Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £11,945 to £20,460
Image, strong residual values, all-round competence, the hatch to aspire to.
Engines a bit noisy, slightly uninvolving and remote-feeling, conservative styling and character, minor cabin quality short-cuts.
The Mk 5 Golf sets the benchmark again in this class for sheer all-round desirability, though the Focus is the sharper drive.
Volkswagen has got the driving position spot on, with adjustable seats and steering wheel for fine-tuning, a clear, well-laid out dash, well-positioned and intuitive controls and good all-round visibility. The Golf's not a small car - you're instantly aware of just how big it is when you have to do a quick, tight manoeuvre - but its squat wheel-at-each corner stance and flat rear tailgate make it easy to judge its dimensions.
The manual gearboxes are precise, the revised steering direct and accurate, and stability, grip and balance are all superb, making the Golf a confidence-inspiring drive. The clutchless gearboxes - six-speed Tiptronic auto with sequential shifts, optional on 1.6 FSI, or DSG direct-shift gearbox, optional with 1.9 and 2.0 TDI engines - are also simple to master, both with fully auto and sequential 'manual' modes, the latter with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts in 2.0 TDI models.
The electric power steering is so much better than that in, say, the Renault Megane - it's direct and precise, with none of the horrid artificially weighted feeling of so many such systems. It may be a little light for keen drivers, though, without a lot of feedback.
The supple suspension - completely redesigned at the rear axle - gives far more scope for amusement and entertainment, without the potential for any nasty surprises: it's all predictable, and the ESP and traction control (where fitted) are well-restrained, not cutting in too early to spoil the fun.
It's not quite as edgy as a Focus, though, and if you really want to find fault, it just feels too competent to dish out the thrills, and it lacks the character of some otherwise less-assured rivals.
The strong, torquey 2.0 TDI (140bhp) is the keen driver's choice: it pulls superbly in any of its six gears, and as a motorway cruiser, beats the old V6 petrol hands down. The 1.9 TDI's not slow, either; this feels more laid-back, especially with the optional DSG transmission, but is a good compromise between cost and output.
In fact, it's difficult to argue the case for the petrol engines on any grounds other than purchase price: the FSI (direct-injection) units are not much quieter than the diesels, drink more fuel, incur more company car tax and are weedier mid-range.
If you really can't bring yourself to opt for an oil-burner, then the 1.4 FSI is sweeter than the 1.6 FSI, with very little difference in performance.
There's also the intriguing 1.4-litre TSI engine which uses both a supercharger and a turbocharger to deliver 167bhp and 177lb-ft of torque. See our Driven piece on this model to learn more.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Golf
wrote on 20 06 2007
wrote on 14 10 2006
wrote on 06 06 2006