VOLKSWAGEN 2017 GOLF ALLTRACK TSI S: Review
It was supposed to be a quick run down to the beach. Just my oldest daughter and me. Our goal: a getaway from it all for just a few days. Relaxation. A couple hours tasting some of the best oyster combinations you could think up at the Annual Oyster Cook-off. And some quality girl time.
The Volkswagen 2017 Golf was our ticket to freedom this weekend. In tornado red. Maybe not the best choice in colors, thinking we were looking forward to fabulous weather all weekend. But, we were headed to the coast of Alabama, the home of the Crimson Tide, and the red just fit in perfectly with Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan, where we were basing ourselves for this beach trip.
It offered more than enough room for our escape, but we made great use of all the space on our way back, when we decided some driftwood needed to come home with us for a project at the new house. We tend to do that—pick up pretty things everywhere we go, and it wouldn’t have been possible to fit that nearly 8 foot piece of driftwood inside any other car I know of (thank goodness for the split folding rear seat and pass-through!
We made the six-hour drive in comfort, letting the 1.8L TSI DOHC turbo 4-cylinder engine quietly power our way down to the shore. The 4-motion all-wheel drive made for a smooth ride starting and stopping through town after town, as we became more and more eager to smell the salt air of the beach.
The climate control and multi-function steering wheel with shift paddles made for a safe, comfortable drive. And the heated front seats with power recline were critical for us when we didn’t want to make too many stops—we just wanted to get there!
The technology in the car kept us singing the entire way down, with the touchscreen radio and CD player with USB and auxiliary in. Turns out my daughter has quite the fun playlist. The 8 speaker surround system helped drown out our not-so-great (ok, my not-so-great) singing voices. And the Bluetooth tech kept us hands-free and safe. The rearview camera rivaled better cameras on the market—and I’m not talking about just on the backs of cars. These cameras have come a long way!
At a price point of $28,615 for the model we drove, I have to say it felt like a value for the money. It could have been more comfortable in some areas (the driver’s seat isn’t very wide for those of us with bigger back sides), but with a little adjustment, it was a very comfortable ride.
We made the most of our time at the shore, learning all about the projects underway to keep the beach beautiful for generations to come.
And when it was time to leave, we were excited to load up our keepsake of the ocean that would find it’s way into our home, along with our new beach chairs, and make the long drive back. In our tornado red Volkswagen 2017 Golf.
