Driving VW’s 2010 Golf TDI: Clean Diesel Continues to Rock

North American car buyers are usually surprised to learn that the Volkswagen Golf is a major player in the world car market. In fact, the Golf platform is the third best-selling car of all time with total production units nearing the 27 million mark. Surprisingly, that’s more than Volkswagen’s iconic and beloved Beetle. Clearly, the Golf must be the right car for a lot of people.

With the clean diesel Golf TDI variant now in the stable there's even more reason for American buyers to like this popular model. Green Car recently drove the U.S.-spec Golf TDI alongside the gasoline version in Germany. Our findings? The sixth generation Golf is a true world car that should do quite well in America.

Originally sold in the U.S. as the Rabbit, then Golf, and then Rabbit, this model is once again known here as the Golf. Let’s hope it stays that way. The Golf’s strongest selling point is a ‘fun-to-drive’ factor that can’t be matched in most other small compacts. VW’s Golf is true to the German heritage that prioritizes driving dynamics at the top of the design objectives. Ride quality isn’t as compliant as much of its competition, but drivers who prefer to feel the road rather than be isolated from it will clearly appreciate the Golf’s chassis tuning.

In the U.S., the Golf comes with either a 2.5 liter five-cylinder gasoline engine or the same 140 horsepower, 236 lb-ft torque, 50-state compliant 2.0 liter TDI clean diesel engine that works so well in the Jetta. The Golf, however, is nearly 250 pounds lighter than the Jetta so performance should improve accordingly.

Drivers can move from 0-60 mph in the mid-eight second range. EPA estimates fuel economy at 30 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway for the 6-speed manual transmission model and 30 mpg city and 42 mpg highway for the dual clutch DSG automatic variant, with the latter offering steering wheel paddle shifters. Our experience with the Jetta TDI indicates that real world fuel economy will be considerably higher if you care to drive efficiently.

We’ve been able to push the Jetta TDI to well over 50 mpg without much effort and it is a bigger, heavier car. We're looking forward to putting the Golf TDI through its paces on American roads soon to see how it stacks up in the mega-mileage department.