Engines are shrinking. From econocars to supercars, from pint-size roadsters to full-size pickups, engine downsizing is happening across the industry. This is not a sad story. While those output losses are not negligible, they have been largely offset by new transmissions with additional gears. A standard six-speed manual—finally! —or optional eight-speed automatic has replaced the 2018 Golf's five-speed stick and six-speed autobox. Even better, despite the loss of power and torque, acceleration from a stop keeps pace with the last automatic-equipped Golf we tested, a 2018 Golf SE. The 2019 car reached 60 mph in 7.6 seconds (versus 7.7 for the 2018 model) and matched its predecessor in the quarter-mile at 15.9 seconds, its 88-mph trap speed lower by 1 mph. As with most other modestly powered cars, the 2019 Golf had us hammering the gas pedal pretty often during everyday driving. But unlike most other modestly powered cars, the engine didn't thrash and scream in protest when we did so.
Nor did it boom at low rpm, as we observed in Golfs with the 1.8-liter and automatic combo. Only at the very upper reaches of the rev band does it start getting loud. Generally, the 1.4T is uncannily smooth and quiet in most of its operating range—a few times we had to check the tachometer at stoplights to see if it was running. Our test car was a base Golf S model and rode on 195/65R-15 Bridgestone Ecopia EPA422 Plus tires, which could partially account for its 177-foot stop from 70 mph. That's eight feet longer than the 2018 Golf SE required; it weighed 158 pounds more but was fitted with more aggressive 205/55R-16 Hankook Kinergy GT tires. Despite its modest rubber, the 2019 Golf clung to the asphalt with 0.84 g of lateral grip, which is a tick more than the 0.83 g we observed with the 2018 car. That tiny improvement at the skidpad understates the impact a lighter nose has on handling. While we have long touted the Golf's steering as lively, it now feels even more eager to change direction and offers genuine tactility transmitted through the steering wheel's thin, leather-wrapped rim.
It also continues to track as well at high speeds as an Audi costing twice as much. Otherwise, the car remains pretty much the same unpretentious yet upscale offering it has long been—same perfect seating position, same excellent outward vision, same Costco-friendly cargo-carrying capability. A mid-cycle facelift for 2018 straightened what few curves the Golf's exterior had left and upgraded some interior bits and pieces, leaving the seventh-generation Golf as dapper and aspirational as it has ever been. The Golf S sure doesn't feel like a stripper. Although it lacks a sunroof, heated seats, automatic climate control, navigation, satellite radio, and certain driver aids such as lane-keeping assist and active cruise control, life with the base Golf S is far from bad. You still have to twist a key to turn it on—keyless access and push-button start arrive with the SE—but it does come with paddle shifters, cruise control, comfortable mesh fabric upholstery, and a sophisticated touchscreen infotainment system. A pleasing mix of surfaces and textures show that much thought was put into this car's interior design, with contrast stitching spiffing the place up a bit. There is some bad news to report, which is that prices have climbed by nearly a grand for 2019, severely lengthening the payback period for any fuel-related savings. That said, the standard equipment list has grown to include forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking, as well as blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The 2019 Golf represents net improvement in a car that has been a regular on our 10Best Cars list. At the very least, this car is good enough to make the subject of engine downsizing much less troubling.
So far this all seems altruistic, but coming from a powerful publicly-traded corporation, there’s probably going to have to be a catch at some point. Toyota CorollaLike the Golf, this is a safe default choice for a lot of people, and is a fine choice for new drivers or the aged (Safari is the default iOS and Mac browser). Car enthusiasts tend to disparage the Corolla for its lack of power or exciting features (power users almost always install another browser). But it deserves respect for meeting millions of peoples’ transportation needs (very many casual Apple users rely on Safari). The engine and suspension designs are actually rather old, but they suit their purpose so that’s not really a problem (Safari is based on the WebKit engine from the Konqueror browser and early versions of Chrome). Volvo station wagonVolvo station wagons have been around for a long time, but they’ve never been particularly popular (Opera has survived with a small market share for a long time). They’ve always been prudent and efficient, which sadly isn’t a strong selling point with today’s cheap gasoline (Opera is lightweight, which matters less with today’s fast computers). They are a niche product, and most people probably either don’t know they exist, or believe they went out of business a long time ago. They have a small but loyal following; not really traditional car enthusiasts, just folks who know what they like and stick with it (developers tend to prefer Chrome or Firefox). For a long time Volvo was an independent Scandinavian company, but recently they were acquired by a Chinese firm. Time will tell whether they maintain their unique character under that arrangement (ditto for Opera). This is a great answer! See the original here.
I have inadvertently clicked on this link, and now I’m trapped. Then you will be forced to sit through a few moments of mind-bendingly astonishing statistical revelations about the brand new Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion. But, to make it more palatable, I will introduce zombies. Who doesn’t love zombies? Quite. But, should the world be overcome by hordes of the ravenous undead, this Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion is probably your best bet. We’re going on the completely untested assumption that these limb-dragging irritants will be drawn to petrol station forecourts, enticed by the 3 for 2 deals on packets of Marvels and Skittles. And if there’s one thing this new Volkswagen Bluemotion hates, it’s petrol station forecourts. It can claim some pretty impressive numbers. It emits just 85g/km of CO2 (where the original, 2007 Golf Bluemotion emitted 119g/km), but returns a whopping 88.2mpg on the combined cycle. Obviously, that’s a Volkswagen claim, but with a 50-litre tank, there’s the theoretical possibility of a trip from London to Le Mans and back on a single tank, with some fuel to spare. That’s over 900 miles on a single tank!
