So a Golf – an impressive car across the board – was the advice given, and the advice taken. But her driving style and stop-start town driving led to worn clutches, which cost far more to fix than should have been the case for a car of that age.
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The Mk7 Golf is superbly put together and reeks of quality, which was enough to sell the idea of buying this VW. But it turned out that the dual-clutch transmission was the weak point, meaning the Golf turned out to be less reliable than the old C4, and therefore – contrary to what most people might think – came to be thought of as the lower-quality option in the long run.
So when time came to suggest another new car to her a few years later, despite being in the same personal situation and having the same budget, the new recommendation was a 2020 Honda Civic, a car that’s been unstoppably reliable and has a less troublesome transmission. On paper, this model isn’t the most highly rated, but it nails the around-town motoring brief without needing the gearbox to be rebuilt every five years.
But how’s this for cruel irony? When I ask if she likes her Civic, she says, “The doors feel a little flimsy. I miss my Golf.”
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