The Volkswagen Golf is currently nominated for the best buy in the compact car category. Why? Because it shows tremendous diversity and an undeniable value for money. Its fuel consumption is competitive. It has the latest in connectivity technology, and the reliability rating of Volkswagen products in general has greatly improved lately.
Whether you love a Golf Comfortline, an e-Golf, an R, or even an ultra-sporty SportWagen, the many personalities of this compact allow it to fill several categories, from an electric city car to a utility vehicle equipped with all-wheel drive. All at an affordable price.
With so many qualities to his credit, I decided to do my own test. I booked a GTI, my favorite variation of the Golf. The goal: to travel the Maritimes in a road trip totaling nearly 4,000 km, with my wife, carrying camping and outdoor equipment. I will end my adventure on the famous Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia, to test its dynamic prowess.
Why a GTI?
There are indeed alternatives to a Golf GTI to make a road trip . Many will tell you that a small SUV like the Mazda CX-5 or even Toyota RAV4 would have done, but once in the curves of the Cabot Trail, it would have been difficult to have fun in SUV, not to mention the fact that a GTI is still less greedy at the pump than a utility
A Honda Civic hatchback, a Mazda3 Sport, or even a Hyundai Elantra GT? While these are practical and economical hatchbacks, they do not realize the dynamic prowess of a GTI which, remember, offers a standard 2.0-liter turbo engine 220 horsepower, a slip differential limited, oversized brakes and a firm suspension.
I hear you already argue: I could have made my trip in a Honda Civic Si, a Nissan Sentra NISMO, or even a Hyundai Elantra Sport, sports compact equally competent in nervous driving. Totally agree! Alas, none of them have a trunk of more than 1500 liters once the rear seat lowered, important element to transport my life during the trip.
A Golf GTI was therefore the perfect compromise for the cause . My test model was equipped with the six-speed DSG automatic transmission with double clutch. Personally, if I could, I would have opted for the six-speed manual gearbox, but it was not available when I called Volkswagen.
Photo: William Clavey
From Montreal to Halifax
The first part of the trip was, of course, the longest, because first you had to go to Halifax, from Montreal, where I was going to sleep in a Airbnb and then take the road back to Cape Breton, where the Cabot Trail is located.
This section of the journey totals 1,249 km. The trunk of the GTI filled to the ceiling of camping and outdoor equipment, so I took the highway 20, at the exit of the bridge-tunnel Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine, towards the New Brunswick, a province that I had to cross entirely to get to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, it was long, but the road allowed me to observe the fuel consumption of the Volks.
Volkswagen states that the GTI can run either with regular gasoline (octane number 87) or with super gasoline (octane number 91). My long drive, including several climbs, was done in Eco mode, with regular gas and the air conditioner turned on, not to mention the increased weight due to the trunk filled with equipment. Returned to Halifax, after two fill-ups, the on-board computer averaged 6.9 L / 100 km. Not bad! In fact, these numbers look a lot like those of a conventional compact. However, I was still convinced that my GTI could do better …
Cheap Gasoline!
One of the great things about riding in the Maritimes is the price of gas much more affordable in Quebec. During my trip, the price of the ordinary in Montreal was $ 1.37 per liter. In Halifax, the same grade was sold for $ 1.24 per liter.
I also took the opportunity to admire the beautiful historic municipality, which for a long time was Canada's entry point thanks to its huge harbor. Home. Moreover, it is possible to visit the Halifax Immigration Museum, which tells the story of several European immigrants who have pbaded through the maritime capital before traveling to Montreal or Toronto. train. Many Quebec families were born of mbadive waves of immigration from around the world.
In general, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of interesting activities Halifax has to offer: eating lobster on the water, stroll through the huge urban garden Public Gardens visit the historic Citadel located in the center of the city, and much more. In short, it would have been easy for me to spend all my holidays in the company of friendly and welcoming strong Haligonians. But I was on a mission, so I quickly got back on the road.
The second leg of the trip between Halifax and Baddeck, a village south of Cape Breton Island, which many consider to be the gateway entrance to the Cabot Trail, included a mix of highway and minor roads. A total of 350 km, on route 104, allowed me to refuel my Golf, but this time, with gasoline super, question of comparing the fuel consumption of my " hot hatch "
In fact, I divided my conduct into two. At first, I drove in Eco mode, on the main road. Then, after a night's rest in Baddeck, I put my GTI in Sport mode, in order to face the Cabot Trail in sporty driving.
As soon as arrived at the village the on-board computer showed an average of 6.6 L / 100 km, 0.3 L / 100 km less than regular gasoline. So yes, the GTI consumes a little less with a higher octane level, but the differences are not so obvious considering the price difference at the pump.
Photo: William Clavey
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Photo: William Clavey
It was finally time to put the GTI to the test. So far, she had proven me that she was comfortable, spacious, and energy efficient. She now had to show me why she is so popular with performance enthusiasts. Moreover, the super gasoline in its tank would allow it to develop all the horses promised by the manufacturer.
In Sport mode, the GTI emits a sound more aggressive. It is a simulated sound, however, it gives a unique character to the car. The DSG also retrogrades more quickly, but it's still better to put it in manual mode to get the full potential of the turbo engine that has a linear torque range, while allowing us to make it even more revolutionary. [19659002] The Cabot Trail is the ideal playground for this kind of little racing car: 300 km of winding road, hilly the hills and rocks of an island with Scottish decorations. Each curve leads either to a mountain or to a postcard panorama. And never has the GTI complained. In fact, the more I pushed her, the more she asked. Its chbadis is solid. Its suspension is remarkably well calibrated. And when you know that it was developed by the same technical engineer who worked on the Porsche 911 GT3, you quickly feel confident behind the wheel. In short, the curves, the GTI makes it a mouthful and his imposing torque of 258 lb-ft allowed him to cross the steep climbs of the Cabot Trail without hbadle.
Photo: William Clavey
this road, we meet all kinds of cars. I met hundreds of motorcycles, convertibles, and even old English cars. At the end of the trip, delighted by the immense pleasure this small, well-designed bomb gave me, I looked at the on-board computer, which averaged 8.2 L / 100 km. Excellent!
Of course, my stay in Cape Breton was not all about riding on a high-flying golf course. The car also served me camping, with its three 12V outlets, it allowed me to plug our cooler and our electronics. And even with its rigid suspension, it was not too unpleasant on the dirt roads that made us discover breathtaking hiking trails.
A bridge to think
It is during the return that I decided to make a small detour to the Confederation Bridge, which leads to Prince Edward Island from New Brunswick. Inaugurated in 1997, it is the longest bridge over a sea ice extent in the world. Measuring 12.9 km, it is a real masterpiece in civil engineering, a serpentine monster that spans the ocean.
Photo: William Clavey
And it's there, parked in his feet, that I took the time to appreciate the Golf GTI for its undeniable qualities. Its tiled fabric seats have been comfortable. Its cargo volume was more than adequate for a young couple and their luggage, and their fuel consumption remained low, despite the fact that they followed the best sports cars on one of the most beautiful roads in the country. And what about its intelligent multimedia system, easy to understand, well presented, and incorporating the latest technologies in connectivity!
Well, it is not perfect, the GTI. If we equip it a bit, it becomes much more expensive. I suggest you stick to the entry-level version. Its back seat is narrow for grown-ups, the sound of high-speed rolling is tanning on long journeys, and some people will not like its rigid suspension.
What I learned from my adventure? The Volkswagen Golf GTI 2018 is quite splendid, like the Maritimes! In this world of SUVs, a Golf GTI is a much more sensible purchase for a consumer looking to combine all cars into one, at an affordable price.
