Note at the start: This is a review from a second-hand user of the vehicle, written mostly from the perspective of the frequent passenger.
To premise: no, the car isn’t brand spanking new—or as Bosnian and Balkan people would say, “ispod čekića”. It was bought second-hand from an official VW Service Center in Germany (complete with all official paperwork, including a notice that it had a minor issue which has since been fixed) and was imported with all Croatian taxes, customs, and registration plates handled through a solid dealership/transporter house, Mega Koncept d.o.o (AAAgram.eu).
Now to start: the car is a 2023 model, but its first start and registration were in late 2022. As for the infotainment—it might look like a basic setup with physical buttons that reminds us of the older MIB2 generation from the late VW Golf 7.5, especially since it requires a wired connection for Android Auto and CarPlay. But don’t let the looks fool you; the real MIB3 tech is hidden under the hood.
Because this is the MIB3 architecture, the car is constantly online via an active We Connect Plus subscription. This unlocks all those modern features through the Volkswagen app: we can track the exact location of the vehicle, check fuel levels, receive OTA updates, and even remotely lock/unlock the car or blast the horn to deter any potential thieves. We mostly use it with Android Auto turned off when we know the location, or connected to a few devices running Android Auto when we need to navigate to the correct destination, including trips to Bosnia. On top of that, it is always connected via Bluetooth to one of our enabled smartphones—ranging across both Android and iOS ecosystems—ensuring seamless, hands-free quick calls while driving.
Now, let’s talk mileage and fuel consumption. It’s been quite active: in just 4.5 months of use, we’ve put over 4,000 kilometers (approx. 2,500 miles) on it, averaging about 5.7 liters per 100 kilometers (41 MPG). That includes city driving, slower country roads, and a bit of highway. It averages out to about 1,000 kilometers per month. We exclusively fill it up with Premium Diesel from INA which offers great efficiency, allowing us to go at least 2 weeks without a refill.
Saving the comfort and drivability for last: as a comfortable crossover/mid-sized SUV with the utility of a hatchback, it can hold a lot of stuff in the boot. It actually fits a bit more than the older VW Golf 7; we even tested its capacity when transporting items, including funeral flowers. The drivability is solid—essentially a slightly higher hatchback. It was tested on closed roads with an experienced driver behind the wheel. As for the other drivers in the family, they say it’s a massive improvement. And how could it not be, coming from a VW Golf 7.5 series 2.0 TDI?
In conclusion: As second-hand owners who bought and imported it for under €20k, it’s an absolute bargain. With about 110k km on the odometer, buying this was a steal compared to what’s available in Croatia for the same price (where you only get older models with higher mileage). Buying and importing it from an official German VW seller/retailer—the German equivalent of our AutoZubak—is definitely the way to go.
To end on a personal note: hitting that “100k km” mark tends to scare people away here on the Balkan peninsula, but history repeats itself in the best way possible for us. Back in late 2017, we imported our current VW Golf 7 1.6 TDI Trendline Bluemotion (2014 model) from a private German seller with 105k km on the clock. Back then, we didn’t know pro transport houses that handle everything for you, so we had to do all the heavy lifting and paperwork ourselves. Today, that exact same Golf 7 is pushing past 300k km and still runs flawlessly every single day.
Fast forward to today, we did the exact same 3-year-old vehicle formula with this T-Roc at 110k km—only this time, it was a stress-free “turn-key” experience from an official VW dealership with local pros doing the transport. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, you shouldn’t fear the mileage if the car comes from Germany with a verified service history. Here’s to the next 200k km!
Written after 4.5 months of using the car. Text checked by Generative AI.