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 Torque
-- and the ability to put it to the pavement -- can transform a perfectly
acceptable car into an enthusiast's dream machine. If that car happens
to be the 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI, there's a delightful bonus - fuel
economy that would make some hybrids jealous.
A few weeks ago,
we did a week-long test drive of the all-new, next-generation 2010
VW Golf. We weren't quite sure of the car's new, rounded-corner design,
but liked its interior roominess and its impressive list of standard equipment.
Equipped as our test-fleet Golf was with the standard 2.5-liter, gasoline-fueled
five-cylinder engine linked to an optional six-speed Tiptronic automatic
gearbox, the performance was perfectly acceptable for the 80-percent of
drivers who think corners are for slowing down.
Fast forward a few
weeks and were testing another version of the 2010 Golf. This one is the
TDI. Those initials indicate that this Golf carries a turbocharged, directly
injected diesel engine, in this case the four cylinders displace just
2.0 liters.
Now, when you consider
that the 2.5-liter gasoline engine pumps out 170 horsepower and the 2.0-liter
four-cylinder diesel provides a mere 140 horsepower, you may doubt our
assertion about this being a car that will make a driving enthusiast happy.
On the other hand, you might begin to get a notion about how impressive
the TDI's fuel economy figures might be.
But there are other
numbers that support our case that the TDI is a genuine enthusiast's car.
Consider, however, that while the 2.5-liter gasoline engine provides only
177 pound-feet of torque, the TDI gives you 236 pound-feet, and with maximum
torque achieved at a mere 1750 rpm.
Link that little
torquester to a six-speed manual gearbox like the one in our test car
and all we can say is weeeeee-haaaaaaa!
And that applies
to more than the sheer fun of driving this peppy little wheelspinner.
Thanks to the inherent properties of diesel fuel, the 2010 VW Golf TDI
is rated at 30 miles per gallon in city driving and at 41 on the open
road.
Also note that the
TDI burns the new "clean" diesel fuel, thus reducing emissions
while enhancing fuel economy.
Weeeee-haaaaaa indeed!
Oh, one more thing:
While the gasoline-powered Golf we drove had an as-tested price of $20,565,
you can buy a TDI for just a couple thousand more dollars. Base price
on the 2010 VW Golf TDI is $22,590, a figure that again might be the envy
of hybrid vehicle buyers.
By the way, compared
to the standard Golf, the TDI comes with fog lamps, a sport-tuned suspension
that lowers the car's center of gravity, a three-spoke sports steering
wheel that's leather wrapped, and a six-month SiriusXM satellite radio
subscription.
O.K., the as-tested
price on our TDI was $25,514, but only because it was equipped with a
$1750 factory-installed navigation system and a $1,000 power sunroof,
as well as a $225 cold-weather package (heated front seats and windshield
washer nozzles), $199 in Bluetooth (hands-free cell phone) technology
and $750 in destination charges.
You can buy a very
good navigation system that you can move from car to car for a couple
hundred dollars. Power sunroofs may let in some sunshine, but they also
add weight way up high where you really don't want it, so there's $2,500
in savings. We live in Phoenix so a cold-weather package is an option
we don't need. Bluetooth is nice for trips across the state line into
California, where you have to be hands-free or stay off the phone while
driving, so figure $23,600 out the door for the enthusiast's TDI.
Or, as we look over
the options list, add in $350 for rear-seat side airbags to supplement
the standard curtain airbags that run along both sides of the passenger
compartment, and, if you want, add another $476 for the 300-watt Dynaudio
Advanced Sound audio upgrade.
That brings "our"
TDI to $24,500 or so, which means we can afford to replace the standard
all-weather performance tires with some higher-performance "summer"
tread for some weeeeee-haaaaaa around the pylons of your favorite autocross
circuit.
Countersteer, by Greg Rubenstein
Wow, what a fun little
drive this TDI is.
Its peppy engine
produces tons of torque for brisk acceleration, and the chassis feels
super solid. Dynamic handling is fun as well, thanks to wheels pushed
way out to the corners.
Volkswagen has created
the perfect anti-hybrid, with better fuel economy than most battery-suckers,
plus lots of fun behind the wheel. Stickering in the low $20's the TDI
is a terrific value.
Our only complaint
is that the Golf is not a family-friendly vehicle. It's just too small
in back, and a child seat can only be mounted in the middle (there's a
single top-latch anchor, just for the center position), which means nobody
can comfortably sit next to junior.
Oh well, there's
always the Jetta TDI for the family!
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