10 Oct 06
There is a god.
The 1.9 turbodiesel four used throughout the Golf family is a superb engine that's flexible, gutsy and brilliantly well suited to the chassis. And it's the most economical engine in the line-up too.
Forget the 1.6 petrols - they're straining to shift today's Golfs, which are heavier than ever.
The winner may surprise you; Skoda may have the frugal, miserly image, but the sleek Seat actually cuts through the air more efficiently, topping the Octavia's 52.3mpg with a quite remarkable 54.3mpg.
Cheap choice: Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI, 2004, £10,000.
Nearly new choice: Seat Leon 1.9 TDI, 2006, £12,000.
Rest of the world: Ford Focus, 2006, £9000. There's a Citroen C4 and a Renault Megane with slightly better fuel economy, but the Focus handles and rides better and an official combined figure of 60.1mpg for the 1.6 TDCi is mighty impressive.
