So What鈥檚 The Diesel Like, Then?
You鈥檒l never, ever learn the language, which sounds like Scandinavian played backwards and bubbled through bath water, and your taste buds will find it equally hard to come to terms with the food. Into this absorbing environment, Volkswagen introduced a fleet of Phaetons, complete with more chauffeurs than Iceland has policemen (honest), in which I spent marginally more time than the car I鈥檇 turned up to drive. Oh do get on with it! Sorry. And then it struck me鈥?They did all this on purpose. So little of import has changed between Golfs MkV and VI that the latest iteration was in desperate need of a USP. Allied to a huge hike in interior quality, the MkVI has indeed been soundproofed senseless to seriously good effect. Ironically, the only gripe remaining is that they鈥檝e thrown out the blue back-lighting to the instrumentation in favour of white. Surely that was something of a Golf USP in its own right. So what鈥檚 the diesel like, then?
They say this is a new 138bhp version of VW鈥檚 2.0 litre common-rail turbodiesel, yet it instantly feels as familiar as your favourite pants. From just 1750rpm a slug of 236lb ft of torque elicits predictable urge, particularly when mated here to the group鈥檚 admirable six-speed, twin-clutch DSG gearbox, which slurs both up and down changes with greased eel alacrity. Thing is, however, faced with stiff competition from VW鈥檚 delicious 1.4 litre twincharger unit, I鈥檓 increasingly less inclined to favour the diesel option. Not really. This is a respectable looking hatchback, but certainly no prettier than its predecessor. There鈥檚 a whole raft of people out there who are never going to settle for anything other than a Golf, and they won鈥檛 be disappointed with the MKVI. In striving for interior refinement and hush levels matching higher segment cars, VW have been admirably successful. And the fact that just a whiff of verve seems lacking on the dynamic front isn鈥檛 going to perturb the Golf customer heartland in the slightest. Good, but the 158bhp 1.4 TSI version is better.
And where it can be enjoyed, too. Because, as with every other facet of Volkswagen鈥檚 diamond, the GTI鈥檚 turbocharged 2.0-liter four has been polished to perfection. Its 258 pound-feet of peak torque arrives at just 1500 rpm, nearly as instantly as an electric motor鈥檚. Throttle response is telepathic, with no discernible turbo lag. Even a lazy driver can lug the engine around in high gear, letting that great wall of torque bail him out. And the GTI just walks away from the Si in straight-line acceleration, regardless of the Honda鈥檚 on-paper weight-to-power advantage. Hitting 60 mph in 5.7 seconds places the GTI 0.7 second ahead of the Si. That gap closes by only 0.1 second through the quarter-mile, as the GTI crosses the line in 14.3 seconds. The GTI also has the better-sounding audio system and the superior infotainment interface, which isn鈥檛 saying much compared with Honda鈥檚 confusing and glitchy mess. There鈥檚 a lesson here, too: When the GTI launched, its infotainment was outdated junk, but VW has updated it with its newest tech, with multiple ways to access most functions. Honda should do likewise and gift the Civic with the improved infotainment system it uses in the new Accord. The GTI is not perfect. Its bigger engine did consume more fuel than the Civic鈥檚. And the GTI鈥檚 brake pedal is too soft at the top of its rather long stroke. But these are small complaints. The Civic was exceptional in the canyons, where the GTI was still quite good, nearly its equal. Everywhere else, doing everything else, however, the GTI is the better car. It had better be. From here to eternity is a long drive.
As soon as I heard about it, I knew I had to research it and write about it. That was fascinating Catherine. I have been wondering why this little (new) car makes more noise sitting at the corner for a few minutes than the bigger, souped-up (older) cars that drive by. If I drove I would disconnect the 'Soundakator' because I would not want that. I enjoyed this and learned from it, I shared and pinned it. Easy Exercise: As a classic car enthusiast, you probably know a lot about cars. I'm so glad you found my article interesting enough to want to share it. As a classic car enthusist loved this hub and will be certain to share. I did not know that you were legally blind. I assume you use technology that turns voice to text and vice versa to read and write. I'm so glad you read and commented on my hub about amplifying the engine sounds in electric cars. Your comments have added value to my piece. As a legally blind person and friends with many totally blind individuals who regularly walk around and have to cross the street, it is imperative to have sound for hybrid vehicles! I did not know about the hyped up noises in these cars! Thank you for doing a story on the car noises. Thanks billybuc for providing more info on this subject. I am looking forward to a car that parks and drives itself. Once I left NYC, I forgot how to parallel park. Thank you for letting me you how much you loved my piece about the auto industry. I learned a lot writing it. Most people don't know this, but most of my customers, for whom I write blogs, are in the car industry. I write about cars two days a week, so I've become pretty knowledgeable about them.
