USED Volkswagen Golf Hatchback (09 - )

My car

Poverty specification 1.6TDI S misses out on several things, most importantly being the lack of speakers in the rear doors meaning that you have to deafen the front passengers for the ones in the rear to hear. Installing rear speakers is time consuming and expensive. Also, no rear electric windows and no parking sensors as standard. We had parking sensors fitted.

On the positive side, this one has been totally reliable over the past 2.5 years and will get over 60mpg on a long motorway run fully laden at 70mph. It's a Golf so totally logical inside and sufficient space for wife, 2 kids & luggage. Space saver spare (hooray, a car with a spare wheel). It's very practical and the wife loves driving it. No daft electronic parking brake.

Dealer service is ok and has not been too pricey so far. Front tyres last 25,000 miles, rears much longer. Performance with 90bhp is adequate rather than sparkling but there is sufficient power to overtake when necessary. 1.6tdi is lumpy below 1500 rpm and also quite flat until 1600rpm is showing. Really needs a 6 speed gearbox as 1st & 2nd gears are too high but long 5th gear is great on the motorway.

Still the best small hatchback you can buy overll.

My car

I have owned a 2.0 GT TDI Golf for just over a year and I love it !. The car has a great level of kit including traction control, front and rear parking sensors and upgraded 18" alloy wheels.The interior is top notch, looks and feels quality,the seats are very comfortable and supportive and the ride and handling is excellent. The engine has great mid range pull making overtaking a breeze and very economical to boot. Cruise control on motorway journeys is a joy. So far I have not experienced any problems and to be honest it is very hard to find fault with this car. I thoroughly recommend this model.

My car

My wife and I both love our second hand Passion Red 09 plate 1.4 TSi SE. The colour is the first thing that you notice. Most Golfs come in sombre mature greys, silvers and blacks but the (almost russet) red finish looks great. The interior is real quality and everythings feels precision engineered and ergonomically designed. Ours is 3 years old with 39,000 miles and nothing rattles or squeaks. The 1.4 TSi is a great engine with loads of mid range pull and the car cruises very quietly in 6th gear with cruise control as standard. I must say that it is no way as economical as the official combined 45.6mpg which I can't manage even when sticking (naturally) to 70 mp/h. I shopped around a lot for this particular model and had to drive 100 miles to Dane Volkswagen in Chester but it was worth it as used VW dealer prices vary greatly. Our other car is a Skoda Octavia 2.0TDi estate so it is interesting to compare 2 VW group cars from the same platform. The Golf can do the same as the Octavia 99% of the time but lacks the massive boot, torque and consistent 50 mpg. I think that from the pictures VW have got it just right in sticking to their evolutionary policy for the Mk 7 Golf. I'll be interested to see how the press rates the 1.4 TSi 138 bhp engine with cylinder deactivation. This is my 4th Golf after a Mk1, Mk5 and MK6 and I really think that you can't go wrong with them.

My car

Having test driven (in one day, back to back) an i30, this and a Civic as well as being familiar with the Focus and Astra I can confidently say the Golf is the best car closely followed by the i30 which is 95% as good as a Golf. The Golf has a conservative and inoffensive style which is the only negative I can possibly have. The ride comfort is immense and yet it still handles superbly, the spacious interior comfortably holds four large adults and on the subject of comfort the seats are excellent with adjustable lumber support really helps on longer journeys. Match trim comes loaded with goodies including 6 cd autochanger, DAB uprated stereo, parking sensors front and rear, auto lights and wipers and more. An excellent interior and ride are more than matched by the superb engine of the 1.4 turbo. Happily bobbing along at anything from 1300 revs it can easily be driven like a diesel, the low down torque means gear changes can be comfortably made at 2000 revs, with 70 in 6th gear showing a leisurely 2300 revs. When you finally get a decent road the engine will rev all the way past 5000 building urge in a smooth linear way as it goes, powerful throughout, the well weighted steering joining the party to make the Golf a superb car to enjoy all it has to offer. Without doubt this car is the absolute example of efficiency, all the controls fall easily to hand, all are logical and the whole package is superb. Having tested all the competitors of note the Golf is the best.