Being German is at the core of the VW brand. Besides massive mugs of beer, lederhosen and perfectly browned schnitzel, when you think about what it means to be German, you can’t help but think of German engineering. Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and perhaps the most accessible of all of the German auto brands, Volkswagen which translates into “the people’s car” (Volks = people, Wagen = car).

My new 2010 VW Golf Wagon TDI is an almost perfect example of being German. So many things are right: value, ride, comfort, convenience, fuel mileage, being green.

The 2010 VW Golf Wagon TDI anticipates my needs
My new car correctly anticipates most of my needs. It’s got a number of smart solutions that make my driving experience more fun and comfortable. For example:

• All the conveniences at the right price. Bluetooth, iPod jack, touch screen, satellite radio, panoramic moonroof, 240 lbs-ft of torque and fuel mileage all for well under 35K CAD. VW is a brand that knows its drivers well: their discerning buyers want German engineering and European styling at a Japanese price.
• The fuel mileage is killer. I went on a road trip and then drove around the city for 2 weeks before I filled up. That amounted to 950 km on a 45 CAD tank of fuel. I’m spending more time on the road and less time at the pumps.
• The iPod hook-up is neatly tucked in the front console. It’s hidden unlike most iPod jacks which is perfect for keeping thieves at bay. It also charges the battery which keeps the tunes playing as long as I need ‘em.
• The moonroof is massive and makes the car feel a lot bigger than it is. Trust me, driving in the backseat on a long road trip is not something I’m going to complain about. The views are incredible from the double-panel panoramic moonroof.
• The heated seats are the hottest I’ve had. I’m the girl who uses heated seats year-round. These ones get so hot I actually feel like I’m being grilled a little bit.

Where German perfection ends with the 2010 VW Golf TDI Wagon
Here’s where smart gets stupid: Some of the smart solutions actually create more work and discomfort for the driver. Here are two examples:

• When I start driving, all of the doors automatically lock. This is a convenient safety feature. The problem is that when I stop the car, only the driver’s door unlocks. That means all of my stuff in the back is still locked in the car. What if I had a kid? My kid would be locked in my car. What’s worse is that I can’t change this setting (I’ve tried!). Small thing, but that’s the whole point. They decided that automatic door locking is convenient, but 50% of the time, it’s not.
• When I drive faster, the volume on the audio system also increases. This is a comfort feature that means I never have to adjust the volume while I’m driving. The problem is that my audio system gets louder and louder as I drive faster and faster. At the end of the day, when I get back in my car and turn the ignition on, the music literally screams at me. So I quickly crank the music down. Then as soon as I put my car in gear, the volume adjusts for speed again. So now the music is way too soft. I can just see what happened: VW decided that as soon as you drive, the volume adjusts. The problem is that the definition of driving probably wasn’t discussed. Feature guy thought it was when you start the car and spec or builder guy thought it was when you put the car in gear. And now my ears bleed when I start my car.

Despite these small imperfections, Das Auto is right. I have to agree with AJAC that the 2010 VW Golf Wagon TDI is “the car” to have.

AJAC announced that the 2010 VW Golf Wagon TDI is the winner for Family car under $30,000 for 2010. Read more here.

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