Yet Another Harpmobile Question-Jetta/Golf Sportwagen

[Barbara Henniger]

We have a Rav4 which is wonderful for moving around my wife’s L&H Prelude 4. I’m hoping to find something more economical on fuel and am thinking of VW’s Golf Sportwagen tdi. Is anyone using this as a harpmobile? And for what size harp?

Thanks,

David

[Tacye]

I use a golf estate (British naming – I am not sure what a sportwagen is) for my L&H 85CG.

[barbara-fackler]

We use a Passat wagon as our primary harp moving car. We have a Jetta wagon as the back up. The harp (L&H 30) has to go in bottom first and rests on the back of the passenger front seat but it fits. We always try cars on. You might take the harp to the dealer and see if it fits in the lot. They’re always curious that we don’t want a test drive before we slip the harp inside.

[Angela Biggs]

Funny you should ask this — my husband and I just harp-tested that car a month ago! I currently own a 2003 Jetta TDI, and my Heartland Sylvan (36 string lever harp, 52″ without case; the case adds at least 3 inches) is such a tight fit that I can’t get it in and out by myself.

The Sportwagen, however, was lovely. My harp actually fit in the back seat, which I love because I could use the seatbelts to strap it in. The back is roomy, with plenty of space for all your equipment. In the 2009 and 2010 models, the headrests on the back seats come off so that you can fold the seats down flat, but they changed this in the 2011. Surprisingly, on the outside, the Sportwagen is at most 6″ longer than our older Jetta. We parked our car right next to the test vehicle, and we’re not sure there was even that much difference. Maybe 3″? So, it will park very much like a compact car. Turning radius seems to be close or identical to the smaller Jetta as well. Another plus is that TDIs are a fun, peppy, sporty drive.

We also tried out the Golf for size. The hatchback (as opposed to the trunk of the Jetta) added enough space that I could fold down the back seats and get the harp in and out by myself, but fitting in the bench, stand, etc. would have been difficult, and the person in the passenger’s seat might be a little cramped. If the Prelude 4 is anything like the dimensions of the current Prelude 40 (http://www.lyonhealy.com/lever-prelude.htm), I’m pretty sure you couldn’t get it into a Golf.

If your harp will fit, and it’s quite possible, I’d say the Sportwagen is a good choice. And it definitely doesn’t drive like a station wagon! 🙂

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I just purchased a Prius V, which fits my concert grand Style 23 plus the harp dolly and bench. The gas mileage is excellent!

[brook-boddie]

Elizabeth, I currently drive a Tahoe, which fits my pedal harp just fine.

[hitomi-momose]

My next car will be Prius v. Thank you.

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