We have all seen the car commercials with a panel of consumers saying, “It reminds me of a [fill-in-whichever-premium-Euro-brand-here].” Well, the Golf Sportwagen Alltrack does feel more like an entry-level Audi than a Volkswagen. Starting with an MSRP in the $27K range plus a few options less obligatory dealer discounts, I don’t think there is a car on the market that offers what the VW does for the money. Like my “what's the best ski?” column, this is about "what's the best car?" In other words, what's the "best car" for me, as a skier?
First, I didn’t want another Volkswagen after what happened with Dieselgate, I was done with them. But after sitting in and driving all the other options in the under $30K range, we returned to VW because it was the best car for us, and I was not going to cut off my nose to spite my face. I have owned about 50 cars in my life, about 15 of which were Volkswagens. I had the last one, a 2010 Jetta Sportwagen, the longest, and it went more than six years and 150,000 miles with nary an out-of-warranty problem. Not only was it reliable, it was a tight and solid car. The latter is one of the things that sold us on the new Alltrack. Again, Tricia and I looked at almost every small SUV and even some used premiums that would keep us within budget, and the Alltrack had a solid feel and level of comfort that the Asian cars and even domestic offerings could not touch. For the past few months, we have been borrowing a 2010 Subaru Impreza, a car that some feel goes up against the Golf series. As far as size, features, and price, that is accurate, but there is no similarity in feel. The VW and the Subaru are light years apart.
Since I often use cars in my ski analogies, I am going to use ski gear in my car comparison. After spending time in the Impreza and then going back into the VW, I feel like I went from an 80-flex $299 tent-sale boot to a 130-flex boot with a customized performance fit. Now, I know this is a bit of an unfair comparison on the surface, but it really isn’t. Considering that the Impreza and my Jetta Sportwagen are both 2010s, it is a glimpse into the future, too. My VW had 150K on it and the Impreza only 45K, and the VW is still tight as a drum while the Subie is “packed out” like that tent-sale ski boot after one season. Even looking at this year's Subaru models, yes, they are two generations newer and have some softer and better-quality materials, but I believe it would be more of the same in a few, short high-mileage years.
Since I often use cars in my ski analogies, I am going to use ski gear in my car comparison. After spending time in the Impreza and then going back into the VW, I feel like I went from an 80-flex $299 tent-sale boot to a 130-flex boot with a customized performance fit. Now, I know this is a bit of an unfair comparison on the surface, but it really isn’t. Considering that the Impreza and my Jetta Sportwagen are both 2010s, it is a glimpse into the future, too. My VW had 150K on it and the Impreza only 45K, and the VW is still tight as a drum while the Subie is “packed out” like that tent-sale ski boot after one season. Even looking at this year's Subaru models, yes, they are two generations newer and have some softer and better-quality materials, but I believe it would be more of the same in a few, short high-mileage years.
The Subaru that we kept coming back to was the Outback, which again should have worked for us. We tried to like it, we really did. Even with a slightly higher price, it is a bigger car, and it gets good mileage, and it has a great reputation as a ski car, and ... and ... and. There are a lot of "ands" with the Outback, but there are a lot of “buts,” too. The passenger seat is awful, there is no CarPlay, the CVT transmission has a disconnect ... in the end, the "buts" outweighed the "ands."
First, what separates the Alltrack from the other cars? Well, quality, for one. It just feels tighter than similar cars out there. Second, the cargo area. The Alltrack is a wagon, which means the cargo area is rectangular rather than square in the small SUVs, which are more like raised hatchbacks than the longer wagon shape of the Alltrack. Finally, the seats were a huge deciding factor for us. We drive a lot (we will put about 20,000 miles a year on this car), so comfort is key, and the VW seats and their adjustment ability are class leaders.
The Alltrack is like an entry-level Audi in appearance and feel, as well. The VW paint is very deep; it doesn't seem like it was just sprayed on the car, it feels part of the structure. The Marrakesh brown seats were a big selling point for me. I was tired of black, the Cornsilk was just too light, and I have a soft spot for brown seats since Volvo offered them in the P2 Cross Country. I have been know to buy a suit to match a tie, and in this case, I went with an exterior color to match the interior. I didn’t want the black or the dark gray (although with the brown, it is very rich). Ideally, I wanted the white, but none could be found; I settled for the Silk blue, but it was not much of a compromise. I like the silver accents of the roof rails, the lower cladding, and the way the mirrors contrast with the blue. The lighter color also shows off the dark cladding better.
As for feel, all you have to do is fold the rear seats down and up and you get the same sense as when you step into a solid all-metal binding as opposed to a common recreational one. The same goes for the tactile feel of the knobs and how everything fits together. The thickness of the steering wheel, how all of the buttons are intuitive, right within reach and where you expect them to be. VW is the only vehicle in this class that had a passenger seat that was at least partially power and could adjust fore and aft just right. Little features like auto up/down for all the windows was another nicety that we could not find anywhere else. The ambient lighting in the cockpit also lends to a very upscale feel.
Yes, we are Applephiles, and CarPlay was a feature we wanted in a new purchase, something again we could not get with a Subaru. Like most Apple products, it just works. I like the ability to send and receive texts verbally; while it might take a couple of seconds longer because Siri requires each command to complete a verification level, it is safer. The access to my music is easy, and the maps from my phone work great. Just being able to say, “Siri, directions home” got us out of San Francisco easily.
On the road, one word describes the Alltrack: Teutonic. I really don’t know how VW can create such a solid feel in a car under $30K. Yes, I wanted a stick. I know I will eat some crow for selling out, and deservedly so. I recall driving the DSG when it was first released about a decade ago and being impressed; quite frankly, I still am. The shifts are solid and crisp, and while I cannot downshift from 5th to 3rd without hitting 4th, neither can the drivers on the F1 circuit -- and I don’t hear them complaining. Brakes? These not only stop on a dime, but will pick it up and leave 6 cents change. VW also adds a level of isolation that you just don't get in the Asian counterparts. The drive to San Francisco in the Subaru left us fatigued; the drive home was much more relaxing.
Mileage is the area I struggled with. We got over 40 mpg with the TDI -- yes, I know those days are gone. I also know that no other vehicle can do what this one can and give us much better mileage, so this is where I am going to suck it up, put on my big boy pants, and not complain anymore. I will be getting high 20s and mayyyybe over 30, if we drive 65 mph. The drive from San Francisco back to Reno netted us 26.6; it included 20 miles of stop-and-go out of the city, 8,000 feet of climbing, and highway speeds of 70 to 80 mph; that number should climb once there are a few thousand miles on the car.
Not to take anything away from members who bought SEs or SELs, but I agree with Jalopnik that the S is the best value. Mechanically and performance-wise, nothing is gained as you move up in trim level, and we did not want the sunroof, so there was really no reason to step up. I didn’t want the active cruise control since I do not use cruise control in traffic. I know how to park a car in any spot, and while there were other little features like push-button start and Fender audio, it just was not enough to get us to step up. I do like the seats from the SEL, but not enough to jump the two trim levels.
I will check back in after we get some miles on the car in various conditions. Now,off to buy winter tires ....with snow tires (Blizzak WS-80)
First, what separates the Alltrack from the other cars? Well, quality, for one. It just feels tighter than similar cars out there. Second, the cargo area. The Alltrack is a wagon, which means the cargo area is rectangular rather than square in the small SUVs, which are more like raised hatchbacks than the longer wagon shape of the Alltrack. Finally, the seats were a huge deciding factor for us. We drive a lot (we will put about 20,000 miles a year on this car), so comfort is key, and the VW seats and their adjustment ability are class leaders.
The Alltrack is like an entry-level Audi in appearance and feel, as well. The VW paint is very deep; it doesn't seem like it was just sprayed on the car, it feels part of the structure. The Marrakesh brown seats were a big selling point for me. I was tired of black, the Cornsilk was just too light, and I have a soft spot for brown seats since Volvo offered them in the P2 Cross Country. I have been know to buy a suit to match a tie, and in this case, I went with an exterior color to match the interior. I didn’t want the black or the dark gray (although with the brown, it is very rich). Ideally, I wanted the white, but none could be found; I settled for the Silk blue, but it was not much of a compromise. I like the silver accents of the roof rails, the lower cladding, and the way the mirrors contrast with the blue. The lighter color also shows off the dark cladding better.
As for feel, all you have to do is fold the rear seats down and up and you get the same sense as when you step into a solid all-metal binding as opposed to a common recreational one. The same goes for the tactile feel of the knobs and how everything fits together. The thickness of the steering wheel, how all of the buttons are intuitive, right within reach and where you expect them to be. VW is the only vehicle in this class that had a passenger seat that was at least partially power and could adjust fore and aft just right. Little features like auto up/down for all the windows was another nicety that we could not find anywhere else. The ambient lighting in the cockpit also lends to a very upscale feel.
Yes, we are Applephiles, and CarPlay was a feature we wanted in a new purchase, something again we could not get with a Subaru. Like most Apple products, it just works. I like the ability to send and receive texts verbally; while it might take a couple of seconds longer because Siri requires each command to complete a verification level, it is safer. The access to my music is easy, and the maps from my phone work great. Just being able to say, “Siri, directions home” got us out of San Francisco easily.
On the road, one word describes the Alltrack: Teutonic. I really don’t know how VW can create such a solid feel in a car under $30K. Yes, I wanted a stick. I know I will eat some crow for selling out, and deservedly so. I recall driving the DSG when it was first released about a decade ago and being impressed; quite frankly, I still am. The shifts are solid and crisp, and while I cannot downshift from 5th to 3rd without hitting 4th, neither can the drivers on the F1 circuit -- and I don’t hear them complaining. Brakes? These not only stop on a dime, but will pick it up and leave 6 cents change. VW also adds a level of isolation that you just don't get in the Asian counterparts. The drive to San Francisco in the Subaru left us fatigued; the drive home was much more relaxing.
Mileage is the area I struggled with. We got over 40 mpg with the TDI -- yes, I know those days are gone. I also know that no other vehicle can do what this one can and give us much better mileage, so this is where I am going to suck it up, put on my big boy pants, and not complain anymore. I will be getting high 20s and mayyyybe over 30, if we drive 65 mph. The drive from San Francisco back to Reno netted us 26.6; it included 20 miles of stop-and-go out of the city, 8,000 feet of climbing, and highway speeds of 70 to 80 mph; that number should climb once there are a few thousand miles on the car.
Not to take anything away from members who bought SEs or SELs, but I agree with Jalopnik that the S is the best value. Mechanically and performance-wise, nothing is gained as you move up in trim level, and we did not want the sunroof, so there was really no reason to step up. I didn’t want the active cruise control since I do not use cruise control in traffic. I know how to park a car in any spot, and while there were other little features like push-button start and Fender audio, it just was not enough to get us to step up. I do like the seats from the SEL, but not enough to jump the two trim levels.
I will check back in after we get some miles on the car in various conditions. Now,