The City Golf has an accessible base price that stays true to VW’s roots, as well as a buttery-smooth transmission, plenty of pep, and overall value that handily outclasses the competition.
If you’re in the market for economical, efficient, A to B transportation, chances are your priorities include: value for money, thrift, and ease of operation, rather than the ability to get from a standing start to freeway speed in less than six seconds and the ability to cruise all day at 160 kilometres per hour.
Things like performance, cornering prowess, or horsepower output won’t really factor into the equation. You want the car to come with a reasonable price tag, deliver good fuel economy, and stand up to the rigors of daily driving, usually in a commuting scenario.
But that doesn’t mean the car can’t have a high drivability factor. Volkswagen, which pretty much created the econobox market niche in North America, has always infused its cars with a dash of drivability. Even the original Rabbit, introduced in the mid 1970s, was fun to drive and a favourite with weekend rally-sport buffs and amateur racers, which helped to make it so popular.
It’s latest incarnation, the City Golf, stays true to VW’s roots. It has a very reasonable base price, serves up decent—if not outstanding— fuel economy, and is a pleasure behind the wheel. It’s a car that I looked forward to driving every chance I got. And just to clarify things: the City Golf is not the same as the new VW Rabbit. Different car, different marketing. Made in Brazil, the City Golf is available in Canada only.
For just over $15,000, the City Golf comes well equipped. It’s available as a four-door hatchback only, and has four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock braking system, an eight-speaker stereo system, tilt and telescoping steering, and 15-inch wheels and tires as standard.
As does a robust 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that delivers 115 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 122 foot-pounds of torque at 2,600 rpm. Two transmissions are available: five-speed manual and six-speed automatic (for an extra $1,400). My car had the five-speed. This power train doesn’t make the City Golf the most powerful model in this class, nor the thriftiest, but it is still a peppy little car, with more than enough oomph. For what it’s worth, VW gives the City Golf a zero to 100 kilometres-per-hour time of slightly over 10 seconds, and a top speed on the high side of 200 kilometres per hour, which is more than enough to get you into trouble.
One of my own little unofficial tests that I occasionally like to put cars like this through is shifting gears without a clutch, especially when it involves front-drive models. Time your revs and “feel” your way through the gearbox. Some cars—notably Honda and Toyota—have such well-designed transmissions and shift mechanisms, you can just slip through the gears, clutchless, with ease. Others resist and reward you with an alarming-sounding crunch. The City Golf falls into the former category, and, once warmed up, has a buttery-smooth transmission with well-placed shift points and an easy-to-get-along-with shift mechanism.
That said, my test car could definitely have used a sixth gear. On the highway, it tended to buzz and at 100 kilometres per hour, was revving at precisely 3,000 rpm. Any long distance, dawn-till-dusk drives would get a little on the loud side, so I guess VW cut costs in the sound-deadening department.
The main virtue of the City Golf lies in its accessible base price. It starts at $15,300, up some $400 over last year’s version. Keep things at that level, and it’s a decent value. However, add a few goodies like air conditioning ($1,350), and additional airbags at front and side-curtain ($160 and $410), and it’s not quite as competitive. My tester had both of these items, plus the Comfort Package, which includes power door locks and windows, cruise control, and remote central locking, adding another $1,175 to the sticker price. After the dust settled, my tester was priced at $19,419, which kind of changes things.
But for around-town driving and running errands, the City Golf still hits the target. If you compare it with models at the same kind of money, you end up with the Dodge Caliber, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, Mazda3, and even the diminutive Smart Fourtwo.
With the possible exception of the Mazda3 (which is at least $1,000 more expensive), the City Golf is superior to all of these competitors. Some of its rivals offer better fuel economy, some have a slightly lower price tag, other are bigger inside, but dollar for dollar, the City Golf offers the most car for your money. Like so many successful automobiles, it may not excel in any one particular area, but as a whole it’s tough to beat.
And it’s fun to drive, which seals the deal as far as I’m concerned.
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