2017 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen

It just fits!

Saturday, January 20, 2018

It fits our lifestyle, it fits our family, and it fits down our alley! The Alltrack is most commonly compared to the Crosstrek and the Outback, but with its size positioned between the two, it is a perfect blend of easy-to-drive size with great cargo capacity. I do wish backseat room was a bit deeper, as a rear facing carseat is very snug up against the front seats, but possible. The interior looks and feels great in most places, with wide area of soft-touch finishes and where they do have hard plastics, they dont look too cheap. There are a lot of controls within the layers of infotainment software, but it doesnt take long to understand them and the knobs and buttons are simple. Steering wheel buttons are a bit less intuitive, but the wheel itself is nicely appointed and the D-shape is a nice touch. I love that the cd player slot is hidden in the glove compartment, love the lined storage in the doors and that the navigation can be displayed between the tach and speedometer but I do wish there were a few more storage cubbies up front. Electronics I could do without: motorized rear camera flip-up behind the logo (its noisy), and convoluted method to raise the windshield wipers off the windshield, and parking assist buttons present when the car doesnt have the package! Overall, the interior feels more upscale than its segment suggests and is very satisfying. When I test drove the car, I was most surprised by the ride; it rides well for being a compact car that simply been extended, although the sound and feel of the suspension will sometimes remind you that you are in a compact car. I love the engine; it shifts fast, acceleration is good in Normal mode but fun in Sport mode. A bonus was that I could create a custom mode that stiffens the steering but maintains the normal driving acceleration. Other reviews have questioned the usefulness of the Offroad mode, but Ive found it very helpful in the snow as it changes the gears, acceleration, and power to the rear wheels, and the Descent Assist actually works. The many options to drive the car (driving modes, quick shift to sport mode, manual shifting, paddle shifters) is impressive. I love the clean design of the interior. I chose the Alltrack over the Sportwagen not only for the AWD in higher trim options, but I felt the added cladding and styling cues were subtle but much better looking than the Sportwagen. The Alltrack is conservatively styled but its done well and helps maintain the great utility of the interior. The panoramic moonroof is impressive. Its unfortunate that no blind spot detection, power liftgate, or remote start are not available, and daytime running lights only offered with an expensive lighting package. Other cars I considered; Subaru Impreza Sport and Crosstrek (both smaller than desired), Mazda 3 Hatch and CX-3 (also too small), Kia Optima (preferred a wagon/hatch utility), VW Tiguan (too small). All of these are stronger in driving dynamics in their segment. It came down to the Mazda CX-5 and the VW Golf Alltrack. Although Id leaned toward the CX-5 for a while, the Alltrack won for its more car-like dimensions and dynamics (although the CX-5 is great to drive), transmission, Apple CarPlay, panoramic moonroof, and my wife much preferred it. Overall, I love the car so far as it feels substantial, dynamic, and upscale for its segment. Lets hope the reliability is strong too!

Great handling and power! Fun to drive!

Saturday, December 16, 2017

A wagon thats fun to drive? This one is. And if you are lucky enough to pick one up at the end of the year, its a great deal! Nicely put together, good simple german design and execution. Lots of room for a small family. Handles really well in the snow. Great alternative to the ubiquitous Outback.

Chose it over Outback & BMW. Fingers crossed...

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Picked the new mid year Alltrack SE/manual over a certified Outback Limited and a certified BMW 3 series wagon. Was considering giving up manual transmission after two ten year very positive experiences with Subaru Legacy wagons. Tried the year old Outback Limited with all the bells and whistles but with the CVT and its size found it just no fun to drive. Found the BMW a lot of fun to drive but limited in storage space and very concerned about expensive upkeep. Found the latest Alltrack has the new 6 year/72,000 mile warranty and mid year added blind spot, pedestrian cross warning/ braking, etc. Much peppier and handles better than either of my Subarus. Gas mileage so far good. About Subarus with manual transmission. Aesthetics are in another league. Beautiful design and choice of materials for the price. Dont like the noise of the backup camera and have some concern about reliability but have the warranty to ease my fears.