2010 Volkswagen Golf By  ALAN GELL www.CarColumns.Net  Recently, Judy and I had a brand-new VW GOLF for a test drive.  This is a fun car to drive and really economical.  The GOLF used to be called the Rabbit, but Volkswagen thought it would sell better with a better name.  Apparently, it worked.  The Golf was named World Car of the Year at the New York Auto Show in March 2009.  I was there for the announcement and the journalists and car enthusiasts that were there liked the new design.  Actually, a sporty hatchback Volkswagen has been around since the middle 70’s with one name or the other.  This new Golf is number 6 in the transformation.

    The Volkswagen Golf drives smooth and once inside, it seems much larger than it appears from the outside.  It is not exactly “roomy”, but it does have a surprising amount of move-around area as well as cargo space.  Topping it off, it looks good with a refreshing and stylish appearance.

Our test model was called Reflex Silver Metallic for the exterior paint job.  Inside, it was just plain black.  The combination worked well.  There are noticeable horizontal styling lines that makes the little Golf much more attractive than just a little non-descript glob on the highway.  The silhouette is wide, low, but aggressive.
The Golf is powered by a five cylinder, 2.5 liter engine, that produces 170 horsepower.  That extra cylinder must be the root of giving the little Golf such much of its pep and energy.  It simply zips in and around traffic, whether in town or on the highway. The engine was matched with a six speed automatic transmission that worked seamlessly.  A diesel model engine is available and quite popular as well. 

Inside, there is a lot of room for a small car, as well as a lot of amenities for the driver and passengers.  Our test model had powered and heated rearview mirrors.  They were occasionally difficult to position, however, and the adjustment knob gave me some challenges. I like intermittent windshield wipers and usually don’t find them on the smaller cars.  Another feature for a small car I liked was the adjustable and telescoping steering wheel.  All the necessary items were present such as cupholders, reading lights front and rear, power windows, remote key fob, cruise control, and an auxiliary input jack.

The seats were comfortable, although not luxury-styled.  After several hours on the highway, you may not feel like you are rested, but you don’t have to roll out of the car, attempting to straighten out your body from the pain. 

Mileage is one of the best attractions of the 2010 Golf.  It is rated 23 city and 30 on the highway.  I enjoyed not having to stop and refill the tank every hour.  It received five star government safety ratings for front and side crash tests.  The base MSRP was higher than I had expected for a little car -- $ 19,190.  With a power sunroof and heated seats added on, along with the delivery charges, the bottom sticker price came to $21,165. 

Bottom line – I like the 2010 Volkswagen Golf.  It’s got a great design, it has room inside, it has pep in the drive, and gets good gas mileage.  Check it out at a Volkswagen dealership yourself.