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" The Specs The 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine motivating the gasoline-powered Golf VI turns out to be identical to the one powering the current Rabbit. At 170 hp, there is no huge gain in muscle over the previous model. The 177 lb-ft of torque stays the same and fuel economy still hovers around 30 mpg on freeways. If this is a new Golf, where&amp;#039;s the bump in power we&amp;#039;re so accustomed to seeing? It seems, though, that consumers&amp;#039; needs are changing, and the desire for more oomph doesn&amp;#039;t rank too highly on the list. Besides, at a shave under 3000 pounds, the gasoline Golf is no slouch when you hit the accelerator. Why mess with that? We&amp;#039;ve been extolling the virtues of the Jetta TDI Clean Diesel since our first test, comparing it to the Prius. And now that TDI is available in the Golf. Though the engine produces just 140 hp, the impressive 236 lb-ft of torque on tap makes up the difference in a hurry. Throw in the EPA-rated 30 mpg city and 41 mpg highway (when equipped with Volkswagen&amp;#039;s DSG dual-clutch transmission) and we&amp;#039;re left wondering why anyone would bother with a hybrid these days. While the gasoline engine can be mated to a six-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission, the 2.0 TDI offers up a bit more modern innovation with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Drive You won&amp;#039;t be disappointed by either drivetrain option in the 2010 Golf. Though the five-speed manual in the 2.5-liter car is one gear shy when compared to the Golf TDI Clean Diesel, the ratios are well-chosen and make the most of the available power. And with all that displacement on tap, you really notice the low-end thrust compared to just about all of the Golf&amp;#039;s price-point competitors. Romp on the throttle nearly anywhere in the torque band and you&amp;#039;re greeted with ample passing power. Inside, both cars make use of a simple, logical interior that&amp;#039;s easy to live with. Though we&amp;#039;d like the great leather-wrapped steering wheel from the TDI on the Golf 2.5, at just $17,490, the base Golf is well-equipped. Still, the Golf we&amp;#039;d choose would have to be the 2.0 TDI. You simply don&amp;#039;t miss those 30 horses, especially when they&amp;#039;ve been replaced with an extra 59 lb-ft of torque. The car&amp;#039;s a blast to drive, and the great fuel economy means you&amp;#039;re as close to guilt-free as you can get behind the wheel. As with the Jetta TDI Clean Diesel, the six-speed dual-clutch transmission is smooth and accurate, and the six-speed row-your-own is entertaining--despite the lower revs of a diesel engine. Really ramp up the speed in the base model Golf, and the 16-inch wheels make things a bit squirrely at around 100 mph. But that only matters here in Germany. The Bottom Line Volkswagen has once again shown the world exactly how to do a small car--plenty of interior space, efficient motoring and buckets of fun. The small-car market is often seen as a landscape void of driving enjoyment--a place where vehicles are akin to appliances. Though the 2010 Volkswagen Golf may just be one or two chromosomes off from last year&amp;#039;s model, the car retains all the traits we dug the last time around. The addition of the diesel option means the German hatch can now embarrass hybrids at the pump while delivering great handling and grin-inducing torque.  The 2010 Volkswagen Golf starts at $17,490 for the two-door 2.5 gasoline car. If you want the diesel--and you do--it will set you back $21,990. That may seem like a hefty premium, but it&amp;#039;s hard to argue with 41 mpg highway. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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