2016 Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion Review

Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion

The Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI BM is a safe and comfortable mid-class family hatchback, and with the new generation, which I would rather describe as a facelift coming out, a slightly used golf VII could suddenly become a rather cheap but very good alternative.

The first thing I noticed as I got in, was that the rear seats are surprisingly comfortable, and as a person used to sitting in a Volvo, I did have high expectations, which the Golf fulfilled, although for my rather small size of 5 feet or around 150cm the seating position is very low. Also, the rear headrest is not pleasant whatsoever. Leaning back or driving on bumpy roads feels like constantly banging your head against a rock. The situation isn’t so bad in the front though. The seats are comfortable to sit in, are well upholstered and even provide a fair amount of hold in turns, although with an engine output of about 105 horsepower this isn’t much needed. The interior generally is let’s say, very german. Strict, solid and emotionless. Everything is exactly, where it needs to be, nothing is out of place. There are no weird quirks or cool features. There is no flair, no emotion, no little meilleures, that make a car so loveable. And that’s a shame, really. But then comes the question: Why is the Volkswagen Golf one of the best selling cars in the world then? The answer might be, that most people are looking for safe, comfortable, cheap and reliable automobiles, that get them from A to B. And the Golf fulfills all these criteria perfectly. It’s an ordinary machine. It’s something that most people woud describe as „Just a car”, and it is.

The infotainment system can also be described as normal. The touchscreen is not too rapid and sensitive but good enough for everyday use, the sound system is acceptable, produces fairly clean high notes and good bass, as well as normal mid-tones. The radio is great and easy to control, the bluetooth connection isn’t. The signal keeps braking and generally isn’t easy to set up, but as a compensation the car reminds you not to forget your phone. Good thinking, Volkswagen, as Doug DeMuro would say.

And also, it is something that should never be said about the engine. In this case it’s the 1.6l 4 cylinder Bluemotion motor producing around 100 hp. Which isn’t enough. For it’s size the Golf isn’t that low weight, and the Bluemotion engine is really struggling to pull it along. It’s almost unsafe, because you never have the power when you need it, and are forced to calculate maneauvers beforehand regarding the missing engine capabilities. Yet the transmission is very good. The stick travel is ideally long and the clutch isn’t uncomfortably heavy. The steering also feels good, isn’t very direct though and the car has a bigger than average turning circle.

Volkswagen, as a brand of the size it is, is very trusted and so can’t afford not to put focus on safety. The Golf 7 achieved a full, five star rating on it’s EuroNCAP crash test with an astounding 94% rating for adult occupants. In the driver assistance systems area though, the Golf isn’t shining very bright. In our basic Comfortline model there were absolutely no safety systems installed, except for the basic regulatory things, like airbags and front seatbelt warnings. Auto braking, adaptive cruise control or even a lane keeping assist? No chance.
The extirior is schockingly pretty. You would never expect to find such sharp lines, cool led lights and nicely drawn edges on a golf. Although the design is unassuming the germans were ever good in making cars, and that hasn’t changed. And there are some nice deatails and unassuming touches imbedded in the design, too, like the hidden bootlidswitch in the VW logo and the cool, upwards folding side mirrors.

All in all, the 2016 VW Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion with an average fuel consumption of around 56mpg or 5l/100km (Diesel) is a good choice for anyone, who is looking for something reliable, comfortable and safe, that with an average asking price for similar models of around 15000euros on the german used car market isn’t cheap, but doesn’t necessarily break the bank. It has it’s flaws, but so does everything else, and at the end of the day, the golf is a good car.

Thank you for reading!