2019 Volkswagen Golf/GTI Review
The Volkswagen Golf plays many roles and plays them well. It鈥檚 a practical car. Two people can sit comfortably in the back seats. The hatchback design means you can fold those seats down and cram amazing loads of stuff into the cargo area. Being in one is pleasant. The Golf is one of the most refined compacts available, exuding precision German engineering, and upscale trim and a high level of standard equipment make it comfortable. These are also enjoyable cars to drive. All Golfs are agile, built on rigid chassis with carefully tuned suspensions. All are fitted with four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and all come standard with side-impact airbags. Some Golfs are frugal. The TDI diesel boasts an EPA-rated 42/49 mpg. 15,050. And Volkswagen now offers a four-year/50,000-mile warranty. Others are quick, downright fast. The GTI is a true driver鈥檚 car, born of the German autobahn. Both GTI engines benefited from a power boost partway into the 2002 model year. The 1.8-liter turbocharged engine now boasts 180 horsepower, while the VR6 V6 jumps to 200 horsepower. Available in very limited quantities is a high-performance GTI 337 Edition.
Golf comes is available in two-door and four-door versions, or some would say three-door and five-door because of the access provided by the rear hatch. Volkswagen offers more engine options for its compact than other manufacturers. Four engines are available for the Golf: a 90-horsepower 1.9-liter TDI turbocharged diesel inline-4; a 115-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-4; a 180-horsepower 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-4, and a 200-horsepower 2.8-liter VR6. The VR6 switched from two-valve to four-valve heads in the spring of 2002 and horsepower jumped from 174 at the start of the 2002 model year to 200 for its second half. Four transmissions are available: 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 4-speed automatic, or 5-speed automatic with Porsche鈥檚 Tiptronic shifting. 15,050 for the two-door Golf GL with the 115-horsepower engine and 5-speed manual. 17,220 with the automatic. The four-door Golf comes in either GL or GLS trim levels. 16,600 and comes with power windows, a premium audio system, and velour upholstery (in place of cloth) with matching door trim.
The GTI only comes in the two-door body style. Few options are available. 755) that is available only with the VR6 engine and includes climatronic automatic heat and air conditioning, a self-dimming rearview mirror and rain-sensing windshield wipers. 22,225. The GTI 337 is inspired by the rare 25th Anniversary edition Golf sold only in Europe. The American version comes with the 1.8-liter turbocharged engine mated to the six-speed manual transmission, special 18-inch alloy wheels, 225/40 aspect performance tires and with 16-inch brake discs with red calipers. The car also has special exterior and interior trim treatment, with racing-style Recaro Sport seats. If you want a Cabrio, you鈥檇 better hurry because the last Cabrio for the U.S. Puebla, Mexico, this summer (2002). After 23 years and more than 223,000 cars sold in the United States alone, Volkswagen of America is saying good-bye to the Cabrio. 22,300) with leather trim and a power top. It鈥檚 important to note that the Cabrio is a dated product, based on the previous-generation Golf, and does not offer the levels of quality of the current, fourth-generation Golf models.
A new 4-year/50,000-mile warranty covers the vehicle along with a 5-year/50,000-mile powertrain warranty that can be transferred to a second owner. The new warranty plan includes 24-hour roadside assistance. Volkswagen Golf looks quite contemporary with big, sculptured headlights stuffed with high-tech lighting hardware. With its hatchback design, the Golf can carry an enormous amount of cargo. Flip the articulated rear seat bottom, remove the rear headrests and fold one or both rear seats backs down to create a cavernous space. Americans are starting to buy more hatchbacks, especially those with four doors (or five if you prefer to count that way). Hatchbacks historically have been hugely popular in Europe, perhaps the most popular body style there. Hatchbacks offer some of the functional benefits of station wagons, including easy access to cargo through side doors and the rear hatch. A split rear seat allows carrying one rear passenger along with luggage and long items like skis or fly rods. A cargo cover shields possessions from prying eyes when the rear seats are flipped up.
Golf comes with an unusually high level of standard equipment, including anti-lock disc brakes and side-impact airbags. There's an unexpected level of refinement. Forget the grained plastic wood found in many cars. This trim is the real thing. Stylish instruments look like aircraft components at night with vibrant red needles over backlighted indigo gauges. Power windows with auto-up and auto-down are normally not found in this class. Golf's cupholders are well placed and adequate for most container sizes. There's plenty of storage space, with a large glove box, deep door pockets and a center tray that's useful for stowing cellular telephones. Driver and passenger doors use different inside handles that make them easy to close. Seats in the 1.8T are firm and supportive. More side bolstering would help brace driver and passenger in tight corners, however. Seating adjustments are trademark Volkswagen with its unique jack to adjust seat height; they are a bit difficult to use at first with an awkward knob for adjusting rake, but familiarity improves this.
