Provoking my wife to debate something is about as difficult as convincing a kid to eat cookies or ice cream. We have bickered about everything from the color of carpeting to the merits of her mom’s pumpkin pie.

Yet there’s one subject on which we always agree: Cars.

Ronda doesn’t necessarily know the distinctions between, say, a Camaro RS and a Camaro SS… or turbocharging and supercharging.

But she’s an expert on spotting and citing the strengths and weaknesses of a particular vehicle. So much so that she used to write a sidebar to this column offering her own observations about the test car.

These days, she hardly drives them so her assessments are terser. Typically, she’ll respond with a tepid “It’s okay” if she’s unimpressed following her first time behind the wheel.

When she really likes a vehicle, however, her assessment usually begins with an equally succinct, “It’s amazing.” In special cases, she’ll just say, “Wow.”

The 2010 Volkswagen GTI prompted both of those responses from Ronda. She added, “I’d buy one of these in a minute.”

That wouldn’t be a stretch for the average car buyer because the GTI can be had for around $24,000. That’s not cheap, but neither is it beyond the reach of the average new car shopper.

Those who have to exceed their budgets might find justification and consolation in the fact that the GTI seems like it should be priced thousands of dollars higher. It delivers the road feel, refinement, ride and joy you would expect from a European thoroughbred costing several thousand – if not $10,000 or $15,000 – more.

Remove the VW logos and it easily could pass as an Audi.

Like Audis and other European sport sedans, the GTI is the kind of car that makes you dread reaching your driveway. Being behind its steering wheel is so much fun that it changes commuting from a chore into an opportunity.

Everything about the GTI’s driving dynamics makes it a pleasure to drive. And it doesn’t just ask to be driven swiftly, it pleads.

It all starts with the GTI’s electro-mechanical rack-and-pinion steering, which is about as communicative as a baby with a wet diaper. Make a list of things one wants in a steering system, and the GTI checks off every box.

Precision, linear response and ample feedback are all on the list, and delivered through a thick, nicely padded steering wheel. The steering boost is superbly calibrated, making for easy turning during slow-speed maneuvers and firming up to prevent twitchiness at high speed.

The GTI handles corners like an origami artist. It grips tenaciously while exhibiting minimal body roll. A new-for-2010 electronically controlled limited slip differential makes the front-wheel drive GTI feel more like a rear-wheel drive vehicle by eliminating the wheelspin that can plague high-performance front-drivers when accelerating out of a corner.

That’s important because the GTI has plenty of power. Its 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine with direct injection is a high-tech marvel EPA-rated at over 30 mpg on the highway. I averaged over 25 mpg during a 420-mile highway trip filled with full-throttle, high-speed dashes and passes.

The trip was marked by several highway passes and dashes during which the GTI engine’s responsiveness was impressive. Blipping the throttle, even at 70 mph, provokes an immediate and rewarding reaction.

Launches are equally rewarding. Volkswagen claims a zero-to-60 capability of 6.8 seconds, but I find that hard to believe. The GTI that I tested feels much quicker – more like a high-five-second or low-six time. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to put my stopwatch to it.

The engine’s refinement impressed me as much as its responsiveness. It revs so effortlessly and is so smooth and quiet at speed that it feels like it has two more cylinders than the spec sheet states.

The engine is a carryover from the 2009 GTI. That’s somewhat unusual for what manufacturers consider a new-generation vehicle, but then again the engine was redesigned last year.

And it typifies the sixth-generation GTI, whose changes are more evolutionary than revolutionary.

Take its exterior, for example. It’s not difficult to confuse the 2010 with its predecessor despite considerable tinkering by Volkswagen’s stylists.

The result of their work is a sleeker yet more angular and aggressive looking car. They deserve some kind of award for creating a design that at once conveys the GTI’s spirit and distinctiveness without alienating any potential buyers.

It’s a somewhat similar story inside, where the changes are even more subtle yet still noticeable. The overall look of the dashboard hasn’t changed much, but there’s a new steering wheel, climate controls, air vents and touch-screen audio interface. The seats are more comfortable and supportive.

Another endearing GTI attribute is that its base price includes nearly all of the goodies the average car buyer is likely to want or need. Even an iPod adapter is included, leaving mainly items such as a sunroof, bi-xenon headlights and a GPS system to lust after.

Even without those items, it’s easy to lust after the 2010 Volkswagen GTI. And if you don’t want to take my word for it, just ask my wife what she thinks.

NUTS AND BOLTS

What is it? 2010 Volkswagen GTI, an incredibly refined, athletic and attractive sporty coupe or sedan at a great price.

What's it cost? GTI is available with two or four doors and six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Starting prices range from $23,290 for a two-door manual like the one tested to $24,990 for a four-door automatic, excluding a $700 destination charge.

What I liked best: Slick styling, hatchback convenience, surprising comfort and refinement, athletic performance and affordable price.

What I liked least: The wife proving that she knows cars as well as she knows me.

Who's it for? Anyone who wants a sporty compact car that delivers the feel and refinement of a European thoroughbred for the price of a nag.

Important numbers: 2.0-liter, 16-valve, In-line, turbocharged 4-cyl with direct injection produces 200 hp, 207 lbs-ft of torque. 6-speed manual. 101.5-inch wheelbase. 3,034-lb. curb weight. 21 city/31 highway mpg (EPA). 15.3 cu. ft. cargo space. 0-60 in 6.8 seconds (VW spec).

About the Author

Scott Wasser is the managing editor for the Times Leader. Reach him at (570) 970-7162 or swasser@timesleader.com.

Scott Wasser is a previous Vice President of News. He currently serves as executive editor of the Portland Press Herald as her continues to write an auto column for The Times Leader.

Wasser has worked at newspapers as diverse as the Stuttgart Daily Leader in Arkansas and the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina. His Times Leader tenure began in 1983, when he was hired as the newspaper’s sports editor. Over the next decade, he turned the newspaper’s sports section into one of the most recognized in the nation as it was annually named one of the best daily and Sunday sports sections in the country.

Wasser left the sports department to become assistant general manager and online editor of The Times Leader’s website during the infancy of the internet. He left The Times Leader in 2000 to become online editor of the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal. Just prior to returning to The Times Leader in 2008, he was editor-in-chief of a national magazine covering home theater and other consumer electronics.

But Wasser says his proudest accomplishment is having driven and reviewed over 1,000 cars, trucks and motorcycles since he started writing a weekly car column for The Times Leader in 1988. The column, which runs in print on Saturday and online here, has appeared in several other newspapers, and Wasser has contributed auto-related content to national publications including “Road & Track” and “Open Road” magazines and “USA Today.”

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