In 1974, Volkswagen released the Mk I Golf on the unsuspecting public as a replacement for the nearly 30 year old Beetle. It was originally designed as a simple people mover like the Beetle, but over the last 25 years, has evolved into much more, or has it?
Certainly one could argue that the GTI variants of the Golf, especially the Mk IV “R32” edition, are some of the most satisfying drivers cars on the road, which is why many people have owned multiple generations of the hot hatch. But what about the base Golf? Does technology trickle down from the GTI to the point that even the more sedate versions of the car can be more than just people movers? Or, to put the question more simply, can a base Golf make me smile?
Read on to find out.
Our test car is the $21,000 base model (Mk VI) Golf 5-door, which, with the exception of the 3-door version, is just about the cheapest way out of a VW dealership. It’s powered by a 170hp, 2.5 liter, 5-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The only option fitted to our test vehicle was the Cold Weather Package, which adds heated seats and mirrors, but besides that, it’s as basic as it gets.
VW has said that Walter De Silva, who designed the car, took inspiration both from the Mk I and Mk IV Golfs, arguably the prettiest of the 6 generations, when designing the Mk VI. If he did, I don’t see it. While the car is a smooth, aerodynamic, wind-cutting shape, its exterior is completely devoid of presence. In short, I wouldn’t take a second look if I saw one parked on the side of the road. The generic silver/black color of our test car and 14” steel wheels with plastic hubcaps don’t do it any favors in that department either. In all fairness, I find the 3-door variant much more attractive and proportionate.
Inside the car, things get much, much better. With the Mk V golf, people complained that the interior styling had become bland, almost an afterthought, and that was most certainly cured in this car. Compared to the $29k Honda Civic Si I drove last week, the Golf felt significantly upmarket, taking advantage of the BMW-like “textured rubber” dash, which feels expensive and soft to the touch, especially around the bonnet covering the gauge cluster. For a base level car, the front seats are surprisingly sporty. No power seats here, but there is an adjustable lumbar support for the driver, very welcome in my case. I love the look and feel of really good cloth seats with bolstering, and these are the best I’ve seen at this price point. Rear head and legroom is also quite impressive, with our 6’1” intern able to fit easily behind me (6’3”) comfortably for a 2 hour drive. It’s a true 5-seater, this Golf, and a fantastic road-tripper if you’re so inclined. The trunk was larger than I expected, able to carry our 3 camera bags, 2 tripods, and 2 helmets to the race track without having to fold the seat down.
The Golf’s controls are basic and intuitive, and everything is exactly where you need and expect it to be. The gauges are clear and well-styled, and the steering wheel, though devoid of a leather wrapping, is the perfect size and shape for sporty driving. I love the fact that all 4 windows have auto up/down functions, something that many other carmakers skimp out on, but I don’t like how you have to shut off the headlights manually. I don’t require a full HID setup, but if you leave the lights on when you shut off the car, the dim parking lights will stay on, which I learned when I woke up to a dead battery the following morning. Manufacturers take note: When the keys are out of the car, and the car is locked, all external lights should always shut off.
The radio is as simple as it gets, with large, clear buttons and an integrated auxiliary input. I would personally opt for the Premium Sound package, as this radio simply doesn’t sound very good, especially through the FM radio signal. And what’s going on with the HVAC controls? It’s the same 3-knob system we all know, but the knob to control where the air comes from is all the way to the right, and it’s literally impossible to read which direction to turn the knob to get the desired effect.
The biggest and most pleasant surprise happens when you start the Golf up and actually drive it. I can see why the golf is so heavy (3100 lbs) for its size, there must be hundreds of pounds of sound dampening in the car. With the windows closed, road and engine noise is virtually nonexistent, and wind noise only becomes apparent over 70 or 80 mph.
I honestly can’t believe the 2.5L engine is what comes standard for $21k. It’s 170hp may not sound like much, but the 177 lb/ft of torque means that around town the Golf feels, dare I say it, muscular? It feels every bit as fast as the last Mini Cooper S I drove. VW’s web site says that the 5-banger is, “More than you’ll ever need. That’s why we put it in there.”
And you know what? They are right. Sure, someone like me is going to want the GTI version for maximum performance, but your average daily commuter would think the Golf is a rocketship. If there were a downside to this engine it’s twofold:
1) Gas mileage, for a car this size, is merely average. Over my 3 days with the car in mixed driving conditions, I averaged 22.4 mpg, as reported by the on-board computer.
2) How it sounds outside the car. While the cabin is so well insulated you don’t really hear the engine at all, from the outside it sounds more Chevy Cobalt than Audi A4.
Torque steer is completely absent from the Golf experience; even if you mash the throttle with the wheel cranked hard over, your hands wouldn’t know it. The suspension is extremely compliant, and rides more like a luxury car than anything else I’ve driven under $30,000. I’m sure the optional 16” alloys would take a bit of that away, but as tested, the car rides like its carved from a single block of aluminum and mounted on an Audi A6 suspension. When the road got windy, I tried to use the manual shifting option (lever only, no paddles), and it was disappointing that the up/down indicators were the wrong way! Again, manufacturers take note: you want to pull the lever towards you to shift up, like they do in racing cars. Re-learning the process resulted in some embarrassing wrong-direction shifts, annoying the hell out of my girlfriend. The best driving experience given this combination is surely the automatic “S” mode, which, if you control the engine with the throttle, will always manage to find the right gear on its own.
The bottom line: The Golf isn’t a sports car, that’s what they make the GTI for. But if you closed your eyes and rode shotgun in one, you’d think you were in a much more expensive car than something that was out the door for $21,000. If anonymity is your thing, and you really want to have the last laugh, pick up a Golf with a few options for $25,000 and laugh at everyone else that overpaid for their version of luxury.
(Note*: Some photos show 2010 GTI model)
Volkswagen provided the car, insurance, and a tank of gas for this review.
In 1979 I bought a new white Mk I rabbit equiped with a manual trans. It was a fun, dependable, good gas mileage car with none of the awful engine problems common to American and many foreign cars of that time. I own a new white 2010 Mk VI golf equiped with a manual trans. It is a fun, dependable, only so so gas mileage car that has moved way upmarket in the quality of materials and driving feel. I like everything about it except for its gas mileage – approx. 24 mpg avg.
PS – Yes white is a blah color but when you live in the hot south west it is the way to go.