USED Volkswagen Golf Hatchback (97 - 06)

My car

We've owned this car for nearly four years. Now showing almost 130,000 miles and still costing us buttons to run and maintain.

The Golf's chassis is soggy, but the brilliant 130 bhp PD diesel more than makes up for it. It's a bit rumbly, but it punts the Golf along so effortlessly and economically, that you can't help but love it. It also responds very crisply to small throttle inputs, something many more modern diesels still don't get right, and never feels underpowered, even when fully laden.

The expensive looking materials in the mk4 Golf cabin don't age well. The plastic coating has fallen off most of the interior door handles and the gear lever gaiter. There are also numerous rattles and squeaks which don't tie in with the quality Germanic reputation. That said, mechanical reliability has been fabulous. A family friend looks after the car who is a VW technician of 20 yrs experience, so he charges a fair price and does a good job. Aside from servicing, the original clutch and flywheel gave up the ghost at 120,000 miles (cost me £500 all in), and the battery (£60) shortly afterwards. It's also needed a CV gaiter (£30). That has been it in >40,000 miles of use.

Bodywork wise, the car still looks great. It's Reflex Silver, and still polishes up like new, apart from a few minor marks. The car doesn't look its age and mileage.

We intend to keep this car until it dies. Light and economical in town, quiet punchy and relaxed on the motorway, and very reliable.

My car

I had this car for 4 years, and it was a great little car.

Performance/handling - Bags of torque! Compared with my brother’s 1.9 TDi Golf, it’s a totally different beast. Although, it didn’t handle quite as well as my current car (civic sport), it out handled and performed my friend’s 1.8hdi 308. Fantastic on the motorways, just cruises along.

Running costs – Very economical. If I drove vaguely conservatively, I could get 52 MPG. Even if I pushed it, I never got below 42 MPG. Service costs were about the same as anything in the range.

Insurance - Group 10 – I think – so average, but affordable.

Exterior – Much better looking car than the standard Golf.

Interior - Very well thought out. The seats are supportive and comfortable, even after a 4 hour drive. In fact, I think I would go to say, they were the most comfortable seats I’ve ever had or sat in (I had the leather seats). The central console was perfectly positioned to rest your arm, and I rather missed it when I changed car. The drinks holder can hold starbucks, mcdonalds etc.

Cons - I can’t think of many. Mine died of a head gasket failure, but to be honest I think that was more to with my style of driving.

My car

Great car which i bought as ex-demo in 2003 (6 months old at the time), i loved driving and owning it till i got a new Audi TT just over a year ago!!

At this point i passed the car onto my wife, she loved it too, looks great, drives well (if not as sharp as TT/new GTI etc)and practical too!

Sadly my wife was driving it round the local one-way system in Guildford when a lorry changed lanes without checking mirror properly and sandwiched her between lorry and railings!! Luck she only suffered minor injuries, unfortunately car written off but i feel sure its sturdy body and structure saved her from more serious injury or indeed worse!! Will be missed in our house

My car

My friend actually owns this car, but I've experienced first hand two problems. 1 - As the Golf has been putting on weight over it's evoaution, and alhough it as TDi engine, it doesn't save it from the fact that you need to us the turbo all the time! 2 - Electics are proving to be annoying now, with winter setting in. I suggested to the wne of the car, the reason why it's alarm i randomly activating at night, is that moisture has made it's way into the fusebox. I wouldlike to know if any other owners of the mk of Golf have experienced this to