Background: Golf is Volkswagen's front-wheel-drive, subcompact model. While Golf sales have been modest here in the United States, it's a top seller in Europe. More than 17 million have been sold worldwide since the 1974 introduction and it's Germany's number one selling car. The Golf was introduced in this country back in 1985, replacing the VW Rabbit. It was basically a name change because the Rabbit and Golf were virtually the same car. The current edition represents the vehicle's third generation. The fourth generation Golf , which is a bit wider and longer than the current model, is due out in this country by the middle of next year. Volkswagen is Germany's largest auto producer. Six assembly plants worldwide building the car. Golfs sold in the United States are assembled in Mexico.
New for '97: The only major change for 1997 is the repositioning of the rear, high mount stoplight to the rear window from inside the rear spoiler. Volkswagen also added a "Golf Trek" edition sold with a bicycle and roof-mounted bicycle rack.
Trim Levels: Golf is sold in two basic body styles: a four-door GL hatchback and a sportier, two-door GTI. The GTI is available with a six-cylinder engine, one of a handful of subcompacts available with this feature. Volkswagen's four-door Jetta shares the same basic design as Golf. We test drove a four-cylinder Golf GL. Golf is available with a diesel edition in Canada and other parts of the world, but currently no diesels are sold here in the states.
Safety features: Dual air bags, daytime dunning lights, an anti-theft alarm, central locking system, an energy absorbing steering wheel and collapsible steering column are standard. Anti-lock brakes are an option ($775) in GL editions, but standard in all other trim levels. Traction control is standard in the VR6 trim level, but not available in four-cylinder offerings.
Standard equipment: Five-speed manual transmission, reclining cloth front bucket seats, power door locks, rear window defogger, rear windshield wiper, intermittent front wipers, rack and pinion steering and power steering are all standard.
Optional Equipment: Air conditioning, four-speed automatic transmission, cruise control, leather upholstery and power sunroof are options in GL. Many of these items are standard in GTI and GTI VR6 trim levels.
Price: The four-door, test drive Golf GL had a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $13,470. With a handful of options including a premium stereo with cassette player ($485), air conditioning ($860) and a clearcoat metallic finish ($175), our bottom line totoled $15,490; including a $500 destination charge. A two-door GTI starts at $16,320 while a six-cylinder GTI VR6 checks in at $19,710.
Seating comfort: Both front and back seat riders have good headroom. Legroom is a bit tight in back. Volkswagen promotes Golf as a five-seater, but two adults in the back seat is plenty. The front cloth bucket seats were supportive. Drivers have good road perspectives in all direction. Back seat rests have a 60/40 split, increasing cargo carrying space when needed.
Interior: A small flip-top storage bin is found behind the hand-operated parking brake which sits between front bucket seats. A remote hatch release button is found beneath this flip-top bin too. Front windshield wipers operate from a right-hand side steering column stalk. Three rotary dials control temperature, direction, and fan speed. The stereo sits directly above the climate center. Below the climate center were an A/C activation button and the central locking system button. Molded dual cup holders were directly in front of the manual transmission shifter. A speedometer and tachometer the largest displays in the instrument cluster. The temporary spare tire sits below a flat-floored hatchback cargo area.
Dimensions: Wheelbase: 97.4 inches Overall length: 160.4 inches Overall width: 66.7 inches Overall height: 56.2 inches Front headroom: 39.3 inches Front legroom: 42.3 inches Weight: 2,525 lbs.
Engine: Our test-drive GL included an in-line, single over head cam shaft powertrain with a sequential multi-port injected, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder powertrain delivering 115 horsepower. It was coupled with a manual transmission and provided adequate acceleration for a vehicle of this weight and size. The Golf GTI-VR6 provides even more oomph with its six-cylinder, 2.8-liter, 172 horsepower. dual over head cam shaft engine. It's one of the few subcompacts with a six-cylinder option.
Exterior: Golf GL's exterior can best be described as "boxy conservative." It's almost a throwback to the 1970s when the rectangular box shape was more in vogue. Strap-like door handles add a nice touch though. Exterior color choices include: Candy White, Black, Tornado Red, Memory Red metallic, Suede Silver metallic, Windsor Blue Metallic and Pearl Classic Green Metallic. Fourteen-inch, all-season tires are standard in four-cylinder editions while the six-cylinder version gets larger, fifteen-inch all-season tires.
Fuel economy: Better-than-average fuel estimates makes Golf an attractive choice for shoppers looking for a gas-sipping vehicle. Our GL with five-speed manual transmission averaged 24 miles per gallon in the city, and 31 mpg highway. With 10,500 odometer miles, we averaged 26 mpg in combined driving. The tank holds 14.5 gallons of unleaded fuel. The fuel door remains locked until the central locking system unlocks the four passenger doors.
Final thoughts: Golf faces stiff competition in the subcompact field from domestic, Japanese and Korean competitors. Our test-drive car's $15,490 bottom line was a bit high for the subcompact category. However, the sticker price includes Volkswagen's Protection Plus Warranty, one of the best in the business. The warranty includes a 10-year, 100,000-mile, limited powertrain warranty; a two-year, 24,000-mile, bumper-to-bumper warranty; free scheduled maintenance for two years and roadside assistance at no charge for two years. The rectangular shape lends itself to decent headroom inside. Tire noise is noticeable at highway speeds |