The front-wheel-drive 2010 Volkswagen GTI is available in both three-door and five-door models. The GTI’s 2.0-liter turbocharged, direct injected and intercooled four-cylinder engine produces 200 horsepower (HP) and 207 foot pounds of torque. The inline four can be mated to a six-speed DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) duel clutch automatic or six-speed manual transmission.

The official fuel economy estimates show the GTI’s DSG automatic to be the more thrifty choice of the two. The 2010 VW GTI is EPA rated at 24 city / 32 highway miles per gallon (MPG) when equipped with the automatic and 21 / 31 with the manual transmission.

We covered over 400 miles in our automatic-equipped United Gray Metallic review unit and easily surpassed the official mileage estimates, scoring an average of 36.1 MPG on the Interstate highway and 29.1 MPG combined in winter temperatures and mixed conditions.

Overall test period temperatures ranged from from the low-twenties through the mid-forties. Interstate highway testing temperatures hovered near forty degrees. The test vehicle was equipped with the standard GTI Denver 17-inch alloy wheels, clad with 225/45/R17 all-season tires, and was delivered with just over 4000 miles on the odometer.

(VW offers three different 18-inch wheel options: Topas, Karthoum Black, and Detroit … if you’re looking for a bit more rim to fill the wheel wells.)

Interstate Mileage Testing:

• Cruise control set to 68 MPH, A/C off, heat on, driver seat heated, windows up: 35.4 MPG
• Cruise control off, target speed 60-72 MPH, A/C off, heat on, driver seat heated, windows up: 36.8 MPG

The 2010 GTI’s 14.5 gallon fuel tank provides a reasonable amount of range when driven conscientiously. Premium unleaded gasoline is “recommended for maximum performance.”

The DSG automatic transmission doesn’t just provide higher fuel economy. It also delivers slightly better performance than the manual, with the automatic rated a tenth of a second faster in the sprint to sixty miles per hour (MPH). The GTI’s 0-60 MPH time is factory-rated at 6.7 seconds with the automatic and 6.8 seconds with the manual transmission.

The DSG transmission features Launch Control (not shown in the video review, due to production issues), which promises “the fastest and most precise way of getting your V-dub from 0 to 60.” While that is all well and good, we were able to squeak past the official numbers without using Launch Control.

The DSG’s Tiptronic mode allows full control over gear changes from both the slapstick and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

The GTI includes Volkswagen’s excellent Multi Function trip-computer nestled between the speedometer and tachometer. With trip meters, range to empty, average fuel consumption, and real-time MPG displays, you have all the tools you need to get the most out of every gallon of premium gas (with the exception of right-foot restraint, of course).

For fuel-efficiency’s sake, we always recommend driving with the real time MPG gauge active.

We tested the GTI immediately after testing a very similar Golf TDI. These nearly identical twins tackle the corners using differing approaches, the TDI with its low end grunt and the GTI with a more traditional rev-happy approach.

The interior of the GTI is distinctive, with clean design and upscale materials. The unique flat-bottom red-stitched three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel is exceptional, and features integrated controls for the data displays and audio system.

Our test unit was equipped with hands-free Bluetooth and Autobahn interior option, which includes a power sunroof. The heated Titan Black leather bucket seats provide plenty of adjustment (8-way) and keep you glued with deep bolsters that provide excellent lateral support. Lumbar support is manual. The seat heaters provide two levels of adjustment.

An eight-speaker touchscreen audio system with USB iPod support is standard. (An auxiliary audio input, is provided as well.) The USB interface and auxiliary input are located in the center console. Artists, Albums, and Playlists are accessible from the audio system’s touchscreen interface. The system also includes a six-CD changer, MP3 capability, and an SD-Memory Card reader, along with six free months of SIRIUS Satellite Radio. A Dynaudio speaker system is optional.

There are two twelve-volt outlets: one in the console and one in the cargo area.

The GTI’s rear seat is comfortable for two, with a surprising amount of headroom for a compact. Rear passenger ventilation is included in the center console.

The four-door GTI’s cargo area provides 14.7 cubic feet of storage with the 60/40 rear seats up and sufficient space for larger items with the seats folded down. (The two-door GTI provides 15.1 cubic feet of storage.) A rear seat center pass-through accommodates snowboards, as well as skis.

Worth noting: Volkswagen provides a three-year/36,000 mile no-charge scheduled maintenance program and roadside assistance program.

All-in-all, the 2010 GTI hits the sweet spot, with thrilling performance, solid fuel economy, excellent handling, and a wonderful cabin. With the combination of the GTI and Golf TDI, Volkswagen has delivered a formidable one-two punch.

Parts Content Information
US/Canadian Parts Content: 1%
Major Sources of Foreign Parts Content: Germany – 75%
Final Assembly Point: Wolfsburg, Germany
Country of Origin:
Engine – Hungary
Transmission – Germany

Curb Weight: The four-door manual transmission-equipped 2010 VW GTI weighs in at 3,113 pounds, while the two-door weighs in at 3,034.

But it’s not just about the MPGs. The Golf platform has proven to be quite versatile, with the high-MPG TDIs on the fuel-efficient end of the scale and the venerable GTI and R32 on the sporting side.

The Golf began its run as the iconic VW Rabbit, born in the days of the original gas crises, as the car that would take Volkswagen from its Beetle-roots into the modern world of fuel-efficiency. The Rabbit was rebadged as the Golf for the 1985 model year and returned to the Rabbit nameplate in 2007.

We recently had the opportunity to put the latest Golf TDI through a week-long test drive. Check out our 2010 VW Golf TDI Review:

Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit Gas Mileage: 1979-2010

It was like no BMW I’d ever seen with my own eyes … the grille was unmistakable, but it was attached to body that could be mistaken for any one of a number of hatchbacks.

After the valet pulled the car around we chatted a bit as I loaded up my camera gear and fitted the rig. He was amazed that it was a diesel. And not just any diesel … likely the only BMW 123d M Sport prowling the streets of America.

A quick stop at the vending machine to pick up a bottle of iced tea (as a concession to the fact I was headed off into the Nevada desert) and I was soon settled behind the wheel … looking in vain for a cup holder. I found none.

“It’s the ultimate driving machine,” I heard a voice in my head say in an unmistakable accent. “Not a coffee shop.”

I tossed the bottle of iced tea onto the back seat, crept out of the Rio’s parking lot, and headed west on Flamingo.

In this first short video, I drop the hammer on the 123d … if you watch carefully, you’ll see me check the cheat card after letting off to see how many kilometers equal 60 miles per hour. d’oh!

The misinformed folks that paint diesels as slow have never driven anything like the 123d. I can personally vouch for this little jewel’s stated 0-62 MPH time of 6.9 seconds when the 1995cc engine is mated to the six-speed manual transmission. There’s little doubt about the variable twin-turbo common rail diesel’s 204 horsepower rating and 400 Nm of instantly available torque (approximately 295 foot pounds).

The diesel-powered 123d M Sport sits at the top of the 1 Series range, alongside the 130i M Sport which carries a gasoline engine with significantly larger proportions … 50% to be exact.

The average American might never believe fuel efficiency ratings of 36.2 city / 53.5 highway / 45.2 combined, yet those are the rough equivalents of the 123d M Sport’s official UK ratings of 43.5 urban / 64.2 extra-urban / 54.3 combined.

That’s in one of the world’s most exclusive, if not hottest hatchbacks … one with a stated top speed of 148 MPH. I have no reason to disbelieve that number, although I only had the chance to run halfway up the dial.

The second video is a longer piece where I run the 123d through Red Rock canyon. Not a lot of dialog, just some fantastic scenery, a chuckle or two and the sweet growl of the 123d’s as I chase a couple of Mustangs and a bright yellow Corvette through the snaky canyon road.

In addition to delivering performance that would embarrass most common hybrids, the 123d steals a page from the hybrid book with it’s stop-start technology. When you roll to a stop with the transmission in neutral, the engine saves fuel by shutting down. Engage the clutch and the diesel instantly purrs to life.

Wicked performance and high MPGs?

The 123d M Sport just might be the perfect antidote to hybrid-mania … if BMW could only be convinced to bring the little beauty here …

Under the hood, the 2008 Astra is fitted with an Ecotec 1.8 liter four cylinder engine producing 138 horsepower and 125 foot pounds of torque. While European design details abound in the Astra, the power plant is decidedly domestic.

Among its distinctive design features, the simple yet elegant dashboard, enormous sunroof, and switchblade-like ignition key set the Astra apart from the crowd.

The EPA gas mileage estimates for the 2008 Saturn Astra are 24 city / 32 highway miles per gallon (MPG) when equipped with an automatic transmission.

Over a week of driving, we were able to exceed the estimates, achieving 33.6 MPG on the highway and 28.1 MPG combined.

The Astra provides excellent handling, but its lack of low-end power is a shortcoming, particularly when fitted with the automatic transmission.

The key to optimum gas mileage is presented front and center. The Astra’s on board computer shares its orange monochrome LCD with the sound system allowing you to maximize fuel efficiency with a pair of trip meters and an instant consumption gauge.

Keep an eye on the Astra’s instant consumption gauge while driving with forethought and you’ll soon achieve those (formerly) elusive high mileage figures.

While the Astra may be lacking in straight line performance, it shines on twisty back roads, where it is a sheer joy to drive. The optional sport suspension package and low profile Michelin tires provide an abundance of grip as the Astra moves effortlessly through the twisties.

It’s easy to see why the German-designed, Belgian-built Astra is one of the best-selling cars in Europe, where it is marketed as both an Opel and a Vauxhall. The handling is clearly a notch above much of the competition.

We’d love to see the Astra become a huge success here in the States. But given the times in which we live, it will take a radical move from General Motors to fit the right power plant under the hood. Simply bolting in a more powerful but more thirsty turbocharged gasoline engine will only serve to entice the purely performance oriented.

For the sake of all, GM needs to bring a high-MPG version of the Astra here ASAP.

When mated to a manual transmission in the European Astra Sport Hatch SRi, GM’s CDTI common rail diesel engine produces 0-60 times of 8.3 seconds with 150 HP and 320 Newton meters of torque (roughly 236 foot pounds).

But it’s the fuel economy figures that are the big story with the Euro diesel Astra. In the UK, the Astra Sport Hatch SRi is rated at 39.2 urban / 60.1 extra-urban. That equates to roughly 32.6 city / 50 highway here in the United States.

How many of those could Saturn sell?

Only time will tell …

After months of anticipation, I had the chance that few have had here in America. I spent the better part of a day with a sweet six-speed Nightfire Red MINI D.

Looking at the specs, it’s clear to see why this is the high-MPG king of the hot hatches. In UK measures, the six-speed manual transmission-equipped MINI Cooper D is rated at 60.1 urban / 80.7 extra-urban miles per gallon (MPG). That equates to roughly 50 city / 67 highway here in the States.

Alas, MINI hasn’t brought their diesel coupe to America. And there’s no official word on when, where, or if it might happen. But I knew that one had recently arrived here in the States, as part of Bosch’s in-house Euro Diesel fleet.

My long awaited day in the sun with the MINI D took place while attending the Alternative Fuels and Vehicles conference in Las Vegas. I had to pinch myself when the good folks at Bosch handed me the keys.

I’d done a bit of research before heading out, but I didn’t bother to print a map. I didn’t have a GPS system, but I knew where I was heading.

After loading up the car with my camera gear, I grabbed a bottle of iced tea from a machine in front of the the Rio Hotel and hopped in the driver’s seat. Quickly familiarizing myself with the cabin, I took off west on Flamingo Road, jumped on 215 North, then swung a left onto Charleston … where the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area shimmered ahead like a mirage.

Just minutes out of the city, the little MINI D was soon slithering down the one-way serpentine road that winds its way through the fantastic scenery.

While a 0-62 time of 9.9 seconds might not seem overly impressive, the MINI D feels faster then the numbers tell. The car is quick off the line, with the little diesel mill providing plenty of torque throughout the range. Unlike many small-displacement gasoline engines, the the MINI D’s 1.6 liter four-cylinder diesel engine is infinitely drivable, producing 110 horsepower (HP) and approximately 177 foot pounds of torque between 1750 and 2000 RPM (and a touch more than 191 with overboost).

The MINI D delivers in the city, in the twisties, and out on the highway. Stomp on it and the power is there.

At 70 miles per hour, the engine – jointly developed by BMW and Peugeot – turns at just 2000 RPM, at the peak of its torque curve. The horsepower peak comes around 4000 RPM.

Not as simple as it might seem, the MINI D is filled with high-tech systems:

Auto Stop-Start takes a page from the hybrid book, saving fuel by shutting down the engine when the car is stopped and the transmission is in neutral.
Automatic Stability Control + Traction, Anti-Lock Brakes, Cornering Brake Control, and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution keep the tires glued to the ground.

Now there’s no denying that this is a small car. Some folks might not be able to get over that.

But it’s more than just a good thing that comes in this small package.

If you’re still commuting to work in a jumbo SUV, the MINI D presents a positively mind boggling equation: jump out of the SUV and into the MINI D and you could slash your fuel consumption by 75%.

There’s no word on when MINI will bring the diesel here to the States or how far along they may be with the engineering work. With a great many MINI enthusiasts in California, the company appears to be committed to a 50-state emission compliant solution.

We can only keep our fingers crossed that a clean diesel MINI D will soon cross the pond.

After opening remarks from diesel hot rodding legend Gale Banks, attention turned to the race course laid out though the parking lots of the Rio Hotel and a generous selection of Euro-diesel gems from Bosch’s fleet.

Attendees were treated to some of the finest examples of diesel engineering currently prowling the streets of Europe, including a Honda Accord i-CDTi and i-CDTi CR-V, Chrysler 300, BMW 535d M Sport, Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel, and a Mercedes-Benz E320.

Two of the newest and smallest additions to Bosch’s fleet proved to be the hits of the evening, with the MINI Cooper D and BMW 123d M Sport hot hatchbacks especially well suited to the tight curves of the Rio track.

For those that had never driven a modern clean diesel vehicle, the event was an eye opener, with each vehicle delivering exceptional performance and economy in their respective classes.

For attendees that missed the event … there’s always next year …

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The EPA gas mileage estimates for the 2008 Volvo C30 come in at 19 city / 27 highway, when equipped with the automatic transmission. Over a number of days of driving, we found those estimates to be a tad low, as we achieved 27.5 miles per gallon in combined driving in twenty to thirty degree weather.
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There’s no mistaking the the C30 for anything else on the road, from its distinctive rear hatch and flowing rear quarters — with echos of the early 1970s Volvo P1800 — up to its unmistakably Volvo grille.
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The attention to design detail is superb.
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Under the hood, the 2008 C30 is fitted with a turbocharged 2.5 liter inline five cylinder engine rated at 227 horsepower and 236 foot pounds of torque.ﾠ

All those numbers add up to one thing. When you stomp on the gas pedal, the Volvo C30 gets up and goes.ﾠ

In this little beast, MPH trumps MPG … the C30 is a hot hatch … and isn’t an econobox, by any means.
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Lets take a look inside the cabin …ﾠ

The first time you settle into the C30, you’ll be taken by the unique interior design. It’s a Scandinavian furniture showroom on wheels, intended for those who appreciate clean modern lines.ﾠ

Simplicity is king.ﾠ

The C30’s interior is comfortable, but snug. The wonderfully supportive front bucket seats are highly adjustable — including lumbar — through an array of manually operated levers. While there’s a surprising amount of room in the front seats overall, legroom in the rear bucket seats can be tight for taller folks.ﾠ

Although the hatch storage area might seem a tad small, there’s plenty of room for the groceries and ample visibility out the rear window.ﾠ

The C30’s sound system cranks out the tunes, with an integrated satellite radio, steering wheel controls, and one of our favorite features: a hidden iPod jack in the center console.ﾠ

The heating system features unique controls and remarkably forceful ventilation. Set it on high and it absolutely wails.ﾠ

Driving the C30 is a joy. There’s plenty of power and it holds the road with a more weighty feeling than you might expect from a car this small. Dynamic stability and traction control keeps the car glued.ﾠ

While the C30 comes standard with a six-speed manual, our test unit was outfitted with a Geartronic automatic . If you like to stir the gears without having to worry about a clutch, the slapstick Geartronic fits the bill.ﾠ

But be warned, just three gears and you’ll crest those legal speeds.ﾠ

This isn’t your Aunt Tillie’s Volvo and it isn’t an everyday hot hatch.ﾠ

All-in-all, we found the Volvo C30 to be an intriguing choice for folks in search of a solid sport compact coupe that stands apart from the crowd with distinctive styling cues. We’re hoping that Volvo will bring a fuel-stingy diesel engined equipped C30 to these shores in the near future.