hi all,
test drove the new golf. trendline (base model) with manual.
as some of you know, i own mk5 Rabbit 2.5 auto, so it's a comparison of sort.
Conclusion : this new Golf seem to be a great car.
the dealer didn't have ANY stock other than the manual demo. which i thought was kinda weird.
i was hoping to see the Comfortline model with vinyl seats, but they didn't have any.
oh well.
exterior design 8/10.
is very clean and i like it more than the rounded design of MK5.
Interior 8/10.
switch gears all seem of higher quality, befitting VW.
i didn't like the speedo. even though it is quite similar in design to the Mk5, and the white color didn't look bad, i couldn't quickly distinguish what speed i was going. maybe it's just a matter of getting used to it.
center console in silver, i thought it looked cheap in the online review videos, but in reality, looks whole lot better as it looks like a brushed aluminum (it's painted plastic) .
centre arm rest bin is smaller than the older mk5, but seems to be built as solidly.
they said the new car is larger than the old one, but i couldn't tell. it seems to be about the same size, but the roof is lower and closer to my head.
maybe the space between the door and the seat is little wider..
audio seemed fine, roof lining looked fine, the door handles looked fine. the speaker grill seem a little cheaper on the new one.
door panels were all well put together, so was the dash. the door panel looks a little cheaper but very minor issue.
transmission 7/10
the manual is missing a gear.
very solid, easy to row . typical VW. easy to get in and out of gear. not very communicative.
clutch is totally devoid of feel, relatively short, but quite easy to modulate, as the throttle control makes it easy to get the engine where i want and the torque down low makes it easy to go forward.
engine : 8/10
quiet, provides solid surge of torque just before 2k rpm and goes to about 4k rpm and loses steam after.
but on our short drive, it was getting quite good economy and no issues on highway.
However, at highway speed, passing power does seem a little lacking. (i tried just flooring it in 5th and also downshifting to 3rd. both are slow)
handling : 8/10
for a daily run about, it has very good handling. very direct, corners flat(relatively)
steering : 7.5/10
doesn't have much feel, but it is heavier steering than mk5, but also quicker steering and the car feels planted to the road even with relatively narrow tires.
ride : 8/10
the thing that impressed me the most is the ride quality of this cheap little transportation.
it's very german. i don't know how else to put it.
.. feels solid, the suspension absorbs most little bumps and cracks in the road with no issues. so does the MK5 but it feels rather crude compared to the new Golf. a lot less movement over bumps. you can still feel it, but it feels more subdued.. and more german. mk5 feels like a cadillac compared to my little brother's civic. but the mk7 feels like a ...cadillac compared to the mk5. advancing technology i guess.
some of the reviews said it rides stiff, but i didn't find that at all. to me it rides "solidly". it's less bouncy than Mk5, ride itself feeling quite a lot like the Audi A3 i test drove a while back.
also, it is much quieter than mk5 on highway, and in general. not as quiet as i would like, but i realize i can't expect 20k car to be as quiet as more expensive cars.
overall, 8/10 two thumbs up.
