Test drive Volkswagen Golf IV 5 doors 1997 - 2003 hatchback

Fourth phenomenon

On October tenth throughout Germany, Volkswagen dealers began selling fourth -generation golf. From this day, getting it for an introductory (trial) trip has become easier. Any potential buyer can, having previously signed up, spend a couple of hours driving one of the VW demonstration options and evaluate its advantages, notes the shortcomings (which, according to most Germans, cannot have a beloved golf).
 
So we did, turning to one of the dealers for the sale of Volkswagen in Berlin, Edward Winter. The car was kindly given to us despite the fact that all demonstration time is densely distributed for a long time. Demand is huge, only the employees of the factories at which the novelty is assembled has already ordered 16 thousand cars, and the total number of waiting list has long exceeded 50 thousand. About a thousand orders come every day.
But is the novelty so different from its predecessor? Outwardly, especially in front, the similarity with the third generation model is great. Chief designer Mr. Hartmut Varus he explained this like this: we did not want to change the absolutely neutral social image of the golf - it should be accurately recognizable in the stream. Nevertheless, the fourth is a completely new car, and not another modification of the previous development. It has not a single detail from the predecessor.
 
The new golf-IV, whatever one may say, is a car of the twenty-first century. With the consciousness of this, we go on a trial trip on it. We open the door, and the first awaits us, but, as it turns out later, and the last great disappointment. The upper corner of the door is not closed and greatly issued to the side, and this can injure an inattentive driver or passenger. Let's look into the salon. According to the company, it has become more spacious, but at first glance this is not noticeable. A strong tilt of the windshield provoked designers to a very massive front panel. As soon as the lighting of the devices lit up, it turned something by aviation. Symbols and numbers flashed in deep blue light, the arrows froze in red, and green large turns of the turns completed this unusual, but very expressive, almost festive illumination.
Purely mechanically (outside the twilight window) we lower the sun visor and raise the lid covering the mirror on it. The light flashes immediately in the ceiling, aimed at mirror. And so not only the passenger, but also the driver! More recently, such cute little things have met only on the highest class cars. In the center, between the visors, two lamps with a focused light for reading the card and two switches - again for the driver and passenger. Between them is a ceiling for lighting a salon. All this seems to be not so significant details, but they immediately catch your eye, as if to the buyer: you are dealing with a completely new golf.
 
The quality of the decoration of all elements of the cabin is noteworthy. So I want to touch everything with my hands: how goodly it is done! When driving around the paving stones - the cabin is sleeping: it has complete silence.
The driver's seat is close to the ideal. It is convenient, well fixes the body, moderately tough. I liked the endless adjustment in height using a special lever (it is on the left), moving up and down you raise or lower the seat. For a person of medium height, with the most raised seat, there is enough space between the head and the ceiling. The rear seats are equipped with headrests.
The steering wheel lies well in the hand and pleases the eye with its pleasant shape. The steering column is adjustable in height - and this is also serial equipment. The switching lever is placed exactly in the place where I would like to find it. The programs are included exemplary clearly. From the very first meters you can exclaim: what a light steering wheel!. This is thanks to the hydraulic power, which is installed on all new golfs.
 
The body, according to the manufacturer, is very strong due to the use of new block welding technology with a laser method. In addition, it is completely galvanized and painted with water -soluble environmentally friendly enamel. For the first time in the history of the world automotive, it is a guarantee from corrosion for 12 years. This means an increase in the real service life to 18 or even up to 20 years. How many times during this time will you have to change electronics, motor and so on? And in general: will the owners of such a wonderful car want to change it to a new one, golf-v, when he will be born? We will leave the answers to these questions for the specialists of the company, let them puzzle themselves. We’d better try how the car behaves in business.
 
We accelerate on the autobahn to maximum speed. The motor (1.6 l) cheerfully twists 6200 revolutions per minute in the tachometer in each gear until the limiter is triggered. In the fourth gear, it is possible to accelerate to 168 km/h. Turn on the fifth. The revolutions are reduced by about 800, and the sound of the motor becomes more muffled. A sharp press on the pedal - and the golf, to surprise, obediently gains speed further. On the speedometer - 188 km/h. Not bad for small -leafing!
 
Sorry, agreed. We are driving in a car, rather, of the middle class in a reduced format. Its comfort, decoration and behavior on the road correspond to those sensations and ideas that have recently been associated more with high -class cars. This is probably what the car owner always wanted (European, of course). But not only love for customers forced Volkswagen engineers to give up this way. Thus, they also gave a powerful rebuff to competitors, the same Mercedes, who invaded someone else's territory with his A-class.
We continue to move in the fifth gear, reducing the speed. In the range from 100 to 160 km/h, the car accelerates quite briskly, the engine is almost inaudible. Noise insulation - at the level.
 
At high speed, it is useful to remember the brakes. With sharp braking, the ABS is almost not heard, and the pedal does not tremble, and the front wheels whistle slightly, slipping a little. By the way, on New Golf ABS - also serial equipment. Standard steel and safety products such as airbags for the driver and passenger and two more side, mounted in the backs of the front seats. Front belts in the accident automatically they are pulled, choosing slack, and the probability of hitting the back is reduced by a highly located stop-signal repeater.
Our trip is finished, but before leaving the car, let's look at some other little things. Above the receiver there is an oblong key with a symbol of a glass. When pressing it, a stand with a latch for two cans or bottles is put forward on it. The same thing, in a block with an ashtray, is also provided for the rear passengers. This is purely American. The gas tank cover opens from the cabin by pressing the button with the symbol of the gas station - this is already in the Japanese manner.
In conclusion, I would like to recall the words often found in German automobile publications and advertising avenues when it comes to new cars. Their meaning is that the buyer will receive more a car for his money. This applies to golf in full, especially since the basic version of its only two thousand German brands is more expensive than its predecessor.
Having looked into the fourth golf in the face, you can find a considerable similarity with the third generation golf, but this is only externally.

Volkswagen Golf-IV-1,6 Volkswagen-Holf-IV-1,6
Brief technical characteristics of the car
The number of places is 5; Equipped mass - 1207 kg; maximum speed - 188 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 10.9 s; fuel consumption in conditional suburban and city cycles - 5.9; 10.5 l/100 km; length - 4149 mm; width - 1735 mm; height - 1439 mm; base - 2511 mm; trunk volume - 330/1184 l; engine volume - 1595 cm3; Power - 74 kW/100 liters. With. at 5600 rpm.
 
Mikhail Gorbachev
Photo Volkswagen
 
  
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"