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.
Blots its copybook with huge rear pillars, making reversing tricky, but otherwise the Golf is very easy to drive. A height adjustable seat and reach/rake adjustable steering column are standard, so few will fail to find a comfortable driving position. Major controls are light and pleasant to use. Location of all switchgear is sensible but the stereo controls could be more intuitive.
Keen drivers will prefer the Ford Focus for entertainment - the base Golf is more about general refinement and competence. The steering's light and the pedals are a bit on the mushy side. Sportier models - the GTI, V5, V6 4Motion and particularly R32 - offer much better handling.
The 75bhp 1.4-litre is lifeless, but the 105bhp 1.6 is much better: smooth and an adequate performer. There's a 1.9-litre normally aspirated diesel but it only has 68bhp, so steer clear. The turbocharged diesels - with 100-, 130- and 150bhp - are excellent. Quiet, flexible and with impressive in-gear performance. The 1.8-litre Turbo with 150bhp and the 115bhp 2.0-litre are found in estate and GTI models and perform well. The GTI, V5, V6 4-Motion and R32 are reviewed separately.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Golf
wrote on 20 06 2007
wrote on 14 10 2006
wrote on 06 06 2006