[Music] if we all had to drive the same car the Seventh Generation Volkswagen Gulf could be the egalitarian Choice I'm Tom vulk with driven for the New York Times think about it when launched in 1974 it replaced the beetle the original people's car a two-door golf starts at just under 19 Grand but various models can please all but the luxury buyer Volkswagen does not skimp on the powertrain choices there's the all electric eolf the incredibly fuel efficient TDI Diesel the high performance GTI one of my favorite cars and if that's not potent enough for you there's the all-wheel drive r model this is the version most will buy the TSI it gets its scoot from a velvety 1.8 L turbocharged 4cylinder there's 170 horsepower and 200 lb feet of torque low in the Power Band a six-speed automatic is standard in this Topline seal model it's not the Dual clutch unit in the GTI with a hint of Turbo lag the TSI does the dash to 60 mph in just under 8 Seconds there's no torque steer that's the tugging of the steering wheel in front-wheel drive cars with decent power golf has that intangible German feel to it very quiet comfortable and refined FYI most golfs sold in North America are made in Mexico longer wider and lower than the outgoing car it's lighter by up to 79 lb that helps fuel efficiency compared to the old base engine it's up by 6 MP gallon highway a reason the smile but it's the driving dynamics that will make you grin it's a hoot to Chuck into Corners remember this is the standard golf it handles better than most competitor sport models makes me really want to drive the GTI the I HS rates golf a top safety pick if the cabin's material quality were any better golf would be draining sails away from Audi there are premium touches it sounds solid too gauges are clear well bolstered heated seats work for nearly everyone but real leather is not available the interface is smartly designed the screen is small but uses Its Real Estate well the fender sound system rocks plugging directly into your phone or iPod requires a proprietory cord there's no USB port that's a feature that's been pretty common in cars for the past 5 years Volkswagen you might want to look into that you'll hear the backup camera doing its thing at least it stays clean if you have a family or a car pool often this space is very usable the seats are nicely contoured foot knee leg and head room are good not overly generous two grown-ups will have few issues back here allow me to demonstrate why hatchbacks rule sedans have a tough time handling one of these golf happily swallows to who needs a crossover choose between maximum cargo room or a little space under the floor to stash a computer out of sight golf does the usual hatchback tricks and can haul skis with folks in the back with the floor in its highest position the trunk is as large as many midsize sedam that's a five-pack score reliability well golf is new but Consumer Reports says Volkswagen as a brand is average these days with quality varying depending on model the chiseled lines are evolutionary the silhouette hasn't changed much in 40 years this one fully loaded comes in just under $30,000 if that seems expensive the spendy Feld gives it value thankfully there are many cars to choose from but if there weren't the Volkswagen Golf is a crowd [Music] pleaser