Those who have read my pieces are probably confused in regards to my latest daily driver, a 2018 Volkswagen SportWagen Comfortline, with manual transmission. After all, I was always the one extolling the virtue of old Japanese cars as offering a good bang for the buck. Well, they do, but this time I did something different. Instead of figuring out the dollars per kilometre, I simply bought what I wanted.
I drove all the other models in the class, and the only one which really stood out was the Golf. To me, it epitomises the values for which VW is famous. Yesterday, I looked back at my COAL for my Rabbit Diesel, and it was amazing how much the qualities I liked about VW cars were around forty years ago. The driving position is great, the visibility excellent and the car is built like a tank. The steering and brakes are excellent and it is cheap to run. It is exceptionally well put together with materials that belay the cost of the car. VW values through the ages.
The Golf is based on the VW MQB architecture, which provides the platform for about five million cars a year. With this kind of volume, VW can bake in some real goodness. The car drives much better than it should at this price point. The body is very, very strong: there are zero rattles and squeaks. The large volume allows VW to spend on a nice interior. The dash is all soft touch plastics and the the steering wheel a fat leather device. The shifter indeed falls readily to hand and is the best I have ever used. I love the styling: German industrial art. It is all very classy, in my opinion, and I just love the signal repeaters!
The motor. Yes, the motor. Volkswagen has always had smooth, torquey motors, and the 1.8 TSi is simply the best four cylinder motor I have ever experienced. This is about the end of ICE technology: every trick in the book is present: turbocharging, variable valve timing and lift (on the exhaust side) intercooler, the works. All this tech makes for an terrific motor: the torque it produces is simply amazing. The peak of 184 lb/ft is at 1500 rpm and stays that way all the way to 4500 rpm. Shifting gears is optional.
The great benefit of all this tech is not only a smooth, flexible engine, but one that returns really good fuel economy. I was initially concerned since the Transport Canada city rating is 9.2L/100 km. The first tank was 8.4, the second and the third 7.0. Even with colder temperatures, it is not above 8.0 (30 mpg). This is quite a bit better than even my Kia Rio.
Niggles are few. The five speed transmission is a bit of a cheap-out. At 50 km/h, third gear is too low and fourth too high. The latch for the sun visor is stiff. Kudos are more: the car runs fine on regular fuel. The drive train is simply the best I have ever experienced. It makes fantastic torque, making the car seem much faster that I really is. The seats heat up really fast and the water cooled exhaust manifold means you have cabin heat in thee minutes or less. Again, just like my Rabbit Diesel.
The stiff body and suspension make for superb handing. The cars limits are indeed above mine. Being a car of German roots, it tracks down the highway at speed brilliantly. While one is doing this, the standard Android Auto and eight speaker audio make the trip very pleasant. It seems VW is doing some penance these days for all their naughtiness, and perhaps to increase market share: the Golf Comfortline, the lowest model, still includes rain sensing wipers, heated seats and wiper nozzles. There is a real spare tire. The car is full of cute little touches that show typically German attention to detail, like the back of the seat belt latches being cloth to prevent rattles.
Now, I am sure I am going to get all kinds of comments like, “Well, it’s a VW and it is gonna break.” Well, that is somewhat true, but the most recent reliability ratings show the Golf is mid pack, not that I really care. The car has a four year, 80,000 km warranty and I probably won’t have it longer than five years, when I relocate abroad to retire.
The Golf was a right brain decision. I simply liked it a lot better than anything else in its price class. It is an absolute joy to drive, is cheap to run and isn’t an SUV, all of which I detest.
Oh, and it’s Bagel approved.
I’m also a committed Japanese car fan that really likes this generation Golf on the MQB platform – and this Wagon looks absolutely great – like a finely tailored suit.
I’m still hesitant to take the plunge though…maybe in a few more years if the reliability ratings continue trending up…
I wouldn’t trust the reliability ratings alone.
I had a typical dreadful experience with a late 90s VW.
10 years later, I read in car mags that VW had pulled its socks up and no longer had the issue. I made the mistake of believing them, got another VW product. It was even worse. “Never again” are the only words I now associate with this overhyped brand.
You might also mention the blue interior which is unheard of today. I would seriously consider it for that reason alone. Additionally, it complements your beautiful hound much better than black would.
I think it is more a grey colour. But the seats are quite comfy.
That is a superb looking car. I always complain on here about modern car styling, but VW is the exception. Yours is clean and tight, and exudes class. VWs seem to be brilliant looking across the board now. Cars for adults with taste.The blue interior is beautiful also. Consider me a fan.
Blue interior? What blue interior? Looks gray to me.
Looking again, I guess I saw what I wanted to see. This morning on the tablet it looked blue. Now on the phone it’s gray. Hmmm…
I have the 1.8 in my 2015 Passat and I agree. It’s a marvelous engine. In fact, the “new” 2.0 in my 2018 Tiguan is a definite step backward. I seriously considered the Sportwagen, but needed the backseat space of the Passat. 40,000 trouble-free miles so far. Love these cars.
Drool. Want. For all the good reasons you list.
I purchased a new 2015 Sportwagen (base model with manual) and now have 60K mi on it with very few disappointments. My trade-in was a BMW 330i, and even after that the VW is fun, we’ll built, and smooth. I do a lot of hwy driving and routinely get 38 to 40 mpg. No mechanical,issues so far. The iPhone interface is absolute crap.
Infotainment completely revised/upgraded in 2016.
Picked up this ‘18/Platinum Grey GSW SE for my wife on Tuesday….MSRP $28,800/my price $21,500 (leatherette heated/pano, ie loaded) …. wife spent 9yrs driving a three-pedal Honda Fit Sport, with some regret she opted for the slushbox this time ‘round due to bouts with stop-n-go traffic…. there is simply no better new-car value out there right now, Golf wagons are even priced $2k less than a comparable/smaller Golf (yeah, I know – I love the Golf but we have kids and I like the 63cu ft. behind me) …
plenty of ‘18s from which to choose as I was one of like three mutants actually sniffing wagons in the northeast…
Honda does not want to carry ‘19 Fits, particularly in EX/EX-L guise, they want to move you into a just-as-homely HR-V for an extra $5k ….. Fits still look like they have a few chromosomes mixed up, and still tickle 4k RPM at highway speeds… given the problems I had with my ‘10 Fit and the skimpy factory warranty, the new-for-‘18 VW warranty (7/75k IIRC) made the decision easy
I’m not sure if Honda trying to get buyers to opt for an HR-V is a local or national “thing”. In my area, the nearest dealer has both in equal amounts. However, from watching reviews on YouTube it is my impression that HR-V sales aren’t at the level Honda was hoping for. From what I see on the roads, neither the new Fit or the H are that popular. But then, neither is the Civic.
Since the Fit and H are both made in Mexico (at the same factory) I can see why Honda might want to push the more expensive vehicle to insure a decent return on their investment in a new factory.
They never should’ve given the HR-V its’ own sheetmetal stampings, especially since you could swap around the flares and cladding and have a six-window “crossover” and four-window “hatchback” just as easily as the reverse that’s currently the case.
My son recently bought the AWD version of this wagon; his has the six-speed manual. He likes it very much, and after driving it I agree. It made me long for another GTI.
Awesome! Iv’e been seriously eyeballing a Sportwagen with a stick (with or without 4motion), seems like the perfect Goldilocks car for me: fun and quick enough with the 1.8TSI and stick, while still being very efficient, traditionally excellent highway manners and ergonomics, and a fantastically utilitarian wagon form factor. Sad to see that they’ve been downsized to the 1.4TSI motor going forward.
The SportWagen was on my very short list of potential buys last year – but no sunroof with the manual transmission on the 4Motion models ruled it out. That, plus the fact there weren’t ANY manual transmission models within a reasonable driving distance to even take a test drive in. I’m well aware that my Subaru Forester is not in the same class when it comes to driving dynamics as the VW but if they don’t make what I want I’ll buy something else. And yes, the sunroof is open just about any time it’s sunny and dry 😎
Oh, and before the “you don’t need all wheel drive if you have good winter tires” chorus starts up I’ve had both good winter tires and 4WD – having both is my preference.
Can’t deny that the Golf wagon is a clean handsome design – both blue shades available in NA and the red shade are pretty colors. Adding in that you don’t have to have a black/gray interior is a win too. But no opening roof is a no go for us.
At least you can get a manual Golf wagon. In my neck of the woods there is no such thing.
(Apparently) due to the WLTP, we don’t have ANY manual Mk7.5 Golfs at the moment
I have a manual Golf R Mk7 so am aware of the attributes of these cars. I might have bought a manual R wagon had they been available but I think there was no such thing, even in Germany.
Can’t understand how they think that if someone wants a powerful wagon, they only want an automatic, yet they will put 600HP engines into SUVs, which due to being the the size of a house are clearly are not meant to go fast.
I agree with the desirability of snow tires. We live in the CO Rockies and have a 4Runner and an Infiniti CUV. Many folks just use all-season tires with success on cars like these, they still go just fine. There’s a big difference in stopping distance and handling, however. When one considers that using snows for part of the year extends the life of the regular tires, the expense isn’t significant.
Hey I’m with both of you guys. I’m in Central Indiana where it’s flat and we generally don’t get THAT much snow, but I put snow tires on both my Audi Quattro and 4Runner. My wife’s Camry has always just run all seasons, but her commute is basically entirely on surface streets and she’d gotten by just fine (despite me offering to equip her cars with snows as well).
Agree, winter tires are great. We have lots of snow around here and I’m always surprised how so many people with expensive newer cars struggle with ordinary tires in winter. If you can afford the luxury of a newer car, buy the luxury of decent winter tires. It makes driving so much easier, and isn’t ease and comfort why they spent so much money in the first place?
Be careful what you wish for… Panoramic roofs on MkVII GSWs, stunning as they may be, are a documented time-bomb (expanded mfr warranty allayed some of those fears) … I would have been happy with traditional front-row glass… similarly, it was the heated chairs that made me dig deep for the extra $4k for the SE… otherwise I could have had a very nice S (base) with decent cloth (as opposed to v-Tex) in my driveway for a screaming $17,700
My snow/ice tires arrived from the ‘Rack yesterday… and, yep, unless you like in a hilly region with 75”+ snow per season, one really does not need AWD when you have capable winter tires
One thing that ticked me off about the current Golf wagon is that the bundled the heated seats into the far more expensive SE trim. The Jetta Sportwagen preceding it had heated seats standard on the S. That was a nice touch.
Nice looking car, hope you have as good service (over 300k miles, original drivetrain) as my ancient gas engine, 5 speed ’86 Mk2 Jetta has served me for the last 27 years. I tend to run vehicles for 30 years, so in another 3 years a Sportwagen manual trans may be in my future. Would be fun to have some extra power!
Spitting image of my ’87 Jetta Carat. I seriously wanted to love that car but reliability woes kept that from happening. The only things I never had problems with were the ancient 3-sp auto tranny and the manual-crank sunroof (it never leaked one bit).
The sunroof has never leaked and still works, though I rarely open it anymore. The paint (polar silver) has held up very well.
Very pretty car….congratulations on your long ownership and service of your original engine and transaxle.
I also had an ’86 VW, though it was a GTi. I owned it about 14 years until I bought my current car (’00 Golf). The A2 was a classic, there are things I miss about it, primarily the upright driving position, with lots of interior space. I also like the “up high” mounting of the radio and heater controls, instead of the center stack which has become standard on cars in the meantime. Also liked not having to remove the motor mount to replace the timing belt (which I’m about needing to do again on my ’00). You could see the spark plugs on the ’86 which are hidden by the intake manifold on my ’00.
Things that are better on the ’00: not too many, though some of the maintenance is better….the Motorola alternator on my ’86 went through brushes/voltage regulators like water for some reason…and I had a go around with a shop that kept trying to put shims in the rear..turns out their alignment equipment was out of calibration and I wore out a new rear Pirelli tire in about 5000 miles because of it. Oh, and I had to replace that long rubber piece that runs from the “A” pillar to the top of the “C” pillar, since the door weatherstrip was attached to it on A2 cars and mine deteriorated so as to cause leaks. Also, the seat fabric on the ’86 kept wearing out on the bolsters, even though I was able to get some OEM fabric and foam and replaced it more than once. I remember finding foam dust under the seats which is probably a big reason the fabric didn’t last, as the foam compressed and deteriorated. The fabric on my ’00 isn’t that great but at least hasn’t torn, just has stitching that is missing on several panels.
I had a ’78 Scirocco before that (also manual)…which is my sentimental favorite car of the few I’ve owned…but it suited me much better in 1981 when I first bought it than it undoubtedly would today…not to mention that it didn’t have air conditioning, which nowdays I wouldn’t want to live without any length of time here in the sunbelt. It had its problems too, as I recall with the 5th injector and brakes, but was such a nice car that I missed it after I bought the ’86 GTi.
Back to the Sportswagen, I’d also consider replacing my Golf with one of these, but it would have to be a base model so I could avoid the vinyl seating that VW has moved to on mid and higher models. Though my beloved Scirocco also came with vinyl seats, I’m a fan of cloth seats, to the extent that its non-availability would substantially affect my buying it.
Thanks. Mine came with a Bosch alternator which I replaced with a rebuilt unit at around 250k miles, the starter was replaced at around 290k, steering rack and pump are original. The backrest frame on the drivers seat broke about 2 years ago, I replaced the seat with a junkyard seat from a ’89, was able to remove my original seat covers and install on the replacement seat, the cloth interior has held up well.
I’ve owned a ’75, ’77, and ’80 Rabbit. Also had a ’80 Jetta 2 door, sold it in ’91 to buy this ’86, it has AC which the ’80 lacked. Sounds like your Mk4 Golf has served you well over the years.
Good deal…I think mine had the Motorola alternator as it was made in Westmoreland, I’d guess that your Jetta was probably made in Germany? Sounds like the Bosch alternator held up better, I kept getting “strobing” headlights where the combination voltage regulator/brushes would start to fail…easy to replace (with the alternator on the top of the engine) but I had to keep spares handy as they kept failing..probably should have just gotten another alternator, but I think they were pretty expensive, or maybe the GTi had a special part number, as even the 8v engine was slightly different than the normal 1.8 litre. I was also lucky not to have been bitten by the self-machining transaxle problem that happened on quite a number of the close-ratio transaxles, though I did have leaking seals that caused me to have to replace the clutch prematurely.
Good deal on the replacement seats…guess you’ve had to have a go at upholstery work to replace the seat frame…I’m not much into sewing but I did enough to replace the worn fabric panels on the GTi…also had to tear into it when the seatback release cable broke inside the seat…got used to using the hogring pliers to tighten up the fabric afterward…glad yours are holding up well.
Wow, you’ve owned quite a few A1 VWs, as well as a couple A2’s. I haven’t held onto a car nearly as long as you have, but I do tend to keep them longer than average, my Golf is so far my record, but I’m closing in on our family record of 21 years for the same car (bought new to being junked). Never owned an aircooled VW (though my Dad had a ’59 Beetle I was too young to ever drive it)…but have been driving only VWs (as my only car) for the last 37 of my 44 years as a licensed driver…having owned only 3 VWs in those 37 years (only one bought new, the others were used but not very old when I got them). For me they’ve been pretty durable cars, though maybe not so reliable, as they do have many sniggling problems that come up on them, but most of those you can work around if you’re not too picky about having everything in perfect working order, just as long as it doesn’t affect how the car goes/shifts or stops.
My A4 is fine, but I prefer the setup/driving position on the “classic” A3 and prior VWs (seems they adopted traits of other imports starting around the time of the A4)…the taller upright driving position, visibility, and high mounted controls were easier to live with…but then again they didn’t have to be equipped with airbags and achived 5* collision test results like the newer ones do.
Nice looking wagon, and I’m glad that you got the optional dog. What a clever piece of marketing. Buy a new car and get a new best friend.
This is a very nice looking car. It an era where so many are moving towards actively offensive styling, VW (and most Euro brands here) remain tasteful.
It is good to hear that VW is still doing well the things it has traditionally done well. A tight, rattle-free body and a taut German-style driving experience are wonderful things. The wagon with the manual transmission is a wonderful thing also. (But you couldn’t get one in brown with a diesel? 🙂 )
I really hope that VW is moving its durability in the right direction. They make some really appealing cars right now. It continues to mystify me that VW doesn’t push its biggest reason for being in its advertising and promotion: it is 90% (or more) of the traditional Mercedes/BMW/Audi driving experience for well under half the price. Fahrvergnuegen lives!
“I drove all the other models in the class…”
Technically, there ARE no other models in its’ class, if you want a wagon with no SUV pretenses and a manual transmission, this is it.
Well, the Mazda 3 has a good sized hatch. It was the only other car I seriously considered.
Sat in the Mazda3 5door… coupe-like ingress/egress and sight-lines were abysmal… gets even worse based on the pics I ‘ve seen of the next gen Mazda3… same story with the likeable Mazda cx-3
Also peeked at Civic hatch… burned my eyes with its inherent ugliness
Too much form… not enough function
Nice car. Bagel seems to approve as well.
I had liked VWs since the days of the Dasher, but the problematic reliability kept me away. Finally pulled the trigger on a Jetta wagon in 2014, after VW had had some 8 years to debug the Mk V platform and powertrain. All is well at 43K miles.
Kills me that the first thing everyone asks is “is it a diesel?” No, it isn’t. I’m one of the seemingly 10% of Jetta wagon buyers who wanted the gas engine. Would have gotten the SE trim for the alloy wheels, extra bright trim and compass, but, for some reason, VW thinks vinyl is an upgrade from fabric upholstery. So I went with the bottom S trim for the fabric.
Never had any glowing affection for the plastic wheelcovers that came with the S trim, so, when the factory Bridgestones got greasy and noisy, I hunted down a set of my favorite alloys, which happen to have been the factory fitment on some years of SE or TDI, to wear my new Michelins. Being ever mindful of pothole season around here, and the fact that some streets here are not cleared of snow until it melts or wears out from traffic driving on it, it seemed the planets were in alignment as a set of Dunlop snows, in the right size, and already mounted on the correct VW steel wheels, appeared on eBay, for less than what 2 new snows would cost.
Fritz at the Gilmore’s German show last summer.
I put the question to a FB group whether to put the plastic wheelcovers on the snows. Ended up leaving them off as, if I leave them off, then they can’t pop off and break when I hit a pothole. It is common to see older Jettas around here missing one or more of the plastic wheelcovers.
Black steelies are a badge of honor… they are the Doc Martens of automotive fashion IMHO….
Black steelies = all function, mean business. #badass
Sadly, my wife does is not a hipster (and plastic wheel-covers are not how I roll) so I went out and scored a set of mint 15” old skewl BBS Modas from a guy who had them on an old A4 back in the early nineties 🙂
Can’t wait to see what they look like …
Black steelies = all function, mean business. #badass
Sadly, my wife does is not a hipster
I’m just cheap. The previous owner of the snows had them on his GTI. They don’t make 18″ steelies to replace the stock alloys the GTI comes with, so the conversion math worked out to these 16s. He never had wheel covers to put on them, so the wheels aren’t scratched from the clips on the covers. Meanwhile, the original Bridgestones are in my basement, on their steelies. I have VW wheels pretty much coming out my ears.
Similar problem around here but with Michelin steel wheels both Citroens are now on alloys my one came with them and I just fitted another set with new tyres for my daughters car, luckily the 14” steels fit my classic Hillman and trailer but then I’ll have a stack of old Hillman wheels and tyres to dispose of, Scrap dealers for the rims but the tyres are a problem.
IMO black steelies are either a bit tryhard if kept clean and shiny, and quickly look junky and unfinished. Silver steelies have the all-function, stripped for action look without the “YOU BOUGHT IT TO LOOK LIKE A COP” issue.
And colors can look good too, especially on a grayscale car (I know Paul’s with me on that).
I will always be a black-steelie kind of guy! I ended up with 15 inch alloys (down from 16 inch summer setup) on the Audi simply because the 5×112 supply of wheels on the ground is kind of thin, and many of them are alloys, the only way to get a steel wheel would be to hunt down a base model Passat of that generation.
Next question: what color to paint the wheels? 🙂
Next question: what color to paint the wheels? 🙂
They are already painted.
Last spring, I had the thought of putting a silver pinstripe on the car as it is so bereft of trim. The guy did a lousy job and gave me back my money, rather than make it right, Took this pic, of the side he got right, before I took the stripe off.
I think I’m ahead with a fully galvanised body
My 2014 VW also has a fully galvanized body, and a 12 year warranty against rust through. VW is not so generous with the rust warranty on newer cars though.
Great choice, I see you bought it at Open Road in Burnaby. I’m just over the bridge in N.Van. We bought an 18 Alltrack with the TDI buyback last March. We got the manual trans too in the White / Silver colour and have almost 12000 km on it now and no problems or concerns so far. I can’t say I like the shift quality and clutch action compared with the 13 Golf we had though. Best mpg so far is just under 42 imp per gal from Calgary to Creston BC. Enjoy!
I just purchased a 2018 Golf Alltrack SE. My first new Volkswagen since my 1990 Corrado. It joins my 2007 BMW Z4 3.0si coupe and my 1981 Scirocco S.
The Alltrack replaced a 2013 BMW X3 2.8 x drive which I bought 3 years ago as a CPO. The BMW was very nice. Powerful, roomy, efficient yet I was starting to have niggling problems. Two drive train malfunctions a peeling glovebox and the potential for some costly repairs out of warranty. I paid $30,000 for it with only 18,000 miles on the odometer but three years later the book value was barely $13,000. Considering the car was $47,000 when new that’s huge depreciation.
I really wanted a manual transmission but none could be found in New York State. My dealer did find a silk blue SE with A DSG, took $5,000 off sticker and offered me $15,000 for the X3. I wanted a color…no black, white silver or grey…love the blue although I really wanted the very cool green.
I purchased 4 snow tires and went through Buffalo’s first snow. So far I love the car. It is so tight and solid with not one rattle. The Bluetooth is flawless for my iPhone whether its a call or streaming music. The car is quick off the line and ois extremly smooth and quiet. I love the DSG. Shifts are sharp, precise and even better than the 8 speed ZF in the BMW.
A few quibbles….The engine runs out of steam when passing at highway speeds unlike the X3 which kept going. No blind spot monitoring. I have an early production model that did not have it. This combined with very small mirrors forces me to be much more diligent when changing lines. I sometimes regret not getting the SEL which comes with LED headlights, sport seats, lane departure and other electronics. Don’t miss navigation as the apple play works great.
All in all It’s nice to have a new VW owner and have an incredible new car warranty.
A very good choice.
The 1.8T simply has no demerits. When shopping last time, I did drive a 1.8T Passat with a five-speed and it was great – I can only imagine how that drivetrain would be in a lighter Golf.
Our Passat is knocking on the door of 40,000 miles and it has had no real issues. Your happiness with the VW will no doubt continue.
It’s pretty amazing! The torque rush in second gear is just a hoot.
I liked these very much, from introduction until they have now started to become less than common at the VW dealers. I did not need a new car but liked just about everything about the ’18 Golf wagon. I was especially attracted to the long warranty term – six years in USA.
Two issues kept me from buying though. The 2wd (preferred for me) version manual is only five speeds; the 4wd version manual is six. I want the 6th gear at 80 and 85 on interstates I drive in the mountain west. And two is the very limited number of VW dealers in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona – where I drive. Now I’ve probably waited too long as I read the 1.4 in the ’19 cars is a disappointment. Missed opportunity I may regret.
Was the five speed really that big of a demerit? My five speed 5 cylinder Sportwagen turned at nearly 4000rpm at 80-85mph cruise and these cars are quiet enough that the engine noise was barely audible.
I agree about the dealer network, though. PITA, but I found a local shop for routine maintenance.
I have driven the 1.4 and in most driving, you’d never know the difference. I do note the 1.8 is still optional on the SportWagen in Canada.
The five speed is at 1800 rpm at 100 km/h. This is not short gearing.
Count me in as another fan, for all the same reasons. We looked at and drove the then-Jetta wagon in the spring of 2014 when we were looking for a new wagon. It was nice, but we wanted something a wee bit larger. If they had still been selling the German Passat wagon then, we probably would have bit.
The Alltrack is a compelling package, with AWD and a bit more ride height, as a Subaru alternative. I think this mdoel is about ten years too late for VW, as they could have probably established it as a Subaru competitor back then and carved out a chunk of that lucrative market.
Nice rig, Len! I took a test drive of the ’17 AllTrack version last year and came away favorably impressed. And this year they improved the warranty in the US considerably as well. Overall it’s a very compelling package and as others have noted the styling is spot-on, nothing weird or extraneous and what is there, simply works. I’m sure it’ll get you through your intended timeline with little drama and quite a bit of understated flair! Oh, and Bagel is a looker too!
The signal repeaters are really a cool touch!
Really handsome car in the classic German mode. Speaking of dogs, when it came time to replace our 2006 Honda Pilot, we wanted to downsize (kids are now out of the house) but needed room for the 70 lb dog, who goes everywhere with us. I greatly preferred what was then the Jetta sport wagon, but since it was to be my wife’s car, we ended up with a Tiguan. She just had to have the crossover for its higher seating position, even though there isn’t enough room for the dog behind the rear seat. This Golf Sport Wagon (in blue, as shown here) will be the first place I look when I replace my car.
Love love love the proper wagon styling of this car! If only it wasn’t a VW.
You made the right choice,
“Instead of figuring out the dollars per kilometre, I simply bought what I wanted.’
This is exactly how I ended up with a stick shift 2010 Sportwagen. Saw it at the auto show. The atttention to detail in the interior was bewildering for a $20k car and the way those doors went “kerchunk!” when closing…it sticks with you. That sense of perceived quality. Two test drives later and we took one home and never regretted it. Sold it at 83k seven years later (wife won’t drive a clutch and it was making logistics difficult). I regret doing that, miss the car frequently. Everything you wrote about interior quality and driving position and solidity was true of that car as well. These are fantastic long distance cruisers and that is rare in this price range and size.
Long term durability, who knows. Mine was the simple 5-cylinder and they have a pretty good reputation. 83k miles isn’t much, but seven years of trouble free operation is nothing to sneeze at given the brands reputation. I do wonder how VW can spend this kind of money on the chassis and interior in an affordable car when others cannot. Where were those costs saved?
The 1.8 is a delight to drive but I’d worry about it out of warranty. VW does weird tricks like equipping European versions of the motor with dual port & direct injection but cost cut it out of North American versions. But your 4-year timeframe this is a great car.
You have a dog named “Bagel” that isn’t a beagle. How refreshing!
A more accurate description is how Bagel has me.
Great review and glad you are enjoying it!
Small VWs always impress me a great deal. They just have a way of feeling more solid than comparable American and Asian compacts.
“This is about the end of ICE technology: every trick in the book is present: turbocharging, variable valve timing and lift (on the exhaust side) intercooler, the works.”
There’s still some tricks floating out there in the the ether. Just yesterday, I saw (another) article saying electronic valve actuation is just around the corner, and variable compression ratio technology is always a possibility. I’m sure there’s some other ideas that I haven’t thought of as well…
Every time we think we’ve seen it all, the world finds a way to surprise us.
On the other hand, VW just announced that its next generation of IC cars will be its last. This is fringe wacko EV shit is getting pretty serious.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20181204/OEM04/181209877/vw-says-the-next-generation-of-cars-with-combustion-engines-will-be
The diesel fiasco may well turn into the definitive EV tipping point.
I was also thinking the exact same thing. ICE is a dead technology and VW has announced their next generation of ICE will be the last.
This is how things are going to be in the world that does not deny climate change is real. If the USA wishes to deny what 98% of scientists say over the word of a politician, well, so be it.
There is in fact more than one market in the world.
Thanks for sharing the link. However it looks like the new-gen engines will be launched in 2026-2030, and hang around until 2050. I probably won’t be doing much driving (or anything) by then. Although my wife continuously reminds me that medical advances and life expectancies are moving up and out as quickly as we age …
I had a 2015 Golf SportWagen, right as they came out. Only mine was a loaded-up TDI SEL. The only thing it didn’ have was the driver assistance package, with the adaptive cruise, BLIS, and parking sensors. I traded in a 2014 Jetta SportWagen TDI for it. You can guess why I don’t have it anymore.
Seriously, best car I ever owned overall.
I especially liked the bi-xenon/LED headlights, which were excellent. Not unlike a lot of cars, it had cornering lights, but instead of using (a) the fog lights or (b) a hideous side-mounted light, it had a separate bulb with each headlight housing, angled at 45 degrees or so. It would switch on when you were at a certain speed and used the turn signal or began turning in that direction.
Arrive in a VW Golf and nobody asks quentions, scratches one’s head, raises one’s eyebrow, thinks “WTF, that walking and talking suit is charging too much” or “get off my lawn”, etc.etc.
It’s the most classless car model on our market since its introduction in 1974.
Nice car Len!
Hey, that’s my line! 😉 Yeah, side-on visibility of the turn signal is mandatory throughout most of the world’s markets, because duh. It’s optional in North America, because freedom or something. So it’s lovely when an automaker deigns to provide it in this market.
Now if only they’d quit it with the cruddy red rear turn signals.
I like fully red tailights. It is a prejudice that has stayed with me since I was a small child. My uncle would go on and on about how foreign cars fell apart just sitting in the driveway, and how everything should be a Ford F250. With the 400. And the manual 3 speed with the granny gear. And four wheel drive. And no XLT trim to collect rust. And steel interiors. And dual shocks. And pipe bumpers. Because imports in the 70s often had amber, or as I like to say, “orange” turn lenses. And you know, “eat your foreign car if you’re hungry” bumper stickers and America/freedom/bacon. So I still love America, freedom, bacon, and American red lenses while in the 1980s my uncle started buying amber-lensed Hondas and avoiding fatty meats, leaving me alone with a dumb perception that amber lenses=crap. So that is why I still prefer red lenses, so it can always be morning in America again or something. Thanks Uncle Bob!
Your perspective of your GSW exactly matches the way I feel about our 2015 Golf Mk7, also 5 speed and 1.8T. Feel, finish, torque, fuel economy (mpg AND regular gas), comfort … all exemplary for such an inexpensive car. I really wanted to like the 6 speed 2018 Fit Sport we tested, but neither my wife nor I felt anything from the car except that the “magic seat” was pretty cool. Why isn’t VW more successful in the US? I just can’t figure it out. Sure, our previous front-engined H2O VW was a little less bulletproof than our Japanese cars have been, but it’s still quite reliable, looks good and drives well at 100K miles, now with our daughter.
Hey! I recognize that dog!
Seems to be my kind of automobile.
“What Len said”. Bought 2015 Canadian base-spec (Comfortline) FWD manual transmission last year from original owner, a former VW salesperson, in same silk blue as Len’s. Almost flawless, after few weeks discovered back dome light wouldn’t shut off unless car was locked. Dome light fixture replaced under warranty. Got loaner car over holiday weekend. 80,000 kms now, no issues. 38-42 mpg mostly hwy, measured, not computer. Initially thought 5-speed a bit cheap, but final drive so “long”, it’s not an issue. Very quiet at high speed. Yes, gaps between gears are wide, but engine so torquey it doesn’t matter. Steering feel too light for my taste, local indy fixed that with his laptop. Agree with Paul, wish it was a couple inches longer in back. Would have bought European Passat wagon if it were still available (last sold in North America 2010). Recently rented a 2018 Jetta with the 1.4T engine, which felt just as strong as the 1.8T. Jetta sedan is a bit lighter. 1.4T has less hp, but same torque rating as 1.8T.
“Steering feel too light for my taste, local indy fixed that with his laptop.”
This is one of the greatest things about today’s cars. So many of the control modules are generic in that they are used in a wide swath of vehicles and the firmware dictates the functionality for a particular application.
For me on my MKZ the heated steering wheel didn’t seem warm enough. Pulled out my tablet connected to my OBD Link and confirmed the temp was set to 44 which is hex for 68 the default temp for 13-15 US cars. Looked up the rest of the default temps and put in 5C, which converts to 92, the default for 16+ Fusions. The 16+ MKZ is set to 64 which converts to 100 and that seemed like it might be too hot. The 92 seems about right but I might try playing around bumping it up 2 degrees at a time.
For VW products the low cost entry seems to be this https://obdeleven.com/en/home/19-basic-pack.html apparently you can do your own research on the code to change to make a mod or use “credits” to have the program figure it out for you. Don’t know exactly what the tool your guy used but you can be sure it works the same way of re-flashing a value in a line of code.
Indy used VCDS, a Windows-based software package developed and produced by Ross-Tech, LLC, formerly called VAG-COM. (from Wikipedia). Found instructions of VW Vortex Forum.
I have the Alltrack version of your Sportwagen and agree with you on all points. It’s such a versatile car that at this stage in my life, I’m far happier with it than any of the three GTIs I had previously. Congratulations on buying what you truly wanted.
Mine is a 2018 Czeck. Skoda Octavia Combi 1.8TSI with the standard 6 speed transmission. In Europe is the lesser VAG MQB platform engine to get a rear independent (multilink) suspension that makes a great difference. Fast, fun, practical and as frugal as you want. It only ask for a pint of oil from time to time. Czeck version also gets 5 more liters of boot space, an ice scraper within the fuel lid and an umbrella under the passenger seat. They call it “simply clever”. Led headlights are great. My best car so far.
If the Octavia were available in Canada, I’d buy it!
My 2018 Golf GTD is my 6th Golf (plus a Polo and a Seat Leon FR along the way) and the best of the lot, so you can guess I like them too.
The first was a 1986 Golf 1.3, with maybe 60bhp and 4 speed manual – the GTD is 184 and 7 speed DSG – but the lineage is clear. Not just the quality materials and build, but the great seating position and great dashboard ergonomics, and the sense of a car that is really solidly built and gripping the road in every corner, and will run for ever. Now you can’t get Saabs, I wonder why anyone buys anything else.