Volkswagen Golf Hatch

With its impressive build quality and luxurious interior; the VW Golf majors on comfort and refinement.

The Golf exudes quality and badge appeal. The range is comprehensive, with everything on offer from a super-economical BlueMotion model to the rapid R sporting flagship.

TSI petrol engines are very impressive and return low emissions with surprising performance. Though Less fun to drive than the Ford Focus; the Golf instead majors on comfort and refinement. All models come with air-conditioning, but you'll have to pay extra for Bluetooth mobile phone connection across the range - which dent's the Golf's reputation for value for money.

Is it comfortable?

The Golf's near luxury car levels of refinement make it a relaxing place to cover miles in. The seats are firm and supportive and the driving position is easy adjusted to suit all shapes and sizes. Chunky, easy to operate controls, a light, accurate gearshift and suspension tuned for ride quality rather than outright sporting prowess all impress. Larger wheel choices on the more expensive GT models do upset this balance a little, but the Golf is never uncomfortable.

Is it practical?

The interior accommodates four adults relatively comfortably - or five at a push for shorter journeys. The rear seats are better suited for children though, with access to the back much better in the five-door model. The boot has plenty of space, but there's quite sizeable lip to lift your luggage over. The glovebox is a decent size and the door storage bins are capacious, too.

Is it reliable?

It's too soon to report on the current car's reliability, but its predecessor was positioned at number 22 of 100 in the 2009 Driver Power survey. In the JD Power owner survey the previous Golf charted at 24th, with an owner satisfaction score of 80.4%. In both surveys reliability and build quality were highlighted as areas for concern, but Volkswagen claims to have addressed these issues. It'll be a while before those assertions can be confirmed, though.

Is it value for money?

Some imagine the Golf will be expensive but that's simply not the case. Volkswagen's pricing has remained relatively steady, as rivals' have increased. Thanks to the Golf's cachet in comparison to its mainstream rivals in the used marketplace you'll get more for it when you sell it.

What is it like to drive?

Diesel power used to be the only real choice in the Golf until VW introduced its TSI petrol engines. Turbocharging makes them smooth, quick and easy to drive, all while delivering tax-friendly emissions and good economy. The 1.6- and 2.0-litre diesels are punchy and remain the outright economy stars if achieving the best fuel consumption is your goal. With light steering and supple suspension, the Golf drives very competently indeed. Choose the GTI or R models for more fun, though all versions excel on longer journeys.

Running costs

The Golf should be a relatively inexpensive ownership proposition. Sensible dealer rates on servicing and easy availability of consumables like tyres and brake pads allow you to shop around for the best deals. All deliver good fuel economy, meaning the Golf shouldn't cost you more to run than its competitors.

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