The high torque capability of the 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI clean diesel comes into play impressively when teamed with a 6-speed manual transmission. The lag occasionally felt on takeoff and between shifts with the automatic transmission is overcome with the manual.
A hint while running a twisting country road in the ’10 Golf: Follow your instincts in moving up through the gears, then drop the shifter down a gear and appreciate the performance.
The turbocharged direct-injection 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine is rated 140 horsepower and a more generous 236 lb.-ft. of torque, strong at the low-end of the revs. It is a quiet diesel, too.
It seems no matter where you drive it, in town or out, it averages 35 to 40 miles per gallon. This level of mileage was similar to last year with three VW Jetta TDIs I drove, and confirmed recently when, in a Starbucks on a Saturday morning, Richard Maxfield of Greeley sat down at our table. Maxfield, who more than a year ago traded in his Toyota Prius hybrid for a Jetta TDI, carries with him an electronic iPod-type device that registers every mile driven and every gallon of diesel fuel invested into the VW. In 15,000 miles, the Jetta has averaged more than 38 mpg.
The Golf, which comes in three-door or five-door hatchback styles, was known last year as the Rabbit. With the manual transmission, it carries an EPA rating of 30/41 mpg.
The TDI clean-diesel engines are growing rapidly as a percentage of total VW sales. Thirty-five to 40 percent of Golf sales in the U.S. are diesels, according to Steve Keys, longtime communications chief for VW of America. Eighty-five percent of Jetta Sportwagens are diesels, he said, along with 33 percent of Jetta sedans and 50 percent of the Touareg SUVs.
Well-bolstered seats provide comfort in the Golf, and fit-and-finish and quality of materials have been improved for the interior. Though the overall interior is smallish, rear-seat legroom and headroom are adequate for two adults. Front-seat adjustments are with ratchets, roller-knobs and levers, as they were when I began reviewing VWs in the ’70s. The ride can turn a bit rough from the firm suspension and a wheelbase of barely over 100 inches.
Jan and I made a quick run with the Golf to Sterling to renew our boat slip for the coming summer at North Sterling State Park lake, where rumor is the wipers have grown beyond the 15-inch minimum-size limit. State Park Ranger David Piper cited signs of improved feed and habitat for the lake’s varied fish species; water level is 100 percent.
Touch-screen navigation and audio controls, with Sirius satellite radio and heated front seats, upgraded the little Golf. These and other amenities pushed the sticker price from a base of $21,990 to $24,914.
Electric power steering, 17-inch wheels, side-curtain airbags, leather-wrapped steering wheel/shifter knob/parking brake handle, trip computer and cruise control head a list of standard equipment.
A look back
Thirty years ago this month, I reviewed in The Denver Post a 1980 Cadillac convertible conversion. Excerpts:
Makers of the 1980 Le Cabriolet Cadillac are absolutely right – it is one of the most elegant convertibles available today. This is a $29,000 masterpiece by a one-time carriage maker now known as Hess & Eisenhardt Co. of Cincinnati. Here are the things this redone Coupe de Ville will do:
- Headlamps automatically light as darkness approaches and go off with daylight or when the auto is shut off. Bright lights dim against oncoming traffic in nighttime driving.
- Outdoor temperature is recorded on a gauge outside the driver’s window, while on the inside an automatic climate control system blows warm or cool to remain at a preset temp.
- Doors are locked when the transmission is moved to “drive.”
- A radio scan sits at each station five seconds before moving on to the next frequency, waiting for the listener to find one to his liking.
- Speed may be automatically controlled, accelerated, decelerated and resumed after braking.
- Fuel economy indicators in green or amber keep the operator mindful of a soft-footed approached to acceleration.
- Proper height of the car is controlled against passenger and trunk loading conditions by an electronic height sensor.
It has a wool headliner for a quieter ride, is powered by a 368-cubic-inch V-8 engine with four-barrel carburetor, and requires a turning circle of more than 40 feet.
2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI
$24,914
(price as tested)
MPG City 30 Highway 41
Vehicle type: Compact two-door diesel
Wheelbase: 101.5 inches
Length/Width/Height: 165.4/70.3/58.3 inches
Weight: 2,994 pounds
Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel mileage: 38.2 mpg
Fuel tank: 14.5 gallons
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles basic; 5/60,000 powertrain
Competitors: Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, Ford Fusion Hybrid
Built at: Wolfsburg, Germany
THE STICKER
$21,990 base
$1,750 Navigation system
$225 Heated seats, washer nozzles
$199 Bluetooth connectivity
$750 Destination
PLUSES
Fuel mileage
Engine torque
Responsive handling
Improved interior quality
MINUSES
Outdated seat controls
Rough ride
