How to Make Parenthood More Punk-Rock, in One Simple Step
Have you driven a 2017 Volkswagen Golf? If not, stop reading this article right now and go straight to your nearest VW dealership for a test drive.
Go on, I’m serious. This article will still be right here when you get back, and it will make a lot more sense. See you soon.
For the rest of us, seriously, how awesome is the Golf? I have had mine since March and, guys, I’m in love. My Golf is more than just a car- it’s an extension of myself. If I were a Transformer, I would be the robot who changes into a VW Golf. It’s everything I envision myself to be- fast, peppy, on trend, hip yet practical, more fun than others in itsclass yet still completely safe and reliable. Cute but not too cute. High performance but surprisingly low-maintenance. I am my Golf, and my Golf is me.
Are you still with me? Good. Before I extol the many, many virtues of my car, the Red Tornado (so named because of its Tornado Red paint job and swiftness, as well as my affinity for obscure superheroes), here’s a little background info on me. I’m a 37-year-old mom of a kindergartner, yet I still feel the need for speed! When it came time to trade in my previous lease, a cute but lackluster Nissan Versa that I practically had to push up hills, I was all set for a little more edge. I wanted something a little more badass, a little more metal. Yet there was still the issue of needing safety and a big enough backseat to stash a 5-year-old and his booster seat. All the awesome, sporty roadsters on the market, as well as the absolutely precious but ultra-compact VW Beetle, were out of the question, which left me wondering, is there such a thing as a car that a mom can drive that isn’t a “mom car?”
As it happens, the 2017 Volkswagen Golf fit the bill in every way imaginable. I originally went to Tynan’s VW dealership to test drive the Beetle Convertible, a car I have had a love bordering on obsession with since I received my first driver’s license. Not only was the Beetle Convertible a smidgen out of my price range, it quickly became apparent that a two-door convertible with a tiny backseat would not be conducive for elementary school dropoff. Reluctantly, I trudged back to the showroom, my hopes dashed and my spirit absolutely crushed. And then I saw the Golf.
Now, I’d always been aware, of course, of the Golf’s existence, and the GTI has always held a particular fascination for me, but I had assumed that it was way out of my price range. I was both right and wrong- while the GTI was easily several thousands more dollars than I could comfortably budget, the baseline model 2017 Volkswagen Golf TSI was right where I needed my monthly payments to be. Not only that, but it had the functionality and practicality of a family car, what with the surprisingly roomy backseat and the hatchback, while still retaining a little attitude. Here was a car that would look just as at home with bumper stickers featuring my favorite punk bands as it would with one of those insipid stick-figure families, or a Baby on Board sign. The test drive cemented it for me- never in a million years had I dreamed a 4-door hatchback could move like that. From that moment on, the Red Tornado and I were as one- what Volkswagen has joined together, let no man put asunder! I just really, really love my Golf, is what I’m saying.
