How the Volkswagen GTI Snagged the 1985 Car of the Year Crown
Subjectively and objectively, the "tiger in a three-piece suit” proved more than worthy enough to take home the title.
Even if you tried not to look ahead and stumble upon the results, you can’t have missed the fact one car took wins in four of the six subjective categories and in two of the three objective categories. And it had strong finishes even in the three categories it didn’t win: a fourth, a third, and a tie for second. So we had a case of specialized strengths plus broad flexibility—domination in some areas combined with sound capabilities in all others—to produce a commendable win … for Volkswagen’s GTI.
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Ever since the VW GTI first appeared (1976 in Europe, 1982 over here), the name has symbolized a special brand of motoring: practical and energy-conscious as the 1980s demand yet quick and high-spirited. This was sensible fun-enthusiast driving with a low profile. To embarrass some much more pricey and prestigious hardware was a no-cost option. Relative to Volkswagen’s projections and production capacity, the GTI was the most successful model in the Rabbit line.
That will probably not change with the new Golf series. The American-made GTI that earned the Car of the Year award impressed us as an expertly engineered and thoughtfully executed automobile, and it’s one that remains the definitive econo sportster.
Our test staff loved driving this car. “Havin’ some fun now!” jotted one driver. And the scores showed that our respect for its capabilities extended far beyond simple considerations of fun. As a finely done car in its own right and the class of its field, the GTI racked up scores sufficient to win Quality Control, Comfort and Convenience, Ride and Drive, and Chassis Dynamics.
It makes a positive impression right from the start. The GTI’s seats, driving position, and overall ergonomics are top-flight. It supports you in an upright, businesslike attitude and presents all the major controls at comfortable angles. Its tall greenhouse gives unlimited visibility.
Get the GTI rolling, and it just gets better. A couple testers noted niggles like “shifter takes a little learning,” “pedal arrangement could be better for heel-and-toe,” “a bit of harshness and tire thump,” and “parking lot steering effort rather high.” No one could deny, however, that VW has succeeded in that tricky task of building in high-performance limits, as well as a cooperative nature when approaching those limits.
Some random selections from the scorebook comments: “Great balance, fun to toss about, a sweetie of a 5 speed.” “First-rate combination of handling characteristics and street concessions.” “Outstanding brakes!” “Sweet motor.” About the only complaints that surfaced with any regularity concerned the car’s less than arresting body styling and its dearth of instrumentation considering its sporty character. Also, some drivers felt its highway ride was pretty rigid, though no one wanted to trade away any of its crisp handling.
For a price right around $10,000, the Volkswagen GTI delivers a combination of talents that exists nowhere else in the marketplace. Other cars, even less expensive cars, may rival it in one area or another; a $9,000 Ford Escort H.O. has nearly as much room, an $8,500 Mitsubishi Colt/Mirage Turbo accelerates faster, and an $8,000 Honda Civic S is as refined. But nobody does it all in this class the way Volkswagen does. And no other new 1985 American car dominates a market segment so effectively.
To quote one last tester comment, “Volkswagen has done it again—a refined GTI, more civilized, but still an absolutely predictable, stable, sporting companion, a tiger in a three-piece suit, the commute-mobile as sports car.”
How true. And now we can add to that, MotorTrend’s Car of the Year for 1985.
