This is what owners of VW’s crossover in the C-segment think
The T-Roc was Volkswagen’s first foray into the compact crossover boat. Of course, the Tiguan was already there, but it eventually became so big that in practice it also competed with the Passat. So there was room for a more compact model that can compete more closely with the Golf in terms of size: the T-Roc. A year after the T-Roc, the T-Cross was also released, for those who want to ride higher in the Polo class. Today we look at the mid-range through the eyes of users: does the T-Roc excel in anything?
The Volkswagen T-Cross made its appearance in 2017, with which the Germans got in relatively late. In 2022, the car was optically tightened, so that it can last a few more years. Under the hood we find well-known engines: the 1.0 TSI and 1.5 TSI are the most often chosen, but the 190 hp 2.0 TSI is also an option. In the T-Roc R, which did not return to the Dutch price list after the facelift, the engine even produces 300 hp.
Do you find a crossover a boring affair, even with such a strong engine? Maybe the Volkswagen T-Cross Cabrio will appeal to you. The brand put serious effort into this car. Not only did they saw off the roof and it became – of course – a two-door, even the wheelbase grew by four centimeters. Yet it will not be surprising that users mainly share experiences with the common T-Roc, equipped with 1.0 or 1.5 TSI.
Space and seating comfort
It is clear that the T-Roc competes with the Golf within its own range, due to its dimensions and pricing. The next owner also switched from a Golf VII Variant to a T-Roc 1.5 TSI. He writes: “The interior has more than enough interior space and is comparable to my previous car in that respect. Only the space in the trunk is 160 liters less. Do we miss that? No, because the loading space with the rear seats up is deep, including the adjustable floor. The ski hatch is large enough for 4 pairs of skis, so I can take it to summer and winter destinations.”
Hard plastics
Remarkably few drivers mention the availability of space and seating comfort. Could this allow us to cautiously assume that these things are simply fine? We are inclined towards that, because another point of criticism is mentioned very often. Volkswagen used hard dashboard materials in the T-Roc. The driver above has nothing good to say about it: “Plastic, it’s not the nicest material and actually unworthy of VW! It’s an incredible shame that VW is implementing this on a model that should be at a higher level than, for example, a Polo.”
Another T-Roc 1.5 TSI driver shares this opinion, but is a little more nuanced. “Build quality has proven to be simply good. Not a beep, not a creak, nothing. Nevertheless, I must admit in all honesty that the amount of hard plastic bothered me more than I initially thought. I’m certainly not a dashboard hugger, but it still gave me a less premium feeling than what you would expect from such a car in this price range.” For others it turns out to be less bad: “After our Highline Golf 7, the interior of the T-Roc was a bit of a problem with its many (neatly processed) plastics, but you know this in advance and it actually doesn’t bother us. With the 2022 facelift, Volkswagen has used softer materials, which solve this point for new buyers.” And indeed: anyone who wants a T-Roc, but prefers a more luxurious dashboard, will have to shop for copies from 2022 and later.
Infotainment and controls
The infotainment of the VW T-Roc also appears to be no reason to complain. Unlike the Golf 8, for example, the T-Roc still has a fairly traditional system. However, digital instruments are optionally required. “The Active Info Display can be adjusted to personal taste and preferences and provides a nice overview of what you would like to see during every ride. From all information to minimal information. Great that it is possible,” says the 1.5 TSI driver mentioned earlier. “Furthermore, the screen next to it offers standard things such as Apple CarPlay, Carnet and all other things that are useful. The navigation system has received a major update, but still does not work as smart as Google Maps, which I use as standard where necessary.”
Another driver is less pleased with the connectivity. “I must honestly admit that these types of systems do not interest me much, so perhaps it says more about me than about the system, but I regularly have to reset the connection with Bluetooth or Apple CarPlay. In my experience this does not function well.” A striking observation comes from the following 1.0 TSI driver: “The voice control for navigation and telephone do not work, this is an extra option for approximately 260 euros. The button on the steering wheel is there, but it does not work. Too bad, you can have it activated afterwards, but at an additional cost.”
How does the T-Roc drive?
What people do write a lot about is the driving experience, and that is generally quite positive. “How quiet this car is! If you drive it quietly, you hear virtually nothing up to 150 km/h. So you don’t notice that you are quickly driving too fast. So I am happy with Flitsmeister. The sound insulation is really amazing,” writes the owner of a 2019 T-Roc 1.5 TSI Sport Business R. “The sports suspension is very nice. Firm, but not too hard.”
Judging from the reviews, the Sport version, with ditto suspension, was in great demand. “Despite the fact that the car is higher, it is not sensitive to crosswinds and very stable on course without leaning in the bends. The car gives a familiar and solid impression,” says another 1.5 TSI Sport driver. And although it almost becomes boring, we quote the driver of another such car: “Sharp steering and tight on the road. Even with a strong wind. Comfortable on the asphalt, on rougher roads you as a driver have good contact with the road.”
However, the sports suspension does not appear to be the solution for everyone. “The 18-inch alloy with sports suspension makes it much too stiff and jerky on cobblestone roads and speed bumps. This is not a problem on asphalt, but I live in a rural area so I often drive on back roads. In this regard, a Style version with 17 inches would probably have been a better choice,” says the owner of – yes – a T-Roc 1.5 TSI Sport. “Due to the comment in one of the other T-Roc reviews about delivering on 16-inch wheels, I had the opportunity to test my car on this wheel size yesterday. The car is indeed much more comfortable, but the super direct steering was gone. While the 18 inch is sometimes annoyingly direct when entering the bend, the 16 inch feels a bit woolly and slow.”
Volkswagen T-Roc: the engines
Above you read that many experiences are about the T-Roc 1.5 TSI with 150 hp. One of these experiences: “The 150 HP TSI is a bit jerky when starting off from a cold start, but that goes away after about 2 minutes. The engine also reaches the right temperature very quickly. In combination with the 6v manual gearbox, the engine is a real pleasure compared to the 122 HP TSI. Very easy to drive and always sufficient torque available.”
The 1.5 TSI has a two-cylinder mode that should reduce consumption. “The car switches to 2 cylinders when there is little power demand. The duration of the switch is often short, because with the slightest touch of the gas, all 4 cylinders switch on again. I therefore wonder whether this actually yields anything in terms of consumption. I think it’s a shame that the engine is running a bit noisy, this can also be felt in the car,” a user experiences. Someone else also noticed that the motor switches between two modes. “Not disturbing, but I definitely notice it when the engine switches to the 2-cylinder Eco mode.”
A user writes about the three-cylinder 1.0 TSI: “We opted for the 1.0 engine, unfortunately it was not available with a DSG automatic transmission, but shifting is certainly not a punishment with this car. The engine does its work silently, it is not a sprint wonder, but you should not expect that from this engine. However, you can more than keep up with the daily traffic.”
Then there is a T-Roc 2.0 TSI 4Motion driver, who made the switch from a 1.5 TSI. “How does that drive? Well, that doesn’t go wrong at all. Enough power and the DSG gearbox is also adjusted differently, I think. Continuing at higher revs doesn’t really make sense. The engine has been tuned back too much for that. Between 2000 and 5500 rpm the engine pulls well, above that it levels off completely.” Speaking of that transmission, a 1.5 TSI DSG driver said the following: “When driving away, the moment of engagement of the DSG gearbox is difficult to predict and measure. The front wheels regularly slip if you are not careful enough.”
Maintenance, malfunctions and irritations
If we can believe the user experiences, the T-Roc has no major problems. However, one driver was presented with an unmistakable message: “About 2 weeks ago I was shocked because a warning signal suddenly sounded and a red triangle appeared on the dashboard with the message that the oil pressure was not okay. After checking it turned out that oil simply had to be added because it had fallen just below the minimum.” We often read this in reviews of the T-Cross: in the beginning the 1.5 TSI seems to consume some oil, which stabilizes over time.
There is other relatively minor suffering for the owner who had to have a windshield wiper motor replaced after only 30,000 kilometers. The driver who reported stabilized oil consumption had to have the windshield washer pump replaced after 4.5 years.
When looking through the user reviews, a number of things stand out. The most interesting thing: the T-Roc is perhaps so middle-of-the-road in terms of design that the basic qualities are no longer noticeable. In short, it is practical enough and spacious and the infotainment system is hardly in anyone’s way. However, the use of materials inside could be improved, because hard plastics are not appreciated. Something that Volkswagen has corrected with the facelift in 2022. The T-Roc generally drives satisfactorily, although the sports suspension with larger wheels can be experienced as too stiff. Indeed, these are all qualities that previously applied to… the Golf.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl