Moderne Fahrwerke (was ist mit dem Fahrer?) | Posts 16+

Just to give you some context, I've driven several cars, from the Golf 2 and 3, to the Opel Astra sedan and station wagon, and now the TDI station wagon. I should mention that I always try to push the limits of the car's handling whenever it's safe to do so, meaning in clear curves, preferably uphill, to see how the vehicle reacts at the edge of its capabilities, specifically approaching the point where the friction force is less than the sum of the centripetal force and the acceleration/braking force.
It's best to deal with critical situations, which everyone encounters at some point, by proactively creating them (without endangering yourself or others! See above examples like a parking situation or training).
For all the vehicles mentioned, I haven't observed any tendency to oversteer or understeer (unlike with various Peugeot models). In my opinion, this is the most important criterion; I don't experience any surprises, but rather I know how the car will behave when pushed to its limits. The other aspects are determined by the tires and the driver's experience. I live in the mountains, so I'm used to the cold weather – I'm definitely not a "flatlander."
I hardly notice the ESP, either positively or negatively. (However, it helped me on a dry road when I was starting to lose control.) When driving on slushy snow, I turn off everything I can to maintain forward momentum, even when the wheels are slipping.
A well-tuned suspension (with balanced and properly adjusted stabilizer bars) cannot be replaced by anything else. The ESP system should not become overly restrictive. Eventually, the car will do everything on its own. That makes me shudder.
I'm very happy with the 4-cylinder engine, but the 2-cylinder diesel felt almost like a part of my own body.
Here's something else about the Kamm circle. The grip of the tire in a curve, which I have available for lateral forces, is reduced by braking or acceleration forces, depending on the road surface. So, if you brake while in a curve on a smooth surface, you're more likely to lose control. In this area, even ESP (Electronic Stability Program) won't help. I always think about it...

Okay, and now here's my two cents:

'I drive through Upper Bavaria every day, so I have quite a bit of contact with snow. Just before I switched from my G2 to my G3, I bought the wheels and tires for the G3 (185/60/14) and still used them on the G2. When I finally put those tires on the G3, I initially slipped even with ABS. Those are definitely the 'luxury' tires. Now I'm using 195/50/15 tires, which has been a huge improvement, but experimenting with the right tire pressure is cheap and very effective. When Kachelmann predicts snow for the next few days, I drive with 'only' 2.0 bar in the front, and if I have to be on the road for longer, I use 2.3 bar, with correspondingly less pressure in the rear. It's a bit of a hassle, so it's not for everyone, but it's cheap and helps.' The car definitely feels more stable on the snow.

Generally, all 2WD Golf diesel models (and similar ones) are probably too front-heavy. It can be fun to play around with, but you don't always want to be dealing with that. You could potentially move some things into the trunk (like the battery or windshield washer fluid), but whether that would really make a difference is questionable. I also usually only drive with about a quarter tank of fuel, which doesn't really contribute to a balanced axle load distribution, and I have a slightly inclined suspension. So, the key is to adapt your driving accordingly.

Happy New Year!
Master craftsman.

I have experience with Golf models 2, 3, and 4 (in the form of a Leon).

The latter two are both equipped with wide tires and a sports suspension.

What I experienced always depended almost entirely on the condition of the shocks and the tire width/aspect ratio (summer vs. winter tires).

and of course, with the adaptation to the corresponding conditions. Vehicle.

The heavy Leon feels most stable (subjectively), but only in city traffic and on highway entrances. Above 220 km/h on the highway and on faster, winding country roads, I get scared. (It wobbles and sways, it's too heavy for the forces acting on it). It also feels the most 'nose-heavy,' but there's a wide range of sensitivity.

The lighter Golf 3 wasn't quite as 'plumb' in tight city streets and on highway on-ramps, but with higher performance upgrades (VR6 stabilizers and suspension) and a higher top speed, it felt the most confident overall.
It didn't feel as nose-heavy, but it did happen that I ended up facing the opposite direction (180 degrees) after exiting the curve (90 degrees) due to the wet road surface. A narrow border area.

The lightest Golf 2 was, in every respect, the benchmark (was it the first 'love at first sight' effect?)(The materials, the overall feel, the awesome 1.6L TD engine, the driving experience, the robustness... oh, it was amazing).

'With its 165 horsepower, it probably wasn't designed for a 'handling course,' but it was in excellent condition regarding its performance and feedback (maximum speed with full load, country roads), and it also had a wide operating range.'

Conclusion:

I'm not going to sign off on this issue of inadequate feedback from modern cars!
Sometimes the performance range is higher or lower, tighter or wider, but I always get a new feel for it with each car!

These ABC-(ESP) - XYZ) things already offer a berserker-like, dangerously all-powerful feeling when driving in the wet, old city streets .

Here's another update on the Polo:

Last week, when our roads were "beautifully" covered in snow, I did some test drives with our Ibiza (185 Fulda Gavito from 2001, estimated 70% tread remaining) and our Polo (195 Uniroyal MS plus from 2004, estimated 90% tread remaining) to compare traction and snow handling.
In the same conditions, the two cars behaved almost identically (around 90%), although I personally preferred the Ibiza a little more.
However, this was also due to the possibility of starting on any incline without using the accelerator with the VP engine, while the PD engine behaves more like a gasoline engine, and you often have to use the accelerator when going uphill.

Well, right now, I suspect that last winter I had particularly bad luck with the Polo in the snow (perhaps there was ice under the snow...?), which skewed my impression somewhat.

But it's still a bit strange that almost new WR tires from a more recent development (= the Uniroyal with silica compound, IIRC) give a somewhat less secure feeling than 4-year-old tires that are already partially worn down .