We have lauded stories of the new Golf R and its power and precision as one of the leaders in the hot hatch category, but the Volkswagen Golf is much more than that.  The Golf is actually a whole line up of vehicles and powertrains to ensure you can have the vehicle you need to do the driving you want to do from a great car.  This car is able to be a two door or four door model, a hatchback, sedan or even a wagon to give you the right size and shape to fit the needs you have for driving.

With four powertrain setups to choose from the Golf offers a variety for you.  At that base model Golf and SportWagen we see a 1.8-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that offers 170 horsepower and 200 lb.-ft. of torque.  This engine is attached to either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission to give the car a fuel mileage of 25 city/37 hwy on the manual and 25 city/36 hwy mpg on the automatic.  Next up is the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine found in the GTI which offers up 210 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque.  With the performance pack attached the horsepower can be increased to 220.  This engine is attached to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission to give a fuel mileage of 25 city/34 hwy mpg for the manual and 25 city/33 hwy mpg for the automatic.

For the top performance model, the Golf R we see a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that produces 292 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque.  This engine is mated to the same transmissions as the GTI and produces a 22 city/31 hwy mpg for the manual and 23 city/30 hwy mpg for the automatic.  The Golf R and GTI both require premium fuel.

If you don’t want a power hungry ride and would like an electric powertrain, you are in luck; the e-Golf is the way to go in order to enjoy an AC synchronous electric motor that produces 115 horsepower and 199 lb.-ft. of torque.  This gives you a range of 83 miles on a full charge which can be charged on only four hours using a 240-volt outlet.  This comes out to a fuel mileage of 126 city/105 hwy mpge, amazing and certainly a way to show you are being eco-friendly and don’t want to spend any money on gasoline.

The best part of owning a Golf is the drive.  The suspension is taught and the chassis stiff to give you a ride that is excellent you will feel you have enjoyed the drive you desire whenever you choose to drive your Golf.  You want a dynamic drive without a harsh ride and this setup certainly provides that to you, you can fully appreciate the ride while seeking much more winding roads, a mountain pass or a canyon run that will make your trek the most active and agile of its kind.

What makes the Golf unique is the European flare you can enjoy while driving.  This car is made to navigate the narrow streets in many of the large cities across the pond, which makes it the perfect choice for driving here in the States as well.  For your enjoyment the Golf gains a new MIB II infotainment audio system with the VW Car-Net App-Connect technology.  This system is able to support Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink to give you the most connected ride yet.  Along with this the car now has adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist and parking assist to help the driver stay safe on the ride.

The Golf not only offers a dynamic and enticing ride, but it comes at a price you can afford and want to buy.  The small 2-door hatchback shows up at $19,315 while the S model will ask for a bit more at $20,395 for the 2-door and $20,995 for the 4-door.  The Se comes in at $26,045 while the SEL starts at $28,215.  The GTI gets the sporty stated at a price of $25,815 with a top price of $33,550 and the Golf R will begin around $38,000.  For the electric e-Golf you will pay just a little over $36,000 but that is before the incentives offered to make it much less expensive overall.

As for standard features for this price the base model offers power windows and door locks, air conditioning, a touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity, Sirius XM satellite radio, a media device interface with iPod integration.  Moving to the S model will bring in aluminum-alloy wheels, V-Tex leatherette upholstery, steering wheel controls, a rearview camera and cruise control.  the four door models add some power for the front seats to make them even easier to enjoy.  The SE brings in push button starting, a Fender Premium Audio System while the SEL will add 18-inch alloy wheels, a navigation system and sport comfort seats with a 12-way power adjustment.  The Golf R adds leather seats, automatic climate controls and bi-xenon headlights.

For the optional features you can have the Fender audio system, a driver-assistance package which features forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring and front and rear parking controls.  Other options include the adaptive damping system, a performance package, larger brakes, and Normal and Race modes for the Golf R model.

The interior of the Golf is set up right for driving.  The cabin offers a great place to drive from and a comfortable ride from every seat in the car.  With a 60/40 split folding rear seat you can enjoy plenty of added space for cargo hauling.  On the outside the Golf offers an athletic stance that is easy to enjoy in order making it a dynamic ride.  The styling is not overly done as the Golf allows the performance to speak for itself which certainly makes a tremendous statement.  If you are looking for a great new car to drive that is small in size, the Golf is a fantastic choice and the new 2016 models will be available soon.