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Full Test: 1999 Volkswagen Golf
Fore!
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By Christian Wardlaw
Date posted: 01-01-1999
Driving a golf ball may look easy, but in reality, it's a science blending elements of physics, meteorology and anatomy with hand-eye coordination. To drive straight and true to the green, everything from arm positioning to wind direction must be accounted for, and it takes plenty of practice to hit the ball squarely with the club. Position your body incorrectly, misjudge distance or the breeze, or grab the wrong part of the ball upon contact, and the flight path of your target veers in an unintended direction. Etiquette demands that the golfer yell "Fore!" in cases such as this, as folks on the adjoining fairway may suddenly be in danger of stinging pain and a nasty welt.
Volkswagen should be shouting "Fore!" with the introduction of the redesigned 1999 Golf. Despite more than two decades of practice making functional hatchbacks like the ones we drove, the company hasn't put the ball on the green with this new model. While generally pleasing aesthetically and functionally, it fails to deliver solid value and has some serious ergonomic shortcomings inside.
The 1999 Golf is available in two body styles and four trim levels: choose the GL, GTI GLS or GTI GLX in a two-door hatchback configuration, or get a four-door hatch in GLS trim. A 2.0-liter, 115-horsepower four-cylinder gasoline engine powers all models except the GTI GLX, which has a standard 2.8-liter V6 under the hood making 174 horsepower. Optional on GL and GLS is an excellent 1.9-liter, turbocharged direct injection (TDI) diesel engine making just 90 ponies but producing prodigious torque low in the rev range while returning up to 49 miles per gallon on the highway when mated to the standard five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic with adaptive shift logic is optional on all models except GTI GLX.
Got all that? Could they make it more confusing? For this test, we sampled the Golf GLS and the Golf GTI GLX. Two different drivers in vastly different cities conducted the road testing and shared notes afterwards. The GTI was reviewed by our managing editor, Karl Brauer, in Los Angeles, while our editor-in-chief, yours truly, cruised Denver in the GLS. We agreed on most points after the dust had settled, but predictably, the GTI GLX was our favorite, thanks to its torquey V6 and more sporting flair.
With 181 foot-pounds of torque on tap at 3,200 rpm and nearly 55 more horsepower than the GLS, the GTI GLX accelerated more strongly than the pedestrian four-door. Our clock timed the run to 60 in just 7.1 seconds, and though we didn't measure acceleration of the GLS in Denver's thin atmosphere, we can state without a doubt that the four-door is substantially slower to speed. Brauer wasn't entirely thrilled with the power delivery in the GTI GLX, suspecting a poorly modulated fuel-injection unit for difficulty in launching the car smoothly and citing a broken second-gear synchro that made rapid first-to-second shifts an exercise in futility. Canyon carving was effortless, however, thanks to the GTI GLX's fat torque band, which eliminated plenty of shifting. Brauer noted that the sportier Golf suffered from slow, overboosted steering and less roll control than he prefers, but conceded that the GTI GLX, overall, was an excellent compromise between comfort and sport.
In stark contrast, I found the GLS's 2.0-liter four banger to be rather unrefined in terms of operation, and lacking low-end punch when mated to the sluggish four-speed automatic transmission, despite the fact that peak torque is made at a relatively low 2,600 rpm. Midrange acceleration for passing or merging was adequate, but downshifts from the slushbox were exactly that - slushy. Backing from a driveway and shifting from reverse to drive required patience, as the unit hesitated for a second or two between gears. Both drivers found the brakes to be responsive and easy to modulate with good pedal feel. Standard ABS with electronic brake distribution did not intrude when activated, and assisted in stopping the Golf smoothly and rapidly in panic situations. Four-wheel disc brakes, vented in front, are standard on both models.
Softly suspended and using independent MacPherson struts up front with a track-correcting torsion beam axle in back, both GTI GLX and GLS suffered more body lean in turns than is acceptable. This is less of a problem in the mainstream GLS, simply because, unlike the GTI GLX, the car promises little to performance-minded drivers. In fact, I felt that the GLS damped bumps exceptionally well for an econobox, providing an excellent ride. The downside was the previously mentioned roll in turns and an odd fore to aft lateral rocking of the car on its suspension in bumpy, high-speed sweepers. With slightly thicker front and rear stabilizer bars and rear gas shocks, Brauer reported that the GTI GLX felt a little better buttoned down in the twisties, but wouldn't be mistaken for a true sporting machine like a Honda Prelude. Michelin Energy MXV4 tires were attached to both cars, mounted on 15-inch wheels on the GLS and 16-inch rims on the GTI GLX. We found them to offer an attractive balance of ride and handling with plenty of breakaway warning. Steering in both cars is overboosted, but here again, the problem is more acute in the performance-oriented GTI GLX. Brauer wished for more feedback and a quicker ratio, but in the tamer GLS, I found the power rack-and-pinion steering gear to communicate clearly and provide typically Germanic road feel.
Overall, we found both cars to be fun to drive in their own ways. The GTI GLX, in Brauer's opinion, needs only a more taut suspension, quicker steering with higher levels of effort, and recalibration of the fuel injection to become a class-leader in the sport-coupe segment. With plenty of power on tap, comfortable seating, a stout structure and a solid chassis, the high-powered Golf has the basics down pat. I noted that despite the weak engine, flaccid suspension, and slushy shifting transmission, the workaday GLS is actually enjoyable to drive because it communicates well with the driver and offers a superior driving position. Equipped with a manual transmission, it would make for a truly fun commute.
But the Golf is good for more than commuting, thanks to supportive front seats and a large cargo area that can be expanded by folding the back seats. Road trip, anyone? Our GLS came with a grippy, uplevel cloth that attracted more hair and clothing fuzz than a Maytag lint trap. We highly recommend the optional leather seating to GLS buyers. Brauer called the standard hides of the GTI GLX supple, and he reserves that adjective only for particularly pleasing surfaces. The front seats, sport versions with bigger side bolsters in the GTI GLX, offer a wide range of adjustability, and combined with the Golf's standard tilt and telescoping steering wheel, a proper driving position can be found by nearly all drivers, short or tall, large or small. Those with longer inseams, however, will wish for more seat-track travel.
Climb in the back seat, and you're greeted with a high, supportive, 60-40 split-folding bench that features headrests in all three seating positions. While this is commendable from a safety standpoint, we take issue with those headrests. First, they block the view out the rear window. Second, there's no way three adults will ever want to ride together in this back seat. Third, they get in the way when expanding the cargo area. Not only must the bottom seat cushion be released and flipped forward, but all three headrests must be removed and stored to get the seatback to lay flat. It's a messy operation, and we implore Volkswagen to rifle through the Lopez files to see how General Motors has solved this with the Chevrolet Blazer, which features headrests that flip out of the way when the seatback is folded.
Here's another item of note regarding the Golf's rear quarters. When I first looked at the redesigned Jetta at the 1999 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, I adjusted the front seat to my liking, and climbed in back to see how much room was left for another passenger sized like me. I literally thought I was going to have to call one of the VW reps over to move the front seat forward, as my left foot had become wedged tightly in the well and I believed for one embarrassing moment that I was trapped. I did not have this problem in the four-door Golf GLS. In fact, not only was there more room for my sizable frame and large feet, but also entry and exit were easier than the Jetta. Brauer reported that accessing the two-door GTI GLX's back seat was a simple affair, thanks to a front passenger seat that folds and lifts, making a large portal for people to clamber through.
Our test cars were very tightly constructed, with tight tolerances between panels inside and out. But quality issues cropped up on the GLS we drove. Specifically, misaligned headlights and hatch, chipped paint on the grille at 13,000 miles, and a power mirror-control knob that a previous driver had somehow snapped in two. Wind and road roar was kept to an admirable minimum, and the standard premium audio system did a nice job of reproducing sound at a variety of sound levels. Reception was good, too, despite the stubby roof-mounted whip antenna.
The Golf's interior is uncommonly good for this class of vehicle. Sharing much switchgear and materials with upscale Audis, this diminutive VW imparts a classy, rich feel from the chrome door handles and soft-touch dash surfaces of the GLS to the plush carpet, wood trim and, uh, supple leather of the GTI GLX. Nighttime gauge and control lighting, if you haven't already heard, is blue and red in all 1999 Volkswagens. It's very soothing, and draws contrast between controls (red) and displays (blue).
Ergonomically, however, the Golf is a disaster. Many controls and markings are too small, and some are tough to interpret without help from the manual. Most disturbing, however, is the design of the center stack of controls, where the cupholders, climate controls and stereo reside. Up top is the cupholder tray, which slides out of a recess in the dash. Directly below that is a storage cubby for CD jewel cases or what-have-you. Beneath the cubby is the stereo, whose black faceplate is covered with lookalike black buttons marked with tiny lettering. At the bottom of the stack is the climate-control system with standard air conditioning (manual in the GLS and automatic in the GTI GLX), a simple affair consisting of rotary knobs and teensy pictograms explaining airflow, fan speed and temperature in the GLS, and push buttons in the GTI GLX. Brauer complained that the automatic setup in the GTI didn't include an 'off' switch for the system, requiring instead the use of the fan-speed button to dial airflow out of the equation.
A better arrangement would be to locate the stereo at the top, followed by the climate controls, then the storage cubby, and finally the cupholders. That way, Golf owners wouldn't drip sticky smoothie goo onto the front of the stereo, as someone had on our Golf GLS, which made using the buttons below the cupholder somewhat of an adventure in station tuning. Better yet, redesign the center console to provide space for drinks away from the dashboard. And speaking of cupholders, there aren't any in back. And storage is skimpy as well, despite many nooks and crannies for front occupants. "Oh no! It's the dreaded huge-glove-box-door-concealing-a-small-compartment syndrome!" Brauer noted. I noticed this too, but felt deep door bins, armrest storage and the dash slot made up somewhat for this shortcoming.
We weren't fans of the interior design of the Golf. So what did we make of the exterior? Brauer thinks VW should get credit for making a 20-year-old shape look fresh, but still views the car as a glorified Rabbit. My take is different. The Golf, with its handy hatchback, distinctive appearance and attractive alloy wheels, sets itself apart from the sea of Cavaliers, Civics and Corollas we encounter on a daily basis. Our opinion on exterior styling, therefore, is split.
We did agree that the Golf is chock-full of surprise-and-delight features, such as a hood supported by a gas strut rather than a prop rod, a 12-volt outlet in the cargo area, softly padded adjustable center armrest, and standard side-impact airbags mounted within the front seats. Other items of interest include one-touch open and close functionality for all windows and the sunroof, cruise control that engages without lag, tie-down hooks in the cargo area, and a decorative engine cover.
Volkswagen is seeking a more upscale image for its cars, and the substantial load of standard equipment on the most basic Golf reflects an effort to move the car into more affluent garages. But this strategy is somewhat flawed. Hatchbacks aren't seen by most Americans as anything more than practical point A to point B transportation. The upscale trick might work with the Jetta sedan, but not with this homely Golf, which is now priced beyond the reach of many potential owners. We don't forecast many buyers willing to pop nearly 19 to 23 grand on a small hatchback just to get a Volkswagen badge and lots of nice equipment. Many of the luxury-oriented standards on the new Golf should be made optional to get the base prices in line with reality and provide more variety from which buyers of different income levels can select. Plus, the car could become more competitive with vehicles like the upcoming Ford Focus ZX3, the Honda Civic Si and Prelude, the all-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza 2.5RS, Volkswagen's own New Beetle (which is worth the premium for no other reason than its "Hey Look At Me" personality) and any number of popular, small sport-utility vehicles.
With improvement to interior ergonomics, and a more sporting suspension and steering ratio for the GTI GLX, and slightly decontented versions of both cars, Volkswagen would have landed the new Golf on the fairway, within chipping distance of the green. But as it stands, the new Golf is stuck deep in the rough.
See all the Ratings: 1999 Volkswagen GTI 2 Dr NEW GLX Hatchback Road Test Scoreboard
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