2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Review

When Volkswagen asked us to test the all new 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI, we thought to ourselves who in the world would like driving just another run-of-the-mill slow diesel hatchback that is annoying to the ears. And boy we were wrong!

Walking up to the 2010 Volkswagen Golf, we were amazed how similar it was to the outgoing Rabbit but still looked so much better. It is interesting to point out that MKVI Golf does not share a single piece of exterior with the Rabbit aka MKV. Front grille is more sophisticated compared to Rabbit and overall sharp exterior lines have been maintained. Foglights, 17” Wheels wrapped in 225/45/17 tires are some of the stand features that TDI owners enjoy. We really loved the tail lights on this MKVI because they really gave this car a luxury look.

Over the years, Volkswagen stands out as one of the few automakers who have been churning out vehicles with quality interiors. Whether you are in a Jetta, Golf or a high-end Touareg, you will notice that attention to detail is something very dear to Volkswagen. Great comfortable seats that come with good back support welcome you to the inside of the car. After putting all these miles, we never felt tired and have no complaints about these great seats. Rear seats are not as comfortable as the fronts but they are better than a 3 door Golf.

All Golf TDI’s come with great features such as steering-mounted audio controls, 6-CD Changer, iPod integration, Sat-Nav, Bluetooth and a great multimedia touch screen interface to name a few. We were really amazed how easy it was to operate the multimedia system on the Golf. We really loved the Bluetooth audio integration feature that allowed us to use our Blackberry as an audio device during our trip.

Volkswagen, along with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, is one of the few automakers that consistently spend millions to improve the clean diesel technology. 2.0 liter turbo diesel engine is one of the best clean diesel engines in the market offering 140 horsepower and seat-hugging 236 lb-ft of torque. Couple that with a 6-speed manual transmission and you have a beast that still provides 40+ MPG on the freeway. The best part is that all of that torque is available between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm while all those horses are available around 4,000 rpm. This Golf has enough power whether you are on the highway or backroads. Volkswagen’s 6-speed manual transmission is very smooth and a perfect companion for your backroad drives.

Again, this is not built for speed alone and major benchmark is fuel efficiency so according to Volkswagen, MKVI Golf will hit 0-60 in just under 9 seconds. We are not complaining since we really enjoyed getting up to 60mph and beyond in our Golf TDI. We were truly amazed by the fuel-efficiency since that’s one of the major factors considered by this segment’s car shoppers. Our test mule consistently provided us 40+ MPG while finishing the drive with a whopping 601 miles from the tank.

Golf’s TDI variant comes standard with a host of suspension upgrades compared to a gasoline powered Golf and it showed while we pushed our Golf around North Georgia’s curvy roads. Now that doesn’t mean that this is a direct competition of the GTi but seriously when was GTI ever an option for a fuel conscious mind?

Overall we think Volkswagen has succeeded in providing us a family hatch that provides great fuel economy while comfortably seating 5 adults with enough room for luggage. 2.0 liter turbo-diesel engine coupled with 6-speed manual transmission has enough power for that great driving experience and interior is rock solid. We think Golf TDI will be a great fit for people who are fuel conscious but don’t want to give up great driving experience!