{"id":28112,"date":"2021-10-19T13:08:47","date_gmt":"2021-10-19T17:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=28112"},"modified":"2021-10-19T13:08:47","modified_gmt":"2021-10-19T17:08:47","slug":"payne-riding-the-last-vw-golf-into-the-sunset-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/10\/payne-riding-the-last-vw-golf-into-the-sunset-2","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Riding the last VW Golf into the sunset"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gaylord\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Farewell, Volkswagen\u00a0Golf, I\u2019ll miss you.<\/p>\n

Well, kind of. I mean, the GTI hot hatch is my favorite Golf model and that\u2019s not going away. But the standard Golf is, and without that … well, there wouldn\u2019t have been a GTI or all-wheel-drive Golf R, now would there? Or even a New Beetle built on the same platform, which VW doesn\u2019t make any more either. So, my last\u00a0500-mile dance with the Golf through northern Michigan was bittersweet. Except I can\u2019t wait to drive the new Golf GTI later this year.<\/p>\n

Confused? You\u2019re not alone. You need a scorecard to keep track of all the VW model changes these days.<\/p>\n

Volkswagen\u2019s lineup is dramatically different than when the Golf debuted (as a Rabbit, just to confuse you more) way back in 1974. Since then, it has become the best-selling V-dub ever. It even surpassed the iconic Beetle globally: 30 million units to 23.5 million for the Bug.<\/p>\n

In the \u201970s, Golf sold alongside the Beetle, Scirocco\u00a0and Passat (Dasher in the U.S.). None of those badges exist today, save for Passat, which will bow out in the U.S. after the 2022 model year.\u00a0Synonymous with the brand, Golf has grown out of touch with the mainstream, SUV-crazed U.S. consumer. Golf is gone, long live the Golf.<\/p>\n

In my ride north in the 2021 tester, the clever hatchback reminded why its DNA carries on across the lineup.<\/p>\n

The styling is timeless. Simple and sophisticated, it has changed little over the years \u2014 the most dramatic change\u00a0being the big, swept headlights versus the round, owlish eyes of the early days. With its sharp body stampings and thin grille, my Golf was easy on the eyes.<\/p>\n

That styling informs Golf siblings \u2014 a model line chock full of SUVs that no one dreamed of back in the \u201970s: Taos, Tiguan, Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport.<\/p>\n

\"2021<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Indeed, Golf\u2019s practical hatchback is the inspiration for today\u2019s sport ute. Leaving my house in Oakland County, I simply lifted Golf\u2019s hatch (tugging the rear VW logo like a piece of furniture that opens a secret bookcase) and stuffed my weekend luggage inside: bag, tennis bag, shoes. If I needed more room, I could simply have pushed over the backseats to create a longer load floor. Just like an SUV.<\/p>\n

Exiting I-75 at Gaylord, I got sucked into the twisties of M-32 \u2014 flowing west fast like a river emptying into Lake Michigan. My Golf was in its element here \u2014 the tight chassis, suspension\u00a0and four-wheel disc brakes working together to make the car wonderfully tossable. It has ever been such.<\/p>\n

So wonderful that Golf inspired a new segment of performance compacts with its 1984 GTI. The Honda Civic Si, Ford Focus ST, Mazdaspeed 3, Hyundai Elantra N, et al have followed in its footsteps. I owned the first generation GTI. My 29-year-old son owns the sixth. The eighth-gen coming later this year promises to be the best yet.<\/p>\n

With unique wheels and blood red trim, the GTI\u2019s exterior hints at the steroid enhancements beneath: a 2.0-liter turbo 4 making 220 horsepower and\u00a0a gob-smacking 310 pound feet of torque. With a limited slip diff up front, the GTI rotates like a rear-wheel driver at the autocross course.<\/p>\n

My standard Golf tester sported the standard\u00a0147 horse turbo-4, which is surprisingly peppy despite its smaller\u00a01.4-liter displacement. The GTI will live on as inspiration to the rest of the VW lineup \u2014 like the Miata spirit that inhabits every Mazda SUV.<\/p>\n

Take the new VW ID.4 electric car. With its 77-kWh battery stowed below decks, the new SUV has a lower center of gravity than most SUVs and wants to boogie. The battery may be heavy, but ID.4 channels the Golf\u2019s excellent dynamics. On a recent test drive in the Tennessee mountains, I put ID.4 in SPORT mode and flogged it like a Golf through the twisties.<\/p>\n

Inside, my 2021 Golf was simple, with lots of right angles like the exterior. It\u2019s a style that continues across the lineup \u2014 from the compact Taos SUV to the giant\u00a0three-row Atlas.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

But technology was notably lacking in my V-dub. Its competition (Civic, Elantra, Impreza, Mazda 3) have upgraded to all-digital instrument displays, adaptive cruise control and head-up displays. Rather than invest in a declining segment, VW is bringing that tech instead to the compact Taos SUV (as well as the more premium GTI and Golf R). Taos is already killing it, selling 7,000 units a month.<\/p>\n

Golf stacks up nicely against its competition in interior size and utility. Its 35.7 inches of rear leg room match the Civic and Elantra. It even tried to offer all-wheel drive with the 2018 Alltrack wagon to appeal to SUV buyers.<\/p>\n

But Alltrack was pricey compared to, say, the AWD Subaru Impreza\u00a0and never got traction. Indeed, my wife tried both and chose the \u2019Ru. Maybe it was the Subaru Love. Maybe it was the $2,000 cheaper price tag. Maybe it was the Golf\u2019s **%!!& lack of a mute knob so that you have to turn the volume knob all the way down every time you want to silence the screen.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a rare hiccup in VW\u2019s otherwise nicely appointed interior.<\/p>\n

\"2021<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

That tradition continues in the SUVs. Different as the ID.4 interior is (think screen-focused\u00a0Tesla-simple), it continues the Golf tradition of offering intuitive controls for everyday driving. The ID.4\u2019s liquid-smooth electric drivetrain also seems the perfect sequel to my Golf\u2019s smooth automatic tranny. No droning continuously-variable tranny here. The eight-speed is one of the segment\u2019s smoothest \u2014 never getting a step wrong during my long journey. A manual is also available, though I\u2019d leave that to GTI motorheads.<\/p>\n

Even as it opened manufacturing plants in my West Virginia and Pennsylvania backyards in the 1970s, VW was slow to learn Americans\u2019 driving habits. Wolfsburg was tardy to the SUV market, and then offered too-small segment entries.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s determined not to make that mistake again, so it\u2019s ditching Golf for the hatchback Taos SUV. On my way back from Up North, my wife packed the Golf to the roof with goodies. Taos will hold even more. If you still want a compact car, VW offers the Jetta sedan.<\/p>\n

And if you still want a Golf, there’s the 2022 GTI. I can\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n

2021 Volkswagen\u00a0Golf<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger\u00a0hatchback car<\/p>\n

Price: $24,190, including $995\u00a0destination fee\u00a0($24,990 as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder<\/p>\n

Power:\u202f147\u00a0horsepower,\u00a0184\u00a0pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmissions: eight-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph\u00a0(7.6\u00a0sec., Car and Driver); top speed, 122 mph<\/p>\n

Weight:\u00a03,012\u202fpounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA, 29 mpg city\/36\u00a0highway\/32\u00a0combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Sharp looks; fun-to-drive<\/p>\n

Lows: Dated screens; no mute button<\/p>\n

Overall:\u00a03\u202fstars<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gaylord\u00a0\u2014 Farewell, Volkswagen\u00a0Golf, I\u2019ll miss you. Well, kind of. I mean, the GTI hot hatch is my favorite Golf model and that\u2019s not going away. But the standard Golf is, and without that … well, there wouldn\u2019t have been a GTI or all-wheel-drive Golf R, now would there? Or even a New Beetle built on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28112"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28112"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28112\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28113,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28112\/revisions\/28113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}