Volkswagen Golf 2019 Problems

No, the tow-ball capacity is determined by the manufacturer and is not affected by what rear suspension you have in the vehicle. Theoretically, upgrading the rear springs would mean the car would sag less when you put a load on the tow-bar, but that doesn’t alter the tow-bar’s ability to cope with extra weight.

Towing is an area where there’s a lot of misinformation doing the rounds. Make sure you know the limits dictated by the car’s manufacturer, the trailer’s manufacturer and the law.

A Volkswagen Golf that is already one year old will already have done a big chunk of its depreciating. The Corolla, on the other hand, will – like all brand-new cars – dump value like crazy. That said, both cars have a fair way to go in depreciation terms. Keeping them for just a year won’t help there, either, as you’ll effectively be maximising the amount you lose.

The trade regards the Corolla (as a Toyota) very highly and, as such, resale values tend to be better than a lot of cars. The VW Golf, meanwhile, still suffers from the stigma of the reliability problems many owners experienced and can be a little more difficult to unload without resorting to selling it to a wholesaler who will make you really understand what depreciation means.

It all depends on where you get your information from, John. Like you, I’ve certainly read reports that the Alltrack franchise is being put to rest in North America in favour of SUVs, but a quick chat with VW Australia revealed that the concept still has legs out here. Perhaps the confusion is over the USA market axing of the cars, while the Alltracks sold here are generally sourced from the German VW factory. In any case, you can expect to see Alltracks in VW showrooms for the foreseeable future.

The big question is whether they’ll be available with a diesel engine. My VW insider “hopes so” but recent reports that all VW passenger cars will be petrol powered puts that into doubt, even if the Alltrack models are classed by some sections of the trade as light-commercials. Even if the Alltrack concept survives with a diesel engine option, count on there being a petrol-powered variant available as well.

In any case, the notion of the Alltrack becoming a depreciation victim here because the USA stops selling them is not going to be a reality.

Volkswagen dealers will recommend this extra service (usually at the six-month mark) for any vehicle that operates in what’s termed `extreme’ conditions. Those conditions can include high ambient temperatures, dusty conditions and even short, stop-start running. But it’s only a recommendation and not having it done shouldn’t affect your warranty or service record.

Generally, it amounts to a change of fluids and an upload of any software changes (the latter you’re entitled to for free under warranty at your next scheduled service anyhow). A lot of owners reckon this is a money grab, while others think that a year between oil changes on a high-performance engine like the Golf R’s turbocharged unit is too long in the first place. In the end, it’s up to you to check the owner’s manual and decide for yourself whether the way you drive falls into the extreme category.

There’s clearly no point in talking sense to you, your head is in a complete muddle. You want a fix for your mid-life crisis, yet you talk about resale value, warranty, fixed-price servicing and boring stuff like that. You need to think about what it is you want from your “sporty-ish” car, do you want a performance car that will be thrilling to drive, or are you a park-and-poser and just want to look good when you stop at the café for a latte. The VW Golf GTi is a thrill-a-minute hot hatch; you like the i30N, and both would be good buys. Buy the Lux if you decide on the i30N. You could also think about a BMW M3, or an older Porsche Boxster. I wouldn’t suggest a Commodore SS or a Falcon XR6T ute, they’re a bit boring.

Despite VW's plan to include the Golf GTE in its line-up, the variant is no longer available. The company anticipates that rather than introduce a PHEV, it will go directly to EVs in Australia. But it's possible that its sister brand, Skoda will get the eventual production version of the Vision RS PHEV that was shown here a while ago. We're told that wouldn't be before 2021.