VW Golf Match 2.0 TDI 140
by Tim Barnes-Clay, the man behind the wheel.
Date: 08 May 2012
WOW! I can never get enough of the Volkswagen Golf. It’s just such a satisfying car to drive.
It doesn’t look that special in Match 2.0 TDI guise, but, behind the wheel, everything works so well that you feel that you’re in the best car on the planet.
From the moment you get into the Golf you know this is a well built car.
There is a gratifyingly solid ‘thunk’ when you close the doors, and the firm, supportive seats mould around you; and then, when you wrap your hands around the smooth, thick, leather steering wheel, you feel ready to take on the world.
Safe, Quick and Fun
The 2.0 TDI engine has bags of grunt and with 138 bhp (140 ps), overtaking is safe, quick and, dare I say it, fun. The gear changes are slick and the car’s road holding is magnificent. You can take bends swiftly without the VW protesting and after a while you start to wonder what the Golf GTI must be like to drive if the mere 2.0 oil-burning Match model can make motoring feel this good.
From a practical point of view, the Golf fits the bill perfectly too. It doesn’t look a big car and yet when I took my family to ‘Sunny Hunny’ (Hunstanton) for a nice beach trip - the boot consumed my two year old son’s buggy, my five year old daughter’s scooter, buckets and spades, as well as all the associated bags, coats and towels.
The rear seats were easy to fix child seats into and my kids had plenty of room. My wife enthused about how much space she had as a front seat passenger and, to be honest, we were both surprised at what a good family car the Golf makes.
Equipment Levels
Equipment levels are good in the Golf Match; specification includes, among other items, anti-lock braking (ABS), an electronic stability programme (ESP), seven airbags, climatic air conditioning, alarm, cruise control and a multi-device interface for connectivity to an iPod or MP3 player.
There are also 16-inch alloy wheels, a multifunction steering wheel, digital radio receiver, a Bluetooth system, front and rear parking sensors and a touch-screen stereo with six-disc CD auto-changer.
Pulling Power
Finally, if towing is something you might want to do from time to time, then the VW Golf 2.0 TDI will handle this too. The Volkswagen has a maximum braked towing weight of 1500 kg, which means it could pull say an 850 kg trailer plus horse - or a decent sized caravan.
The only thing that lets the VW Golf down is that they are everywhere. But there’s a reason for it – Golf’s are just so blooming good that everyone, at some stage in their lives, wants one.
PROS ‘N’ CONS
PROS
- Great drive
- Build quality
- Looks
- Safety
CONS
- Ubiquitous
FAST FACTS
- Max speed: 130 mph
- 0-62 mph: 9.3 secs
- Combined mpg: 58.9
- Engine: 1968 cc 4 cylinder 16 valve turbo diesel
- Max. power (bhp): 138 at 4200 rpm
- Max. torque (lb/ft): 236 at 1750-2500
- Max. towing weight (braked) 1500 kg
- CO2: 126 g/km
- Price: £21,105 on the road
