Volkswagen Golf 2013 Long-term review - 1

motoring.com.au aims to make your choice of vehicle easier. Our Editorial section does this via our mix of news, international and local launch reviews as well as our seven-day tests.

From time to time we also take the opportunity to spend more time in a vehicle. These longer-term tests can be as short as a couple of weeks, but more recently we've settled on a six-month period as indicative of 'normal' ownership.

Long-term tests give our staff writers and contributors a chance to get to know a car as an owner would. While the car is with us, we pay for fuel, pay for the servicing and generally use and live with the car as a new owner would.

We believe long-term tests give car buyers an added insight into the vehicle on test, but also the qualities behind the brand and nameplate. The extended period also allows us to touch base with the dealer networks in question.

It comes as no surprise that manufacturers tend to have a love-hate relationship with long-term tests. Six months is plenty long enough to fall out of love with the latest and greatest, and start to nitpick -- just like real owners do.

This seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf 103TSI Highline is the latest car to come under the scrutiny of a long-term test with the motoring team. We inspected the Golf 90TSI in great detail for our small-car mega-test earlier this year, where it emerged victorious among strong rivals such as the Hyundai i30, Ford Focus and Honda Civic. But a long-term test has been known to weed out many and varied experiences. Over the coming months, we’ll see if this slightly more powerful German can take the heat.

More than 29 million Golfs have been sold since the model first began production in 1974, and it’s managed to carve itself a reputation for being solid, safe and sophisticated. It sets a benchmark in the small-car segment -- one that, to date, few rivals can match.

The entry-level Golf 90TSI is priced from $21,490. Our 103TSI test car is a leap ahead of that, priced at $31,990, plus $500 for metallic paint.
So far, the car has been a smooth operator. Powered by a 1.4-litre, four cylinder turbocharged engine, the Golf delivers 103kW of power and peak torque of 250Nm, which together with its seven-speed dual clutch transmission results in zippy acceleration. And its willingness to rev makes for an enjoyable drive.

On the road, the Golf is a solid performer. The steering weight feels near perfect, and there's a confident grip and beloved obedience to its handling. We were quickly impressed by the dynamics of the Golf, too. It's effortless, precise and agile.

On a recent trip down the coast, laden with holiday baggage, the Golf performed beyond expectation. The Golf’s suspension made light work of some not-so-great Melbourne roads, and the 1.4-litre engine showed no sign of fatigue, even under load on more demanding roads. And the gearbox was in top form -- no problems to report so far.

Inside, it lives up to its superior reputation. There's a lovely, understated level of pomp to the Golf.

A solid build, excellent ergonomics and a plush interior speak volumes for the fit and finish of the Golf. It brings a level of refinement that is hard to fault. But more than this, there’s something natural and effortless about driving the Golf.

Technology is abundant in the VW Golf, and it works seamlessly. Phone pairing and audio streaming in the Golf are about as easy as it gets. The standard equipment -- rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, rain sensing wipers, dual-zone climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth, hands-free telephony, 5.8-inch touchscreen and satellite navigation again strengthens this German icon’s value equation.

At the week’s end, fuel consumption was averaging 7L/100km.

Though it's early days with our VW Golf test car, it's been smooth sailing so far. The car's ease of use has been a highlight.