Volkswagen Golf GTE

James Foxall replica bags china puts VW’s plug in hybrid Golf GTE to the test to see if this petrol electric car can justify its https://www.simpsonsbox.com price premium over a diesel

replica handbags china Our car: GTE, 1.4TSI plus lithium ion battery powered electric motorList price when new: 35,760 (exc. 5000 plug in grant) Price as tested: 37,230 (exc. 5000 plug in grant) Official fuel economy: 166mpg (EU Combined) replica handbags china

Replica Handbags When I took delivery of the Golf GTE six months ago, I wasn’t a fan replica designer bags of hybrids. I didn’t see the point of them. The Golf’s plug in set up changed my opinion. Combining the refinement of petrol with the torque of designer replica luggage a diesel, the GTE was the perfect compromise. Now it’s gone and I’m missing it. Replica Handbags

purse replica handbags I’ve long been of the opinion that a Golf is really all the bag replica high quality car you ever need. Running one for six months cemented that feeling. The ride was comfortable, the cabin spacious, the 1.4 litre TSI engine refined, 7a replica bags wholesale and although not a sports car, the handling was sufficiently sporty to make driving fun on the right road at the right time of day. I found the satnav intuitive, the Bluetooth linked to the family’s phones easily and all the major controls fell to hand nicely. Little things, but best replica designer not things every manufacturer gets right. purse replica handbags

Replica Bags My initial concern over running a hybrid was that it would drink petrol lugging heavy, largely redundant batteries around. That was the case on our two runs down to the French Alps. But for day to day life, it made me realise how much of my motoring is short journeys that are perfect for plug in electric power: taking the daughter to the station, doing the weekly shop, visiting my mother and so on. Replica Bags

Designer Fake Bags Although the batteries were only good enough for high end replica bags a claimed 28 high replica bags pure electric miles (around 20 real miles), charging them up from the cheap designer bags replica mains meant I wasn’t using petrol. Of course the claimed 166mpg is worthy you can find out more of JK Rowling’s capacity for fantasy. Back in reality my fuel log revealed an average 53.52mpg which isn’t bad at all. Of course, that doesn’t take into account the amount of electricity I used and my supplier has already been in touch twice to “revise”my good quality replica bags monthly direct debit up. It’s one occasion when I’m thankful that electricity bills are far too complicated to work aaa replica bags out the real cost Designer Fake Bags

Problems? There were a few. Luggage capacity was compromised. The batteries live under the rear seats so the petrol tank has replica wallets been moved under the boot which limited carrying space, although it could still take two large soft bags and a medium sized suitcase. The GTE button, which switched it from eco car to hot hatch, was great fun. It’s just a shame VW chose to hide it behind the gear lever so I frequently forgot it existed. And buy replica bags the interior thermostat must have been in a replica bags from china weird place because 21 degrees C felt positively glacial meaning the heating was permanently set to at least 23 degrees.

Designer Replica Bags But that’s about as bad as it got, which in my book makes the Golf GTE a triumph. As I said, I’m missing it already. Designer Replica Bags

August 22nd, 2016

high quality replica handbags Fuel economy this week: 45.4mpg high quality replica handbags

My summer holiday was spent in the French Alps, staying in the village of replica bags Vaujany. It’s a beautiful spot but one that has yet to embrace electric powered cars. And with the batteries exhausted and nowhere to plug in, I did feel as if I was spending much of my break with a Golf 1.4 TSI, rather than a GTE. Admittedly, the 4km descent from the village to the valley below enabled me to recoup six miles of battery mileage by putting the Golf in regenerative mode. But that dwindled quickly on the ascents.

replica handbags online The only thing to do was choose the mode that enables you to fully charge the batteries using the internal combustion engine. It turns the 1.4 TSI back into the GTE, but it replica designer backpacks was already coping with the grinding climbs without complaint so I did wonder why I’d bothered. Those quandaries aside, the Golf remained a wonderfully relaxed, comfortable and capable travelling companion over 1500 miles of varied roads. replica handbags online

replica Purse Fuel economy this week:68.4mpg replica Purse

Fake Handbags The puncture in the GTE’s tyre was only leaking air very slowly so I was content to drive the 12 miles to Peter Cooper Volkswagen in Chichester for the car’s oil service. We discussed a replacement tyre and I was told it would cost 130. I replica bags online said I wouldn’t be going ahead as I could get it fitted for 87 from an internet company. A quick chat between service and parts departments followed and I was offered tyre and fitting for 87. It did make me wonder if they should have advertised the 43 non haggle surcharge they had tried to levy on me. Fake Handbags

Off I drove in the Beetle courtesy car and five hours later I was told the work was done. The oil service was 159 as advertised. The whole experience was prompt and efficient with the advisor walking around the Golf filming it on a tablet beforehand so there could be no quibbles over any damage. They’d even cleaned it outside and in, although weirdly that didn’t include the wheels. Maybe high quality replica bags it was revenge for buy replica bags online knocking them down on the price of the tyre

wholesale replica designer handbags August 2nd, 2016 wholesale replica designer handbags

Fake Designer Bags Fuel economy this week:72.3mpg Fake Designer Bags

Replica Bags Wholesale After months of trouble free motoring, and just days after the Golf’s service light came on, another orange light flashed up on the dash. This time it was the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System saying there was a problem with the rear near side wheel. A pressure check showed that the tyre was down by around 10psi. As I’m averagely obsessed with checking tyre pressures, there was clearly something wrong. Replica Bags Wholesale

cheap replica handbags A closer inspection revealed a screw in the tyre. It was just on the treaded area so was it in the repairable area? The internet couldn’t give me a definitive answer. Cue 40 minutes waiting in Kwik Fit only for the technician to confirm it couldn’t be patched. A new Bridgestone S001 would cost 149.99 fitted. But Kwik Fit couldn’t source one. And a quick internet search while I was waiting had revealed a company that could supply and fit that tyre for just 87. To be continued cheap replica handbags

Wholesale Replica Bags I was, however, reminded that at a previous visit to the same garage, I had been charged to have the screen wash topped up; something I hadn’t asked for. When I mentioned this, the very efficient woman taking my booking said she’d mark down to call me before doing any extra work. Given best replica designer bags that unexpected and unrequested charges are one of the biggest gripes among drivers visiting garages for services, you’d think that should be standard practice. Wholesale Replica Bags

Handbags Replica July 19th, 2016 Handbags Replica

Fuel economy this week: 47.6mpg

KnockOff Handbags It’s good when just as you think you know all there is to know about something or someone, you find something new. I had just that experience with the Golf the other day. I was poking around in best replica bags online the cabin trying luxury replica bags to figure out how and why one of the rear reading lights was permanently on (pesky kids) when I came across a handy feature that had until then remained hidden. KnockOff Handbags

It’s a sunglasses holder located in the roof behind the rear view mirror. Push and it swings down from the roof. It’s also deceptively capacious even taking quite bulky wraparound sunnies. Last week best replica bags I criticised Volkswagen’s efforts at giving the Golf GTE useful storage in the boot. This week I praise its efforts in the cockpit.

Replica Designer Handbags The question then is what to do with the car’s baggage. The GTE comes high quality designer replica with a compressor to inflate the tyres, a replica designer bags wholesale jack (I’m not quite sure why as there’s no spare), plus two bags of charging cables. The jack will squeeze into a narrow bin at the side of the boot. The other bits just rattle around on the boot floor. A couple of strips of Velcro or some in built straps would provide a simple and cheap solution Replica Designer Handbags.