The 6th generation Mk6 Golf 1.4 TSI stands out among its peers for a number of reasons, not least of which its ground-breaking dual charged direction injection powerplant coupled with the world's first 7-speed DSG for front-wheel drive cars.
Oh, did I mention that my missus has one? Yes, and how I envy her. She gets to enjoy one of, if not the most technologically advanced cars of its class, on a daily basis! And I have to make do with a 18 year old BMW that likes to throw tantrums like a supermodel! No offence meant to supermodels though. :)
She has been enjoying the drive since November 2011, and I have not heard a single complaint from her yet. For me, being a slightly fussy person when it comes to cars, I find the occasional interior creaks annoying when going over rutted tarmac. But when I bring up the matter, she will say, "Creaks? I don't hear anything. It's probably your imagination." "Hah!" I thought. I have well and truly spoilt her.
The Mk6 Golf is truly a class-leading car. I have owned 2 Toyota Corollas, 1 Honda Civic, 1 Toyota Wish, 1 Toyota Innova and 1 BMW 525i before the Golf, and nothing comes close. From the solid "thunk" of the door closing, to the whisper-quiet interior, to the brilliantly flat torque curve of the engine, to the seamless and effortless gearchanges, the Mk6 Golf stands head and shoulders above its C-segment competitors. Bad roads hardly ruffle its feathers, and slow traffic is despatched with consumate ease. Steering feedback is excellent, light when you want it to, and full of feel when you need it most. Roll is well controlled, thanks to well sorted dampers and anti-roll bars, without compromising comfort. Hats off to VW's engineers.
Oh wait, I'm not done yet. Did I mentioned how beautifully the engine mates to the gearbox? Ah, that is surely one of the wonders of modern automotive engineering. Here you have a little powerplant displacing just 1.4 litres, but with a little help from a supercharger and a turbocharger, produces a torque curve flatter than the Kansas plain from just 1500rpm - 4500rpm. And its not just flat, but there's 240NM of it. That's as much as a Honda Accord 2.4 can must at just 4300rpm or thereabouts. Hang on, there's more - did anybody tell VW's engineers to stop counting? What on earth are they doing squeezing 7...yes, that's right, 7 gears into a DSG gearbox? With 2 final drives? You got to be kidding me! The genius of VW is how the gearbox makes full use of that expanse of torque to deliver a drive that is unmatched by any other gasoline car. At 120kmh, the engine is just trickling over at 2400rpm. Huh? That's like a diesel, you say. Yes, but it can also scream to 7000rpm if you want. And that's way better than any diesel engine. You would also not believe the powerplant is just 4-cylinders. From the way it idles, you would think it's a V6, it is just so quiet and stable. The best part of the DSG gearbox is this - even if you keep the the car in "D" and step on the brakes, you will feel nary a tinge of vibration. This is so unlike the conventional torque converter gearboxes, where keeping it in "D" will result in some vibration that is felt, no matter how faint.
A great driving position is easily reached, despite my 5'11" frame. And my 5'8" son still has enough leg room at the back to sit comfortably. All this from just a wheelbase of 2575mm. Amazing.
The car is not without its problems, though, but so far, touch wood, it has not resurfaced. The DSG had juddering problems after about 3 months of use, and a software glitch 8 months down the road caused the car to disengage drive. A subsequent software upgrade and a clutch change put those issues to rest.
A larger boot would certainly help during the annual Chinese New Year pilgrimage, but surprisingly, storage can be found in unusual places - like under the front chairs! And limited storage usually brings out the creative creature in me :)
Where else can you find a car that accelerates from 0-100kmh in 8 seconds, yet still return an average daily drive mileage of 10-12km/litre? You drive at 140kmh and yet enjoy your favourite music; you push on to 160kmh and the car remains stable as a rock...
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. No wonder the Mk6 is a hard act to follow. I've got to go now, my wife needs the keys to the Golf...I bet she's going to take the longest route to the nearest supermarket...
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