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New Golf is good enough for Gunner

Thursday, 28 May 2009

Soccer stars like David Beckham and Wayne Rooney have four or five top of the range cars at their disposal. But not all footballers go for such luxury. Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, who recently agreed a new £67,000 a week contract with the Gunners, drives a modest VW Golf. I’m not sure if the 20-year-old has upgraded to the new Golf, but on that kind of money he definitely could afford to opt for the top of the range model.  Prices for the new Golf start at e20,775, while the automatic 1.4 TSi DG7 model I tested will cost you e28,510. The DSG, direct-shift automatic gearbox has 160 brake horse power, so you won’t be left behind at the traffic lights as you can get from zero to 100 kmh in 10.7 seconds. If you are young and fancy something sporty then you should opt for the automatic version as it could save you spending a few extra thousand going for a GTi.  The Golf has been one of Volkswagen’s most popular sellers and 26 million of them have been sold in 120 different countries since it was launched in 1974. It was recently named World Car of the Year at the New York motor show. Critics claim that the car has not changed a whole lot over the past 35 years, but on the other hand why should you make wholesale changes to what is a tried and trusted motor. This is the sixth generation Golf and it was designed by Volkswagen’s Italian-born designer Walter de’Silva. Walter has an impressive CV, having previously designed cars for Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Audi and Seat; so you may have previously sampled some of his work. Most of the changes are on the exterior, but it’s still a fairly basic motor and doesn’t stand out from the crowd. But then the people who drive the reliable Golf probably don’t want to stand out from the crowd. They are likely to looking for a medium, well built motor that can carry five adults in comfort. There is a decent size boot and a ‘mini’ spare wheel. I drove a black model which looked good. Unfortunately the interior must have been designed by Henry Ford as it is predominantly black, apart from the odd touch of silver on the door handles and near the gear shift. The dash on Volkswagen cars is a lesson in simple design, especially the radio. You can pre-select 12 stations on the FM waveband and then if you want to experiment further there is a decent sized button to scroll up and down the wavelengths. It really is a fine sturdy motor and during the week I did a fair bit of driving, but never had to make a pit stop for petrol. The model tested also had a range of extras including cruise control, front seats with lumbar support and 16 inch Atlanta Alloys. With an automatic you definitely need a rest for your left foot. Mr de’Silva has also provided a rest for your right foot, if you are using cruise control. If a Golf is good enough for e67,000 per week Theo Walcott, then it should be good enough for your average Dubliner trying to cope on what is likely to be less than e67,000 a year in wages.