Thursday, March 1, 2018

VW's Alltrack wagon offers much to many

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website  www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California – Drive enough big sport-utility vehicles and you start to long for something a bit more manageable, yet something that also offers utility and convenience.

The 2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack S for example.

Ah yes, that’s the ticket.  Good ride height. Modern wagon looks (love the LED lights front and rear). A responsive 1.8-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine putting out a max 170 horsepower but consuming fuel at a relatively positive rate of 22 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.

Sure, it’s considered a “small station wagon,” but you wouldn’t know that from its excellent roadway manners and its generous cargo volume of 66.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded.

All-around vision from the cockpit is excellent.

The starting price is a remarkably reasonable $27,055, and the all-wheel-driven Alltrack is nicely equipped for that number.  The Alltrack’s hill-descent control and off-road mode make it a genuine off-the-pavement warrior.  It really can negotiate the dirt, streams and mud.

Yet the plentiful comfort/convenience perks also make it an ideal daily commuter/driver.

The six-year/70,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty is a nice addition as well.

Looking for something beyond the norm?  How about automatic headlights with rain sensors?  Yeah, pretty cool.

And there’s this: The Alltrack’s “4Motion” permanent AWD system utilizes technology that activates before wheelspin occurs. When operating with a low load or when coasting, the front wheels do the driving while the rear wheels take a break, a fuel-saving measure as a bonus.

The rear wheels can immediately re-engage when needed via the center differential, which VW said is activated by an electro-hydraulic oil pump.  Engineering overload?  I’d say so, but undoubtedly cool.

Overall, the Alltrack is a vehicle that appeals to a super-wide range of consumers, and it competes straight-up with the Subaru equivalents.

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