One of the most important criteria, if not the most important criterion, of automobile quality is reliability, that is, infrequency of serious problems, as few people want the annoyance, inconvenience, and expense of dealing with such problems. This article provides lists employing this criterion that will help guide consumers to the best small cars on the U.S. The lists in this article include automobile models that are 180 inches (457.2 centimeters) or shorter in length. They include sedans, coupes, convertibles, hatchbacks, and wagons, but do not include sport cars. They also exclude those models with only a one-year data history, as a one-year data history may provide a poor guide of what a consumer may anticipate for more than one year. The first list gives those small car models with a 2010 Auto Reliability Grade Point Average between 3.25 and a perfect 4.00 for the age range 0-to-4 years. The second list gives those small car models with a 2010 Auto Reliability Grade Point Average between 3.25 and a perfect 4.00 for the age range 2-to-6 years. The third list gives those small car models with a 2010 Auto Reliability Grade Point Average between 3.25 and a perfect 4.00 for the age range 4-to-8 years. The fourth list gives those small car models with a 2010 Auto Reliability Grade Point Average between 3.25 and a perfect 4.00 for the age range 6-to-10 years. The final list gives those small cars with at least a 5-year data history which have achieved a 2010 Auto Reliability Grade Point Average between 3.25 and a perfect 4.00 for all of their age ranges offering data. James Bleeker has a B.A. Carleton College in mathematics, a J.D. Northwestern University, and an M.S. University of Minnesota in mathematics. He has practiced law, and taught Introductory Statistics, Calculus III, Business Calculus, Finite Math, College Algebra, Introductory and Intermediate Algebra and Foundations at various universities and colleges.
15,300 CDN - just 75 percent of the price of a Rabbit. At that price, the car is no longer competing with compact cars like the Civic or Corolla but sub-compacts like the Yaris and Fit and even the Accent and Aveo. When compared to these vehicles the underpinnings don’t feel dated, although they aren’t exactly impressive. On the highway the car settles nicely at speed, although large bumps can send the car bouncing up and down on the soft springs and shocks, reminiscent of a mid-90s Buick. The sheer length of the springs and shocks is obvious just by looking at the City Golf, as it has a great deal of wheel gap. My tester featured the optional 15-inch aluminum wheels and while they do spice up the look of the car, they are somewhat redundant from an engineering perspective as they are no larger in diameter than the standard steel wheels.
As for the body of the City Golf, VW has done a good job at masking the decade-old vehicle underneath. When the car was first launched it came with an old Mark IV body style, however, in 2008 a redesign helped make the car look neither new nor old. As for those aluminum wheels, they did help to class-up the car, although any good they might have done to the overall package was negated by the taillights. VW opted to go with cheesy aftermarket-style units that just cheapen the overall look of the car. Power is deliver by a decade-old SOHC 2.0-liter engine that has both its drawbacks and its benefits. Power is rated at 115 ponies and torque is a substantial 122 ft-lbs. With maximum torque at just 2600 rpm, the City Golf has excellent useable power for around town and initially feels much faster than the 11.7-second sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) that VW Canada claims.
Fuel economy isn’t bad either, despite the fact that the competition relies on 1.6 and even 1.5-liter engines. Fuel consumption is rated at 9.9 and 6.9 liters/100km city/highway (or 24/34 mpg). One reason the numbers are even this good and the 2.0-liter is competitive in the sub-compact segment is due to the new six-speed tiptronic automatic transmission (a five-speed manual is standard). The interior is a real disappointment for a Golf, but it’s exactly what you should expect for 15 grand. Standard equipment includes an eight-speaker AM/FM/CD player with an auxiliary input, a height-adjustable driver’s seat and tilt-telescopic steering wheel. Unfortunately even with the seat in its lowest position and the wheel in its highest I still couldn’t see the top of the gauges, including any of the engine temperature gauge. And another thing… the side mirrors are just far too small. 1,175) that includes those 15-inch wheels, an alarm system, cruise control, power heated mirrors, power locks and windows and remote trunk and fuel-door release. A nice option would have been steering wheel-mounted controls. 275) was also installed which includes heated seats. Annoyingly the heated seats use VW’s scrolling temperature adjuster with an excessive six settings. On the plus side, however, the seats heat up fast and get mad hot - something that is definitely appreciated in Canadian winters. Standard safety equipment includes front air bags and ABS (something a lot of comparably priced sub-compacts list as options). Side air bags and curtain air bags are separate options, as is an electronic stability control system.
The new TDIs are exceptionally fuel efficient. The 110 PS strong diesel is satisfied with just 4.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (119 g/km CO2) - that represents a 0.6 liter reduction in fuel consumption! Even the 140-PS version only requires 4.9 liters of diesel (129 g/km CO2), which is 0.6 liter less than the on the previous generation. In the launch phase, four variants will define the range of gasoline engines with 59 kW / 80 PS, 75 kW / 102 PS, 90 kW / 122 PS and 118 kW / 160 PS. Starting at 90 kW / 122 PS, TSI engines with supercharging and/or turbocharging are used. The fact is: the gasoline engines are also pioneers in economy. The optimized 80-PS entry-level engine consumes just 6.4 liters Super per hundred kilometers (149 g/km CO2) - that is 0.5 liter less than its predecessor. The TSI engines once again make their appearance as prime examples of efficiency: with 122 PS the new Golf 1.4 TSI consumes just 6.2 liters Super (144 g/km CO2); this represents a fuel consumption advantage of 0.1 liters.
