Volkswagen Golf MkIV

Whether you want an unassuming shopping hatch or a fast car for the road, a MkIV VW Golf could be the perfect choice, thanks to the huge range of models on offer. With hatchbacks and estates (plus saloons if you include the Bora) and engines ranging from a 75bhp 1.4-litre petrol edition through to the 240bhp R32, the Golf really does have it all.

The car's desirable image means residual values are high. Despite this, there's no shortage of Golfs - good and bad examples of which abound. Check any potential purchase very carefully.

Prices

Golf MkIV ownership starts at around ΂£2,500, which nets a high-mileage car without service records. Buy an early 1.4-litre with a history and you'll pay ΂£3,500. TDIs are sought after, with a 1997 70,000-mile example worth ΂£4,500; a 51-plate TDI 130 commands ΂£10,500. Want a GTI 1.8T? You'll have to pay ΂£11,000-plus for a 52 plate with 25,000 miles on the clock.

What to look for

Don't rush to buy a diesel if your annual mileage is low. All Golfs hold their values well, but TDI models are so expensive you'll need to cover thousands of miles to recoup the costs in fuel savings. The 2.0 GTI was undeserving of the hot hatch tag, although the 1.8T isn't bad. But a GT TDI PD trounces both on torque and economy. Make sure you're buying a genuine UK car, as many personal imports aren't 100 per cent UK spec.

Checklist

• Bumpers: large front and rear bumpers pick up parking scrapes and crack easily - getting a dealer to fit a replacement will set you back over ΂£350. Light clusters are out of harm's way, although small impacts can leave marks on the tailgate.
• Headlights: Xenon lamps can be destroyed by a single stone hitting them - and a new unit is valued at ΂£400-plus. Standard headlights fitted to Highline and GTI models are also fragile, and cost ΂£125 each to renew.
• Cabin: interior trim is prone to breaking, coming adrift and rattling. Front windows can also fall out of their carriers. Be especially wary of cars built in South Africa (SA prefix on VIN plate). Also watch out for plastic coating coming off the door armrests.
• Wash/wipe: pipe for the rear wash/ wipe can come adrift, staining the headlining and filling the boot with water. While you're at the rear, check fluid isn't leaking from the brake calipers, as hydraulic hoses frequently fail.
• Engine: coil packs on the 1.8T can be notoriously fragile. Faulty ones should have been replaced by now, but there are still some dodgy units out there. Also check the 1.4 for water pump leaks - it can lead to cambelt failure and engine destruction.

Recalls

Owner comment

Richard Carroll, from Nottingham, says his three-year-old Golf hasn't suffered reliability problems, but when a stone wrecked a headlight, he had to fork out a whopping ΂£250-plus to replace it. "However, build quality has been good so far," reports Richard.