Getting
more for your money is elusive no matter what you happen to be purchasing.
Imagine your Starbucks barista saying, "Thanks for your order. Here's some
gold bullion as a token of our gratitude." Or, "Here's your new 2011
Volkswagen Golf; we decided to upgrade you to an Audi free of charge."
That latter buying fantasy may not be so far-fetched, however, as the Golf
delivers Audi-like refinement, style and versatility without breaking the bank.
Compared
to other vehicles in its class, the VW Golf feels positively upscale. Its
interior puts others to shame (including VW's own 2011 Jetta) thanks to a
sophisticated design, top-notch materials and all-around comfort. Add in
optional niceties like a premium Dynaudio stereo and a navigation system and
the fairly economical Golf can begin to feel like a near luxury car.
The
advantages continue under the hood, with a choice of a punchy 2.5-liter
inline-5 engine or a highly fuel-efficient turbodiesel rated at 42 mpg on the
highway. The rest of the Golf is up to the task as well, with a solid on-road
feel, precise steering and confidence-inspiring handling. Much of the Golf's
goodness comes courtesy of a redesign last year.
If
you're shopping in this segment, you'll find that the Mazda 3 offers sharper
handling and more cargo capacity, but its interior can't match the Golf in
either design or quality. The more affordable Hyundai Elantra Touring is also
worthy of consideration given its space, features and sporty leanings, as is
the personable Mini Cooper, though its higher price and lack of space are
difficult to ignore. In the end, the 2011 Volkswagen Golf rises to the top by
exceeding expectations and delivering that all-so-elusive impression,
"more for the money."
Inside,
the Volkswagen Golf shows a Teutonic dedication to austere functionality.
Brightwork is confined to touches on steering wheel spokes, around air
registers, door handles and tasteful outlines on various knobs and the shifting
gear. Textures give good touch. A contrasting silver ish strip separates top
and bottom dash sections and dresses the uppermost element of the door trim
panels. Completing the Bauhaus-ian theme is the cloth upholstery, to which the
Golf offers no option.
The
Golf feels roomier than it looks, and it is, actually, equaling or at least
competitive with the other major players in its niche. This includes the
Chevrolet Cobalt, which it betters everywhere, including trunk space by 1 cubic
foot. About the same holds true for the Focus, while the Civic's trunk holds
three fewer foot-square boxes. However, the Ford Focus offers a half inch more
rear-seat legroom than the Golf. The Honda Civic coupe trails the Golf 2-door
in rear-seat headroom by more than three inches, a huge difference.
The
front seats are comfortable. Getting in and out of the car is easy, in spite of
sporty seat bolstering. That bolstering is welcome when exploring the Golf's
relatively high handling limits, as is the grippy cloth upholstery. The eight
way adjustable driver's seat works well with the tilt and telescope steering
wheel to allow all but the tallest and the most stout drivers a nearly perfect
triangulation with steering wheel, pedals and shift lever. Even the front seat
passenger gets eight way adjustability for the seat.
Air
conditioning and sound system controls are comfortably basic in shape, size and
duty. Knobs and buttons handle the essential operations.
Selections
the navigation system's touch screen permits while the car is in motion appear
in large, finger friendly, virtual buttons that require only a glance by the
driver to identify their assigned duties and then can be manipulated in the
driver's peripheral field of vision. Or better yet, the passenger can press
them.
Outward
visibility is excellent, unimpeded except for the large C-pillars (the rearmost
roof supports).
2011 Volkswagen Golf Exterior
Redesigned
for 2010, this is the sixth-generation Golf. Over the years, body proportions
have remained stoically the same, making the Golf instantly recognizable.
The
stylists did a good job of giving the C pillar (the body panel behind the
rearmost side window) a consistent shape and proportion on the 2 door and 4
door, given the reality of both cars sharing the same wheelbase and being equal
in overall length. A clearly defined character line tracks rearward from the
top of the front fender blister all the way to the upper taillight element,
giving the rear fenders a hint of a shoulder. Wheelwells encircle the tires
leaving the barest of gaps, visually pulling the car down onto the pavement. Minimalist
door handles are snug for hands wearing anything larger than medium size
gloves. Gaps between body panels are pencil thin, which suggest high-quality
construction.
Taillight
housings mirror the ovoid shape of the headlights, boosting the rear fenders'
shoulder look the aforementioned side body panel character line establishes.
The wraparound rear window glass fills the top of the lift gate. An outsized,
round VW logo parked in the middle between the taillights doubles as the lever
for opening the liftgate.
The
TDI is distinguished from the 2.5-liter gas model by an eponymous chrome logo
beneath the right taillight, balancing the chrome GOLF logo both cars wear
below the left taillight.
2011 Volkswagen Golf Engine
Volkswagen
will offer its 2.5-liter five cylinder engine that the Golf/Rabbit shares with
the Jetta and Beetle as well as the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder diesel that is
currently in the U.S. Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen. The updated five cylinder
powerplant is good for 157 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque while the
diesel makes only 137 hp but an amazing 236 lb-ft of torque.
VW
is expecting the diesel powered Golf to account for 30 percent of all sales of
the hatchback in the U.S. Volkswagen is posturing the diesel as a sportier
model and it will come equipped with a sport-tuned suspension and 17-inch
wheels as standard fare. The diesel Golf should be good for 48 mpg or more on
the freeway.
2011 Volkswagen Golf Safety
The
2011 VW Golf's standard safety features include antilock disc brakes, stability
control, front-seat side airbags and full-length head curtain airbags.
Rear-seat side airbags are unavailable on two-door models, but are optional on
four-door models. In government crash tests, the four-door Golf with the
optional rear side airbags received four stars out of five for frontal impact
protection and a perfect five stars for side impacts. The Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety awarded the Golf with its highest score of "Good"
in its frontal-offset, side and roof strength tests.
reference:www.leftlanenews.com,autos.aol.com,www.edmunds.com
