Jalopnik published one of it’s top ten “Worst Cars” lists today. As usual, while there are some valid choices, some seem less like carefully weighed criteria and more like a quick “survey” of kinja users that isn’t exactly science. In their latest list, Jalopnik has decided that the Golf 4 is worthy of being named the 3rd worst German car of all time, and the New Beetle deserves the number 9 position.

When a car gets an undeserved smear on a list like this, we feel there ought to be someone who stands up and defends it. Given we’re the flyers of the Volkswagen flag as much as anyone on the interwebs, we figured we’d take up the role, in this case with our own Top 10 list of what’s so wrong with their Top 10 list.

Here’s why they’re wrong.

1. Styling. Walter de Silva thinks that from a design standpoint aside from the Mk1, the Mk4 is the best Golf in terms of design. Yes, he is the head of VW design, but we’re pretty sure he carries more than an elephant’s share of weight in the design world.

2. The powerplants. A highly tunable 4 cylinder turbocharged 20 valve engine with great fuel economy, all in a small platform car for little money? Both engines set new benchmarks when launched, and they were often paired with 6-speed transmissions.

3. That crayon smell– It’s charming and undeniable. Also, it serves as a great conversation starter which we’d imagine was engineered by ze Germans to strategically eliminate awkward moments.

4. It marked perhaps the first time a Manufacturer openly consulted enthusiasts. The 337 Edition was imported as a direct result of consumer outreach, and the 20th Anniversary’s colors were chosen right here on our forums.

5. The Beetle sparked a revolution in design within the industry. J Mays originally penned the Concept One in 1994, the car which arguably sparked the “Retro” trend which inspired numerous concept cars and production cars. J Mays went on to be Chief Creative Officer at Ford due to his work on the design.

6. The MK4s marked Volkswagen’s move upmarket to bridge the interior quality gap between compact imports and expensive euro cars. Don’t pretend you hate the soft touch dash. There’s a little dash stroker in all of us.

7. The R32 is an incredible car, even to this day. 3.2 Liter 24 Valve VR6 in a small platform, mated to 4motion Haldex all wheel drive, 6-speed manual transmission as only transmission, Koenig K5000 sport seats and the fattest steering wheel you could wrap your grubby little fingers around. Some have even appreciated in value.

8. In his reasoning for naming the MK4 Golf, your very own Patrick George said “It’s not that its a bad car.” That didn’t immediately disqualify it from the list?

9. The Pope had one. Pope Benedict drove one when he was still known as Joseph Ratzinger, retired Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the car didn’t drive him to disqualify himself from potential sainthood.

10. Mine never broke. Not even once. Users on Edmunds.com give the car a 4.5 out of 5 on average in their Customer Reviews. Data is your friend.

So Jalopnik, we’d suggest you do a bit more digging next time you make one of these lists. Might we suggest the crumple zone that is the BMW Isetta, or perhaps even the terribly dreadful Opel Corsa A.