A confession first: I haven’t had much experience with VW’s. Oh there was my mate Javed’s blue Beetle that conked out more than a doped up prize fighter. Then there was Marty’s bug that I occasionally had to help start with my rotary rocket. But until this year I really hadn’t had much experience in the VW world and after trying the latest diesel Golf, I found it incompatible with my usual driving style.
Thankfully an offer came through to try out a 2012 Volkswagen Golf Comfortline Wagon…and that completely changed my views on one of Germany’s finest…
Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the build quality of the new Golf. It felt solid, safe, easy to drive, full of fun tech (aside from stop start system..) and quality all around – the diesel side of things however didn’t mesh with me and I was hoping for a bit more zip than attempts to save on trips to the bowser (I drive a car that sips roughly 15 litres of juice to every 100kms so economy is far down the list of it’s strong points..). So when the offer came through to try the wagon version from three years back, I have to admit that I was hoping it was a touch more on the petrol side.
Thankfully the German gods must have head my quiet prayer and told the dealer to furnish me with a petrol Volkswagen Golf Wagon with only 30k on the dial and enough leather to put the fashion industry in a spin. I drove it off the lot, turned the corner and instantly cheered as it sang the song of it’s people – this unassuming looking wagon really wanted to go!
It’s got a touch of poke about it which was a lovely surprise firstly, especially compared to the take off I experienced in the latest diesel variant. I wasn’t really expecting such a nice launch straight up, especially in something that is primarily design for family duties and long holiday drives. It’s not rev happy nor are you going to win any drag races, but feels quick and seems quite at home cycling comfortably through the 7 speed DSG box. Handling is nice, noise is very quiet. For long trips (provided the kids in the back don’t suffer from car sickness) this would be ideal.
Of course this Volkswagen Golf Wagon is still the same dimensions of a VW Golf save for the extended space in the back so it’s not the biggest ‘You’ll struggle to fill the back’ space at the rear vehicle – you’re not going to be able to fit an entire screen door for renovations for example (a door just fits in the C34 Nissan Stagea I was happy to find) – so if you’ve got a tonne of stuff to lug around you might need something bigger. For light duties though and a family that doesn’t require a couple of prams, high chairs and 52 bags just for a day out, this is a great choice – it’s built more the driving side than the hauling side.
Comfort levels are good, space is ample, the interior is decent especially if you get one with the leather wrapped steering wheel and handbrake and while there’s not as much tech crammed in there as current models, there’s plenty for the passenger to work out with the touch screen while you have fun discovering how much poke this Volkswagen Golf Wagon truly has.
Well done on changing my mind Volkswagen Golf Wagon!
The 2012 Volkswagen Golf Wagon Comfortline
Pros: Economical, petrol version has poke, comfy.
Cons: Not the biggest wagon around, no manual version of the 2012 Volkswagen Golf Comfortline sadly.
How much?: The one I tested was $26K and that’s with 36,000kms. Bargain.
Would I buy one?: At this stage of the kids life I’m happy with the space of the C34 but a few years down the track when I’m looking for a bit more comfort and something a bit more subtle than Nissan’s effort from the year 2000, this could be a fantastic upgrade. Plus it won’t stand out nearly as much when dropping the kids off to school..