Advantages: Speed, comfort, vw reliabilty, vw resale value
Disadvantages: Its thirsty! If it does go wrong it can get expensive. Thief magnet!

...I have been a fan of Golfs especially the GTI's for many years since owning my first MkII 1.8 8V GTI. It was a very high mileage abused example, but performed fantastically despite minimal attention to servicing for three more years. When I was offered this 1997 example of the MkIII VR6 by a friend I jumped at the chance of owning another higher spec GTI. I'll get the specs over with first. The VR6 came in a number of different guises - luxury GT spec with heated leather interior and Air-con and auto boxes (more your older drivers car) to basic 5 speed manual options with cloth trims for the boy racers! My version was a rarity - AIr-con and sun roof but no leather interior with a 5 speed manual gearbox. All VR6'sare based on the same V6 2.8 engine block which is what I would call a "nearly V" 6 as it has a very narrow V profile more... Read review

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Advantages: Reliable, cheap parts, looks good for an older car, Rust free
Disadvantages: bit bouncy around corners

...After having an accident in my first car I decided to move on up the ladder and started looking at the VW golf's as they look good and are an extremely safe cars. I had around £1600 to spend and found a private Dealer who just buys and sell's Golf's. It's relatively hard to find yourself a golf mark 3 onwards for that price, as they keep there value better than any other car. Because it such a well known fact how reliable they are. I bought a 1.4 8Valve 1994 golf match in green in 2003 with 96,000 miles on the clock for £1599. Now 96,000 sounds pretty high but the VW engines are expected to carry on running, well over 160,000miles, The golf match comes standard with alloys and a few alterations to the interior and body to give it a sportier look. although the car does not have an alarm or imobalizer, so maybe find one that has... Read review

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Advantages: cheap to run, safe, cheap parts
Disadvantages: Slow, soft suspension

...This is my first Golf, it is a 1995 1.4 Golf Match with 110,000 on the clock. I bought it for £1100 at a local dealer. I have had it for around 7 months now and have had no problems whatsoever. I decided to go for the golf because of the exceptional german build quality and they hold up well in accidents. Plus with the 1.4 it is reasonably cheap to insure. The match version has a few little extras over the CL versions, for example it has alloy wheels as standard, power steering, and there are a few changes on the interior such as upholstery design etc. The first thing i noticed about the car was how well it holds in corners and, like others have said, the body roll! The suspension seems quite soft in this car, some may like that but others may not. The 1.4 engine, considering its age, is quite fuel efficent. I regularly get... Read review

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Advantages: Holds value well, reliablity
Disadvantages: Gutless performance

...I bought my golf in 2005 and have owned it for about a year. Its a black, 1998 R reg. Performace in this car is pretty poor because its heavy and under-powered with only 8 valves. Suspension is very soft yet you manage to feel every bump in the road. The car pitches and has alot of bodyroll if you throw it into corners too fast, however it is quite surefooted and feels quite safe. The engine around town is ok but on the motorway you really have to push it to get anything out of it and it tops out at about 105mph. I bought the golf because im a young driver and anything with a larger engine would have ment stupid insurance quoyes for me, however my insurance was still £1600 on the 1.4. I also chose it because of its reputation as a reliable car. This reputation doesnt apply to my one as it has cost me around £1000 in repairs... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to live with, reliable and nice to drive
Disadvantages: Engine can be noisy when pushed

...The Golf I bought was an M reg, silver and rust, 1.6cl for £400 with 90000 on the clock. I kept the car for a year and it never let me down once. The only real problem was rust on the rear tailgate (more on that later) It came with 12 mths mot and has ended up being one of my best ebay purchases!! There isn't much to say as the car was so reliable and easy to live with. The 1.6 engine is surprising lively and the handling was firm and responsive and not at all wallowy. I personally quite like the way it looks but some would call it frumpy! The only critisism is that it can be noisy when pushed. Anyway, sold it to my sister-in-law who still has it 2 years later. Never let her down either except for a faulty imobiliser (disabled) and a 2nd hand tailgate as the rust ruined the lock and the number plate lights making... Read review

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Advantages: Outstanding build quality, tons of extras, Solid and dependable
Disadvantages: Not the fastest GTI, expensive parts,

...When my brother in law offered me his 1999 Golf MkIV GTI with only 34,000 miles on the clock I had to jump at the chance. I had only been in it previously as a passenger, but I found the seats extremely comfortable and supportive, the interior was very high quality with none of the cheap plastic I was used to in my previous cars! As my brother in law lives in London, the Golf was used very little, averaging around 4200 miles a year. In fact, when I checked the service history, it had only done 2,400 miles since the year before! Once I had taken delivery of it, I found it very smooth, the steering and pedals give a good amount of feedback (which I fine crucial to enjoyable driving) and the brakes are sharp and precise. It is solidly built, and so much bigger than the last car I had (renault 5) that I feel as if I am driving... Read review

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Advantages: Very Safe, Holds the road well, Built for quality!
Disadvantages: Heavy, Exapensive.

...So you want a Very Helpful review about a VW Golf III CL, well i bought mine 2 weeks ago. It is a 1.4cl, 5 door, it came with 17" alloys, a CD player and 2 400W amps. All for £1300. 99K Miles. M reg I Have been extremely pleased by it, it has shown me how well Golf's hold the road, it has been lowered by 40mm and has 205/40/R17's all round which allows me to take any corner at which ever speed i like, the car has not slide out on a corner yet! So enough about my car and more about whats good and what you should look out for. Having just bought the model of Golf listed above, i would conclude that it was an excellent buy although there has been draw backs i have discovered. I would name the draw backs as(things to watch out for) - Sticky locks, sluggish performance due to weight to power ratio, no power steering... Read review

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Advantages: Sexy, chic
Disadvantages: Not got the full power of a 1.6

...I recently spent all of my student loan and years of savings on a flashy Golf Convertible 1.6. The car has "wowed" my friends and collegues and has made me a very proud owner. I bought my car second hand about 3 months ago at £8,800, and it was a steal at that price. But what is is about the Golf Cabriolet that makes it so desirable? ~:Body:~ This particular model of Golf comes in a variety of colours, mine is black, but it also comes in silver, green and royal blue. Although black is a neutral colour, and has never really become unfashionable, it does tend to show the dirt very quickly which is a disadvantage. More frequent washing is then required so it's probably best to become good friends with a car washer! The lights and bumpers are colour coded and although the lights are not halogen, they certainly look very good... Read review

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Advantages: The whole car!!
Disadvantages: None for me!!

...I have wanted a Golf for as long as i can remember, and a mkIII CL is perfect. I paid £1600.00 - bargain!! My boyfriend was a little corcerned about the jump back in age from our last car (we had a T reg), but soon came round. I will start with the interior. It's surprisingly very roomy inside for a small car. The seats are firm but very comfy, and the drivers seat is height adjustable. My interior is all black - which is just what you need with a 3 year old muck magnet (my son)!! The Glove box has plenty of room for all the junk i insist on taking everywhere with me. The boot isn't massive, but it fits £100 worth of shopping in with extra space, and has convenient little straps either side for strapping things in. It is pretty basic inside, but i bought some cheap accessories (Chrome gear knob, Chrome pedals, Chrome handbrake sleeve... Read review

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Advantages: Great Sport, Fun, For All Ages
Disadvantages: None

...I am a golfer at Cookridge Hall Golf Club in Leeds and play from a handicap of 19 I play on a regular basis usually once or twice a week and hopefully I can pass on some advice for golfers and non golfers. ------------------------------------------ Introduction ------------------------------------------ Firstly forget everything you think about golf and read this review with an open mind, I am asking you to do this as I know some school friends have the strange idea that all golfers are old and wear stupid looking clothes. Firstly golf is for all ages just look at tiger woods, nowadays younger people are getting in to golf rather than the stereotypical older golfer. Also golfers do not have to wear stupid looking clothes, there is always a dress code of collared T-shirt and smart trousers but you can now buy quite fashionable... Read review

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