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Volkswagen Vento TDI DSG: 6 years & 83,500 km ownership

18th October 2021, 14:44 by Rahul Nagaraj

The DSG transmission combined with the linearly responsive diesel engine makes driving, a wonderful experience.

BHPian JoshMachine recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Had it not been for covid, the odometer would have crossed 1 lakh km by now. But I will let the “What If” situation run another day. The actual reading went past the 83,500 km mark sometime back on the eve of my Vento’s 6th birthday.

And what an eventful 6 years I have experienced so far, with the Night Blue stallion!

I still remember the buying process vividly back in Sept’15 and how just after paying the booking amount, the world swirled around me - yes, with the VW’s emissions scandal coming to the fore.

To stay with the booking in that situation & not cancel, was perhaps one of the most difficult decisions that we (wifey & I) have taken. Thankfully, it has paid off and how we have actually enjoyed every year of the ownership experience

Well, with every long term ownership perspective, I also want to pen down a summary with my likes and dislikes:-

LIKES:

Ease of driving: the DSG + the linearly responsive EA189 diesel engine makes all driving – city or highway, a wonderful experience. Many threads have been dedicated to the DSG (for good or bad) so I will not go into that again, but one thing’s clear, I wouldn’t have bought the Vento had this piece of engineering weren’t present in it.
Ride quality: thanks to the McPherson and the semi-independent link setup, the ride quality is always in comfort mode. I seldom go around carving corners in ghats, just not my preference
Safety – ESP, ABS (got triggered once), cornering fog lights, anti-pinch windows, Hill-Hold and airbags (well, just a couple of them. Never got to use. Hoping it should stay that way). The sheet metal & the overall build quality feels robust & confidence-inspiring
Ergonomics – the Vento seating is lower but sorted. I am 6’ tall but am able to ingress/egress relatively ok. Not so much for my dad & mom, who need to make some efforts to step in/out. But once seated, the firm yet pliant seats and the ergonomic position give you that snug feeling
Fuel efficiency – like the forum’s hidden gems section, this one too has been serendipity of sorts for me. Over the last 6 years, I have managed to reach highs of 27+ km/l while the general average FE has been hovering around 20-22 km/l, in city + highway with the air-conditioning ON almost 100%.
Interiors fit & finish – barring the odd-AC vent control louvre coming loose and the initial door squeaks, almost everything inside the cabin feels like it will stay like that forever. Even today, I hardly hear any rattle. Feels like a tomb if you are just coasting on a highway.
NVH – the overall NVH levels are good, aiding to the overall ride experience
Air-conditioning – surprisingly, I have found the cooling to be quite effective (unlike some of the owners who have had some issues with this). Well, I also do other basic stuff like religiously opening up with windows before I step into the car + keep the rear window sun blinds + try to park in the shade wherever possible etc. We have undertaken long-distance trips from Pune to Bhopal/Nagpur in the peak summer months of April/May, however, found the AC to be doing the needful quite well.
Design – nowadays the debate for the sedan vs SUV design rages on, with the latter winning. However, for us, the simple yet elegant & clean design of the Vento (accentuated by the wonderful Night Blue colour) have always held us in awe. It has a very proportionate silhouette and a timeless look to it.
Cost of maintenance – overall, this factor has been very predictable and reasonable. I have spent close to a lakh till date including regular servicing + running repairs. There have been no bill shocks as such

DISLIKES:

Lack of power – the engine specs state 105 bhp. At times, I have felt this is way too less and have realized I could do with at least 1.5 -1.7 times more power
Pedal ergonomics – the dead pedal is probably of no use to me. Being a tall person, I like to sit with the seat pushed back but even in spite of that, I am not comfortable with placing my left leg. I have to make continuous adjustments.
Headlights – well, the stock lights are totally ineffective. No other way to put it. All the deer can roam around easily without any fear of getting caught in the Vento’s stock headlights. It’s a different thing, that I got the bulbs upgraded to Philip Extreme Vision
In-Car Entertainment – the original RCD 320 setup was a big downer. No in-built navigation. Just some buttons & switches here and there. Even the humble vanilla ice cream will not take it happily if I were to use the term ‘plain vanilla’ for Vento’s ICE. Again, I had to upgrade to something better, went for the RCD 340.
Lack of lumbar support – even I am still in my early 40s, the lack of lumbar support sometimes can be a pain. And this has become pronounced in the last 1-2 years when it comes to long-distance travel.
Besides the above, my entire thread has been interspersed with various updates including things like tyre rotation, family trips and how the Vento has fared over long distances, city traffic etc.

To sum it, as you would have gathered, my driving style has been mostly that of a cruiser rather a corner carver. However, it doesn’t mean I am content with the horses on tap! But since I am not the one to play with the system OEM mech setup, no remaps for me.

I have been paying attention (sometimes, I feel rather too much) to peace of mind rather than being dissatisfied at times.

Wonder whether the time has come to upgrade to something powerful, plusher, more pliant?!

However, a related rather interesting perspective I would like to share. In the last 1.5-2 years, there have been already 2 occasions where I had that itch to upgrade.

But every time I felt that my amygdala wanted to hijack my limbic system, my head overrode that by pointing me to this (wonderful) thread. Alas, only time will tell, how much further can I keep my amygdala in check.

Till then, I will keep on drooling over this handsome steed

Some pics for your viewing pleasure, too: