Cars
Ah, but only like a fine wine.
Power isn't everything, and the fact that the Focus's turbocharged 2.0L generates an extra 52 horsepower and 63 more lb-ft of torque while drinking less fuel doesn't necessarily make the Ford the more desirable car. Personally, I don't care for the boy racer look. The Focus's centre console also resides too close to the driver's right leg, something that might not bother you, but it drives me crazy.
Ford made tremendous strides with the second-generation Focus. GoodCarBadCar honoured the Focus Titanium hatchback with a Good 12 victory just last year. But the Golf remains the more premium-feeling machine, the one you might want to keep for life, not just until something newer and flashier hits the auto show circuit. In these conflicting sporty trims, the Focus ST might be the better drive, but is it a car I want to use as my family's daily driver? My nephews would love it. My wife's aunts would continue to believe I'd never grown up.
But a Golf, a fast Golf riding on the best wheels the automobile world has to offer, satisfies so many different cravings. It's a German turbocharged hatchback with room for five. Seriously, what more could you want?
Apart from the Focus ST's engine and lower price tag, of course.
Engine: 200 horsepower; 207 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder
Base USD/CAD Price: $23,995 / $29,375
City Fuel Economy: 21 miles per gallon
It's Not Perfect: The GTI's highway fuel economy, 31 mpg, is fine for a car of this nature. But that city figure isn't pleasant. It could also be difficult to reconcile the 2013 purchase of an Mk6 GTI when you quite rightly suspect the Mk7 GTI will be better. The GTI isn't a rear-wheel-drive dream like the Subaru BRZ. Unfortunately, the BRZ and its twin, the Scion FR-S, have virtually unusable rear seats and aren't nearly as pleasant to live with on a daily basis.
Sales Stats: Through eleven months, 40% of the Golfs sold in the United States in 2012 were of the GTI variety. Combined with the Golf R, Golfs that don't use a diesel or 2.5L five-cylinder accounted for just a bit under half of all Golf sales. In Canada, the Golf line ranks in the top 35 of all new vehicle nameplates, some 60 spots up on what the Golf does in the United States.
Viable Alternatives: The Ford Focus ST, Mini Cooper S, and Fiat 500 Abarth all have the ability to amuse.
The Bad 8
- 2013's The Good 12 - Ford F-150 Svt Raptor - $40,000-$45,000
FORD F-150 SVT RAPTOR GoodCarBadCar was quick to honour the Ram 1500 range with a Good 12 placement, but for customers aiming to spend a little extra, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is downright irresistable. Sure, an off-road truck isn't every pickup...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Bmw 328i - $35,000-$40,000
BMW 328i Until the F31-generation 3-Series Touring arrives and shows us what rooflines were meant to be, the 3-Series sedan does a fine job of showing us what a luxury car ought to be. BMW is still benefiting from its long cultivation of the 3-Series...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - $25,000-$30,000
JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED Strange as it may sound, Jeep's stretched Wrangler is a pleasant place in which to spend time. A decent sound system, ample room, and moderate equipment levels are just the beginning. Visibility, paired with the Wrangler's...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Fiat 500 Turbo - $15,000-$20,000
FIAT 500 TURBO Remember all the times you questioned whether 101 horsepower was enough in a modern automobile? Fiat heard your concerns. The 135-horsepower 500T is no Abarth. This wasn't the car Tracy Chapman was singing about. But it's plenty...
- 2012's The Good 12 - Volkswagen Gti
VOLKSWAGEN GTI Since the Golf-based Volkswagen GTI first came to market nearly 30 years ago, numerous rivals - both direct and indirect - have come and gone. There are new rivals on the way. Scion's FR-S is a rear-wheel drive boxer-engined...
Cars
2013's The Good 12 - Volkswagen Golf GTI - $20,000-$25,000
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI
At first blush, the Volkswagen GTI has aged, a process made more evident now that it's been overshadowed by the much more powerful Ford Focus ST.Ah, but only like a fine wine.
Power isn't everything, and the fact that the Focus's turbocharged 2.0L generates an extra 52 horsepower and 63 more lb-ft of torque while drinking less fuel doesn't necessarily make the Ford the more desirable car. Personally, I don't care for the boy racer look. The Focus's centre console also resides too close to the driver's right leg, something that might not bother you, but it drives me crazy. Ford made tremendous strides with the second-generation Focus. GoodCarBadCar honoured the Focus Titanium hatchback with a Good 12 victory just last year. But the Golf remains the more premium-feeling machine, the one you might want to keep for life, not just until something newer and flashier hits the auto show circuit. In these conflicting sporty trims, the Focus ST might be the better drive, but is it a car I want to use as my family's daily driver? My nephews would love it. My wife's aunts would continue to believe I'd never grown up.
But a Golf, a fast Golf riding on the best wheels the automobile world has to offer, satisfies so many different cravings. It's a German turbocharged hatchback with room for five. Seriously, what more could you want?
Apart from the Focus ST's engine and lower price tag, of course.
-----
Engine: 200 horsepower; 207 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder
Base USD/CAD Price: $23,995 / $29,375
City Fuel Economy: 21 miles per gallon
It's Not Perfect: The GTI's highway fuel economy, 31 mpg, is fine for a car of this nature. But that city figure isn't pleasant. It could also be difficult to reconcile the 2013 purchase of an Mk6 GTI when you quite rightly suspect the Mk7 GTI will be better. The GTI isn't a rear-wheel-drive dream like the Subaru BRZ. Unfortunately, the BRZ and its twin, the Scion FR-S, have virtually unusable rear seats and aren't nearly as pleasant to live with on a daily basis.
Sales Stats: Through eleven months, 40% of the Golfs sold in the United States in 2012 were of the GTI variety. Combined with the Golf R, Golfs that don't use a diesel or 2.5L five-cylinder accounted for just a bit under half of all Golf sales. In Canada, the Golf line ranks in the top 35 of all new vehicle nameplates, some 60 spots up on what the Golf does in the United States.
Viable Alternatives: The Ford Focus ST, Mini Cooper S, and Fiat 500 Abarth all have the ability to amuse.
The Good 12
Kia Rio 5-Door - Fiat 500 Turbo - Volkswagen Golf GTI
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S -
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - Dodge Ram - BMW 328i
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Chevrolet Suburban -
Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic Wagon - Porsche Boxster S -
Porsche Cayenne S - Land Rover Range Rover
The Bad 8
Chevrolet Spark - Chrysler 200 Convertible -
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour -
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
Ford Escape Titanium AWD - Honda Crosstour -
Lincoln MKS - Nissan Versa Sedan -
Toyota Corolla CE - Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
The Good 12 Rules
- 2013's The Good 12 - Ford F-150 Svt Raptor - $40,000-$45,000
FORD F-150 SVT RAPTOR GoodCarBadCar was quick to honour the Ram 1500 range with a Good 12 placement, but for customers aiming to spend a little extra, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is downright irresistable. Sure, an off-road truck isn't every pickup...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Bmw 328i - $35,000-$40,000
BMW 328i Until the F31-generation 3-Series Touring arrives and shows us what rooflines were meant to be, the 3-Series sedan does a fine job of showing us what a luxury car ought to be. BMW is still benefiting from its long cultivation of the 3-Series...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - $25,000-$30,000
JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED Strange as it may sound, Jeep's stretched Wrangler is a pleasant place in which to spend time. A decent sound system, ample room, and moderate equipment levels are just the beginning. Visibility, paired with the Wrangler's...
- 2013's The Good 12 - Fiat 500 Turbo - $15,000-$20,000
FIAT 500 TURBO Remember all the times you questioned whether 101 horsepower was enough in a modern automobile? Fiat heard your concerns. The 135-horsepower 500T is no Abarth. This wasn't the car Tracy Chapman was singing about. But it's plenty...
- 2012's The Good 12 - Volkswagen Gti
VOLKSWAGEN GTI Since the Golf-based Volkswagen GTI first came to market nearly 30 years ago, numerous rivals - both direct and indirect - have come and gone. There are new rivals on the way. Scion's FR-S is a rear-wheel drive boxer-engined...