Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion Tops Electric Rivals
New-Car Buyer's bible, What Car? recently carried out a comparison test between the Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius and the Golf Bluemotion. The Golf 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion was hailed as the most practical car of the test as well as the best value to buy and run.
The cars' driving styles, interiors and respective costs were compared. "The Golf is by far the sweetest of the trio to drive. Its smooth, communicative steering, silky suspension and secure handling gives it the edge over its rivals," said What Car?. "The Leaf isn't nearly as gripping or composed," and "the Prius suspension is prone to banging and jiggling over bumps."
Reviewers also said that "all three cabins are solid and well built, but the Golf's smart materials create a better first impression that the velour and rather bland plastics in the Japanese cars."
In conclusion, the What Car? panel labelled the Golf "fun to drive, with a strong engine, low running costs and huge touring range." In fact, it can travel just under 900 miles on one tank of diesel - whilst still identical to regular Golf as far as driving experience and maintenance and service requirements go.
Final verdict? "Diesel power beats electric".
No More Congestion Charge for BlueMotion Golfs or Polos
And there's more recent good news for Golf (and Polo) owners. Owning a BlueMotion Polo or Golf already means you are exempt from road tax. Now, because of recent changes to London's Congestion Charge from Transport for London (TfL), you can drive all year round in the Charge Zone for £10 (please note that you must register with TfL and pay the annual fee first to avoid a fine).
This is because the new rules state that the daily charge of £10 is only to be levied on vehicles that produce more than 100 g/km of CO2. Among the vehicles to benefit from this decision are the Polo (weighing in at 91 g/km) and Golf (which emits 99 g/km). The owner of either of these cars could therefore save £2500 over a year if driving to work in the Charge Zone.
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