| The Golf doesn't relish being hurried. It has a laid-back | | | | class's most desirable cars. It certainly appears a |
| character, and is at its best when traveling at high | | | | quality item; panels gaps are thin, black plastic inserts |
| speed. On motorways, very little wind noise penetrates | | | | are well executed and details such as the jewel-like |
| the cabin. | | | | light clusters and rounded door handles are unbeatable. |
| On smooth surfaces, the cruising ability is superb. But | | | | Better still, tap a body panel and the metal sounds |
| on bumpy roads, the softer suspension of regular | | | | thick; slam a door and there's a satisfying thunk. The |
| models means there's a fair amount of roll and wallow. | | | | range of S, Match, Sport and GT models stands out |
| In short, the VW isn't as well controlled as exemplars | | | | alongside rivals such as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall |
| such as the Ford Focus, and feel slightly lethargic. | | | | Astra, Toyota Auris and Honda Civic. Don't forget, |
| It turns in accurately enough, and the speed-sensitive | | | | there are also sporty GTI and R32 variants as well. |
| steering is well weighted, but compared to the Focus, | | | | Owning:In terms of design, the VW is unspectacular. It's |
| it's not a particularly engaging car to drive. Sport | | | | well laid out, very user-friendly and tasteful, but |
| models, with stiffer, lower suspension, are better in this | | | | ultimately rather unimaginative. What saves it is its |
| respect, with a small penalty in terms of ride quality. As | | | | sheer depth of quality - and not only in obvious areas. |
| for engines, the 1.6-litre FSI is the most popular petrol | | | | Everything in the cockpit has clearly been .. has clearly |
| choice, but it isn't the last word in smoothness. It's quite | | | | been subjected to the same rigorous checks and |
| at idle but is intrusive once on the move, and becomes | | | | controls. Whether it's the beautifully damped cubby lids, |
| coarse and boomy toward the upper reaches of its | | | | the leather on the steering wheel, the blue-backlit dials |
| rev range. Yet it provides reasonable mid-range | | | | or the near-silent electric mirror motors, all features |
| power. | | | | have been carefully honed. We also love the wide |
| More impressive is the costlier 1.4-litre TSI unit, which | | | | door pockets that will hold 1-litre water bottles. Comfort |
| combines supercharger and turbocharger to provide | | | | is another strong suit, with masses of seat and |
| meaningful low-rev pull coupled with sprightly high-rev | | | | steering adjustment, and ample space around the |
| manners. It's a superb engine, with the performance of | | | | driver. Four adults will fit in with ease and the light, bright |
| a larger unit yet the economy of a regular 1.6. There's | | | | environment also features a high roof and classy trim. |
| also a 2.0-litre FSI that's likely to be phased out soon, | | | | This upmarket air clearly impresses the used sector - |
| plus a 1.4-litre entry-level engine that struggles with the | | | | the Golf has a superb retained value of over 50 per |
| Golf's weight. Brakes aren't class-leading due to the | | | | cent. Most models are economical too, and a large |
| high kerbweight, too. | | | | 55-litre fuel tank gives ample miles between fills. But |
| Marketplace: | | | | price may be a stumbling block. This is a premium |
| Want to build an upmarket hatch? This is the | | | | product and VW charges so. It's therefore |
| benchmark by which all others are judged. The Golf is | | | | disappointing to see only average equipment levels and |
| a byword for quality and comfort, and so is one of the | | | | expensive options. |