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.
Volkswagen claims the new Golf is one of the safest in its class. Recent Euro NCAP crash tests bear this out, with five stars awarded for adult occupancy, four for child protection and three (out of four) stars for pedestrian impact.
It's no fluke: standard safety specification is high. All models get nine airbags, including driver's kneebags, and ESP is standard.
Base S models get an immobiliser as standard while SE models also get an alarm.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Golf
wrote on 20 06 2007
wrote on 14 10 2006
wrote on 06 06 2006