Overall Rating: ![]()
The Volkswagen Golf family is large and diverse, with a model for every life stage. Just starting out? Buy a Golf. Have a little money and a taste for fun? Buy a Golf GTI. A bigger budget and rally-driver tendencies might point you toward the all-wheel-drive Golf R. But what if you find yourself with a couple of kids and a dog and a yen for family road trips? Look no further than the Golf SportWagen, a sure-footed wagon with commodious cargo space and the same driving characteristics that make the whole Golf clan a fixture on our 10Best list.
What’s New for 2017?
The biggest change to the SportWagen lineup is the newly available all-wheel-drive system. Other updates include the availability of a suite of active safety technology in the SE and SEL trim levels. SE owners can now opt for a driver-assistance package that includes blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking. The SEL trim level offers those features as standard; parking sensors, a system that steers the car into parking spots, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beams are available as options.
Trims and Options We’d Choose
Opting for the mid-level SE or top SEL trim pushes the cost of a Golf SportWagen dangerously close to $30,000 and precludes choosing the new all-wheel-drive system, 4MOTION, which is only offered on the base S trim. As a result, we’d choose the S and add all-wheel drive. The base, manual-transmission SportWagen starts at $22,400, but the six-speed dual-clutch automatic ($1100) is also a good choice. Standard features on the S 4MOTION include:
• Car-Net infotainment system with 6.5-inch touchscreen
• Heated front seats
• Roof rails
• 170-hp turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-four engine
Drivers who absolutely must have active safety features will have to pick either the SE or the SEL, since active safety tech is not available in the S.