Congestion ahead while driving Scirocco

Last week we got the dreaded phone call from Volkswagen and it's time for the Scirocco to go back to its rightful owner. Having spent nearly three months with the little VW, I am reluctant to let it go. But since my feeble attempts at the authoritarian "we can't send it back yet" phone calls and even desperate pleas cut no ice, it seems we will have to see our longtermer off shortly.

Knowing well that my time with the Vee Dub was limited, I headed to Fujairah last Thursday. But since I am worse than rubbish with directions — what doctors would term ‘geographically autistic' — I ended up in the depths of what looked distinctly like Sharjah. A quick scan of the signs confirmed that I was indeed in what is possibly the most congested city in the universe.

Being ever the optimist, I thought it was in fact a good opportunity to test the VW in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Surprisingly, I did notice something I hadn't earlier. Under 1,500rpm the 'Rocco feels hesitant and rough. This, er, driving characteristic is magnified further if you have the transmission in Sport mode.

However, the ‘problem', if you can call it that, is remedied as soon as you get an open stretch of road and plant your right foot. In essence, the Scirocco is perfect for squirting in and out of traffic, but a tad jumpy at low speeds. Outward visibility is great, although the tiny rear window, thanks to the sloping coupé-ish roof, could have been bigger.

At the end of the day the Scirocco did get me back home with my sanity intact. And had I relied on its sat-nav rather than my own abilities, there's a fair chance I would have made it to Fujairah. Boy, will I miss it when it's gone.

Facts