2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI Expert Reviews, Specs And Photos
What Is the 2019 Volkswagen Golf? The Golf lineup encompasses a wide range of models, including the four-door Golf hatchback, performance GTI and R hatchbacks, and the SportWagen and Alltrack wagons. The SportWagen is available with front- or all-wheel drive, while the Golf R and Alltrack have standard AWD. Other models have FWD. Competitors include the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback, Kia Soul and Mini Countryman. What鈥檚 New on the 2019 Volkswagen Golf? On the Golf S and SE, as well as the front-drive SportWagen, the engine is now a 147-horsepower, turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder instead of a 1.8-liter engine. What Features in the 2019 Volkswagen Golf Are Most Important? All models offer a rare combination of practicality and fun-to-drive sportiness that makes the Golf stand out from the crowd. Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking is available on all models and standard on many. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity is standard. Should I Buy the 2019 Volkswagen Golf? Volkswagen stumbled badly with its diesel emissions scandal, but it鈥檚 showing a renewed focus on catering to American tastes while retaining some of its German heritage. That said, the Golf line lacks the styling appeal of some competitors 鈥?and a roster of hatchbacks and wagons seems out of tune with today鈥檚 market. However, driving a Golf and experiencing its refinement and versatility might be enough to sway some SUV-minded shoppers.
That鈥檚 something that you definitely can鈥檛 do with something like a Toyota 86 or even the sedan-only Subaru WRX. For most buyers, the VW GTI will be their only car and this is why the GTI is so loved. The 2018 GTI鈥檚 2.0L generates 220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. On the flip side the GTI also won鈥檛 make you take too many trips to the gas station, since it鈥檚 rated at 25/33 mpg with the manual and 24/32 mpg with the automatic. Once the road opened our 2018 GTI was an absolute joy. Throw it fast into a curve and there鈥檚 minimal body roll and great feedback from the electric power steering system. If you choose the DSG transmission you鈥檒l be happy to know that it actually shifts faster than you can and will likely make your tedious commute a little easier. Would we choose the DSG or manual? Obviously the manual, even with the DSG鈥檚 paddle shifters, you won鈥檛 have as much fun as you will with the manual. Since the GTI is so great, are there any negatives? Even with the added horsepower, the GTI still comes up short compared to the Ford Focus ST, with its 252 horsepower and 272 lb-ft. 30k range, which puts the GTI out of reach for some of its most loyal fans. Even if there are some rivals with more power or maybe even more exciting styling, it鈥檚 hard to beat the GTI and it will likely remain the benchmark for many years to come. It鈥檚 the perfect small sports car masquerading as a commuter car.
Volkwagen鈥檚 venerable GTI has long been a Consumer Guide Best Buy, and a recent test served as an enjoyable reminder of why. Rather thick rear roof pillars that block some of the view to the back corners account for one of the GTI鈥檚 very few flaws. A neat feature (two, actually) is that the round VW badge not only pivots to open the hatch lid, but it flips up to reveal the rearview camera, which keeps the lens clear of muck in bad weather. Despite not being the fastest of its kind, the GTI holds a spot on the unofficial Auto Enthusiasts List of Qualifying Cars that is primarily filled with nameplates costing far more. Part of that is heritage, perhaps, as the GTI was the original 鈥渉ot hatchback.鈥?But it鈥檚 also because 鈥?this is just a really good car. In a segment where some classmates have been called 鈥淏oy Racers,鈥?the GTI could be called, 鈥淭he Gentleman鈥檚 Racer.鈥?Although performance has always been the GTI鈥檚 raison d etre, it is far from the car鈥檚 only outstanding quality.
Step inside, and you鈥檙e greeted with comfy seats, fine materials, easy-to-decipher controls, and a classically simple dashboard layout, all adding an air of sophistication to a segment that generally leans toward splashy exuberance. Fire up the 220-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four, and it sounds 鈥?eager. Press in the light clutch, 鈥減alm鈥?the GTI鈥檚 signature golfball-textured shift knob (manual transmission only), and snick the lever into first gear. The clutch releases with smooth precision, and every gear change is a delight; manual shifters really don鈥檛 get any better than this. A stab of the throttle results in impressive response, with just enough turbo surge as revs build to make it feel invigorating. Visual elements that make a GTI a GTI. Of particular note are the 鈥渟triped鈥?headlight lenses and the golfball-textured shift knob, the latter dating back to the 鈥?3 original. Volkswagen has always done a great job of combining sporty handling with good suspension compliance, and the GTI might well be the best of the company鈥檚 efforts. Steering is quick with good 鈥渇eel,鈥?and there鈥檚 little body lean in fast corners, the two combining for a very sporty driving experience.
Yet bumps are masked quite well, making this a much more livable combination than many competitors where roads aren鈥檛 routinely smooth. For a compact car, the GTI offers a huge amount of headroom and legroom up front. Although the 2-door version 鈥?discontinued last year 鈥?offered a larger door opening for bigger folks, the 4-door鈥檚 portals are hardly confining. Room in back is sufficient for six footers unless the seat ahead is pushed far rearward. Visibility is good to the front corners, fair to the sides, but rather restricted by thick roof pillars to the rear corners. A rearview camera is standard, but it only displays about a 160-degree view, so it鈥檚 tough to see cars coming down a parking-lot aisle. A model of clean design and practical layout, the GTI鈥檚 interior is dressed with fine materials, numerous padded surfaces, and sporty trim befitting the car鈥檚 focus. Volkswagens have some of the easiest-to-use infotainment systems out there, with simple knobs and buttons being assisted by large, 鈥渧irtual鈥漵creen buttons in a layout that鈥檚 easy to decipher.
