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2010 Volkswagen Golf 3-door 2.5 Trendline Review

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Michel Deslauriers
Is it time for success?
The Golf is a gifted little car. In Europe, its trophy case is pretty full, while in Canada, the TDI edition racked up a couple of honourable mentions such as AJAC’s Best New Family Car under $30K and Auto123.com’s 2010 Green Vehicle of the Year.

Volkswagen is giving the Golf all the visibility it needs in the form of three- and five-door hatchbacks as well as a new wagon.

But despite all the accolades, and no matter how hard it tries, there is something the Golf still can’t win, and that’s the hearts of North American compact car buyers. VW even tried changing its name to Rabbit, which turned out to be a marketing faux pas. They’re also confusing Canadians with the City Golf which is, like, really old.

So back to the drawing board. But this time, Volkswagen is giving the Golf all the visibility it needs in the form of three- and five-door hatchbacks as well as a new wagon, which is basically a reskin of last year’s Jetta. Don’t forget the GTI.

The standard engine in the Golf is the biggest in the compact segment. The 2.5-litre inline-5 develops 170 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque; that’s only 30 ponies short of the GTI’s turbo four. It sounds a little flaky at idle but has a nice growl as the revs climb. With the 6-speed automatic, the Golf bolts to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds.

The car also encourages sporty driving, with perfectly weighed steering and independent suspenders that are as good at keeping the car in control as providing a quality ride at a more relaxed pace.

The Golf’s 5-cylinder can’t rival the competition’s 1.8L and 2.0L engines in regards to fuel economy. Our average of 10.9 L/100 km isn’t bad, but that’s the trade-off for having a big torquey engine.

The new Golf isn’t a total redesign over the previous Rabbit, but the changes are so extensive that it looks new. The result is a car with a more muscular appearance, a car that’s sleek and modern. In base Trendline trim, however, and without fog lamps and alloy wheels, it looks a little bare-bones. The black paint job doesn’t help, either, as it covers up the car’s sensual lines.

Our average of 10.9 L/100 km isn’t bad, but that’s the trade-off for having a big torquey engine.
Michel Deslauriers
Michel Deslauriers
Automotive expert
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