driving)
Apparently the engine is able to perform from cold, VW have taken special measures to allow this
Oil temp and coolant temp gauges can be found on active info display under driving data using the buttons on the right of the steering wheel!😁
Joel Fisher
What special measures?
Really love the DRL's on the Bumper, great look and makes the car looks futuristic, which it is !
The real reason for those I reckon so people can see you coming because they certainly can't hear you in e-mode when crawling around car parks!
Hello Volkswizard,
What is the long term reliability of the GTE? My only concern is the cost as its a hybrid and I have heard VW do not have many spare parts for the GTE.
@volkswizard the reason the gas lid is sort of delayed is that it's pressurized to ensure no gas vaporizes over time. A lot of drivers of these cars won't fill the tanks for months.
At least that's what the dealer told me when I bought it.
The delay on the fuel flap: There's a service bulletin released because the flap STICKS. A few times I've not been able to open mine at a garage. The bulletin was a simple check & fix. Check for signs of rubbing on the latch & if found shave (less than 1mm) from the plastic rib. I did mine & lubricated the contact faces. So far, NO DELAY at all when opening the flap.
www.stuartdalby.co.uk/vwgolfmk7/sticking-fuel-filler-cover/index.php
Great video! Good to see you embracing the electric future (whether we like it or not) a friend of mine has one of these, I was impressed. I think a hybrid would suit me just fine nowadays. I don't do many longer journeys anymore. One thing I wanted to know though, running the car in hybrid mode, does that charge the battery?
Well you will have regenerative braking which will charge it when you slow down. There is a mode to hold battery charge state like some do of the plug in hybrids do from other manufacturers. Also a mode to charge the battery by running the engine, though that would be very in efficient to do for extended periods.
Thanks JamesyBoyJim👍 - yes I am pretty sure Hybrid mode charges the battery to some degree but probably just from regenerative braking. Batttery charge mode will charge it more quickly but less efficiently. So many things to learn! Because I've been charging via the cable I've just been using e-mode and then GTE mode for fun - the two opposite ends of the spectrum and the 2 modes that really make this car stand out.
Ive just bought a 2020 plate GTE advance still getting used to it but your videos are a great help
Im on my second golf GTE (lease) and always thought the 7.6 seconds 0-60 stated by VW was down playing it a bit. Ive Performance hack! Set off in eclectic mode to roughly 25-30 mph then engage gte mode flick the paddle to 2nd gear and floor the throttle, the car will pin you to your seat!! You have to be in the car on your own or have a light weight passenger, its crazy fast, oh an be careful it can dance around because of the torque.
I'm averaging 109mg over the year despite occasionally driving like a dick head! Because it does demand it and eggs you on as the music volume increasing automatically the faster you go which I think only happens in the 7.5 edition.
I've got a Passat GTE and feel the exact same. When you are on your own in the car it absolutely fly's! I think the 400nm of torque has a lot to do with it. It's a very fast car once moving I think what holds it back on the 0-60 runs is the wheel spin off the line.
the 0-100 figure is definately wrong. i have done it in around 6.5 several times. this is on 18" summer tires with a charged battery
Hi, Can you please help me with a few questions. What is the long term reliability of the GTE? My only concern is the cost as its a hybrid and I have heard VW do not have many spare parts for the GTE. Also, what is the range of pure electric drive during a cold day?
It increases the volume on my golf r mk7, and it bugs the hell out of me too. Lol
Really enjoyed this video. Thinking about getting a Passat GTE Estate for family duties and am impressed with the hybrid powertrain, but fear the Passat platform will be numb and uninspiring compared to the Golf (and certainly compared to our current Suzuki Swift Sport runaround). Really wish they'd done a Golf 7.5 GTE Estate.
The sound alone of a r32 is worth the money
Really like the front end on these, if i had a golf r i’d swap the blue stripe off this onto an R to match the blue interior details.
I know what u mean I got a golf r in lapiz blue, these gte fronts look great. 😍
The fuel tank is pressurised to keep fuel vapours sealed in. When you press the fuel tank button the fuel vapours are led to an activated charcoal filter and then when pressure is equalised the lid opens.
Yup, its because you might go 6 months between fuel ups in the GTE so it's a measure to stop the fuel going off.
hope your channel grows, you deserve it. Simple and knowledgeable reviews.
These are very good reviews, I am new to VW ownership (in 45 years of driving!) I only have a 1.6 TDI Golf, but I am very impressed with it, and fancy something a bit more fun.
In this video at 23:55 you show some "performance comparisons" where is that very useful data sourced from? Thanks in anticipation of a response
Thanks for showing. I have had 7 Golfs since I was 17 and still have one, but until this video I knew nothing of the GTE.
I have almost zero interest in going electric, but hybrid maybe bearable...
Can you check battery health or how many charge cycles car has done?
Great to see you diversify your content into electric Andrew. Yet another balanced and measured review of what looks to be a rounded stab at hybrid success. A touch more range perhaps would be more attractive (noting the battery wasn't fully charged during filming). A quality product to match your review. Keep up the good work. Subscribe good folk - one of 'the' best channels out there.
"heathed seats use a lot of electricity" well no. compared to the draw you would get from trying to heat up the entire cabin, specially during short trips, they draw very little electricty and should be standard on anything with a plug. also, its part of the connector standard to not be able to drive off(or move the car at all) while plugged in. but anyways, this is probably the car i would end up getting if i ever decided to go PHEV and its mostly down to the fact that when the engine is on, it switches gears like a normal car and doesn't sound like an abused blender.
I'm looking at getting one of these. Not sure about comparing them to GTi and R models as they are different. Love seeing how this drives and has made me want one. Very good video
Thank you for video . I have a question, is it possible to drive only with petrol without the battery?
I live on the Isle of Man and have a commute of about 24 miles round trip...using a combination of battery hold and electric I can get about 140 mpg (hybrid is useless as uses the electricity up far too fast). Go further afield eg over to the uk and it is a pointless car...you end up with a 1.4 petrol Golf (albeit a very nice one) carrying a redundant battery of circa. 300kg and an electric motor. Plus without electricity you can’t use the GTE mode so boredom takes over and you end up charging the battery while on the move (hello 28mpg) so you can get back the performance. So if your commute is 20 odd miles and you have access to chargers at your place if work then happy days. If not then it is a bit pointless
This is very true, personally i do around 42 miles a day in mine going to work and back on A roads. I usually have battery hold on going there, then use whatever battery i have left on the way back and occasionally stick it in GTE mode if i get bored or am overtaking. I spend about £55 a month on fuel a month and the added electricity cost is around £40 a month. It's a great car to drive and very quick but if you can't get free charging just get a GTI instead
Definite food for thought and had no idea the GTE went that quick on pure electric - I'd assumed the electric only was only good for 30-40mph based on my experience of Prius taxis used at work 🤢! My commute is 35-40 miles each way, with no opportunity to charge at work. Still makes sense though - 20 miles each way, use the electric saving mode and use the pure electric for the urban south London bit of the journey each way.... interesting.
there is also the prius prime which has a 30+ electric miles of range and is still really pratical
Petrol tank in the boot is that not a safety hazard?
Best review of the GTE. A proper VW Golf enthusiast and know your stuff. I was not sure about getting one as of hearing its not good on mpg due the heavy body and you can’t get any fun from driving it but you have just made my mind up,
Thank for a high quality review on Golf 7.5 GTE. Now I understand the PHEV usecases beter.👏
I like it too but wish it came in Estate body style for now the GTD is the better fit for me can’t wait to see the ID 3 when it arrives next year.
You can get a Passat GTE Estate, new model launches soon. ID 3 will be interesting. Seeing as it's a pure EV like e-Golf I think e-Golf will instantly become obsolete but hybrids like GTE will have their uses until infrastructure finds its feet (if it ever will!).
Have you put your £750 deposit down for theID3?
@@sparkford04 not yet as wanted to see it in real life and was hoping to save for the buzz Transportor replacement. Either way the electric vision VW has is exciting just hope our infrastructure can make it a success.
@@sparkford04 Not yet, have you? I trust VW to make a good car but so much is out of their control. Imagine a world with a handful of petrol stations? That would make the best petrol car useless and at the moment I can't see things changing much. Plus I am wary that charging points will cost as much as filling stations on motorways, too many unknown variables for risk averse old me :)
@@johncroxon, deposit completely refundable . Go on you know you want to.lol
I’ve just bought a T-Roc 1.5 R-Line (DSG). Beyond any doubt if this GTE hybrid set up had been available for it then I would have had that every time. I’m sure the GTE (Golf) is no longer available either?
Indeed, the GTE was deleted in Feb 2018 so had a very short time on sale on 7.5 format which was significantly better value than when it was a Mk7 as the price was slashed.
Well it’s 2022 July. Diesel is £2.05 per litre. I’ve got a GTD 7.5. Probably going to get a GTE after watching this and reading the comments. My commute to work is 8 miles through London. So this is kind of a no brainier at the moment
Heated seats don't use a lot of electricity - they use a fraction of what the cabin heater will if thats running off of electric - and not engine heat.
I wanna buy a Golf GTE now, im looking at a 2015 model, but im not sure for how long this hybrid car can drive. It has almost 150.000KM driven. Is this still a great car to buy for a few years or should I get one with less KM?
Comes to something when the hand brake motor is louder than the car pulling away 😮
I do like these but rather stick with the gtd. gtd still has good mpg has better looks and a lot more midrange torque
I have a Renault Zoe (all electric) and for what it is it is fun to drive. It has decent poke at lower speeds. For what I wanted it for it is perfect though as you said in the video all electric won’t suit everyone at the moment and that GTE is a great car to get people into driving cars that have electric powertrains, for me they were just a little out of my price range.
The ride height, wheel arch gap looks strange compared to other GT Golf models . Is it the wheel /tyre combination or just tall springs ?
Not sure if I missed it , so how long did you drive in pure electric? The full range?
Love it and although a petrolhead I will be ready to embrace the next era of cars. My only concern is where you did the kick down the petrol engine cut in at high revs to help out. Surely if the petrol engine is cold it won’t do it much good in the long term wearwise?
In short, this ("you did the kick down the petrol engine cut in at high revs to help out") should be done only when it's necessary for your protection to get out of a dangerous situation.
I have a Passat GTE. In electric mode, the car stays in electric mode. Under the accelerator pedal there's a rubber button (called Kickdown in the manual). The only way to activate the ICE (internal combustion engine) in electric mode is to press the accelerator pedal to the floor and then some to press that Kickdown rubber button under the pedal. So it's entirely up to the driver if you want to activate the ICE.
The damage (of red-lining the ICE) depends on its lubrification. If the car has run only in electric mode for weeks, forcing the ICE like that may cause some wear. If you have just been on a highway and just switched to electric mode in the city 5 minutes before, that's ok because the engine is still lubricated.
I’m looking At the 2015 model but unsure if something goes wrong it’ll cost a lot more than normal petrol vehicles
Nice video!
Can GTE cool the interior before leaving via app? Overall, what i mean is precooling during the summer and preheating in winter.
Hey Madoc, thanks for the comment! The app has been a bit unreliable but I've got it to work and YES it is now running cooling the car while it's charging! You can also flash the blinkers from the app, beep the horn (presumably to find the car in a car park). Plus the car has the SOS button on headliner storage compartment so it has an inbuilt tracker which also works with the app. Very cool stuff (excuse pun!)🤦♂️😊
Yes, this is possible. Cooling and warming via VW app. Degrees preadjustable. Very comfortable.
It’s so pretty, and so quiet. I want one. Thanks for the brilliant review!
Do all these Golf Gte’s come with the vw app? And is it as important as it comes across that these need to have the sat nav to help with the gearbox?
You can download the app for free and it works with a lot of VWs but works better with cars that have the SOS function such as this GTE. I've read somewhere that the GTE can use the nav to work out whether to use petrol or electric for your journey so it can say run on petrol out of town then use electric to get you home in town arriving with zero range remaining.
Just bought one and it’s superb thanks for the review
Great to hear!👍👍👍
Andrew, as usual very enlightening topic review. Quality
Thanks as ever Keith 👍
Very nice review. Seems like a nice car. I may buy one in the future. Greetings from sunny Jamaica.
I am going to be purchasing one of these this week but don't have my charging point ready. Which mode would be best for me to use? My daily commute is 18 miles each way, combination of town and motorway
Just use hybrid mode. The battery is good for 50Km or 30 miles. If the battery runs out, it will still work as a hybrid like a Prius, with regeneration recharging the battery. Standard household powerpoint will charge overnight.
E mode is chosen automatically from start - leave it there and when empty it will go to hybrid mode. If you put it in hybrid to start you'll get home with too much unused (Thus wasted) battery charge.
Thanks for your review on this Golf GTE,, Been looking for my next car for next year. Would love to see a your view on 2nd hand Golf GTE !!
Does golf gte mileometer show millage on ev and petrol
Considering one now at81k. Would the battery still be ok or not bother?
I heard that nitrogen tyres increases fuel efficiency but how much improvement will THAT do in terms of full EV range and overall MPG?
Does the performance golfs have soft touch door cards in the back as this not the case in standard golfs
Enjoyed it so much, i went and bought a 2017 model...
Please can u tell me average
consumption??
Over a typical year and mixed driving, including a regular 45 round commute to work, we typically get over 100 MPG. Less in winter, more in summer. Bear in mind that the MPG figures are for petrol use; there is also a consumption for electric use. Even when charging at home there is a cost to this, which has increased considerably in the last year. For me, at least, electric only use is about one third the cost of petrol for the equivalent mileage when using cheaper overnight electricity. With the scheduled charging function available in the car menus this is no hassle at all.
Going to lease a used one soon. very excited!
Were from
B it's breaking engine mode, wasting more energy than charging by pressing brake slowly or just coasting as much as possible
Excited to see how the 2 drivetrains can work work together - excellent compromise and thoroughly practical to have best of both worlds plus MQB platform = excellent car. Great review 👍
Thanks as ever Malcolm, it's a peculiar concept not helped by perceptions of the Prius but VW have some how made it work and to my eyes at least, desirable 👏
Only "Deliberate" problem I've found with "Hybrids" is they're way too quiet..mainly for pensioners in terms of.."you can't here em coming". If they step out to cross a road..they'll get clipped. Even I as a young bloke have nearly walked out in front of 2 cos you just can't here em coming before you catch them your peripheral-vision....
Too true, hence why the law changed this month to make it mandatory for all EVs to make a noise. This GTE has a noise maker but it's not that loud. I don't think the Mk7 version had it.
@@volkswizard Thats good to here..at least we'll be able to remotely here them..and I'm what you'd call sharp..but at the moment.. they're all a bit like a warehouse-forklift..without the "Peep-Peeps"....
Does the uk have a polo 150 blueGT?
Yes
Wouldn't like to be rear ended in one of those. Ford Pinto all over again.
Great concept and not a bad car at all, but how on earth is this country even remotely ready for charging these cars when they are full electric? Sitting around for hours or even an hour on a long journey really isn’t convenient
Tesla’s fast charge is one thing but what about everything else? Queue up for a few hours for a power point whilst mrs miggins fills her leaf up to the brim with electric?
We can’t even run a decent public transport service let alone the government paying for the infrastructure to assist electric car drivers
Audi's E-tron does 80% charge in 30 mins, can't recall the range but think it's around 180 miles so not bad. There are many problems that face full electric mobility. I get your point about Mrs Miggins, what about when Mrs. Miggins' car has been charged but she doesn't return to it for another few hours as she's having a tea cake in M&S Cafe, meanwhile clogging up the charging point? Or who's going to penalise IC drivers for parking in the spaces? Petrol stations aren't government funded so should we should expect the infrastructure to be? VW have big plans to get everyone working together to sort this and they tend to achieve what they set out. The big issue is the electricity network as the demand will be huge especially at certain times of day. Presumably the energy providers make a decent profit so the more they sell the better so they just need to invest in making and distributing more, easier said than done no doubt.
It's all to play for yet but to me, a hybrid seems to be the best solution, for the moment anyway.
@James watch reviews All good points - my suspicion is that Co2 and environmental issues are a smoke screen (excuse pun!), the real reason for this is that the powers that be want to cut our dependence on Arab oil as our economy depends on it and that's not a great position to be in. Look at the tensions in the Gulf over oil right now..
James watch reviews and that is the mystery, where will the govt recoup the revenue from lost fuel and road tax?
I also agree with your point on the green thing, producing millions of battery cells and all the other usual components is hardly a green process at all, nor is the disposal
But then we live in a country where 3000 people will go and stand shouting at a coal fired power station for months when less than 50 miles across the Chanel there are 9 hydro nuclear power stations which are equally if not potentially more harmful to the environment 😂
I will stick with my RS3 and my Mk1 golf for the foreseeable 😂👍🏻
volkswizard i agree, there are many pitfalls to overcome or find solutions for, like you say if someone just P’s off on a jolly you can’t just unplug their car and use it
Home charging points are easy, i recently seen some new homes that had outside charging points built in! and easy enough to retro fit
It’s just everywhere else, we can hardly park as it is in major town and cities let alone on a charging point on demand like a fuel pump
Needs some careful consideration and people not to be selfish with the process, asking a lot from what i have seen recently 😂
Some good comments by all here. In the car park I use for work, there are charge points, with more going in all the time, the car park has signs stating only eV cars whilst charging can be parked there but people park there in the morning, plug the car in and return to the car in 12 hours. So essentially they have exclusive parking for owning an eV. Even though they are supposed to move the car once charged. Car parks need to get around this problem as more evs hit the roads and competition for these public charge points hot up.
Thanks for the review.
My wife and I recently bought a 2018 GTE and just getting used to it. 👍
Hi, Can you please help me with a few questions. What is the long term reliability of the GTE? My only concern is the cost as its a hybrid and I have heard VW do not have many spare parts for the GTE. Also, what is the range of pure electric drive during a cold day?
@@kb8570 i just got a 2018 gte advance. It does 21 miles on just electric. Pretty low
Would anyone recommend this car for long distance driving, I have the mk7 GTD and my commute to work is 35 miles one way, at least 20 miles motorway and thought a GTE might help with some financial cost doing the amount of mileage I do. But heard mixed opinions that sticking with my GTD for this distance is better than a GTE. I'd move closer to work obviously if I could but not an option, but my work are moving an extra 10 miles away so thought maybe a gte would cut down extra costs of running a diesel ??
I've done a lot of motorway driving in my GTE. I get 50mpg with cruise on at 70mph with a full battery. That's in GTE mode as well. Hybrid mode would be better with a full battery. It's quicker than a GTD as well. Off the line, a GTD wouldn't stand a chance.
How should people, who dont have a house or a garage, and park on a street, charge this? You are saying, we have to accept that its coming. But first, there has to be millions of new charging plugs in the streets, on all streets, in all cities, in all countries in the world
I used to have a GTI, I live where I don’t have easy access to charge at home, would this still be a practical car? How much power would I have if the batteries ran completely out? It wouldn’t be as fast right?
If the battery is at 0% on a cold day, it can happen that it won't provide any Electric Boost. When that's the case, the ICE internal combustion engine is cold anyway so full throttle acceleration is not advised.
In hybrid mode, the car keeps the battery charged at least at the 1 kWh level (by regenerative braking or using some extra energy from the ICE). 1 kWh is about 14% of the usable battery capacity.
That always gives it enough power to be able to do GTE-ing with full throttle acceleration. When the full acceleration ends, the car stops the ICE and recuperates as much as possible kinetic energy into the battery when going down to the previous lower speed. My guess is that it manages to recuperate at least 50% of electricity that it just used. From a wall-box, the car charges at 3.5 kW. The regenerative braking can provide as much as 70 kW (as shown in the dashboard) but it's for a limited time (it doesn't last for hours).
When accelerating a lot in GTE mode, I have even seen the car keeping the charge level at 50%.
I have a Lexus CT200H hybrid, but unfortunately it runs out of battery too fast. I have a 30km commute and this golf gte would be perfect.
Good honest review. On the strength of it I am buying one.👍😊
One question. Running around in electric is great.. but when it kicks down or you use gte mode etc are you jumping on a stone cold engine ?
This was asked earlier on and I checked it out and yes you are BUT apparently the oil is super trick and designed to minimise engine damage (so they say..)
it works fine. I tried a couple of times and it handles well the situation
Was the Engine warmed up when it kicked in when you did the E-mode standing start?
In the vid, the engine wasn't cold (it was the height of summer too) BUT for efficiency sakes the engine won't be pre-warmed normally so if you decide you need the boost of petrol power all of a sudden you will be waking a cold engine. However the GTE's engine oil used is a special type, chosen to mitigate the effects of that.
Curious to know whether you feel this car is a good buy now? Thanks for very informative review to. 👍
Looking to buy one of these, what are they like on petrol and how are they tuning wise?
I'd imagine a 1.5 TSI Evo would be better on fuel overall but depends how you drive, if you can charge and use the electric range as pure EV or hybrid mode then it will be a bit better but it's a lot heavier and more costly to maintain and who knows what's it's worth when battery life has reduced? As for tuning, don't even go there, way too complicated
How does this compare to the original model of this car the 7.0 version. My budget only stretches to that !
Very good review Andrew, it is going to be the future for sure, electric motors provide huge amounts torque, and a very satifying power delivery. The vehicles are getting better all the time, however there is someway to go yet to reduce overall cost, and weight, increase the range, as Neil pointed out at the time the range would just about been okay in the summer months, in the depths of winter it was not ideal.
Do these have variable rate steering rack
I prefer the tartan interior in the golfs over any of the options. #stylist
Is the GTE belt or chain driven
Great technology just needs diff rims
Great video! so informative!
Love your videos 👍👍
what a shame GTE is not available in US
Great car and, it can, tow bonus, bonus, bonus
why is the speedometer digital on the 2015 GTE? I just bought a GTE 2017 and it has a analog speedometer. I looked up 2015 GTE's too and they too got analog. Is this a special version?
Hookman games this is the advance model
This is facelift version 2017 speedometer is option on the car
The changeover to the digital cluster from the Audi A3 occurred in 2017. So early, analogue, later, digital. The model tested is not a 2015 model, but a later facelift model.
Avoid these. I bought a 2016 second hand with full service history. After a year I'm having no end of problems.
Hi, what kind of issues. I have a VW MK7 1.6TDi and wanted to get either the GTE or the A3 Etron. Mainly for economy as I am spending well over £200 a month on fuel.
Isnt this 2017 model?
If poss, please keep your consistent hand gestures off the camera view, thanks
VW knows how to make diesel, not hybrid
How many miles does the regen recoup
You can top it all the way to full in time, depends on the terrain and how much petrol use. I drove to Cambridge from Birmingham in hybrid mode and battery was full on arrival.
26 miles :( It's a shopping trolley then not a drivers car then ??
Loved this subscribed too
Yay! Thank you!
Does this Golf have folding door mirrors?
I have a GTE and yes the mirrors fold.
@@markkofi8522 do they fold if you fold/unfold as you lock/unlock the car?
@@koreya4015 Yes.
@@markkofi8522 thanks :)