Our local dealership finally received their first Wolfsburg Edition wagon and, in my quest to find a diesel-sipping utilitarian vehicle, I decided to check it out.
Make no mistake about it; this can't compare to the X3 28d I drove a few days ago and I don't expect it to.
EXTERIOR IMPRESSIONS
It's a Golf Wagon so I wasn't expecting anything special, though the demo model had the 17" Grand Prix wheels and looked really good.
We were also told that the Wolfsburg Edition badging wasn't applied at the factory to the car we tested. Odd.
INTERIOR IMPRESSIONS
I can see why folks would go for this version of the car. It has literally everything a family could possibly want. There's actually more horizontal space around each seat than the GLK 250 I tested earlier in the week.
Unfortunately, while comfortable, the front seats are actually quite narrow which is an issue since the lateral upturns on the bottom cushions really restrict leg movement. My girlfriend actually felt like they were digging into her legs in her normal driving position.
The cockpit itself is pleasant with an excellent, well placed selection of controls, clear HVAC dials and good steering wheel controls. The panoramic sunroof is just a beautiful addition and makes the interior feel much larger than it really is. There's a lack of storage space within arm's reach and the iDevice-only media connection interface is far too limiting though. VW needs to switch to USB ASAP, though an auxiliary port is provided on the radio / nav unit itself.
Back seat legroom isn't spectacular but, as two 5'9" adults, we found it adequate.
The real star of this show is the trunk. It's massive and features a second hidden level which is kept out of sight by a movable cover. That cover also dubs as an adjustable parcel blocker by neatly segmenting part of the trunk. There are also numerous tie-downs in this area for securing heavier loads.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Steering is precise and wind noise is kept to a minimum. The car feels REALLY well built when cruising on the highway or running over potholes. We drove it in a torrent of rain that lasted about 10 minutes and I can feel how some would say the Sportwagen gets squirrelly in the winter months. The traction control had an absolute fit when I drove it around a sharp corner in wet conditions.
I WOULD NOT buy the Sportwagen TDI with the DSG, which was the only option they had on the lot. There's a huge lack of power as the turbo spools up and it feels like the gearbox just doesn't want to behave. Throttle response is anything but precise. Engaging the air conditioning resulted in a ~2 second lag before any power was on tap. We also drove a 2015 Golf TDI autobox which exhibited none of these issues.
Brake feel is non-existent. Tap the pedal and the brakes grab on in an effort to plant your face into the steering wheel. Throughout the pedal's movement range, the same "gummy" feeling persists and when pressure is released, it feels like the brakes stay engaged for a fraction of a second as the pedal sloooowly returns to its normal position. It's an odd feeling and one neither of us appreciated it.
CONCLUSION
I absolutely love this car. It's everything I could possibly want (minus AWD) in a package that's easy on the pocket book. VW was keen to negotiate as well, which bodes well for anyone who wants a better price.
Unfortunately, two things killed this for me: the brake feel which (IMO) is downright dangerous and the immense lack of power. I'll likely head back to drive a manual when they get them or, if I haven't found something else by then, test the 2015 Sportwagen.
Interesting note: while we were there, someone came in asking if the Tiguan was available in diesel. According to the manager, they get a ton of those requests. Are you listening VW!?
