You'd think we would be tired of the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf by this point. We have now completed long-term tests of three versions of the Mark 7 Golf: a 2015 Golf TSI, a 2015 Golf GTI, and now this 2018 Golf Alltrack. But the cumulative 120,000 miles we've put on these various Golfs have only served to further illustrate this 10Best-winning compact car's wide range of talents.
read the full review
We'll admit to being initially charmed by the aesthetics of the Alltrack, which we ordered in the attractive Great Falls Green exterior paint combined with the nicely contrasting Marrakesh Brown interior.
Dynamically, the Alltrack garnered kudos for its smooth ride quality, accurate steering, and refined on-road demeanor.
Few vehicles with this kind of ride-and-handling balance also provide 67 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and drivers made good use of all that space by stuffing the Alltrack full of things, including sandbags, bicycles, groceries, luggage, firewood, coolers, and more.
Several drivers praised the fact that VW still offers a row-your-own transmission option (the Alltrack and its SportWagen stablemate are the only station wagons sold here that still offer a stick shift, and there are only a few SUVs left in the United States with a three-pedal option.)
Despite the additional fun that the six-speed manual brings to the driving experience, some of us still wished—as we are wont to do—for more power than the Alltrack's 170-hp turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-four provides.
Not much went wrong with our Alltrack during its time with us. The few small issues that cropped up—including misaligned headlights, a dead key-fob battery, and a squeaky clutch pedal—were remedied for free at the dealership under warranty.
Regular maintenance totaled a somewhat steep $957 over four scheduled visits, higher than recent comparable long-term cars, including a 2017 Kia Soul that relieved us of $702 in service costs, a 2017 Subaru Impreza hatchback that cost us $652 in maintenance fees, and a Honda Civic sedan that required just $621.
Many of us used the Alltrack as a weapon to wage war against the onslaught of SUVs, as we feel that a station wagon—even one such as this with SUV-inspired touches—offers a far more compelling balance of driving dynamics and practicality than a crossover.
It's hard to argue with numbers like that, but after having such a pleasant experience with this Alltrack for the past year and a half, we can't help but be disappointed with VW's decision.
We began this test by commending VW for being one of the last purveyors of station wagons in this country, but the company will now be without a wagon of any kind for sale in the U.S. for the first time since the 1960s.
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
View Photos of the 1987 Sterling 825SL
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Interior Photos
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Exterior Photos
View Photos of the 2027 Ferrari 849 Testarossa
