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With car buyers queuing to buy a SUVs and people carriers. It's easy to forget about
the standard Estate car. Volkswagen has been making the Golf Estate for the last 20 years.
So you'd hope by now that they've perfected the recipe. So let's take a look and see if
it's still up to scratch So, we already know that the Golf is a great car and you can watch
a hatchback review on the link below, but this car is all about the boot.
At nearly 800 pounds extra over the standard hatchback. you get a boot that's 50% bigger,
give you an impressive total of 605 liters of space drop the rear seats with just takes
the flick of two levers and you have over 1600 liters to play with and a nearly flat
floor The boot is significantly bigger than all of its rivals.
Apart from its sister model the Skoda Octavia Estate, but it can still lug a hefty 600 kilograms
of people and luggage. Today we're driving a 1.6 liter diesel and first things first,
you won't forget this model's a diesel. You'll clattter around town and also when accelerating,
though it does quiet down with speed.
Despite the volume though, acceleration feels sluggish and at naught to 62 taking 11.2 seconds.
Fill the car with people and luggage and performance is, shall we say leisurely.
The Golf Estate does drive nicely though, with light steering and well weighted pedals
and you also have the option for keener driving of sport mode, which tightens everything up
and holds on to gears for longer. The front seats are neither particularly supportive
nor particularly comfortable though they are perfect adequate for most journeys.
As for the rear seats, there is plenty of head and leg room. The passenger sitting in
the middle will have to contend with this central transmission tunnel. You've also got
tons of different cubbies in which to lose things. From drawers under the front seats
to storage under the boot floor. Build quality seems good and all materials feel substantial
and built to last, while the layout of controls is very sensible and intuitive.
Find out more about how the Golf did in the 2013 Which Car survey by following the link
below. The car rides smoothly and soaks up most lumps and bumps without fuss. It negotiates
corners without drama, though it is less engaging than the equivalent Ford Focus. The gearbox
is impressive, too. There's slick and instantaneous gear changes and the auto start-stop system
works well, making the car easy and relaxing to drive around town.
Despite an official fuel economy figure of over 70 miles per gallon. We achieved a lot
less than this in our more realistic lab test and you can get more on this in our full review.
So, is the Golf worth the premium over rivals. Well, yes. It's got a cleverly designed interior,
a large boot, and it's nice to drive.
Twenty-three thousand pounds is a lot of money for this 1.6 liter diesel model. Especially,
considering that the Skoda Octavia has a bigger boot, and cheaper too, and the Ford Focus
is more engaging to drive. However, as a good all around package, the Golf really is hard
to beat.