The 2019 Volkswagen Golf continues the little car's big legacy of being small, but mighty. In automotive years, the Volkswagen Golf seems to have been around forever. Reviews You Can Trust! The Golf rides on a 103.8 inch wheelbase, stands a shade over 58 inches tall and weighs a bit less than 3,000 pounds when it is equipped with an automatic transmission as the model I tested was. The 2019 Golf S also was equipped with a stop start system that, while you could hear it, had no impact on the car鈥檚 driving dynamics while coming off a standing stop. The Golf also is one of the few cars available with a manual transmission. I also found the interior to be comfortable, especially the seat, and while I never felt like the cabin was closing in on me the essential controls were close at hand. Volkswagen鈥檚 new ad campaign automaker into the light. The new Golf offers plenty of performance in a small package. In addition, I liked the extra touches such as the leather-wrapped steering wheel, which also was adjustable, and the center console with its useable cupholders.
The visibility in all directions from the driver鈥檚 seat, a critical feature in a vehicle of any size, also was also very good and I think helps ease driver stress. Moreover, the Golf is great fun to drive. As I mentioned, the car weighs a little less than 3,000 pounds. However, the 1.4-liter engine with turbocharging and direct injection, which migrated to the Golf from the larger Jetta, produces 147 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque, giving the car an impressive power-to-weight ratio, which is deployed to the car鈥檚 advantage. The car also has excellent driving dynamics with very nice feel for the road, solid steering, excellent stability and ample stopping power. The stubby wheelbase gives the Golf an excellent turning radius and four-wheel independent suspension underpinning the car gives a relatively smooth ride on a variety road surface. It is also equipped with paddle shifters just behind the steering wheel, adding another dimension to the sporty flavor of the Golf. The Golf also gets 37 miles per gallon on the highway and 29 mpg in the city for a combined EPA rating of 32 mpg.
The exterior design of the Golf is a compact, five-door configuration with a rear hatch for storing a suitcase, duffle bag or light cargo. The design also features relatively short overhangs that tend to emphasize the front face and rear aspect of the car. The Volkswagen Golf has been around for 45 years. Volkswagen has equipped the Golf with LED headlights and 15-inch wheels, which help elevate the appearance of the exterior. The 2019 Golf S also is equipped with an impressive array of driver assistance features that can help protect the driver and passenger while out on the road. The Golf is affordable, well equipped and fun to drive, which is an impressive mixture and makes it worth a look from anyone willing to acknowledge that a small vehicle will suit day-to-day needs. This entry was posted on Friday, June 7th, 2019 at and is filed under Asia Pacific, Automakers, Automobiles, China, Europe, First Drive, Markets, NAFTA, Reviews, South America, U.S./North America, Volkswagen. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Just a black wall of a dashboard with big physical dials and a skinny steering wheel that doesn鈥檛 telescope. I floored the clutch pedal, held the brake, and fired up the VR6. It was smooth and refined, exactly what you鈥檇 expect from a European car, discreetly rumbling underneath me. It was at that moment that I wished I had a Big Shiny Tunes CD to throw into that period-correct Bose sound system. As I grabbed the sloppy shifter, I noticed a sticker next to it explaining how to drive stick, complete with what is possibly the worst French translation on Earth. I checked my blind spots using my neck. No fancy blind spot monitoring here. The road was clear. I depressed the friction-less clutch pedal, and off I went, sitting upright in my little green bread box, attracting absolutely no attention to myself. Most of my disappointments came from the fact that this is an old car, and that we鈥檝e become used to the creature comforts of modern automobiles. We鈥檝e made a lot of progress in terms of ergonomics and cabin space.
New cars are also enormous, so getting back into an actual compact from 20 years ago felt cramped. I mentioned the clutch earlier. It鈥檚 the biggest letdown. I was expecting something with a little more bite, but this one feels like your foot is going through a bucket of liquid fat. Perhaps Volkswagen wanted to market this as a luxury car? 28,000 (CAD) price tag at the time. That鈥檚 41 grand in today鈥檚 money, for a damn Jetta! But apart from that, seriously, this car didn鈥檛 disappoint me much. There鈥檚 an overall sensation of solidity, from how the doors thump shut, or how the entire car鈥檚 structure reacts to potholes and thawing spring roads. While I felt enormous in the car, front seat pulled back to destroy whatever rear passenger would have sat there, it was a comfortable ride. If not for the 19 mpg fuel consumption average, this would be a fantastic daily driver.
