Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £11,945 to £20,460
Interior appearance and quality, good crash protection, image, diesel's economy, strong residual values.
Quality varies, less appealing for keen drivers, new model now available, mushy pedals, slightly claustrophobic interior.
A bit long in the tooth but still a desirable and reasonable choice.
Strong demand and the fact that - rightly or wrongly - people continue to associate Volkswagens with reliability, means that residual values are among the strongest in the class.
As this version went on sale back in 1997, there are by now plenty of used examples around, so you can afford to be choosy. The arrival of the Mk5 Golf has weakened residuals of late Mk4s a little, but earlier models will be unaffected.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Golf
wrote on 20 06 2007
wrote on 14 10 2006
wrote on 06 06 2006