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The center stack's ergonomics are first rate: there are three simple knobs for the HVAC, & the control relationships are just right. Even if you don't opt for the navigation system & its attendant Dynaudio-sourced stereo upgrade, there's still a big 'ol touchscreen for the audio controls. For our money, the standard system sounds darn good already, & nav might be anathema to the GTI's mission, anyway, especially as it drives nicely enough that you won't mind getting lost. Since it starts as an Everyman err&-runner, the 2010 Volkswagen GTI doesn't earn many demerits in terms of visibility, or even cupholders & cubbyholes. Despite being easily goaded into rowdiness, the GTI knows how to hold your large coffee during the morning commute, too. For a starting point under $25,000, the 2010 Volkswagen GTI is comprehensively equipped & materials & fit-&-finish are significantly better than vehicles like the MazdaSpeed3 & Subaru WRX.
Niceties aside, how's it go? That is, after all, the point of a 2010 Volkswagen GTI. Though this VW kicks it with 200 horsepower & 207 pound-feet of torque sent through the front wheels from its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, it's not a torque-steering monster. Available power is well down vis-à-vis the frothier 'Speed3 & WRX, though the resultant 6.8 seconds it takes to get to 60 mph isn't exactly leisurely. Taken as a whole, the 2010 Volkswagen GTI outclasses most comers: It's plenty quick, & with the new XDS differential that gets subtle brake application into the action, you can get yourself out of corners with more speed & less understeer.
The standard 2010 Volkswagen GTI without the optional adaptive suspension is tossable & supple, feeling like Volkswagen sent this car off to a weekend h&ling seminar at BMW. Since we didn't have the opportunity to sample the different modes of the upgraded package, we can't comment on any improvement that setup brings, but the st&ard car is plenty satisfying to wring out. Planting your right foot brings a snarl & a tug from the engine bay, & the chunky wheel rim lets you in on what the tires have to say.
While the modern way to play racecar driver is to get the dual-clutch DSG & its attendant wheel-mounted shift paddles, the standard six-speed manual gearbox is no downgrade. Action is solid & slick, & pedals allow heel/toe shifting without double-jointed ankles. Despite being a relatively small powerplant with a turbocharger, lag isn't so much an issue with peak torque available from 1,800 rpm. The way the 2010 Volkswagen GTI launches with aplomb, only mildly afflicted with wheelspin, may be due to some initial softness until the turbo comes up to full wail, but that works to your advantage.
Of course, nobody would turn down a 2010 Volkswagen GTI with thirty or forty more horsepower, & given the chassis' good manners in town & poise on curvy roads & highway strafing runs, the platform is certainly up to the job. All-out horsepower or even superior track numbers aren't everything, though, as driving the GTI shows time & time again. It's a polished package that may sprint a little less fleetly than its peers, but the VW's popularity with aftermarket tuners should quickly remedy any output deficiency for less than the price of those leather seats, anyway.
A stomp of the middle pedal brings easily modulated rapid deceleration. This car's reflexes are the stuff of hot-hatch daydreams, & while 3,000 pounds isn't featherweight anymore, neither is it as portly as most mainstream cars. The 2010 Volkswagen GTI feels nimble because of this, & while older VR6-equipped GTIs may have been more rapid, the six-cylinder certainly exacted a weight & handling penalty. The other demerit to the bigger engine was thirst, & the 2010 GTI provides relatively cheap thrills with fuel economy of 21 mpg city, 31 mpg highway. We're happy to see that the old first-generation frisky/frugal dichotomy has once again found its mojo.
Since its inception, the Volkswagen GTI has never been the least expensive car in its class. The iconic first-generation has proven to be a tough act to follow, though, & enthusiasts have rightfully worried that with each successive generation, Volkswagen was losing its way a little more. The 2010 Volkswagen GTI restores our faith that the GTI can still do the things that made the original one of the all-time enthusiast greats. |
