volkswagen golf/gti
So well-rounded, if quite boxy.
Volkswagen's testosteroid Golf R did its more common kin a favor this
year, even though we left the pricey black sheep of the family off our
list as too much of an outlier. Volkswagen's venerable hatchback will be
replaced in 2014 by an all-new model, and that made its 10Best berth
vulnerable. Yet, after we drove the most powerful and expensive Golf
ever to grace our shores, the R merely reinforced how complete the
Volkswagen Golf experience already is. Offering nearly perfect
fundamentals in base form, thrift in its TDI (turbo-diesel) variant, and
an obscenely high fun-per-dollar ratio from the GTI, the Golf upends
the underachiever's excuse that you can't please all of the people all
of the time.
specifications
vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 3- or 5-door hatchback
base price: $18,790–$24,790
engines: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter diesel inline-4, 140 hp, 236 lb-ft; DOHC 20-valve 2.5-liter inline-5, 170 hp, 177 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 200 hp, 207 lb-ft
transmissions: 5- or 6-speed manual, 6-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode, 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 101.5 in
length: 165.4–165.9 in
width: 70.0–70.3 in height: 57.8–58.2 in
curb weight: 2900–3200 lb
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 21–30/31–42 mpg
