We don't know we're born, really, do we? This is your optimal practical purchase at around £8k and a year old. So what business does it have being so much fun to drive? Even this basic engine is punchy, every bend can be fun, and the ride lets you know exactly what is underneath without jarring - a neat trick. Shame the MkII styling is a bad translation of the MkI's clever language - some soul was lost chasing the Golf's perceived solidity. Less of a revelation than the MkI, but a better car.
