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.
One of the reasons why Golfs are so highly sought after is because they enjoy a reputation for reliability. However, although they're certainly durable (that is, they last a long time), and their interiors seem very well screwed together, they are known to suffer some niggling faults.
Golfs tend to score averagely in customer satisfaction surveys. There's no denying that the interior feels great, though. It set a high benchmark when it was launched and a lot of other manufacturers are still playing catch-up.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Golf
wrote on 20 06 2007
wrote on 14 10 2006
wrote on 06 06 2006