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2003 Volkswagen Golf Review
Sophisticated fun with hatchback practicality.
2003 Golf Review Summary & Specifications
With its precision German engineering, Volkswagen Golf is among the most enjoyable, refined, and sophisticated of compact cars. It has been Europe's best-selling car for more than a decade. One reason why is that it plays many roles and plays them well. The 2.0 and TDI models deliver comfort, handling, quality, practicality, economy, and value. GTI 1.8 T may be relatively expensive when measured against other compacts, but it's more fun to drive and more refined than other cars in its class. If you enjoy driving, this car is a great choice, but we recommend getting it with the manual gearbox. Moving up to GTI VR6 provides plenty of grins and puts you in a performance class with upscale sports sedans and sports cars. In addition to all this, Volkswagen offers not only its standard four-year/50,000-mile warranty, but also coverage of wear and tear items and adjustments during the initial 12 months or 12,000 miles of ownership. Additional coverage includes a five-year/60,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, four years/50,000 miles of 24-hour roadside assistance, and protection against rust-through for 12 years.
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| Vehicle Category | Compact Cars |
| Editor | Mitch McCullough, Editor-in-Chief |
| Model Lineup | GL 2-door 2.0L ($15,295); GL 2-door 1.9L TDI diesel ($16,720); GL 4-door 2.0L ($15,495); GL 4-door 1.9L TDI diesel ($16,920); GLS 4-door 2.0 ($17,520); GLS TDI diesel ($18,710); GTI 1.8 T ($18,910); VR6 ($21,775) |
| Engines (standard) | 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-4 |
| Transmissions (standard) | 5-speed manual |
| Engines (optional) | 115-hp 2.0-liter sohc 8v inline-4; 180-hp 1.8-liter dohc 20v turbocharged inline-4; 200-hp 2.8-liter dohc 24v V6; 90-hp 1.9-liter turbocharged diesel inline-4 |
| Transmissions (optional) | 5-speed manual; 6-speed manual; 4-speed automatic; 5-speed automatic Tiptronic |
| Safety Equipment (standard) | antilock brakes, dual front and side airbags, side curtain protection system, child safety seat anchors, three-pont safety belts for all three rear seats |
| Safety Equipment (optional) | Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) |
| Basic Warranty | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Assembled In | Mexico |
| Manufacturer Phone | 1-800-DRIVE-VW |
| Manufacturer URL | www.vw.com |
| Base Price MSRP | 15295 |
| Model Tested MSRP | GTI 1.8 T ($18,910) |
| Standard Equipment | air conditioning, power windows, anti-theft system, remote keyless entry, power door locks, premium AM/FM/cassette/CD stereo with eight speakers, cruise control, power/heated side remote mirrors, height-adjustable front seats |
| Destination Charge | 550 |
| Options as Tested (MSRP) | Luxury Package ($1,240); Cold Weather Package ($150) |
| Gas Guzzler Tax | |
| Layout | front-wheel drive |
| Price as Tested | 20850 |
| Horse Power | 180 @ 5500 |
| Torque | 173 @ 1950-5000 |
| Fuel Economy | 24/31 |
| Wheelbase | 98.9 |
| Length/Width/Height | 164.9/68.3/56.7 |
| Track Front/Rear | |
| Turning Radius | 35.8 |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Front Head/Hip/Leg room | 38.6/NA/41.5 |
| Middle Head/Hip/Leg room | |
| Rear Head/Hip/Leg room | 37.4/NA/33.5 |
| Trunk Volume | 18 |
| Payload | |
| Towing Capacity | |
| Front Suspension | independent |
| Rear Suspension | independent |
| Ground Clearance | 5.1 |
| Curb Weight | 2932 |
| Stock Tires | P205/55HR16 |
| Brakes Front/Rear | disc/disc with ABS |
| Fuel Capacity | 14.5 |
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