By Cliff Leppke

Cliff Leppke

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Cliff is a Milwaukee-based automotive writer and American studies scholar who works as an electronic journalist for a TV station. Born in 1958, he's... More

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1,087 views Mar 31, 2010

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2010 VW Golf Review

Last fall, VW's new six-generation, "World Car of the Year" Golf, its best-selling European model and therefore one of the world's most popular cars arrived in the U.S.A.

VW bills it as the perfect city car.  Indeed, this three-door or five-door compact hatchback is easy to park, can civilly transport four adults, converts into a handy hauler, imparts a solid luxurious demeanor and tops that off with the quick agile Teutonic handling.  It's nimble, predictable, and all those things one expects from cars meant to please pavement-bound motorists.

Big news for Americans: VW now offers three Golf variants:  the pocket-rocket GTI, the thrifty, sporting diesel TDI and the base model with a 170-hp, 2.5-liter I-5 engine.  If you pick the latter with four-side doors, the six-speed Tiptronic automatic (a ‘manumatic' with sport mode) is the sole transmission.  That car is this report's subject.

Flashy does not describe the Golf's exterior styling-it's functional.  An up-close examination, however, reveals many attention-worthy details:  nicely stamped and fitted exterior panels, custom-cut moldings, a logo-motion rear lid release and VW's latest chiseled face.

Tasteful describes the Golf's interior.  The "Me2" cloth seats are supportive.  Both height-adjustable front buckets power recline.  The split-fold rear perch includes a passthrough for skis.  Front legroom and headroom are generous.  Add the tilt-telescope steering wheel and perfectly placed pedals-including a left-foot rest and you've got a driver's hot spot-heated seats are available too.

Survey the Golf's interior and you'll discover further delights.  It's exquisite:  a seamless, soft-touch dashboard, lined door panels, no-fray headliner, plush wall-to-wall carpeting and large upright windows.  Tastefully applied bright-metal rings surround instruments, shifter and dash vents.  Gauges are precision-style white-on-black.  The standard trip computer calculates fuel economy, miles to empty and has a compass.  You flip through the info screen's menus via to wiper stalk mounted buttons.

On the road, everyday driving is librarian approved-quiet, compliant with ample reserve power.  Dip into that extra go and the mill barks too loudly.  And high-speed motoring on choppy roads induces lots of tire/suspension slap.  Nonetheless, Golfs are mostly drama-free ready to blast along back roads, tackle city streets and caress interstates-even with the base model's narrower 15-inch economy-oriented tires.  Few compacts do so much so well.

Dollars don't buy lots of euros.  Therefore, VW must cut a few corners.  An eagle-eyed enthusiast will notice VW deleted the cloth-trimmed rear pillars, an under-dash cover and the center adjustable armrest.

Standard equipment includes an alphabet soup of abbreviations for safety gear from ASR (anti slip) to ESP (stability program).  Brakes were effective with throttle override.

The EPA's figures:  23 mpg city and 30 highway.  I got a respectable 27.5.

Pricing fits the premium theme:  nearly $20,000.  Select options such as power sunroof, cold weather package and VW asks $21,000.  The three-door version with five-speed manual is about $18,000. People who prefer nice, small packages should put this hatchback on their punch list.