A Baby Porsche

You sometimes hear people say, “The Volkswagen Golf is like a Porsche” or call it a “Baby Porsche.” I’ve even written on this blog that our family’s Golf 7 (1.2-liter turbo engine, seven-speed DSG) has a driving feel remarkably similar to a Porsche. I’d like to take another look at that comparison.

I really do think the Golf’s driving feel is a lot like a Porsche’s. Maybe it’s more accurate to say they share a similar quality.

To use a food analogy (I’m no meat expert, though! lol), I think of a Porsche as a “premium lean cut with very little fat.” The Mercedes-Benz S63 I drove recently, by contrast, felt like “exceptional marbled beef”—the kind where the rich fat practically melts in your mouth.

メルセデス・ベンツAMG S63 4MATIC クーペ （C217）を所有してみた感想

The Golf, like the Porsche, strikes me as a lean cut. Of course, a Porsche and a Volkswagen are in completely different price brackets, so they’re certainly not identical. It’s more that they’re both premium lean cuts, even if they’re not the same grade.

Hmm… I came up with the analogy myself, but I’m not sure whether it makes sense or not… (*_*)

What the Porsche and Golf Have in Common

The Porsches I’ve driven so far include the new Cayenne, the 970 and 971 Panamera, the 981 Boxster, the 718 Cayman, and the 911 (991 and 964). Based on those cars, I find that the Golf’s driving feel is closest to the Panamera.

That said, maybe the Golf feels more like a Macan. Unfortunately, I’ve never driven one—I’ve only ridden in the back seat—…

The new Cayenne was another story. The driving position is very high, and its ride comfort was by far the smoothest of any car I’d driven up to that point. After test-driving it, I have to admit the Golf seemed less impressive by comparison.

The 981 Boxster, 718 Cayman, and 911 are true sports cars, so they feel quite different from the Golf (though perhaps a GTI would be more similar). So, based on my experience so far, I’d say, “Of all the Porsches, the Golf feels most like a Panamera.” Here are a few things they have in common.

Firm Suspension

At the start, I compared the Porsche and Golf to lean cuts of meat, and I’d say the Golf’s ride is on the firm side. It feels planted, and it absorbs bumps and impacts with a solid, controlled response rather than a soft, floaty one. The Panamera feels much more substantial and planted, of course, but the Golf is a lighter, milder version of that.

That doesn’t mean it’s “so stiff that it’s uncomfortable to ride in.” The ride is actually very smooth. The combination of a firm suspension and a smooth ride is another way the Golf reminds me of the Panamera.

The Feel of the Steering Wheel

I like the Golf’s steering wheel. I’m not a fan of the thick, soft wheel in the S63, so I prefer a firmer wheel that fits comfortably in my hands, like a Porsche’s. In terms of its feel and finish, the Golf’s steering wheel reminds me of the Panamera’s.

The Porsche steering wheel sits at a more upright angle (I’m not quite sure how best to describe it), and the Panamera’s is thicker and feels more premium than the Golf’s. Still, they’re similar in the way they make you feel, “Okay, time to focus and drive!”

High-Speed Stability

The thing that surprises me most whenever I drive the Golf is its high-speed stability. Even at 100-plus km/h, it feels rock-solid, and it stays composed when changing lanes at that speed, with no sense of unease. It can even feel as though the faster you go, the more settled the car becomes. I’d say its stability can hold its own against the Panamera, too. (Though perhaps that would change at even higher speeds.)

Our Golf cost one-seventh as much as the Panamera Turbo, yet every time I take it on the highway, I’m impressed by how much performance and engineering Volkswagen has managed to deliver.

Body Rigidity

The Golf’s body feels very rigid. Not that I’ve driven it in situations involving particularly high G-forces or anything… Still, compared with Japanese cars in the same class, it feels far more rigid.

You can sense how solidly the car is built, which makes it reassuring to drive. Porsches also feel exceptionally rigid, and that’s another area where I think the Porsche and Golf have a lot in common.

A Sparkling Finish After a Hand Wash

The Golf had gotten incredibly dirty (the exterior was bad enough, but inside, the kids had left snack crumbs everywhere, with sand and dirt on the floor—it was a real mess), so I decided to take it for its first hand wash. I went to a nearby gas station and ordered the full works: an exterior wash and wax, plus a vacuum of the interior. The job took just under an hour.

The Golf came out looking as good as new.

They asked if I wanted to have the car protected with a coating, but with its inspection due this summer, I said I’d think about it and headed home. Still, a coating would help keep the car looking this good, so it’s probably worth considering.

So, to sum up: the Golf really does feel like a Porsche. German engineering at its best. The Panamera has finally passed 20,000 km (I’ve been enjoying it a little too much!), and for now, the Golf is the car I drive most often. This has reminded me that I want to keep taking good care of it.