Volkswagen Golf Hatchback 2.0 TDI 140 GT 5dr Reader reviews

My car

I have only had my golf for 6 months, I bought it to replace a BMW 3 series coupe that was proving to be less than practical with 2 children under 6. My car was an ex demo with a few choice extras, namely 18" alloys, park assist front and rear with rear view camera (no excuse to kerb the wheels!) 6 cd touch screen stereo and convenience pack giving auto wipers and lights. The drive of this car is impressive, it is reasonably quiet and relaxed when you want it to be, but good fun when you don't have kids + wife in car. The build of the car is very solid, whilst it is not as adventurous as some cars in this sector, the trade off for a lack of flair is an easy to use interior that feels like it will last a long time. All the controls are light and positive, the brakes could do with a little more feel, but easily stop the car. Practicality wise there is plenty of space inside, lots of storage and the boot is a good size and shape with a low loading lip. The dashboard gives access to all the info you could want, but it is a shame that VW has gone away from using their funky blue/red lighting for the dials. Performance wise the later common rail 2.0 litre turbo diesel is quiet, smooth and has plenty of poke for most occasions. Economy is not bad with an average of 42mpg with my mainly town driving. My only criticism is that with my large build I find the sports seats uncomfortable, something my short test drive didn't show up, currently looking for a replacement (difficult)

My car

I covered 7000 miles in this car over a couple of months and was mildly disappointed. In the past I owned a 52 plate GT TDi 130 which was fantastic, punchy, economical, comfortable. My biggest gripe with the 2010 version i was driving this year was the poor level of standard equipment. No climate control, manual dimming rear view mirror, No Bluetooth, Basically an entry level Spec with sports seats. The driving position i also found awkward, and often ended a long journey with a sore back.

The common rail engine is a gem, and provides excellent poke from most revs using the variable geometry turbocharger. This is the best bit, along with it averaging 53mpg with me (Mainly motorway 60mph + driving)

My car

We have just taken ownership of a 15k MK6 Golf GT TDI , 5 door in white. This is our third GT TDi in 9 years having progressed from a Mk4 , MK5 and now to the MK6. They may not be the most exciting of cars but they are ...well just damn good family vehicles.

However . I must say the mk6 version has taken its levels of comfort and refinement to new levels. The new diesel engine is a quantum leap ahead of the old diesel unit. It's smooth and quiet and just so terribly refined. Given that our other car over the last 10 years has been 5 series , A6's and V70s the new Golf has to be the quieteest , most insulated car of them all. Ride seems exceptional - able to soak up most of the UK's crappiest roads. The new multimedia interface for ipods etc works very well too.

I drove it back to Edinburgh from Derby the other night and it averaged 48mpg.

Its hard to fault but there are some downsides : o £17k for a 15k 1 year old Golf - yikes! Although we did get a good price on the old mk5. A new one at £22k is just plain daft. o this has semi auto air conditioning as standard. Full climate control with an "auto" function would be a lot better o excitement factor - it really doesn't set the heather on fire. Go for the 1.4 GT (160bhp) or full blown GTI for that kind of thrill.

But as family hatchbacks go this is hard to beat. Hence its our third in a row... happy yawns!

My car

Test drove this car last week. Incredibly quiet and smooth, more so than my Saab 9-3 which is refined. Quick and responsive with the fitted DSG and great handling with a surprisingly comfortable ride with the optional 18" alloys. The interior is really classy, better than the BMW 3 series and C Class merc I also looked at. A quick, classy, comfortable car and 50+ mpg to boot.