All last week I was in Seattle, test driving the new 6th generation 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI. And considering the roads were perpetually cold and wet (as were all of us test drivers), we got a pretty good feel for the car on the winding roads around Olympic National Park.

The Golf comes in a 2.5L two- or four-door model, or choose the new 2.0L TDI... VW's new "clean diesel" engine that'll get you 30% better fuel economy, or around 30mpg city and 42 hwy. (According to the car's onboard computer, even driving the one I had like a hyperactive monkey with anger management issues, I still got 38.9mpg.)

Here's what else I found:

Eyeball:
Entry level means just that. You're not going to drive this down Rodeo Drive and expect to turn heads. But for a starting price of $17,490 you do get sleek German design that won't leave you slinking down in your seat at red lights, hoping the chicks next to you don't see you.

This edition gets the fresh "face" planned for all VW vehicles, with a wider, double-bar grille that blends into angled halogen headlamps for a sportier look. In the rear, a spoiler with integrated third brake light sits atop the hatch. Updated taillights mimic their counterparts up front, and feature integrated clear turn signal and reverse indicators along the bottom edge. Running lights are blended into the lower rear bumper which adds a blacked out insert and a cutout for a pair of exhaust tips. All helping to keep it from looking "econo box."
(Photos after the jump)

Ballsyness:
The Golf comes with a choice of two engines: The 2.5L inline 5-cylinder that puts out 170 horses with 177 lbs-ft of torque. Not too bad for a sub $20K car. But if you want to have some fun, opt for the 2.0L clean diesel TDI. It produces 140 horsepower, but the torque gets jacked up all the way to an asphalt ripping 236 lbs-ft. And it makes this little Golf a force on the roads. And a boatload of fun to drive.

Inside Story:
Climb behind the wheel expecting to see a spartan interior, and you'll be surprised. There's a lot of bang for the buck, in this entry vehicle. All models come standard with 8-way manually adjustable sport seats, including a two-way adjustable lumbar support. The standard three spoke steering wheel gets the leather wrap treatment and multifunction controls.

The dash and door panels get brushed aluminum trim, which also accents the instrument panel. The black analog gauges get chrome trim. Order the TDI and you can get the optional touch-screen nav system, that came in handy on those back country test roads. And because they know we're bringing our gadgets along, they've included an integrated 30GB hard drive to store audio, WMA / MP3 audio CD playback, DVD playback, an SD memory card slot and a 3.5mm auxiliary input jack in the center console.

Overall:
The Golf may be VW's entry level vehicle, but it feels anything but cheap. If you're looking for an inexpensive car to get you through your morning commute, while avoiding frequent gas station trips, and delivering a ton of fun, take a look at the Golf. There's a reason it was just named World Car of the Year.

Starting at $17,490. $21,990 for the TDI
www.vw.com