Thanks again to Harte VW for letting me take a ride in this 2021 Golf TSI!
If you're anything like me, you've convinced yourself (with the help of social media) that there's no reason to look at the Golf. The GTI and R are really the only good hatchback options in that lineup. Well, I'm here to tell you that the Golf is absolutely worth a look for those of us that don't plan to mod or race our cars. And if you're in the US, this is the last year that you're going to have this option because the base Golf is going away.
Walking up to this car, it's most definitely a Golf. This VW has maintained the same basic shape since the mk1 days, but it has some modern touches like rounded edges, modern lights, and some aesthetic vents. It looks very subdued overall, with a small splash of sportiness from the front, and looks very practical in it's overall shape.
I feel obligated to mention the VW logo on the backside of the car, since it's not just there to look nice. The logo also doubles as the handle used to pop the hatch, and it houses the backup camera in order to keep it clean and clear during those nasty snowstorms we see up here in the Northeast US.
Jumping into the back seat, the car looks very similar to my GTI. The black synthetic leather and the black and silver around the cabin have a neutral, but somewhat classy feel to them. The legroom is perfectly fine for me at 5'7", with the front seat set for me as well. I imagine it could get a bit tight back here with a taller driver or a taller passenger, but there's definitely a bit of room to spare.
Getting into the driver's seat, I note that the sporty red stitching that I have around my GTI is missing, but otherwise everything looks and feels very similar. The large analog tach and speedometer flank a digital menu of my choosing in the gauge cluster behind the D-shaped steering-wheel. The wheel itself has a handful of buttons on it for controlling the infotainment. And the infotainment screen has a standard 6.5" LCD touch screen with physical buttons on either side. Below that is are neatly laid out temperature (and heated seat) controls, followed by the push-button start and a shift knob that looks like it came out of the Jetta beyond that.
Left foot on the clutch, right foot on the brake, push button to start. The clutch is on the lighter side. Not my preference, but it's fine for a commuter car. Shifter into first, the gearbox is nice and tight and the shift knob is solid. Love it. The only thing that would make me happier here is the golf ball shifter from the GTI, but that's a very minor thing.
Getting moving, this one has the same 1.4L engine as the Jetta, and once again, I have no problems with it. I'm not winning any street races here, but I'm perfectly happy with the acceleration here.
Driving around town, the handling is great. I honestly don't really notice much of a difference at all in the steering feel between this and the GTI. Hard turns will get you a bit more body roll, and I certainly miss the LSD (limited-slip differential) a bit, but I'm wondering if I overrated the need for an LSD in a daily driver.
The ride is pretty smooth and comfortable, the boxy shape results in great visibility, the heated seats are doing their job well, and the fact that the seats aren't as bolstered as the GTI actually makes them feel a bit more comfortable in my opinion.
This little hatchback checks all of the boxes of a fun, compact, practical car. In a world with an ever-growing SUV population, I'm more than happy to drive around in something small, easy to maneuver, and easy to park. And even though it's small, the shape of the Golf allows room for plenty of stuff in the back, even before folding the seats down. It's also very economical, as the fuel economy on this one is 29mpg city and 39mpg highway on regular fuel. I could definitely get used to this car, and at this point I'm almost wondering if I can get out my GTI loan and get into this much cheaper option.
