Domesticated. Will the 'hot' Golf fit into a warm family circle?

So, can the Volkswagen Golf GTI serve as an everyday car? To get a competent answer, I brought in our family car specialist. After returning from summer vacation, during which several very different cars passed through the editorial office, Yulia was already missing work and was ready to test anything from a Matiz to a Gallardo. You'll find her impressions below. But for now... The first outing didn't take long to happen. Saturday, just after six in the evening. Me, my wife, the kids, and a little red car. We got ready and hit the road. A twenty-minute standstill in traffic on the endless construction site called "Leningradsky Prospekt" turned our early departure into a task comparable to what Jean Todt sets for Michael Schumacher at the start of a race. First we counted off tens of minutes, then minutes, and toward the end—almost seconds. May the authors of traffic rules, traffic police officers, and stubborn drivers in the left lane in low-powered cars forgive me. I'm not a racer or a street racer. But the circus show about to begin, front-row tickets, and the kids' shining eyes—that's more important. We could make it, and we did. And don't think anything bad! It's not about speed at all. During the day in Moscow, even on weekends, there are plenty of cars, and you can only tear around at full tilt in a fighter jet. So something else matters much more: compact dimensions, precise handling, a reserve of torque for acceleration, reliable brakes, and, of course, complete confidence in all of it. The Golf GTI has all of that. In my own car, with exactly the same engine, I couldn't drive like that no matter how hard I tried. The format isn't right. Remember the movie "Taxi"? Well, a ride in the Golf GTI with a chase after a white Peugeot has nothing in common with it. No shaking, no screaming, no nausea. If my memory serves me right, in my passengers' feedback about that ride, a word similar to "comfortable" came up. I believe them. They didn't experience terror, and I had fun. Pass! Over the weekend, I drove this Golf more than 400 kilometers: city trips, a trip to the race track, and night runs along the Northern Loop of the MKADburgring. And here's my personal opinion: this is truly a "two-in-one" car. In calm mode, it's a regular Golf with all the conveniences (climate control, xenon, great music, and so on). But if you really press the gas pedal and use other levers of influence on this vehicle, then... it turns into a sports car that not every car of a higher class and price can compete with on the road. Would such a car fit into our family? As a second car—quite possibly. Only, of course, a five-door. And, probably, not red, but, say, white. And not with a manual (though it's damn good), but with the DSG robot. So that my wife and kids could go where they need to, and I could "have some fun" when the occasion arises. Wait, but there's also the Golf R32—with a 3.2-liter V6 and all-wheel drive! Yes, there is. But that's a completely different story... Now, let's hand it over to our family car expert. Technical specifications

Specifications	$35529
Body type	3-door hatchback
Number of seats	5
Trunk volume, l	350—1305
Curb weight, kg	1335
Gross weight, kg	1900
Engine	petrol, with direct fuel injection and turbocharging
Location	front, transverse
Number and arrangement of cylinders	4, in-line
Number of valves	16
Cylinder bore/piston stroke, mm	82.5/92.8
Displacement, cm3	1984
Compression ratio	10.5:1
Max. power, hp/kW/rpm	200/147/5100
Max. torque, Nm/rpm	280/1800—5000
Drive	front-wheel drive
Transmission	6-speed manual
Front suspension	independent, coil spring, McPherson, with stabilizer
Rear suspension	independent, coil spring, multi-link, with stabilizer
Front brakes	disc, ventilated
Rear brakes	disc
Tires	225/45 R17
Maximum speed, km/h	235
Acceleration time 0—100 km/h, s	7.2
Fuel consumption, l/100 km
— urban cycle	11
— suburban cycle	6.2
— combined cycle	8
Fuel tank capacity, l	55

Equipment of the tested car Standard equipment (in addition to Golf Trendline):

• Body
  • Alloy wheels "Denver" 7.5 J x 17 with locking bolts (4 pcs.), tires 225/45 R 17
  • Decorative chrome double exhaust pipe trim
  • Exterior mirror housings and door handles in body color.
  • Side protective moldings in body color.
  • Exclusive bumpers with protective moldings in body color
  • Brake calipers painted red
  • Glossy trim on center pillars
  • Rear spoiler on top, in body color
  • Exclusive radiator grille with honeycomb pattern and "GTI" badge
  • Glazing with heat-protective tinting of blue shade
  • Darkened headlight housings
  • Sports suspension with reduced ground clearance (-15mm compared to standard)
• Interior
  • Storage compartment with lid in the ceiling
  • Storage pockets on the backs of front seats
  • Headliner — black, for beige interior — beige
  • Front passenger seat, height-adjustable
  • Decor "Polished Aluminum" with metal inserts in the dashboard, center console, and doors
  • Center armrest on the rear seat with an opening for long items.
  • Sports aluminum pedals with rubber pads
  • Trunk shelf with a net attached underneath
  • Closed trunk niches.
  • Footwell lighting
  • Exclusive 3-spoke contoured leather steering wheel, side parts made of perforated leather. Aluminum insert on the lower spoke with "GTI" logo
  • Handbrake handle trimmed in leather
  • Front seats with lumbar support
  • Exclusive gear shift lever trim in leather with aluminum inserts
  • Fabric mats front and rear
  • Seat upholstery in fabric, design "Interlagos"
  • Exclusive design of instrument dials with centrally symmetrical arrangement of numbers. Speedometer calibrated up to 300 km/h.
  • Headliner — black (for beige interior — beige)
  • Exclusive "Top Sport" seats with "GTI" logo
• Safety
  • Electronic stability control (ESP), including two-stage emergency brake assist (EBA), ABS, EDS, and ASR.
  • Auto-dimming interior rearview mirror
  • Front fog lights
  • 6 airbags (2 front, 2 side, 2 curtain)
• Functional equipment
  • Semi-automatic air conditioner "Climatic".
  • Glove box with cooling.
  • For automatic transmission — paddle shifters under the steering wheel.
  • 2 individual reading lights above the front seats with chrome trim and 2 above the rear seats
  • Outside temperature display
  • Automatic headlight activation with "Coming-/Leaving-Home" function;
  • Rain sensor
  • Two-tone horn
  • Vanity mirrors in sun visors with lighting, extendable sun visors.
  • Multi-function indicator in the instrument panel.
  • Power outlet in the trunk.
  • Reduced spare wheel (space saver)
  • Tire pressure indicator (indirect measurement via ABS)