First Drive: 2022 VW Golf GTI is quite the powerhouse!

For bears who are into sporty and zippy and zesty –- and who want to be able to park the car just about anywhere -– the 2022 VW Golf GTI may be just the right choice for your next new car.

Starting at $29,545 US, this version of the classic VW Golf comes with the standard 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo that will give you all the pep you have come to expect.  

But it really is so much more than that.  With 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, this little bear can’t wait to burst once you let it rip open on the road.

I had the opportunity just after Halloween to test drive the all-new Golf GTI in Ashville, North Carolina -– and it was indeed a lot of fun! Ashville is a very welcoming city smack in the middle of a state that otherwise does not look too kindly upon LGBTQ+ people (always important to keep in mind when you are not a local).

Indeed, I had a great time driving along the city streets of Ashville and mountains of North Carolina (never once did I hear a banjo), all the while truly enjoying the smooth ride of the GTI. (GTI stands for Grand Tourer Injection – heck, even I did not know that.)

The thing about the VW Golf, and in particular the GTI, is that it is small car, or SUV or however you care to describe it, but it does have plenty of room inside and it definitely has plenty of get-up-and-go to get you wherever you need to be. 

Standard equipment includes a “10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro” – and what that really means is that it will make it a lot easier for you to see what’s going on with your car. Other standard items include an 8.25-inch infotainment system, 30-color ambient lighting, heated sport seats in “Scalepaper” plaid cloth (trust me, it’s pretty and butch at the same time) and 18-inch wheels.  A host of other cool stuff is available as options. 

The new car market will continue to be squirrely well into the new year, so do as much research as you can online first, but I do recommend you test drive the 2022 Golf GTI (if you can) and see how you like it (you will). 

Car and Driver has named the GTI one of its 10 Best for 2022 – and the year hasn’t even started. This is indeed the most powerful GTI to have come along yet. 

So, as always, be careful. 

You just never when a police officer will be right over that hill waiting to introduce himself.