Bruce Oberg is a Volkswagen enthusiast, long-time electric car driver and the first owner of the Volkswagen e-Golf. Two years later, Oberg continues to be a happy VW e-Golf owner, with a passion for electric driving. Take us back to 2014, how was your overall experience in becoming the first e-Golf owner? When I saw that Volkswagen was going to come out with the e-Golf I was super excited about getting one. In fact, soon after my wife and I purchased the VW Tiguan, I went back to the local dealership and tried to get on any type of wait list for the e-Golf. Then one night, scrolling through a Volkswagen social media group, I learned about the auction and got immediately on board. In the next few days, I kept my eye on the auction, went, made a reasonable bid and low and behold - won it. Since I was based in Seattle, the local dealership in Oregon took care of all the paperwork and shipped it to our home.
This was in November 2014 - we have been driving the pants off that car ever since. What is your favorite thing about the e-Golf? My wife and I have driven Golf models for many years and are previous owners to many other Volkswagens. When we got the e-Golf it was a perfect transition. The familiarity and comfort of owning a Volkswagen was definitely something my wife and I were very excited about. The nuts and bolts were still in the same place, but you had an electric drive train instead. The engineering in the e-Golf is also immediately noticeable. For example, the vehicle comes equipped with an analog battery gauge which indicates how much of the charge is remaining. The vehicle even gives you the option to select eco- mode, so you can save your battery and travel longer distances. I love that they gave me all these choices.
What do you think keeps people from getting an electric vehicle? I think that when most people imagine an electric car, they think of a go-kart. Some may even picture a slow, punky vehicle that may not hold a lot of power. The truth is that in electrics, there is a lot of power to be accessed. When you have the right motor and a lot of battery, you get this great acceleration.. There is nothing more fun to drive. At this point, I can’t imagine going back to a gas car because my daily drives are so much fun. A concern people have with electric vehicles is the capacity for long-distance driving. With an electric vehicle, you definitely have to plan ahead for these drives. This is one potential downside; we love it for our day-to-day driving, but if we wanted to go on a cross-country trip we would have to make other arrangements. Is there anything else you would like to add? If I were to say anything to Volkswagen it would be that I would like to see electric drive trains available for every model, not just for the Golf. For instance, I wish that I could buy a Passat or a Beetle with an electric drive train. I can only image how cool an electric Beetle would be.
You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Volkswagen deals page. Which Is Better: Volkswagen Golf or Volkswagen Golf GTI? The Volkswagen Golf GTI is one of the best compact cars on the market. 5,800 more than the base Golf’s, though it is quite a bit cheaper than the Golf R. The GTI and the Golf’s other trims are all great choices, so choosing between them is a matter of personal taste. Which Is Better: Volkswagen Golf or Volkswagen Jetta? The Volkswagen Jetta underwent a redesign for the 2019 model year. While it’s a decent vehicle, the Golf is a better one. 3,100 less than the Golf. It has a better predicted reliability rating too. However, the Golf takes the edge in most other areas. It’s a hatchback with more cargo room, more standard safety features, and a nicer cabin than the Jetta. These two vehicles are equipped with the same base engine, but the Golf has more potent engines available. If it’s in your budget, pick the Golf. How Many People Does the Golf Seat? The Volkswagen Golf seats five people on standard cloth upholstery.
