After more than eleven years and more than 86,000 miles, it was time to say goodbye to my beloved 2000 Volkswagen Golf. My driver's seat got worn down, the interior plastics were peeling, there was pulsation in the brakes, there was a leak in the transmission, and I handled it all as best I could. But when the glove compartment door broke for the third time, I realized I had to get a new car.
And of course, I got a new Golf - a 2012 model! :-D I picked it up earlier this week. This will be my third Volkswagen, after my 1972 Beetle and my 2000 Golf. (I seem to have a penchant for VWs from leap model years. :-D)
Going to a 2000 Golf from the fourth generation to a 2012 Golf from the sixth generation (the seventh generation model is expected in America as a 2013 or a 2014 model) is not unlike going from a '72 Beetle to an '84 Rabbit GTI would have been. The 2012 Golf's engine has five cylinders (compared to the four-cylinder engine in the 2000 model) and a displacement five deciliters larger (2.5 liters compared to 2.0). The horsepower rating is 170 as opposed to 115 for my old car. The result is a car that goes faster than it feels and has a smooth, steady ride. As my new car is still in the break-in period, I haven't had much experience with its handling, but I'm looking forward to it.
Of course, a new car means improvements all around. My radio is one of those new-fangled car radios that identifies the title and artist of a song being played on the radio station as well as the call letters of the station itself. With the Golf having moved a bit up-market, cruise control - which I've never had - is standard. The noticeable difference in the ride from my old car is welcome. My old car's suspension was so worn from a decade and change of driving that it felt hard and tough. My mother got a pain in her back riding in my 2000 VW when we went to pick up the new car; she was much more comfortable riding in the new one on our way home. We were both amazed at how different it felt.
I'm glad I got this car, and not just because my old one didn't have much more life to it. When the Mark 7 Golf arrives in America, it may come as decontented and as cheapened as the Jetta, which is selling like hotcakes in the States despite its Corolla-like, un-Volkswagen ambience. (The difference between the hard plastics in the Jetta and the soft-touch materials in my car is jaw-dropping.) I may have dodged a bullet, and I hope Golf fans who end up with the next-generation model are as lucky as I am. And, as long as VW sells lots and lots of Jettas (and Passats - the U.S.-spec Passat was just named Motor Trend's Car of the Year for 2012), VW can and hopefully will continue to offer an un-watered-down Golf hatchback as a loss leader.
Oh, I almost forgot - here's a picture of my new car! :-)
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4 comments:
There's always a time for farewells. Like pets, cars cease to function long before their owners. There's quite a lot of time invested in the car, so replacing them with a new vehicle can be pretty bittersweet. Nonetheless, it's best to focus on the sweetness of driving a new set of wheels.
My sentiments exactly. :-)
Well, good for you! Have fun with your new car, and if you treat it with the same care as your old car, you'll have something you can rely on for a long time. Machines have their own version of life, and it's up to the owner to make that life satisfying.
Tyra: Thanks! :-)
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