Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI Sportline DSG 2005 Review

Enter Golf Club

BOTTOM LINE: VW's TDI makes membership with the Golf club a comfortable and canny investment.

'Reasonable' petrol prices are now a distant memory. Next, the old fashioned Sunday Drive?

Or you can get serious about the upside of diesel economy, as have the growing number of Golf TDI customers Down Under.

VW Australia reports a "substantial increase" in TDI Golf sales, attributing the upturn to a "growing awareness of the strong performance and economy stories that Volkswagen TDI products offer". At a time when people are contemplating downsizing and eagerly examining consumption figures, the Golf TDI is an obvious candidate.

It's a generous 'small' car available with a choice of two powerful turbo-diesel engines: 1.9-litre or 2.0-litre four-cylinder units, rated at 77kW/250Nm and 103kW/320Nm respectively. VW is very proud of its TDI technology, claiming better combustion and increased efficiency, and reduced emissions (compared to common-rail diesels). The system uses 'Pumpe Nuse' (pump-nozzle) units containing an injection pump, controller and injection nozzle fitted to each cylinder. The units are designed to accumulate injection pressure for more efficient combustion. It's working: Australia's Green Vehicle Guide rates the Golf TDI Comfortline with four stars.

 The 1.9 TDI Trendline, I.9 TDI Comfortline and 2.0 TDI Comfortline are offered with either six-speed manual or direct shift gearbox (DSG). We've extolled the virtues of the DSG before and can vouch for its effectiveness combined with the diesel. The 2.0 TDI Sportline, the version we tested, gets sports suspension, sports seats and 16" alloy wheels.

Both the 1.9 and 2.0-litre models feature a quick start system that dispenses with the need to wait for pre-heating the glo plug. This diesel trait, along with smoky, smelly exhaust fumes and noisy engine are bygone. VW says initiatives to reduce noise include the use of 'acoustically optimised' pistons and noise attenuated toothed belt guard, and minimised injection noise; still, it sounds like a little truck complete with sweet turbo whistle, but is quiet and the hearty chugging comforting because it's cost-effective.

The Golf TDI is useful as daily driver or weekend cruiser. You'll be happy knowing time spent in traffic is cheaper and the weekend getaway can remain intact because it's comfortable enough for a long-range drive. As noted in CarPoint's Golf V launch review, the TDI's impressive consumption rating - 5.5l/100km for the 1.9 TDI and 5.7l/100km for 2.0 TDI - means you don't have to cut the trip short. Our results weren't quite as good: it was simply too tempting to make tracks at the traffic lights, heaping on the 2.0 TDI's 320Nm of torque (at 1750rpm).

With electric sunroof ($1890), sat nav ($2990) and metallic paint ($690) the 2.0 TDI (starting at $37,790) test car was pricey but, say, ditch the sunroof and opt for leather ($2990) and you've got a long-term keeper. Alternatively, entry into VW's TDI Golf club starts at $27,990 for the 1.9 TDI Trendline; a formidable opponent to Peugeot's (also fine and frugal) 307 XS Hdi, and cheaper.