For This is the fastest performance Golf you can buy, and standard four-wheel drive gives it superb traction out of bends. It’s comfortable and practical for a hot hatch, too, and the ride is smooth.

Against It doesn’t feel as agile as its GTI brother, so it’s no more enjoyable to drive. It costs way more to buy and run, too. The styling is too understated.

Volkswagen Golf Hatchback

What Car? says

4 out of 5 stars

The fastest Golf isn’t necessarily the best. We’d save ourselves a few quid and go for the GTI. It does most of what the R does, and it’ll cost you way less.

Reader review rating

4.135135
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Key facts

0–60mph
5.7 secs
Top speed
155 mph
Average mpg
33.2
Tank range
402 miles
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Features

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Size

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Cheaper

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Buyer's notes

Target Price team says:

The Golf is all the car most families will ever need. There are rivals with more prestigious badges, larger cabins, punchier engines or lower prices, but if we had to pick one model to cope with everything a family is likely to ask of a car, it would be a Golf.

Yes, it couldn't look more conservative if it wore a blue rosette, but buyers still love it. It’s class-leading in many areas, and there isn’t a thing that it does badly.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t big discounts to be had, though. Haggle hard, and you’ll get four figures off almost any version, and because the Golf’s residual values are so strong, you’ll get plenty of money back at resale time.

We’d avoid the smallest petrol engine because it’s a bit weak, but all the rest make a strong case for themselves. Our favourite is the 1.4TSI petrol, which is our reigning Small Family Car of the Year,. The Bluemotion model, meanwhile, is our Green Small Family Car of the Year.

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