ALT-1 2010 Vw Golf Tdi
There are some things in life that just make you feel better about yourself. Recycling is one of them. Singing along to a Neil Diamond song like “Sweet Caroline” is yet another way to reach that elusive “feel good” zone. One last way is to buy an economical yet fun to drive car like the VW Golf TDI. Honestly, do you still need that gas guzzling SUV?
With plenty of space for five, a gigantic cargo area under the hatch and 41 miles per gallon on the highway, the VW Golf TDI also manages to look stylish and classy in equal measure. This is an exterior design job that won’t look dated in five years. You definitely can’t say that about most modern auto designs such as the 2011 Hyundai Sonata which has so many spurious slashes and angles in its flanks that it looks like some sort of plastic surgery experiment gone awry.
The diesel engine in the TDI is also quite the engineering wonder in that it is a very low emissions vehicle yet requires no urea-injection system like most of its competitors to meet even California’s stringent smog standards. The TDI uses particulate filters to stop any nastiness from escaping out the tail-pipe and the fact that it never needs to be re-filled with urea means lower service costs down the road. (Re-filling the urea supply is usually required every 15,000 miles.)
Urea equipped vehicles also stop running altogether if you let the level run to empty thus saving you from the possibility of having to have your diesel towed to the dealer for a re-fill. This is especially important as diesel engines like the one found in the TDI are renowned for handling 200,000 miles plus without any major mechanical failures. The Golf TDI is a car you buy and keep for two decades. This isn’t really a car for leasers.
Thankfully the interior of the Golf TDI is also similarly overbuilt. Swathed in soft touch plastics, sturdy fabrics and classy-looking chrome trim, the Golf TDI is truly a tactile delight. The steering wheel is so artfully designed it should be in a modern art museum. Steering wheel audio controls, a powerful stereo, climate control, cruise control, navigation and optional heated front seats all add to the sense of interior luxury.
Performance wise, the TDI is no slouch whether attached to a six-speed dual clutch automatic or the standard manual transmission. With 140 horsepower and a thumping 236 pound feet of torque, the TDI is nearly as fast as the far less frugal 2.5 liter 5 cylinder standard in regular Golf hatchback models. The Golf is available in four door or two door form.
So if you were thinking about a 2010 Toyota Prius but are having cold-feet thanks to that firm’s recent quality woes why not check out the 2010 VW Golf TDI? It just so happens that VW is throwing in 3 years/36,000 miles of free maintenance with every new model they sell in 2010. That should get you through the first 1/10 of the VW Golf TDI’s life with you.
