2018 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen

Date: July 2018
Mileage: 2,000

Summer’s in full swing and we’re loading up for road trips in the 2018 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen. We’re fans of the entire Golf line-up… and the odometer is proof. We put almost 2-thousand miles on this wee wagon during its first month.

Even with extra cargo space it’s tons of fun to drive. The 1.8-liter turbo I4 engine cranks 170-horsepower… but feels livelier with its 199 lb-ft. of torque.

Inside, the seats are comfortably supportive. Sure, there’s a touch screen, but VW also logically laid out manual controls for audio and climate control.

So far we’re averaging 28 miles-per-gallon. And there are many more miles ahead. 

Date: August 2018
Mileage: 7,169

The 2018 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen is just back from a 2-thousand mile excursion. We headed west to Wisconsin, then home to Maryland bringing our total miles so far up to 7169. 

This sporty little wagon holds an astonishing amount of cargo… better than many small crossovers. We fit a week’s worth of luggage for 2 people, plus a bunch of video equipment inside. Highway driving was always comfortable.

The 170-horsepower 1.8-liter turbo I4 was surprisingly peppy, even when fully loaded with the AC blasting. Also, the transmission never got confused even when passing.

The Sportwagen is a foot longer and about 100 pounds heavier than the Golf hatchback, but the handling remains just as sporty.

So far we’re averaging 30.8 miles per gallon of regular, which is better than the government’s combined city-highway number. We’ll see how that number hold up with more warm weather get-a-ways ahead.

Date: October 2018
Mileage: 9,200

It’s time to say good-bye to this 2018 front-drive Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen. During its short 4-month stay, it performed a variety of duties… from around town commutes to a road trip to Wisconsin.  

As the miles passed by the 170-horsepower 1.8-liter turbo I4 remained lively… even when we filled it up with gear… and cranked up the AC.

"The Golf Sportwagen is about a foot longer than the Golf in overall length, but it maintains its solid and sporty driving dynamics. It's comfortable on long stretches of highway, it's engaging on back roads. The 6-speed automatic transmission is a bit rough at times with an abrupt downshift under braking, but overall it's a nice powertrain."

 This sporty little wagon proved itself a worthy cargo carrier… comparable to some compact utilities, while delivering the driver satisfaction we expect from a Volkswagen car. Plus, over 9200-miles we’ve averaged a better than typical SUV, 32-point-6 miles-per-gallon.