Volkswagen Golf GTI long-term test: report 4

The car Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport 2.0 TSI 300 PS | Run by Darren Moss, deputy editor

Why it’s here To see whether VW’s iconic hot hatch remains the cream of the crop in its latest form

Needs to Be fast and fun, yet pleasingly frugal, be family friendly, and comfortable on long trips

Miles covered 3021 Price £46,583 Target Price £41,333 Price as tested £48,275 Official economy 37.4mpg Test economy 34.0mpg

16 June 2025 – Duality

I think my Volkswagen Golf GTI was partially inspired by the Robert Louis Stevenson novel about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. You see, this is a car with two very distinct characters. On the one hand, it’s a sensible family car. And on the other, when the mood takes me, it transforms into something altogether darker and more exciting.

Take this past weekend, for instance. I was driving up to where my partner lives in Stoke-on-Trent, and this being a very lovely summer’s evening where the sun was shining, the traffic was clearing and the Golf’s fuel tank was full, I decided to exit the motorway early and make use of Staffordshire’s country roads.

Like Dr. Jekyll glugging down his serum, I blipped the paddles mounted on the steering column to take control away from the seven-speed automatic gearbox, put the Golf’s driving mode into its sports setting, and hunkered down into my sports seat.

I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the way the Golf GTI Clubsport hangs on through corners. As we note in our full review, a Honda Civic Type R, with its limited-slip differential and super-sticky tyres, will ultimately show the GTI a clean pair of heels along a country road, but my car still has grip aplenty and felt eager to turn in, like a yapping puppy.

Along those twisting A-roads, my Golf felt glorious to drive. And even though it wasn’t the loudest car on the road (my car’s exhaust note has to be digitally enhanced through the stereo) it still sounded sporty. I arrived at my girlfriend’s house feeling well shot of the pressures of the working week.

The next day we decamped to a local pub with some friends – with me being the designated driver. And while sitting three adults on the rear bench was a bit of a squeeze compared with doing the same job in, say, the Volvo XC40 I ran a few years ago, everyone commented that they didn’t expect to be as comfortable as they were in a car of this size. I left everything in its default comfort mode, and we enjoyed a smooth and relaxed drive.

And that’s what impresses me most about the GTI – on that second journey, you wouldn’t notice much difference between my car and a regular Volkswagen Golf. It was every bit as comfortable as the big-selling hatchback. Yet, unlike the regular car, I can unleash monstrous performance whenever the mood takes me. It’s like carrying a small vial of Dr. Jekyll’s secret sauce wherever I go.

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