Reasons Why I Loathe the 2010 VW GTI so Adamantly!

Recently awarded Automobile Magazine's coveted "Automobile of the Year" award, the newly restyled 2010 VW GTI must have some secret formula for tricking automotive journalists into thinking it's a great car. I mean, come on. Take a look at the styling. It just looks like a 1982 GTI that got into the cupcake drawer. And those seats? How many Scottish bagpipe bands had to die to make that tartan seat upholstery?

Okay, this has to stop. There is no way a person can go on deriding a car so perfectly suited to the needs and wants of a human driver. Trying to pretend that the 2010 VW GTI is not the absolute love of my heart has been so teen-angst level painful that I fear I may be cast in the next "Twilight" sequel. If I am cast, I promise to constantly complain about the price of my newfound (and 15 minutes of) fame all from the safe confines of my new GTI.

The beauty of the GTI is not that it does one thing better than any other car but that it does so many things so well. The 2.0 liter engine may not seem all that powerful but thanks to direct injection and turbo-charging all of the power is a your toe-tips from shortly above idle.

That near instant power makes this car explosively fast from a start and nowhere in the rev range do you ever feel any stepped off loss of forward thrust like in a Honda VTEC engine. Why do you think every car company is making direct injected/turbocharged engines now? They are copying this VW motor as it is frugal, powerful and very easy to live with. A classic as engines go.

There may be cars out there with greater power, AWD and all manner of switches to control the suspension tuning. Where the GTI thrives is in its simplicity which demonstrates a clear back to the original generation 1 GTI. Its sole purpose was to make driving fun again, not to turn it into a drag race or some sort of competition.

The VW GTI follows its own marker both stylistically and technologically. There is no unnecessary complexity and this is a car you could easily park in a Country Club parking lot and no one would assume you were the busboy. It has a timeless, classic air that few sporting cars can, have or will manage.

(Starting at: $23,489)

(Engine: 2.0 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder: 200 horsepower/207 lb. feet of torque)

(Fuel Economy: 21 city/30 highway)