Test drive Volkswagen Golf IV 5 doors 1997 - 2003 hatchback

Invasion

Relatively recently (motor #4, 2001), we had a chance to pump out two cars of the concern of purely folk vehicles in a row. I especially liked the SEAT IBZA 1.9 TDI diesel almost-sport with a 110-horsepower engine. And now - an acquaintance with a car equipped with exactly the same engine, but already the German branch of the concern, VW Golf TDI. The car was not supplied to Russia in such a configuration.

 

Five -door hatchback, color - jazz, basic equipment. Without an audio system, but with four airbags, a steering wheel and a turbodiesel with a direct injection with a capacity of 110 hp. Rubber - Continental Contact 195/65R15 with a clearly expressed highway pattern. A fine spring day - the trip promises to be pleasant.

 

The sound of the diesel engine on all Golf models, like the sound of the exhaust of carburetor beetles with air cooling, is a purely individual feature. Someone is annoying, someone likes it. The same motor in Seat Ibiza works almost silently, while in the Golf salon its sound is the main one. Standing still and periodically stepping on the accelerator pedal, I try to determine the turnover of the activation of the turbine - it succeeds on about the fifth attempt. Strange, but the turbine in the cabin is not heard until you lower the glass. In the Seat, she is listening better than the engine itself - so that I don’t even want to get out of the speed range in which the turbine sings.

 

The ceiling of a light gray color is formed from a sheet of a short-term composite and gives the cabin coziness. A small rear window works for this - to the detriment of visibility through a salon mirror. The steering wheel has a modern design and is very pleasant to the touch - you can’t tear off your hands. I try to adjust the driver's seat (they are all mechanical) - it is possible to quickly find several acceptable landing options.

 

In some cases, the running speedometer sector is overlapped by the rim of the steering wheel, but its central part, despite the presence of airbags, does not interfere with the monitoring of the devices. There are four of them - a tachometer, speedometer, fuel level indicators and coolant temperature, the rest is displayed on control lamps. The backlight is purple (a lady dressed in now -fashionable lilac tones will look very appropriate in the driver’s chair), the arrows are red. The instrument panel is soft, traumatic. The gaps between the edges of the torpedo and the upholstery of the front doors are inconspicuous, which enhances the feeling of hardness of the assembly.

 

Some embarrassment was caused by thin folding loops of plastic dodge handrails - passengers of a certain complexion in the case of active rulers can tear them off. The effort of the seat belt pretender is competently selected - it does not constrain the movement, and adjacent tightly. The legs of the rear passengers with the front -headed front seats are frankly enough, however, this is Golf, not a limousine.

 

Touching. Despite the fact that for the diesel, idle speeds are quite high - 950-1000 per minute - for the start they need at least 1200 (Seat Ibiza is touched without risk to stall and idle). The pickery in the first and second gear is stupefied - just have time to switch. Three higher gears will fully satisfy any driver. The third, for example, is not only accelerated, but also chassis - in the city stream it is effective at speeds from 40 km/h. Golf TDI dynamics in the third gear - a gift to the lover of street slalom. The fourth is somewhat less dynamic, but in the range of 80-100 km/h acceleration and it is very pleasant on it. It makes no sense to twist the engine - the red zone on the tachometer begins with 4,500 revolutions per minute, about 4900 the limiter is triggered. But the middle of the tachometer simply conquers the constancy of torque and provokes more often stepping on the accelerator.

 

The suspension behaves with dignity - the car does not persuade in corners, but you can achieve breakdown only by falling into a fairly deep pardy. It was extremely successful in a combination of suspension and 15-inch regular wheels, thanks to which the car demonstrates a wonderful roll. However, I don’t want to go like that for a long time - it is painfully good at Golf TDI dynamics. It is worth noting that the additional three riders practically did not worsen it.

 

The brakes also showed themselves in the best way, while putting into effect ABS on dry asphalt failed. But I did not achieve the desired slowdown when braking by the engine - apparently the cause of the turbine, which, as it is appropriate for any rotating mechanism, has inertia. But it is unlikely that anyone will be carried away by extreme driving on this, in fact, a utilitarian car, for it there are charged versions - V5, 4Motion, GTI.

 

Be that as it may, the overall impression of a 100 -kilometer route along the stone jungle is the most pleasant. The car is perfect for both novice drivers and a lot of travelers. Its main advantages are attractive appearance, practicality, ease of management, and with this motor - also good efficiency in combination with worthy dynamic characteristics. It is worth adding here a 12-year guarantee from through corrosion of the body, a decent engine resource and a carefully designed chassis. (No wonder the whole car class was named in honor of this machine!)

 

In Europe, the passenger transport flow last year was 30 percent consisted of cars with diesel engines. By 2005, their share should increase to at least 42%. The shooters in the diesel invasion are perhaps Volkswagen AG and PSA Peugeot Citroen. Already, they are starting to get to Russia ...

 

For that part of our population, which is experiencing a persistent prejudice for engines with ignition (for reasons of their prestige or others), two arguments are displayed. The first, general nature: the predicted increase in the number of cars with diesel engines will occur at the edges of the spectrum - due to small vehicles and luxury cars (approximately equally). And the second, specific: on the occasion of the start of Russian supplies, the price of Volkswagen Golf TDI with a 110-horsepower engine is reduced by $ 2500.

 

Text: Egor Karpunin

 
 

 

Source: Motor magazine [No. 6/2001]