Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £11,945 to £20,460
Punchy and smooth petrol engine, class-leading refinement, rides well, good drive.
Price premium, uninspiring looks.
The pick of the Golf range.
We drove the 1.4 TSI back-to-back with the non-turbo 101bhp 1.6 and the new common-rail 109bhp 2.0 diesel. Out of the three, the smallest engine was easily the best.
Sprinting from 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds, the turbocharged 1.4 has the most pace off the line. The 148lb-ft of torque from just 1,500rpm gives it nearly as much mid-range flexibility as the diesel - great for overtaking.
In comparison, the diesel offers 0-62mph in 10.7 seconds and the non-turbo petrol 11.3 seconds.
The smaller engine has further benefits. The 1.4 is lighter, which makes it more agile and fun to drive on B-roads. The turn-in is sharp, with plenty of grip. The steering isn't quite as communicative, but this is no deal-breaker: in fact, we can't think of any other car in its class we'd prefer.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Golf
wrote on 20 06 2007
wrote on 14 10 2006
wrote on 06 06 2006