Feature comparison table: 2015 vs 2016 models and trim level

[johnnylingo]

Last month I was debating between snatching a 2015 model or waiting for a 2016. The 2015 trim levels had only four differences so that was relatively straight forward, but with the changes in 2016 it became so complicated to keep everything straight, so I ultimately made my own spreadsheet.

I was hoping to just paste it inline here, but don't think it allows embedding of HTML or XML. So here's the external link:

https://spaces.hightail.com/space/yZm8Z

 

[johnnylingo]

I admit I'm still confused about the parking features. Here's a good thread on that topic:

http://www.myvwegolf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4052

 

[tdkman2]

Nicely done! This is useful and does a great job breaking down all the current trim models and differences.

 

[miimura]

2015 LE and SEL have ParkPilot, which I think most people call Park Distance Control. That is what the sensors are used for. How else would the sensors be used? I thought the 2016 SEL did not have ParkPilot until the "Driver Assistance Package" was available. This is easy to check.

Also the SE will have an available "Charging Package" later in 2016 that will restore the DCFC capability and 7.2kW charger.

 

[JoulesThief]

2015 LE and SEL have ParkPilot, which I think most people call Park Distance Control. That is what the sensors are used for. How else would the sensors be used? I thought the 2016 SEL did not have ParkPilot until the "Driver Assistance Package" was available. This is easy to check.

Also the SE will have an available "Charging Package" later in 2016 that will restore the DCFC capability and 7.2kW charger.

All 2015's have park distance control, unless you are deaf, and can't hear the frequency and urgency of the sound coming out of the stereo speakers, or you aren't looking at the parallel lines from the back up camera on your screen that are color coded green, yellow and red.

 

[johnnylingo]

I thought the 2016 SEL did not have ParkPilot until the "Driver Assistance Package" was available. This is easy to check.

According to the website, "Park Distance Control" is on the 2015s and "Park Pilot" comes on the 2016 SEL. I think you're right - Park Pilot works in tandem with the driving assist package and VW may have jumped the gun when it came to marketing materials. It won't be clear until the late 2016 SELs come out.

 

[miimura]

I thought the 2016 SEL did not have ParkPilot until the "Driver Assistance Package" was available. This is easy to check.

According to the website, "Park Distance Control" is on the 2015s and "Park Pilot" comes on the 2016 SEL. I think you're right - Park Pilot works in tandem with the driving assist package and VW may have jumped the gun when it came to marketing materials. It won't be clear until the late 2016 SELs come out.

It is only a semantic difference. Park Pilot is just VW's trade name for the Park Distance Control function. My 2015 LE says Park Pilot on the screen.

Either the 2016 SEL has parking sensors and Park Pilot or it doesn't. Definitely, the Park Assist function that steers the car into a parking space is not available until the Driver Assistance Package is available.

 

[johnnylingo]

Ok, I'm just gonna say that Park Distance Control and Park Pilot are for all intensive purposes the same thing; just different Marketing Terms. Have updated the spreadsheet to indicate this.

 

[user 485]

One important, very important, feature that is missing from the SE is cruise control! Ack!

 

[JoulesThief]

One important, very important, feature that is missing from the SE is cruise control! Ack!

Not a big deal if you use it as designed, as an urban vehicle in local stop and go rush hour grid lock traffic. It is not a "do it all" vehicle for use on freeways in the diamond lane when it has a governed limit of 87 mph.

 

[bizzle]

Pretty much agree. It strikes me that the only reason I miss controls on my steering wheel is because I'm used to them being there.

 

[f1geek]

I respectfully disagree that the e-Golf is not designed to be used on the highway. I use it on the highway all the time - I have driven from Redwood City to Salinas (and back) three times, driven to Oakland (and back) twice and to San Francisco (and back) numerous times during the 8 months I've had the car. The e-Golf was designed to cruise on the highway and that's why I use it that way. And I use the cruise control all the time when I'm driving on the highway in the diamond lane. It doesn't matter to me that it has a top speed of 87 mph as I rarely exceed 65 mph. Even though a human can drive at 87 (or higher) mph, that human's reaction time stays about the same regardless of speed of travel. I would rather be able to stop instead of having the car in front of me do that job for me.

 

[JoulesThief]

I respectfully disagree that the e-Golf is not designed to be used on the highway. I use it on the highway all the time - I have driven from Redwood City to Salinas (and back) three times, driven to Oakland (and back) twice and to San Francisco (and back) numerous times during the 8 months I've had the car. The e-Golf was designed to cruise on the highway and that's why I use it that way. And I use the cruise control all the time when I'm driving on the highway in the diamond lane. It doesn't matter to me that it has a top speed of 87 mph as I rarely exceed 65 mph. Even though a human can drive at 87 (or higher) mph, that human's reaction time stays about the same regardless of speed of travel. I would rather be able to stop instead of having the car in front of me do that job for me.

For the USA, the e-Golf was designed to be used in high pollution, high population density, short distances traveled locations, where pollution is a major cause of respiratory ailments. Farm country and rural areas, it provides no added value. Because those cities are the areas our government wants those carbon credit cars active and making a difference in the air quality, not out in farmland. Look where the highest density of public machines put in by government occur on Plugshare, where you can charge for free, and there's your sign.

 

[johnnylingo]

One important, very important, feature that is missing from the SE is cruise control! Ack!

Just realized it's missing from the 2015 LE too, but this is the first time I've ever seen it mentioned. For me personally, cruise control is basically worthless when driving in the Bay Area. The highways are too congested and speeds too variable to set and forget.