A Round of Golfs
Friday, November 13, 2015 at 12:00AM By Christopher A. Sawyer
Over the span of a few weeks three Volkswagen Golfs made their way into the TVD car park for one week each. First up was the two-door GTI SE, which was followed by the four-door Golf S, and the SportWagen S. Personally, I expected the GTI and SportWagen to act as intriguing bookends to a so-so center, but what I discovered is that even the least exciting Golf model (on paper) holds its own in this company.
Golf GTI SE;)
For three years I leased a fifth generation GTI, and I loved every minute of it. Which was something of a surprise considering that it replaced a 2003 Mini Cooper. Despite its run-flat tires and somewhat harsh suspension, the first generation BMW Mini was like an extremely happy — and mischievous — puppy. You could throw it into corners, balance it on a trailing throttle, and shoot out the other side, all with a big smile on your face. On the downside, the plastics were cheap, the overhead drain lines for the panoramic sunroof kept coming loose and drowning the occupants, and the fuel economy was good but not great.