Road Test: 2017 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen TSI S 4Motion

A Compact Go-Anywhere Package

The 2017 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen is a bit of what one cartoon character used to call a “way-back” machine. While a completely contemporary automobile, the SportWagen has the capability of taking me back in time to another era.

Station wagons are a bit of a time warp for a reviewer my age. We grew up with them in the day before minivans, SUVs and crossovers. They were the multi-purpose vehicle capable of hauling the family a week’s worth of groceries and all of the camping gear and luggage needed for two vacation weeks on the road.

The same characteristics continue to drive the popularly of Swiss Army knife-type vehicles like the station wagon. It’s differentiated from its more “modern” successors by one main attribute—sedan-like ride height. In turn, that brings more sedan-like handling, driving characteristics and fuel economy with little or no compromise of utility.

With four-wheel drive like the VW Golf SportWagen 4Motion we drove, the only limiting factor compared to an SUV is ground clearance.  Since I leave the serious off-roading to machines designed for that task, I don’t see any real crossover (pun intended).

What Happened to the TDI

The first question any station wagon enthusiast is going to ask when confronted with the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen is—what happened to the TDI? The turbodiesel SportWagen defined this model up until VW’s emissions scandal of a few years ago.  While the company is still trying to put its diesel transgressions behind it, the only engine available is a 1.8-liter turbocharged direct injection gasoline one. It’s similar to the old TDI in mainly, except falling about 10 mpg short of the diesel’s stellar fuel economy numbers.

That said, the TSI engine and its companion six-speed DSG transmission, acquit themselves well. They’re  smooth with plenty of low-end power around town and a tubo boost available when needed as well as the ability to manually shift if desired. The power output is xxx horsepower and xxx pounds-feet of torque delivered at the low-end thanks to the direct injection system. In more than 1,000 miles of city and highway driving, the SportWagen never felt overmatched. At xxxx pounds, this compact wagon is light enough to feel like a sedan. Those extra xx cubic feet of cargo space come along for the ride without hindering the car’s performance.

Handling, too, distinguishes the SportWagen from all but the most road-tuned (and quite expensive) SUV/crossover competitors. On the other hand, it was no Golf, but we never found a road or corner that the SportWagen wasn’t willing to take on. The VW has four-wheel independent suspension and xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fuel Economy Better Than Predicted

The 2017 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen comes with EPA-measured fuel economy of 22 mpg city/30 highway/25 combined. We were able to best those numbers in every category, hitting 37-38 mpg on the highway when we kept speeds below the 80 mph mark and averaging 26-30 in town with our average in the high 20s as well. We put enough miles on the car to validate that with reasonable throttle control, it was more than capable of picking up the gauntlet laid down by the now-gone TDI.

The Tech Is Not Left Out

Even though the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen we drove was the base “S” model, it came loaded with contemporary technology, all standard at this level. Among the highlights:

• An Intelligent Crash Response System,
• Multi-function steering wheel with paddle shifters,
• Rearview camera,
• 5-inch touchscreen
• Eight-speaker found system
• Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity
• SiriusXM satellite radio (limited subscription)
• VW Car-Net (smartphone integration, emergency assistance, remote access—subscription required)

The Price is Right

The 2017 Golf SportWagen S retails for $25,750 (including $820 destination charge). Competitors in the small wagon space range from xxx to xxx. What the SportWagne has going for it is a history as a