Volkswagen Golf 118 TSI 2010 Review

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 2.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

Any car that rides as well as Volkswagen's Golf will impress a lot of buyers, not least of all those who still expect small cars to ride like oxcarts. While the latest Golf has many admirable virtues, for this writer, it's the car's composure over bumps and irregularities, combined with its solid cornering ability that makes it a stand-out in the VFACTS small car segment.

Handling is utterly free of vice, roadholding is unshakeable and we stand by our comments from the local launch review that the steering feedback is pretty good -- even going so far as to suggest class-leading or at the least a close runner up.

On flowing, winding roads, the Golf feels very nimble and there's virtually no change in attitude on the exit from a corner with the power applied. In tighter stuff, the strong roadholding comes into play, permitting very rapid changes of direction with confidence.

In conjunction with the swift-changing seven-speed DSG and its twin-charged 1.4-litre engine, the Golf feels in character like a 21st Century update of an Italian sports sedan archetype from the 1960s. Fast, frisky and fun...

The way power and torque is produced is a regular delight, yet the drivetrain NVH is better than some large cars. It's a refined engine that is willing to rev freely in the higher ranges and pull smoothly from very low speeds, although as mentioned in the local launch review, it does labour a bit around 1500rpm. That happens because the DSG box 'adapts'. Frequently, it will select higher gears for lower fuel use if you're not giving it some stick, but it will pull lower gears for enhanced engine braking if you are.

In a mix of traffic and open-road running, the Golf used a negligible amount of fuel, sometimes registering as low as 6.5L/100km on the freeways and arterial roads. Even given its head, the Golf didn't use more than 8.0L/100km.

As noted above refinement is a class stand-out. On country roads, the tyre roar is noticeable, but that's the price one pays for decent levels of grip and proper ride quality. Something's gotta give...

Since the Golf in its sixth-generation form remains very heavily dependent on the fundamentals of its fifth-generation predecessor, there's an element of 'not fixing what aint broke' about the car's packaging. The tailgate, for example, rises through a small-diameter arc, allowing you to open it and pack goods, in even pretty tight parking spots.

But then there's the not-so-good. The cowl seems quite high from the driving position, making the view forward seem a little claustrophobic, and that same well-designed tailgate lacks an effective grab-handle to haul it back down from the raised position.

While we liked Hill Start Assist, the brake pads would grind audibly on the rotors at low speeds -- and especially during hill starts. As with the tyres, the brakes are noisy at lower speeds because they perform well when you particularly want them to do so -- at higher speeds. They muster a heap of wheel-clamping force and pull the car down from speed without any mucking around.

The Golf's build quality sets a high standard and the doors are at once light to open and close, but solid and secure. We liked the general style and presentation of the interior, with seats proving to be very comfortable and supportive.

That's just a couple of the many ways in which the Golf excels. It's simply the benchmark for the VFACTS small-car segment.

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