The 2012 Volkswagen Golf offers comfort and an elegant design for a variety of transportation needs. The Golf is a solid vehicle, good size, and great value, especially when it comes to comparing prices of similar vehicles.
Key Features
The vehicle has a 2.5 liter five cylinder engine with 170 hp at 5,700 rpm. Fuel economy is 23 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway for the manual transmission, and 24 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway for the automatic transmission.
Changes for 2012
The option packages for the Volkswagen Golf have been simplified. The Golf, Golf with Convenience, and Golf with Convenience and Sunroof guises are available. In addition, the Golf TDI, Golf TDI with Sunroof and Navigation, and Golf TDI with Tech Package come with a 2.0 Clean Diesel engine.
What We Like
The nice design and excellent operation makes the Volkswagen Golf entertaining to drive. The vehicle has the feel of a midsize sports sedan, excellent handling, and nice safety features.
What Concerns Us
There are a variety of competitors for the Volkswagen Golf, such as the Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus. With so many different vehicles and options, you may find something closer to your budget.
Available Models
The Volkswagen Golf with Convenience offers a 2.5 liter five cylinder engine with a five speed manual transmission. It has 170 hp with a fuel economy of 23 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. The Golf with Convenience and Sunroof has a 2.5 liter five cylinder engine with a six speed automatic transmission. It offers 170 hp with a fuel economy of 24 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. The Golf TDI diesel has a 2.0 liter four cylinder engine with a six speed manual transmission. It has 140 hp with a fuel economy of 30 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. This model is available with the technology package and navigation package as well.
Major Recalls
The 2012 Volkswagen Golf was recalled in 2015 due to a loose electrical connection on the driver’s side air bag. This could prevent the air bag from going off during a crash. The Golf was recalled in 2011 because of resonance that can cause injector line number two to develop small cracks leading to a fuel leak.
Common Issues
Common complaints include the AM radio stopped working, door doesn’t unlock properly, not starting, oil leak from the front crankshaft seal, and moisture buildup in the light housing.
