Advantages: Excellent buid quality, depreciation, economical 1.6
Disadvantages: Cheap lower cabin plastics, lost previous Golfs flair, expensive servicing

...Test Model: Volkswagen Golf SE 1.6 FSI 5 door Reg: AK06 YVC Mileage: 2470 Official 0-60: 9.7 secs Official max speed: 118 mph Before you start to read this review I will have to state that I am a self confessed VAG group fan. And I have loved the new Golf design since the first time I clapped my eyes on it. So after being car-less for a week while I waited for my brand new Seat Leon 2.0 TDI FR (review soon) I was fortunate to rent a new Golf mk V SE 5 door with the 1.6 FSI powerplant. Having already owned a VW Bora I was already aware of the quality both inside and out of VW cars. And also was in the right position to compare the new golf against the previous shape (well almost). VW have upped the quality a lot in places but also upped the prices in the process. They have also changed the engine line up as well as a complete... Read review

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Advantages: 5.0 Star Safety NCAP, Build quality, Equipment Level, Cubby holes (30+ in total), Performance, Seats, Styling
Disadvantages: Expensive for class, Radio isn't great, A Pillar blind spot

...Being in our early twenties and having our first child we found that we out grown our beloved MINI Cooper. Being the young and style conscious parents that we were we wanted something that matched the quirkiness of the MINI but had more space for us. This is when we saw an advert for the Seat Altea, we really liked the look of the car but we had concerns that it wasn't going to be big enough to last us for the coming years. Sure it had 5 doors but as we had found out child comes with a lot of additional accessories (pushchair, changing bag etc…). After looking at a variety of cars, Ford Fusion, Golf Plus and the Renault Megan we booked a test drive in the 1.6 Seat Altea Reference (base model). Our first impression on driving the car were great; it felt big to drive, but not so big that you were conscious of the size. The steering... Read review

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Advantages: The VW label/brand
Disadvantages: Poor finish, poor dealer service support

...* Right hand speaker failure on car audio after 2 years * Arrogant VW service attention-much better to use an independent specialist * Will keep this vehicle for the moment--certainly will not buy another VW Golf.... Read review

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Advantages: Fast, Reliable, Good Looking
Disadvantages: Low front bumper....mind the curbs!

...When i first decided i wanted a new car i opted for the golf as i have heard nothing but good things about them lasting, keeping their value etc but didnt know which version to choose. I test drove the 1.6 fsi and the new 1.4 GTI Supercharged/Turbo version they are bringing out, both pretty quick especially the GTI for a 1.4! Then i came across the TDI - gleaming and shiny in silver and once i drove it i fell in love! The way it drives is just superbly smooth and the brakes are very responsive - sometimes a bit too responsive jolting you and your unknowing passenger! The turbo kicks in around 1900 revs and you can hear the whirring of the turbo warming as you drive and get up to 1900 revs. Going up hills and getting off roundabouts is a dream come true in this car as it gets you there in quick timing so you dont need to wait... Read review

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Advantages: Great comfort, economical, great value for money, excellent road runner
Disadvantages: Not as punchy as a Golf GTI 2.0

...I brought an Audi A3 2.0 FSI a few years back and had it for about just over a year. I brought it as an ex demo with only about 3,000 miles on the clock. I had to sell it last year as was buying my sisters Golf GTI. In that time that I had the Audi A3, it was truely an amazing car. It was very economical, I didnt have a computer inside to tell me how many miles to the gallon I was doing but it was pretty good, a much better road runner to the more guzzling Golf GTI. I had a dark navy blue exterior with a pale cloth interior. I brought rubber matts along with the carpet ones the car came with for durability, it was deffinately well worth it. I had a CD/Radio player in the car which was new to me because all the cars I had before that was more old fashioned, but it was well worth it. The only thing I would point out that now having... Read review

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Advantages: Quick car, excellent handling, potential economy, cleverly designed, beautiful exterior
Disadvantages: Overuse of plastic in cabin wears quick, no room in glovebox, a few rattles

...a helping hand. Those of you who have read my Golf V review will find that I was not a big fan of the steering system when it got up to high speeds, stiffening rather sharply which became disorientating, well the Leon has inherited that too. The six speed gearbox however is more sports geared than the Golf 1.6 FSI SE I drove and do not be surprised when in first gear that the revs fly up to 4000 with very little effort very quickly. To say I had to get used to this car is an understatement. The potent power is clear from the word go, although to really use it you need to get out of 1st gear quickly, because there is an initial flat spot but it is very small and slick to enable a quick acceleration. This is the most manic diesel I have ever encountered, it is so smooth and responsive and has very little lag, you really have to watch what your... Read review

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Advantages: Strong performance, economical, reliable, safe, long service intervals
Disadvantages: Some cabin materials feel cheap, dealer service prices

...I bought my Golf last year secondhand from a VW dealer. Ownership has very good apart from a few minor problems sorted by VW. Starting with the built quality, as you would expect this is very good as No rattles or squeaks although certain cabin materials don't appear to be as good as the MK4 Golf which I had before. The GT comes with a high spec such as Auto lights, rain sensors, CD, electric windows/mirrors etc but mine came with the optional Winter Pack. This includes heated sports front seats, heated washer jets and rear parking sensors. A valuable option and although not a big car it does help. Dual climate control is a nice feature too and allows the passenger to have control of the heating on there side. Best of all is fuel consumption. This is a 2.0 150bhp car and I manage a combined mpg of 36-41mpg. Performance is great... Read review

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Advantages: Great interior, wonderful drive
Disadvantages: Costs more than other cars similar to it

...Almost 6 months ago I decided to trade in my Ford Fiesta and get a proper car. I'd pretty much set my heart on a Golf but needed to try some other cars and also decide what mark Golf I wanted. After test driving a few cars I finally decided that the Golf was my favourite and that was what I was going to get. Next onto whether to get a mark 4 or mark 5. From the outside I definitely prefer the mark 4. Its more distinguished and easily recognisable. The mark 5 is recognisable but is not in the same category as the mark 4. The thing that sold it to me was the interior. Once you site inside the mark 5 you can't help but be impressed. Of course the coolest thing of all (for both cars) is the blue dials but aside from the mark 5 looks and feels much better than its predecessor. As soon as you sit down at the drivers seat you are surrounded... Read review

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Advantages: Economy, performance(ish), practicality, quality
Disadvantages: Visibility, cost (see op), otherwise just niggly things

...spaces in Edinburgh city centre. Reliability - being our only car, and living with little in the way of public transport in walking distance. So, after poring over car magazines for so long, VERY few cars came out of this testing set of requirements. Effectively, I was left with another Golf (probably a 130bhp diesel GTi) or an Audi A2 1.6 FSi. I knew what the Golf would be like because I'd test-driven it before - everything I liked about Golfs, but with a slightly gruff, noisy, over-torquey engine. I could live with it, though, I thought. The A2 looked a bit odd but the more I looked at it, the more I got used to its quirky looks, and in fact began to quite like them. So, I finally test-drove an A2 FSi. And I loved it. Coming from a sporty car like the Megane (which was effectively an enclosed go-kart) the suspension was nowhere near... Read review

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Advantages: Looks stunning, goes like the wind!
Disadvantages: Short clutch

...Before we bought the Audi we were merrily chugging around in a VW Golf 1.6. It broke down many times on us, firstly all the Ignition Coils went and then it just decided it wanted a 'computer fault' (so the RAC described it on the 3rd call out!) this would have been fine if, and a very big IF, it hadn't been on the motorway each time. The first time was on the A30 (some of you might know it) on a Saturday so fortunately it was quite quiet. The second time wasn't quite as lucky, the outside lane of the A38 (the 3 lane section) at Plymouth at rush-hour!!! Which we had to hobble our way across with no power steering, brakes or lights!! Needless to say we were extremely lucky. Which, even the policman was amazed we didn't have or cause a major/fatal crash…such relaxing words!!! And the third time…. Well, this was (at time of typing this... Read review

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