A solid but thirsty friend
Our long-term Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI RLine passed the 25,000km mark on its odometer this month, while in my possession. It has been in the custodianship of the publication since April 2019. The positive experience it brings as a daily driver remains intact — even the new car smell lingers on in the cabin.
My commute is not to an office, but further and wider on the open road, for various photographic assignments. Comfort is a top priority for anyone spending lengthy stints in the saddle. The cloth-upholstered seats of the Golf are definitely comfortable, although lumbar support could be better.
But the suspension manages a great job of balancing supple and firm, making journeys over iffy routes off the freeway more than tolerable. Manual air conditioning proved slightly annoying to me, considering the astested price around the R450,000 mark. That said, the system itself is effective and kept occupants chilled on scorching days. While the seven-speed DSG can err on the slouchy side in its default setting, tipping it into S-mode makes it more responsive. If you want to unleash your inner Senna through the twisty parts, use of the steering-mounted paddles are better-suited to keeping the engine on the boil.
Expectedly, our actual fuel consumption figures did not match the on-paper claims. Over the last 2,000km my average was 7.6l/100km, which included more highway than urban driving. The claimed figure on the combined cycle is 5.0l/100km.
Still, the Golf continues to leave an impression of dependability with its solid feel and competencies as a fuss-free commuter. Expect a full, detailed wrap-up of our year-long ownership experience next month.