First Drive Assessment
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Worth the wait, but you may want to wait for more.
It is lastly right here. 2 Geneva shows ago, VW 1st revealed the Golf SportWagen. That summer time, we ran our initial-drive report on the European model and started counting the days till we could get a single here. Effectively, this a lot-anticipated Jetta SportWagen replacement arrives in U.S. dealerships by early April. As with the 10Best-winning Golf hatchback and GTI, the long delay was due to the wait for assembly of the North American–market model at VW’s plant in Puebla, Mexico. Our very first drive in these Mexican-built wagons confirms that they’re as solid and enjoyable as any other 6th-generation Golf.
While VW’s ambitious U.S. sales targets would have a better possibility of reaching fruition if Wolfsburg would send us new models as quickly as they’re accessible in Germany, lower charges for assembly and transportation spend off in an aggressive pricing scheme for the new wagon. Despite arriving so late in the year, these SportWagens are 2015 models for a handful of months. The 2016 models will probably bring the addition of an all-wheel-drive version (officially: “We’re operating on it”) and will certainly incorporate upgraded telematics and a constructed-in USB port that the 2015 edition nevertheless lacks.
Circled Wagons
VW gave us a likelihood to drive the U.S.-spec SportWagens in and about Austin, Texas, just as the large crowds for the SXSW confab had been coming into town and clogging the main highway arteries. Luckily, we have been able to get out into the surrounding Hill Nation.
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Even without having all-wheel drive in the mix but, there are 6 SportWagen models, counting S, SE, and SEL trims accessible with either the 1.8-liter TSI 4-cylinder gasoline engine or the 2.-liter TDI diesel. Add the 3 transmissions and there are 10 configurations ahead of you even start off scanning the alternatives list. With limited time and miles at our disposal, we opted to sample the price tag-leader gasoline model and a loaded-up SEL with the diesel. As with other Golfs, the TSI comes with a manual transmission only in the base S model, and that’s a 5-speed unit. This runt of the litter should also endure a restriction on peak torque to 184 lb-ft versus the 199 claimed for its brethren equipped with a slushbox. All SE and SEL gasoline-burners have the 6-speed automatic as common. A 6-speed stick shift is normal with every TDI. Clutchless operation charges an extra $ 1100 where it’s available, regardless of whether it’s the torque-converter automatic on the 1.8T or the dual-clutch DSG on diesels.
Doesn’t Feel Cheap
Thinking about its weakling status in the lineup, the base model delivers a lot of goodness for $ 22,215. No, you do not get navigation or energy lumbar supports or push-button start, but for those who prioritize the driving knowledge, the Golf’s sturdy foundation yields a premium really feel. Adding the larger cargo area and stiffer rear springs to accommodate the payload, plus a complete foot of length and about 100 pounds of vehicular mass, doesn’t diminish the virtues of a rigid structure, tight assembly, and driver-friendly handling. We kept reaching for a sixth gear out of habit, even even though we didn’t need to have it at 66 mph in fifth gear, the tachometer shows the 1.8T spinning at 2000 rpm. It is quiet and buttery in operation and the torque remains enough that you can climb moderate grades without having shifting down. The engine’s qualities do not consist of thrilling high-rpm antics, anyway, and our tests show this drivetrain performs effectively in the regular Golf. Perhaps the torque restriction would be far more noteworthy if we’d folded down the back seats and loaded up the 66.5 cubic feet of cargo volume with heavy gear.
A greater deterrence to choosing this bottom-feeder might be the standard 15-inch wheels and Continental tires if you want to shift for oneself and burn gasoline, that’s all you get from the factory. SE and SEL models supply 16-, 17-, and 18-inch alternatives, and even the base diesel rides on 16s. The 15-inchers yield a very good ride with tiny road noise and the wheels are aluminum, a step up from the old Jetta’s base steel rims, but the little tire does not have the turn-in bite a driver longs for when the road gets interesting. We discovered ourselves generating mid-turn steering corrections out in the hills as the front end washed out—although we should note that heavy rains the day just before left the road damp and wet in places.
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An Audi with no Quattro?
Turn-in was no longer a issue when we moved into a TDI in SEL trim on 18-inch wheels. If something, the scenario inverted as the a lot more efficiency-oriented (though still all-season-rated) Pirelli Cinturato P7s in size 225/40 introduced some effect harshness to the ride and could be heard hissing on rough-textured pavement. The sweet spot here for value, ride, comfort, and moderately entertaining behavior may well be a TDI in the SE trim on 17s, and we’d possibly go with the manual. If we’re not acquiring a clutch pedal, the DSG tends to make a great second-greatest option, but as soon as you’ve anted up the premium for the diesel (contact it $ 2000), the transmission’s $ 1100 cost may possibly be much better spent on other choices or accessories.
The automobile we drove carried a $ 33,955 MSRP with $ 695 for the Driver Assistance package (forward-collision warning and parking assist) and $ 995 for the Lighting package (adaptive bixenon headlamps and LED accents), each of which we could reside with no but you may possibly really feel otherwise.
In size, interior ambience, and demeanor, this loaded instance reminded us a lot of an Audi A4 Avant of about a decade ago—according to a single VW engineer, the cargo space is higher, actually, but the rear seat tighter than it was in the former VW Passat wagon and that Avant. If and when we get the all-wheel-drive SportWagen, the similarities will be downright eerie. But try not to make us wait also significantly longer, VW, okay?
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2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen Driven: Worth the Wait, but Wait for More
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