Volkswagen Golf R-Line Estate 2015 Review

Before you close this page in disgust or flick over to Facebook, consider that in diesel guise this car ticks a lot of boxes.

It's punchy but frugal, small but spacious, and with a tweaked suspension rig it drives more keenly than a garden-variety Golf. Granted it's no Golf R, but for now it's the sportiest Golf wagon you can get in Australia – and for under $40K it provides options for buyers who may have been keen on a WRX or similar.

Indeed, there's a lot to like here, but I'm going to start with the bad stuff.

The Volkswagen Golf wagon range starts at $25,840, so there are cheaper ways to get a German wagon. The figure of around $40K will also get you into top-shelf German prestige metal, such as the Audi A3 Sportback. That said if you want a new Benz CLA-Class Shooting Brake you're looking at more than $50K.

Although the engine is a ripper and barely heard from the cabin – more on this soon – it's a rattly old thing with the windows down or when heard from the outside. It's less like a cutting-edge uber-frugal internal combustion engine and more like a drunk relative shaking a bucket of nails.

There's also the fact that everyone has a Golf nowadays. It's like fixed wheel or 'fixie' bicycles – they're not hip anymore because everyone has one. In 2014 the VW Golf was the fourth-highest selling small car, outsold only by the Toyota Corolla, Mazda Mazda3 and Hyundai i30.

Volkswagen also seems intent on using an instrument cluster design from 1982. Granted, it's easy on the eyes, but when rivals such as Hyundai and even Holden offer much more eye candy one expects more from Europe's biggest car company.

And that's pretty much where the criticisms end and the plaudits begin, because this is a very neat vehicle.

Based on the $36,840 Golf Highline, the extra $1700 cash buys you a number of extras, from the cosmetic to the in-depth. It starts with the R-Line steering wheel, a flat-bottomed leather-wrapped, three-spoke hoop that looks good and will make your hands happy. And if you opt for the dual-clutch transmission (or DSG in VW parlance) you get wheel-mounted paddle gear shifters too.

R-Line sports seats are part of the package, featuring a sporty two-tone grey/black colour scheme, decent lateral bolsters that actually hold your body nice and snug that are finished with comfy faux suede material.

New-look 18-inch Salvador alloy wheels give the car more of an apex-hunting demeanour than before, as does a more assertive body kit. It's more striking in the flesh than on a screen, especially the lower front and rear-end treatment. Side skirts form a bridge between sportier bumpers fore and aft, plus there's a roof spoiler and a few mechanical tweaks too.

The steering is now progressive rate and sports suspension has been integrated. Although I couldn’t tell much difference with the altered steering, the firmer suspension takes what is generally a very good ride/handling arrangement and makes it just that little bit sharper.

Ride quality is barely changed, so it's still a capable of soaking up all but the largest dings in the road, keeping everyone on board jiggle free and generally being a pleasant vehicle to drive. But if you like to get the adrenaline pumping the Golf wagon now has more confidence entering, tracking through and exiting corners.

Granted, it's no all-paw Golf R, but is certainly more involving that a regular Golf wagon, and that's not a bad way to spend $1700 while keeping your warranty intact.

As mentioned the diesel engine is a rattler but from inside the cabin it's impressively quiet. With 110kW of power and 320Nm of torque the 2.0-litre engine pulls the 1326kg car along with effortless ease.

The power delivery is creamy smooth at small and medium throttle inputs and if you sink the boot in the car really boogies. This is in part due to the slick-shifting six-speed DSG which snaps through the gears with vehemence.

Despite driving for a week with no real focus on fuel economy, I still returned decent average of 8.1L/100km.

I also liked the intuitive touchscreen infotainment system, overall vehicle ergonomics, and several other smaller touches made me smile. The faultless auto-hold feature that engages and disengages the park brake automatically, the thoughtfully-placed controls from the steering wheel to the centre stack, and especially the "Don’t forget your phone!" reminder when you power down the car.

Indeed, the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf has won a lot of awards and ease of use and clever interior design are big contributors to this success.

Add all of this to 605 litres of boot space, which expands to 1620 litres, and it's easy to see how practical this 'sporty' little number is.

I really liked this car – and or those eagerly awaiting the Golf R wagon, it could make for an intriguing appetiser. Though it is worth noting that Volkswagen's capped-price servicing and warranty programmes are far from class-leading...

Still, the Golf R-Line Estate is pretty good value and most of all it's practical, comfortable and loads of fun to drive.

Also consider:
>> Hyundai i30 wagon (from $24,990 plus ORCs)
>> Renault Megane wagon (from $26,990 plus ORCs)
>> Holden Cruze wagon (from $24,090 plus ORCs)