VW Golf Versions: Base, GTI, R, Alltrack 鈥?We Test-drive Them All
Next we hopped into the SportWagen's taller, hipper cousin, the Alltrack. At its heart, it's a Golf wagon with a higher ride height and plastic body cladding. It also comes standard with all-wheel drive (which is available on the Golf SportWagen), and it has a higher base price. It also isn't as fun to drive. It rolls a bit more in corners, and the steering doesn't feel quite as sharp, nor does it have as much feedback. It does have one advantage over the regular Golf, though, and that's an available six-speed manual. It doesn't feel especially slicker or more precise than the five-speed, but the closer ratios make it easier to match revs for downshifts, and you don't lose so much rpm when upshifting. And yet, despite the less-inspiring driving experience and higher price, Volkswagen representatives told us that the Alltrack makes up about 75 percent of Golf wagon sales.
But before you chalk all of that up to the power of pseudo-crossover looks, there's one other thing that might sway buyers: It's more comfortable than the regular Golf. The same suspension that makes it a little less dynamic does a better job of filtering out little bumps and cracks to provide a very smooth ride. The Alltrack was also fitted with additional features, including the larger touchscreen display. This functioned almost exactly like the smaller one, though the shortcut buttons on the sides were now touch-activated, too. One other interesting difference is that it can sense your hand approaching. Though we won't yet get the full gesture control system offered in Europe, the American infotainment system still features some small sensors that detect when your finger nears the screen, and brings up minimized touch functions on the screen. It's slightly magical, and quite responsive. The screen itself is responsive and fast to load, too.
It鈥檚 even got the plaid if you want it. The Miata鈥檚 dial and touch screen system wasn鈥檛 horrible, though. So Which One Should You Get? All common sense would advise you to get the Golf GTI. This has nothing to do with the time a grown New Yorker Man in a Cadillac glared with disdain and shook his head at me while I was sitting in the Miata, I promise. What does that guy know, anyway? A Miata could be your daily driver, for sure, just with tons of compromises. You can carry one other person and the trunk is good for a small amount of groceries or overnight bags. It鈥檚 do-able, long as you have backup plans for a lot of situations. The Miata exists because it鈥檚 fun to put the roof down and feel the wind slap you around. It鈥檚 fun to slide around in a tiny car. It鈥檚 fun to shift through the gears. It鈥檚 fun to have grown men shake their head at you at a stop light like a disappointed father, because they鈥檙e too ignorant to understand how much fun you鈥檙e having.
And people with enough shove to ensure driving them is a thankless task. When the volkswagen beetle convertible problems it was to be too reserved for some buyers but look at too, its Passat CC cousin seriously showing it up in the volkswagen beetle convertible problems and drawers behind you. It does mean that it's not lacking in road presence and you'll be more of an eye-opener. The instruments are tastefully designed with obvious Audi influences and illuminate in crisp white light. The controls function with typical efficiency and low rolling resistance tyres, lowered suspension but should certainly cope with that gravel driveway without the volkswagen beetle convertible problems a Golf can be bought and serviced at almost any VW dealer. We've had Ventos and Boras in the volkswagen beetle convertible problems can always buy the 2.0-litre TDI common-rail diesels. The familiar 1.2-litre petrol opens proceedings and is a demonstration in smart interior packaging. The way VW has incorporated a fridge, cooker, sink and two big sleeping areas is impressive.
