CompleteCar
Volkswagen Golf review
Our long-term Golf BlueMotion is well run-in and is proving to be nothing short of brilliant.
Paddy Comyn

Published on June 9, 2011

Our long term Golf BlueMotion carried out a very important journey this month: taking home a new baby!

Inside & Out: 8/10

Our BlueMotion is a little plain as it is a standard car out of the box, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t nicely screwed together. The black car has a dark interior but everything feels first class. There is air conditioning, no multi-function wheel or Bluetooth, but there is somewhere to plug in an iPod.

The seating up front is particularly good and it is very easy to get a good driving position. The 16-inch alloy wheels are smart and the fact that the car is lowered and has a body kit to improve aerodynamics makes the car look good.

Engine & Transmission: 8/10

The Golf BlueMotion has a five-speed manual gearbox, which is very much tailored to suit fuel economy. This is mated to the 105hp 1.6-litre TDI engine. No, it isn’t fast - taking 11.3 seconds to get to 100km/h - but this isn’t really all that slow either. This engine provides for a very relaxed drive and it is particularly quiet. The stop-start is the best we have used too, as it works faultlessly every time. You quickly get into the habit of using it.

Ride & Handling: 8/10

The car is set-up for comfort and it scores very highly in this area. It isn’t as dynamically set-up as a Ford Focus in this spec and doesn’t feel as much of a driver’s car, but is competent and shows little lean through bends.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money: 7/10

At €23,650 this is a good value car especially when you consider how cheap it is to run. The fuel economy is nothing short of outstanding. A full tank will ritually manage 1,000km or even more when driven carefully. We would like if it had Bluetooth as standard, although we have spoken to Volkswagen and this is going to be a standard feature in the future.

Summary

In the running-in phase of the Golf the car has proven to be outstanding. It is a brilliant family vehicle and given the all-round ability, the fuel economy and the decent performance it is without doubt the engine choice to go for in the Golf.

Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion:

  • Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel
  • Maximum power: 105hp at 4,400rpm
  • Maximum torque: 250Nm at 4,400rpm
  • Acceleration (0-100km/h): 11.3 seconds
  • Maximum speed: 190km/h
  • Fuel economy (combined cycle): 3.8 litres/100km (74mpg)
  • CO2 emissions: 99g/km
  • Motor tax band: A
  • Annual road tax: €102
  • Retail price: Official price of test car without options is €23,650
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