VW's Golf not a flawless drive in the car game
Failed to live to up boast of `German engineering'
1999 and 2000 models garnered most grievances.

MARK TOLJAGIC

"German engineering is a myth."

That's a Volkswagen Golf owner venting on the Internet after learning he needed two tie-rods, a window regulator, a brake relay
and a power steering pump replaced after his "lame" two-year warranty ran out.

There might be something to his claim.

Volkswagen has gotten good mileage out of its "German-engineered" advertising boast, but judging by the volume of complaints
about its products on the World Wide Web (no kidding, we found unhappy owners in Iceland), VW might be wise to tone down the
rhetoric.

After all, if German engineering was so great, you would probably still have a Telefunken television in your living room instead
of a Sony.

CONFIGURATION

The fourth-generation Golf arrived in North America in early 1999, hot on the heels of the retro-styled New Beetle, the first model
to use the Golf platform here (the new Golf launched in Europe in 1997).

The front-drive Golf was available as a three- and five-door hatchback, as well as a convertible — although the new Cabrio was
actually a face-lifted third-generation Golf.

Like its human occupants, the Golf had grown in every dimension, including a four-cm wheelbase stretch to yield better backseat accommodations.

The car rode on a rigid platform that not only provided a quieter body with tight body-panel gaps, but also an overall sense of
upscale quality. The Golf felt unusually stout and safe for a small car.

The Golf retained its front MacPherson struts and lower wishbones, with new springs for improved stability.
The independent torsion-beam axle at the rear barely intruded into the trick cargo area.
Four-wheel, anti-lock disc brakes were standard.

In the European tradition, Volkswagen made several engines available.

The standard motor was a revamped 2.0-litre four cylinder with a new cross-flow cylinder head (still just two valves per cylinder),
good for 115 hp and 122 lb.-ft. of torque.

Optional was the vaunted 1.9-litre Turbo Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engine, making 90 hp, as well as the torquey 2.8-litre
narrow-angle VR6, producing 174 hp and 181 lb.-ft. of grunt.

To telegraph the Golf's "premium" billing, Volkswagen outfitted it with a plush interior that would not look out of place in an Audi.

Now a marque standard, the instruments were backlit in blue and red — the same colours used in air-traffic control centres,
VW likes to point out.

Seats were firm and supportive, although some owners expressed frustration with the "lint-collecting" fabric.
Optimistically, VW installed three rear head restraints, which meant extra work to remove them all when flipping the split-folding
seats for extra capacity.

While they didn't change its outward appearance, VW engineers continued to tweak the Golf in subsequent years.

For sporting drivers, a 1.8-litre gasoline turbo four-cylinder making 150 hp became available in 2000; output jumped to 180 hp
starting in 2002. The VR6 gained a 24-valve head and 27 additional horses that year.

Also in 2002, VW upgraded its two-year factory warranty to four years/80,000 kilometres.

ON THE ROAD

The new Golf was an underwhelming performer with the base 2.0-litre engine, taking 10.6 seconds to reach highway velocity
 — and that's with the five-speed manual transmission (add about a second for the four-speed automatic).

In other ways, the Golf was a spirited traveller, displaying considerable poise and balance synonymous with German cars.

VW dialed in a little more ride comfort than necessary (likely to appease its American customers), but good motion control
and precise steering were preserved.

Drivers seeking more scat should look for the VR6 engine (under 7.0 seconds).

The TDI turbodiesel marries decent performance with outstanding fuel economy, but shoppers should be prepared for the price
premium and heavier maintenance regimen.

"To get the reliability diesels are known for, be ready to religiously replace filters, buy good diesel and use additives
— diesels are by no means `drive and forget,'" read one blog.

WHAT OWNERS REPORTED

The second-best-selling car in history didn't get there by luck.

The smartly designed Golf is a solid, practical and economical vehicle that's equally at home in Cabbagetown as it is in, well,
Reykjavik. It's also fun to drive, providing an authentic Germanic auto experience at an accessible price point.

But the Golf is hardly a model of contemporary build quality, evidenced by Volkswagen's perpetually poor showing in the
J.D. Power vehicle dependability ratings.

"The side (power) windows have had to be repaired 14 times since I bought it," complained the owner of a '99 model,
referring to the notorious plastic regulators that hold the glass in place.

Eventually, German engineers discovered metal works better in this application.

Other frequent faults include failed oxygen sensors and mass airflow sensors, ignition coils, catalytic converters,
diesel glow plugs, headlights, dashboard lighting and other electrical maladies.

Owners also noted the 2.0-litre gas engine can burn oil, as much as one litre every 1,600 km.

"Drank oil like it was German beer," blogged the owner of a 2000 model.

Some owners reported automatic transmission and air conditioner failures.
These are expensive repairs, since the parts originate in the Fatherland.

If you buy cars the way most North Americans do — with an automatic tranny — it might be best to steer clear of the Golf.
But if you can work a clutch you may very well have a warm and lengthy ownership experience.

Just don't bother complaining about the Mexican or Brazilian build quality. In our scan, it was the German-built 1999
and 2000 models that garnered the most grievances.

Drivers wanted — but do drivers want it?