2008 VW Golf and Jetta

VW revamps City line inside and out, and surprises with optional six-speed Tiptronic

Oct 06, 2007

Special to the Star

ORLANDO, FLA.–About the only people who might not be happy about the 2008 Volkswagen City Golf and City Jetta would be those who bought the 2007 models.

Because the new ones offer significant upgrades at insignificant price increases. The 2008 City Golf starts at $15,300, up $400 from last year, while the City Jetta starts at $16,900, a $200 hike.

Both City Golf (due in November) and City Jetta (already arrived) get revised exteriors – just about every body panel but the roof and door skins is new or revised.

VW people will tell you the cars look "totally different'' from last year. Well, a mother can tell her twins apart; more casual observers will have a bit more difficulty differentiating old from new.

The City Golf does have crisper edges, a bit more definition to its front end, while the City Jetta adopts the shield front end that is becoming a design cue for all VW products.

The interiors get spruced up, too, with the steering wheel from the new Rabbit and new Jetta moving downscale, a new any-colour-you-like-as-long-as-it's-black (City Golf) or -anthracite (City Jetta) upholstery, revised graphics for the instrument panel, and – perhaps most important for the younger demographic VW Canada is targeting with these cars – a remarkably sophisticated eight-speaker (six in the City Jetta) sound system, including AM, FM, CD, MP3 player and both iPod and USB input jacks, standard on both cars.

Fit and finish are pretty good, if maybe not quite to the standard VW established in the previous-generation cars. (See sidebar for name road map.)

The design for the 2.0 litre, single-overhead camshaft, two-valve four-cylinder gasoline engine may have been handed down on a second tablet to Moses.

Despite revisions over the years, this is an antique lump, paling in comparison to the modern, multi-valve motivators in most of the alternatives.

That said, it seemed more refined in these applications than in some other VWs, and the 115 horsepower and 122 lb.-ft. of torque, arriving at a very low 2600 rpm, means progress is reasonably brisk.

The biggest upgrade to the 2008s is, however, in the optional automatic transmission: a six-speed with Tiptronic manual shift override, unheard of at this price level.

It not only gives City Golf and City Jetta a technological advantage over their competition, it is also perhaps the first automatic I would recommend over a manual, especially in a small economy car.

Transport Canada fuel figures are similar for the two trannies.

The MacPherson strut front/twist-beam rear suspension has served VW well since the 1970s and the original Rabbit. (The current new Rabbit and Jetta finally have gone to fully-independent rear suspension.)

But the older system in the City Golf and City Jetta continues to deliver excellent road dynamics. The ride is firm but well controlled.

VWs have always had good steering, and the bargain-priced City line is no exception. Handling is stable and entertaining.

What really separates VWs from the pack is that the cars feel larger than they really are.

The big comfortable and supportive seats, and the solid feel on the road belie the cars' compact size.

They also feel safe, because they are – safety is also built-in. Number 2 daughter has been involved in two big-time crashes in VWs, and walked away with a total of one scratch.

Even the low-priced City Golf/Jetta have four-wheel disc brakes with ABS as standard equipment – most cars in this class don't offer ABS at any price.

Directional stability control, including traction control, emergency brake assist and electronic differential lock, is a very reasonable $450 option – again, most cars in this class don't offer this at all.

Other critical stand-alone options include that automatic transmission at $1,400, air conditioning at $1,350, side airbags at $180 and side curtain bags at $450.

Various packages dial in power windows, mirrors and locks with remote (standard on City Jetta), heated seats and washer nozzles, all of which can easily run your "economy car" to more than 20 grand.

Then again, because many of these items are optional, you could exercise a little self-restraint.

How impressed was I with the new City Golf and Jetta?

Let's just say that Kenzie World Headquarters might well be acquiring a new car one day soon. The City Golf is on the short list.

Toronto Star

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