Online Test Drive

The 2000 Volkswagen Golf
Base Retail Price: $14,900 - $17,900
Three And A Half Stars

There are reasons why the Volkswagen Golf is Europe's most popular small car. As gasoline prices rise, those reasons are becoming more clear.

I had the opportunity to test drive the fuel stingy, diesel powered Volkswagen Golf TDI. Just as I was complaining about the slightly noisier than normal engine, my wife noticed the fuel economy ratings on the sticker, 42 miles per gallon in the city, 49 on the highway. Some drivers claim that they can go 700 miles between fill ups, if they do a lot of highway driving and it's warm.

This ninety horsepower diesel engine takes some getting used to. The engine noise isn't deafening, but it's different. When you start out you definitely have an "I'm peddling as fast as I can" feeling. But, on the freeway, you have no problems passing, and this little engine has a nice feel.

I like to read what others have written before I write my reviews, and boy can words written a year ago seem funny in 20/20 hindsight. In the glow of 85 cent a gallon gas prices, a vehicle like this seems quaint. Now that we're around a dollar and a half, this diesel seems worth a look.

The VW Golf is a little pricey for a small car. But it also gives you a lot for a vehicle like this, including side air bags, a decent stereo and a theft deterrent system. I was surprised that my test drive vehicle, with a sticker around 16 thousand, didn't have power windows.

For the price, you also get Volkswagen's reputation for reliability. I know people who have kept VW Golf's for years, with few problems. That helps if you want to keep the vehicle, and should also help you on resale.

The Golf is ahead of more traditional small cars, like the Chevy Cavalier, but not quite up to the standard set by the Ford Focus, or the Chrysler PT Cruiser. While it's the leader in Europe, it's a niche player here in the U.S., where tastes are different.

I drove the coupe, and found the rear seat amazingly easy to get in and out of, thanks to a system that moved the front seat both up and forward. It was so easy to learn that my four year old was working it by himself (time and time again) within a few minutes.

The front seat gives you a nice amount of leg room, and can move so far back that even my very long legs have to stretch to reach the pedals. The seats are European stiff. I don't like them, but many others do. It's a matter of personal preference. The cupholders pop out of the center console, just over the radio. Like most VW cupholders, they are essentially useless.

The interior is definitely Volkswagen funky. It's not your typical cheap small car. It definitely looks better at night, when the dials glow that cool "VW Blue." But, I find the Ford Focus a bit more refined.

Hatchbacks aren't very popular here in the U.S., mostly for aesthetic reasons. The Golf's hatchback is very practical, giving you a lot of trunk room, with extra room as you can split the back seat.

The Volkswagen Golf tends to get lost in all of the publicity given to its more popular brother, the New Beetle. But, the Golf is definitely worth a look, if you're in the market for a high mileage, high function small car. It gets three and a half stars on our one to five scale.
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