Volkswagen Golf review
The new VW Golf is an outstanding car, blending quality and efficiency better than many rivals
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The first Volkswagen Golf arrived back in 1974, and since then more than 29 million have been sold across the world. Now in its seventh generation, the latest Golf has shifted the goal posts onto another pitch. The styling may be evolutionary, but its blend of talents is outstanding – it’s a difficult car to fault. It uses the manufacturer’s innovative new MQB platform – which it shares with the Audi A3, Skoda Octavia and SEAT Leon – that will eventually form the basis of everything from the next Polo to the Passat. Whichever version you choose, the Mk7 Golf is well equipped, fuel efficient and good value, too. It also offers enough space for a family, excellent refinement, a decent ride and superb quality. The new Golf Estate was revealed at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, alongside production-ready versions of the new Golf GTI and GTD. The former gets a 605-litre boot, and with the rear seats folded this increases to 1,620 litres. The new Golf GTI is powered by a 217bhp 2.0-litre TSI but is also available to order with a new Performance Package, which ups the power output to 227bhp. The GTD gets an 181bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine that can accelerates from 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds and return fuel economy of 67.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 109g/km. The Mk6 Golf Plus and Golf Cabriolet are still on sale, along with two performance versions of the soft-top – the Golf GTI Cabriolet and Golf R Cabriolet.
Our choice: Golf 2.0 TDI SE
Styling
Volkswagen has opted for an evolutionary look for its latest Golf, but the design has been honed with fine details like the angular tail-lights, shoulderless doors and sharp creases that cleverly lower the stance of the car. Its compact dimensions compared to the Octavia means it looks more purposeful and there’s no denying the premium appeal of the Volkswagen badge. But it does look a bit plain compared to some rivals - especially the SEAT Leon. The interior is smart but very similar to that of the Skoda Octavia, bar for a centre console that’s angled towards the driver and slightly more complex switchgear on the steering wheel. There are just three trim levels to choose from – S, SE and GT – but all cars are well equipped. Entry-level S cars get a 5.8-inch colour touchscreen, Bluetooth and air-conditioning, but do without alloy wheels. SE trim adds 16-inch alloys, a city safety system, adaptive cruise control, automatic wipers, four driving mode settings and brushed stainless steel trim on the interior. Range-topping GT cars come with luxuries like 17-inch alloys, tinted rear glass, sports suspension, gloss black interior trim, parking sensors and a sat-nav. The hot diesel GTD gets the same styling tweaks as the GTI, with bespoke bumpers and 18-inch alloys, as well as black tartan cloth sports seats and a golf ball gear knob on both manual and DSG automatic versions.
Driving
The BMW 1 Series and Ford Focus have the edge on driving fun, but the Golf still scores well here. The beautifully cushioned ride and well weighted steering give the Golf a dynamic advantage over its MQB siblings, the Octavia, Leon and A3, and for most people most of the time, they’ll have plenty of fun behind the wheel. All the engines are smooth and punchy, but what’s most impressive is the level of refinement. The 1.2 TSI petrol and 104bhp 1.6 TDI diesel have a less sophisticated torsion beam rear suspension, rather than the multi-link setup fitted to more powerful cars, but you barely notice. Whichever engine is fitted, this is a very refined car. And that’s in terms of cabin noise and ride comfort – the Golf will soak up lumps and bumps well, but not totally detach you from what’s happening on the road. The 2.0-litre TDI is the pick of the range thanks to its 148bhp output and upgraded rear suspension, while both the six-speed manual and optional seven-speed DSG automatic are very precise - although steering-wheel mounted paddles are optional on the auto version. The GTD model increases the output of this engine to 181bhp and torque to 380Nm - 30Nm more than the GTI – and although it does without the electronic limited-slip differential of the GTI, it still corners very well and sounds great, too.
Reliability
The new Golf scores well on safety kit and it has a full five-star crash test rating from Euro NCAP. Standard kit includes ABS, ESP and a full complement of seven airbags, while additional safety kit from lane keep assist to auto braking system, is also available. It’s just a shame that some of the most advanced equipment is only available as an optional extra. Although Volkswagen finished a distinctly average 16th as a brand in the 2013 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, the Mk6 Golf finished a very respectable 16th. It achieved an overall score of 87.79 per cent, thanks to strong results in all categories – owners particularly praised its ride quality, handling and low running costs – and this latest car should be better still.
Practicality
The Golf hatchback doesn’t offer the acres of space the Skoda Octavia manages, but it does provide more than enough room for a family of five to travel in reasonable comfort. The 380-litre boot is much bigger than the 316 litres offered by the Ford Focus, but it lags far behind the Honda Civic, at 477 litres, and the Octavia, at 590 litres. However, the boot is nice and square, there’s a low loading lip and the parcel shelf can be stored under a false boot floor rather than having to be left at home if you want to carry taller items. The rear seats fold at the pull of a lever to create a 1,295–litre space, while the front passenger seat will also fold forward for carrying longer items of luggage. If you need even more space, the new Golf Estate will arrive in UK showrooms in the autumn of 2013 and offers all the space you could need. There’s plenty of head, leg and shoulder room in the back for two adults to stretch out in comfort, and lots of useful stowage space, including a pair of large, flock-lined pockets in the front doors.
Running Costs
No matter which engine you go for, it will come with BlueMotion technology that includes a stop-start system and brake energy recuperation as standard. This helps to keep emissions low and fuel economy high – especially with the full BlueMotion model, which returns hybrid-beating economy figures of 88.3mpg and emits just 82g/km of CO2. The entry-level 1.2 TSI manages 57.6mpg and emits 113g/km, while the 1.6 TDI does 74.3mpg and emits a road tax-free 99g/km of CO2. But even the performance models should be fairly cheap to run, as the Golf GTD claims fuel economy of 67.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 109g/km (that’s 12mpg and 20g/km better than the old car and almost exactly the same figures as the first-generation Golf BlueMotion), while the Golf GTI is said to return 47mpg with the standard six-speed manual gearbox, and CO2 emissions of 139g/km. Prices are competitive, too, while residual values should be very strong. Volkswagen also offers a tempting service pack that every buyer should consider – it makes sense to cover three years’ maintenance for just a few hundred pounds.
For an alternative review of the latest Volkswagen Golf Hatchback visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk
Disqus - noscript
How many "reviews" is it possible to write about a single new vehicle. Also how adulatory can one get without making oneself quite absurd. Quote "style doesn't come at the cost of practicality". That's just as well for this vehicle has no style at all; new style that is.
Only VW fanboys will think your coverage of this new launch is anything other than laughable. No doubt the vehicle has its virtues but they are hidden by what appears to be a lack of objectivity.
The fact Auto express has given the Golf 4 stars for styling sums up the reasons why I hardly visit this place.
It's as dull as dishwater!
Autoexpress (UK), Autoweek (NL) and Autobild (Germany) are all 'sponsored' magazines. The VAG group (Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda etc etc) is so important, and an extremely 'powerfull' company, that they control the motoring press completly. For these magazines VW simply dictates what to write and how many times the VW product must be presented in the magazines and on internet, and what the outcome of a tes should be. Secondly the journalists have to write, prefferable, very negative about the competition (especially when a Hyundai, or Toyota is involved).
If not so, VAG will have another look at the advertisment budget for these magazines, and that will not happen.
We have the same discussion in the Netherlands with the journalist from Autoweek, they are even worse than Auto-express. In Holland they have neglected the huge problems of the VW Tsi engines completely, only some short stories after huge critics from the readers about neglecting this issue. However when it would have been a Toyota the problems would not have been neglected.
I'm quotting this from other site: "Is it [the design] boring? Well, Yes! Does it matter? Well, No!". I think fhe Golf is one of the best products Europe nowadays has (including cars). Greatings from Portugal.
To be honest, the current Astra is boring as hell, the new Focus looks like it has special needs, the new Golf evolves on the current model. Get a grip!!!
The comments of Albert, Netherlands are really interesting. In the light of these, the current "review" of the Golf could be re-interpreted as follows:- "Dear readers, I am under pressure to genuflect to this manufacturer but in order to alert you to this I have produced a piece so over the top as to produce in you a mixture of laughter and indignation".
Defecting from VW was the best move I ever made. Bland design, mediocre quality and reliability, expensive to maintain and generally poor dealer support. There are better options out there.
Nice car quality i can't fault it, But the prices of this size hatchbacks has gone way over the top Crazy I Know The Quality Has Improved But I Don't Think It Justifies The Price. Just Around 5 yrs Ago cars of this size car used to cost around £11,000 - £18,000 Now They're £16,000 - £25,000 That's A Huge Difference !
I have a Mk6 TSI 160, and I can't fault it. It cost around £25k two years ago with options and I obviously looked and test drove many other cars before buying. The drive and ride is just perfect. It's fast - really shifts, and yet taking it steady on the Motorway (7ish all the way) I can get around 56 mpg to my wife's parents! The interior is superb quality and just so comfortable. I looked at A3/A4/3 series/C class Merc, and none could match it's overall qualities. It's a wonderful car, practical with the hatch and with a quality upmarket interior better than all of the other's I test drove. The styling is subtle and yet stylish, whilst many of the other cars are now getting quite ugly. It's just the complete car. How many people have driven a spec'd up mid range golf I wonder? There was nothing that any of the above cars had that this didn't, in fact the Golf came with far more, from touchscreen/ipod integrated entertainment system which made all the others look cheap, to fog lights coming on to indicate which way your turning etc etc. I'm assuming not many of you who have posted negative comments ever ever driven a £25k Golf, let alone sat in one - your loss.
sorry chaps... meant to say 70 ish :-) Anyone know who you can edit comments on here for typos?
Lots, because the Golf is one of the biggest sellers in the EU and clearly people want to read about it. Please do us all a favor and stop coming on to VAG articles just to slate them. It's extremely boring. We get you don't like VW. Move on.
why is that only in your reliability survey the gulf does well ,in other it does not even get in the top 15/20
MK7
Why no UK option for tow bar and electrics as available in other European countries ?
Ireland Trailer hitch manually swivelling 924 Euro.
UK white paint £200, Ireland NCO ?
VW IE, towing capacity 1600 kgs.
VW UK, towing capacity ?????????????????????????????????
LCD
This must be the"best car in the real world". Yes it's expensive, but it's a premium high quality car, and competes with BMW/Merc/Audi (and betters them - particularly as it does not have their horrible image), so it's going to be expensive - in fact it's good value compared to it's German rivals. If you can only have two cars, then the first has to be a Golf, and also an open top sports car - say a Boxster on the drive next to it, and then you'll have it all, everything you'll ever need.
I cannot believe A.E. have awarded 4.5 for Reliability...? Have they never visisted the VW forums that are full of tales of Nightmares...As a mk6 owner who has owned a number of Golfs which in the past if you got a good one will last a while, I feel the quality has slipped with every new incarnation, In just under 3 years ours has had New Alloys due to corrosion (common fault) 2 new new Throttle Pedals (the floor mounted Organ Pedal seizes up, not plesent to drive , over £130 just to buy, Luckly under warrenty ) crunchy gears when cold (unresolved) Horrible running which Stealers are unable to sort (I would avoid the 1.6TDi which still appears VW still cannot remedy as they keep giving it new updates ) new injectors but still Diesel Knocksand various other problems including bits of trim that keep falling off / annoying rattles, all under 25K .
The new model also looks like it has the same sh*tty door seals which tend to crack and let in water they also creak on the flimsy tops of the doors and now the I have dashboard warning light ESP fault, This is quite scary as in previous cases it almost always starts at 3 years old... check it out here http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/fo... .
Personal experience would never buy a brand new design, especially with a new design engine until the whole design is around 3 years old, that way most of faults may (in theory) have been sorted by then.. Also the prices should have settled down by then, better discounts.
A very interesting read. So many rebuttals, but where to start. Have you considered your residual value? How much does owning a Golf actually cost?
Assuming your cars is an 10/10 plate Golf GT Tsi160 5dr with 25k + Metallic, WeBuyAnyCar value it at £10,740. Of course, this excludes options (although they are not valued as high as the amount you paid) and you should be able to get a little more selling private, but I'd say that it's taken a BIG hit!
Can you clarify your model?
Actually, Matts carbuyer review seems spot on. It's a good all founder but there's no category it excels in.
There are better quality, cheaper, prettier, more practical cars out there. I seriously don't understand why would a person interested in cars buy one. Others would call this a face lift, not a new model. And it's been that way ever since mk4 (which was awful quality, just like mk3).
Golf is a myth forged with first two generations that people still believe in. But it's just an average car.
After 5 years and gradually worsening reviews i've now decided I'm going to stop buying this magazine from this week onwards. AE reviews for anything VW simply appears to be paid adverts, lacking any objective opinions by the reviewers. I get to drive many cars and while i've not seen or sat in a MK7 personally its looks just as dull and boring as the last 2 version - how can a car this boring and dull get 5 stars. The last model was far from good and i can't see this being any better. I have no respect left for the reporting you do.
Sounds like you've been very unlucky - that can happen on any car from any manufacturer, looks like you had a lemon. I had a Mk4, and it was the most reliable car I've ever had - I ran it for 180k from new, only changing the clutch/gearbox towards the end of my time with it. The only problems I had were with electrics (nothing too bad), and the doors could stick in the freezing winter. On the basis of what an excellent - reliable - car that was, I bought a MK6 just over two years ago. I've done 26k, and it is still drives like it's brand new -as I'd expect for a Golf. A fantastic car, and I say again, I've never come across any reliability issues.
squint a little and the front of the car in the main pic looks like a Peugeot 306
NOT RELIABLE - FACT!!!
Well, it just goes to show that the 'Driver Power' survey means absolutely nothing. Real costs/breakdowns are the thing. READ THIS!!!!!!!!:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/c...
Glad that everything is life is NOT as reliable as a Volkswagon/BMW/Audi/Mini!!!
It's a 60 plate. Golf Mk6, silver metallic, 5 dr, TSI GT (160 bhp) manual. Sunroof, touch screen media, 2 zone climate... and other goodies. You know, all cars lose about 1/2 their value after 3 years, but the Golf far less than most, so I don't see the point in picking up on that... in any case, I've absolutely no intention of selling it... it's just too good! However, I would be interested in what your rebuttals are... particulary "so many"? Maybe you could list them all? Whilst your at it, maybe you could suggest a similar car of your choosing and I could then go about listing rebuttals of that. The Golf is a fine car - that is undeniable - it's a fact, given the amount of sales, and reviews throughout the world. Yes, I chose to fully load mine with options, which will not have done the re-sale value any favours, as no one gets back what they paid for on options - but hey, trust me, when it has the right engine, and fully loaded with all the options, the Golf is an absolutely superb car - unbeatable.
... oh, and it has 18" wheels which make it a stunning car to look at. Here's an image of my exact car... www.volkswagen.co.uk/new/golf-...
This is a bit like shopping in Sainsburys.
Skoda- Value brand.
VW-Own brand (same product but diff packaging)
Audi-Taste the difference range (fancy packaging)
BORRRINGGGGGGGG........
Spec up Golf, it reaches Audi A3/BMW 1 region. Some say "I looked at A3/A4/3 series/C class Merc, and none could match it's overall qualities." WOW!!!
09 1.4TSI DSG 15,000 miles the EPC light came on a few weeks back. £520 the repair cost. Electric pedal control. The new Golf has now a electric parking brake, radar cruise control and engine stop start. More and more to go wrong out of warranty. Some countries have had the warranty extended to 5 years on the DSG box not us thiough.
Why you would waste 25k on a golf is beyond me! You are clearly deluded if you actually think you made the better choice in getting a A4/3 series/C class instead! The golf is a great car but your claim stating these three dont get close to your car is comical.
I'll give you 3 huge flaws to your oh-so-amazing golf.
1. I could fall asleep looking at it its so boring
2. Compared to the rwd alternatives from bmw and mercedes... it is no where near as good to drive
3. The customer experience I have experienced from VW dealers is absolutely shocking
I'm assuming you have never driven a £25k 1 series or a3, let alone sat in one - your loss.
click edit
Also whilst your at it... maybe edit this comment too... *how
How can you say Dull styling then give it nearly 5 stars on its individual rating?! Its as bland and horrible as they come. It is lacking any sense of style or design at all. I therfore can only presume its so you can give it a 5 star rating as we know how much you all love a Golf over at AE.
I have said on here before about a mates Golf. It was a TDi and had 2 turbos! within 30k. The blank button on the dash fell in with just a slight touch and it had creaks and moans all over the place so its lost on me how they can get calls for such great build quality.
I'll stick with my Giulietta any day of the week thank you. Its faster, cleaner, better spec'ed and properly styled inside and out.
Question is why would you want a 1 series or an A3 when you can have the new A class or a Giulietta! They better it in every single way possible, price, spec, design.
As much as i think the golf is the average car for the non-car fan the 1 series is just a terrible car. Also why do you need RWD in the real world?
You clearly need some Alfa Romeo love in your life! ;)
Give me a Seat anyday!
I agree the Alfa is better designed... but better in every way?
Build quality? Reliability? DRIVE?!?!
A lot of people rant on about how useless RWD is in the real world... but when you put the car through its paces down twisting B-roads... You will have such a huge grin on your face for the whole duration of the drive
Of course if you are a boring middle aged man with a family to cater for then you are completely right... go for the boring golf or other boring FWD cars!
Not sure that can be true as Audi is supposed to be the posh version of a VW.
Ideal would be a AR 159 and Fezza! That is everything you need.
Yes every way. Well the relability argument is a mute point as far as I'm concerned, My Guililetta has now done 65,000 and not had a single issue. My 147 before that had nearly 200k on it and never let me down, unlike the crappy 3 series I had the misfortune of running. I beleive Alfa is only one placve behind BMW in the power survey now too.
The build quality is also spot on, but it was always going to be when the old boss of Rolls Royce was running the firm! It has no vibrations or rattles, its so smooth over distances and on the twisty stuff leaves most others behind, including my mates Golf.
I have had RWD, FWD and 4WD and to be honest I find next to know difference on the roads, if i was on a track yes fair enough i would take RWD anyday of the week, but for everyday use, it makes no difference what so ever.
Also should just add Fiat/Alfa are miles ahead of all german manufacturers in the engine failure table!
I can argue the exact same faultless reliability for my German cars which I have owned a1, a4, a6, c class, 1 series... Apart fom a clutch in the a4 none of the above cars have had any problems over the 200,000 miles of driving in the last 5 years... Until I experience an unreliable German car then I refuse to believe they are unreliable.
You still claim the alfa is better in everyway. But you know your talking rubbish. The 1 series is a far better car to drive. For me this is what matters on my 70 miles b-road commute everyday. This is my 'everyday real world' that you talk about
HA! Its just not. i drove it before I got my Alfa and its just bland. Yes the M1 or what ever they call it will prob be better but anything with a 2.0l engine just isn't. They arent that fast as the car weighs too much and removes all the fun which also kills the steering of which there is very little feedback form too. It also looks like a dog squating for a s**t and the interior is just lacklustre, I wont even start on the woeful spec levels. I work in the Lakes so I am driving windy roads pretty much every day and nothing rewards me like the Alfa.
I remember the A6 my gaffer had been in and out of the shop constantly, that needed a new gearbox within about a month of it been delivered. The BMW 320d I had needed a new ECU within 3 months, after this is was fault after fault, the airbag went off while it was sat in the carpark! We told the hire firm to take it away and burn it. The only german car I have tried and didnt mind was the C Class but this still has the horrible Merc leather in.
To call the BMW's drive boring is comical... And at this point I can't be bothered to argue with someone so daft! Enjoy your reliable Alfa :)
You clearly dont do that much proper driving otherwise you would know. You just stick to liking what AE and their misguided journalism tells you to like. I shall be out in my Alfa or on my MVA Brutale driving with the grown ups.
Nonsense... just because you dont have RWD, doesn't mean its useless! RWD offers greater balance making them better in corners unlike your nose heavy fwd cars... try taking a hard bend in a golf or equivalent on a b road at 70 and see what happens! Then for accelerating, 2 words - wheel spin!! They are also much stronger so can take a lot more abuse.
Please though, enlighten me, what is it that you drive petrolhead that is oh so amazing?
Corrrr... this place is full of bitter FWD loving noobs... just because you dont have it, it must be S**T! Just like all the people without iphones - The iphone must be useless because i dont have one! Stupid child.
I had a fair amount to say in response (some on the virtues of rear wheel drive), but on seeing your offensive comments above, together with your other comment (Leon v 1 series) where you're also being offensive, I've deleted it.
This is a forum for car lovers to enjoy lively debate... not a place for foul mouthed, offensive comments and making other people feel uncomfortable. I also do not regard something that I do not have, as being as you have described it above.
You are obviously not worthy of being included in a civilised discussion.
Good night, and I sincerely hope that you do not kill yourself or anyone else.
Reliability buy japanese,way ahead of vw and any other country. Styling you pays your money and takes your choice. Verdict on reliability by by AE based on 2 cars is not acceptable and is plain stupid. Cost is up to the individual if you can afford it buy it. I have owned 5 VW cars and they were all turkeys, very unreliable so bought a honda and so true engineering excellence.
AE: Someone has changed this link to the new car site.... this is NOT the original link that I posted - could you remove it please, as this has now been greyed out for me, so I cannot edit it. Thank you.
Iv drivin a 1.6Tdi with a DSG. Very underwhelmed. It even looks like a van.
I'm mentioning the words "similarly priced" several times in this comment , and there is a very good reason for this - because, in order to have an honest and fair comparison, you must to compare "like with like". I'm absolutely certain you have in your mind's eye a Golf which is actually priced far less than their equivalent Merc/Audi/BMW rivals when you are comparing them. Is that a fair comparison? Come on, be fair - it's not is it? Do you see the Golf as a "lower class" car? If so, then you really must get this idea out of your head, and compare like with like - IE a Golf that you would have to pay a similar amount of money for compared to it's Merc/Audi/BMW rivals. I absolutely believe that if the Golf had a BMW badge, or a Merc badge, all of the badge snobs would be singing it's praises. I feel very sorry for such people. They are deluding themselves.
I seriously suggest you sit in and compare each of these cars (of a similar price) and compare them back to back. You need to spend an afternoon driving from one dealership to another, but it will be worth it. Ensure you compare cars that are of a similar price. Above all - ensure you test drive each of these similarly priced models. Only the A3 feels as nice a place to be, as a similarly priced Golf, from the cars listed above - when they are of a similar price. (Did you know that the Golf costs just as much as the A3, given identical spec/identical engine - so.. why is the A3 "prestige" and the Golf not?) What is "Prestige"? Because if it is quality and engineering prowess then the Golf is just as prestigious if not more "prestigious" than all of the cars listed above, with the exception of the A3 which equals the Golf.
Without doubt, the "prestigious" Merc feels cheap in comparison to the Golf (it is as clear as day light for anyone comparing a similarly priced Merc to a similarly priced Golf), as a direct consequence of many of the components and materials used. You really must start appreciating reality, and that is that the Golf is as good if not better than many models produced by the so called "premium brands".
At the time.. 6 months ago!!, it was a problem with Disqus.
Time to stop buying this mag due to its complete bias towards all thing VAG. Check out how many stars are deducted when anything Japanese or Korean has something they don't like in comparison to VAG. How can the Golf get higher ratings on practicality and reliability than the civic when it has a tiny boot and continually finishes below it on reliability surveys? The mag should be free as all it does it advertise all things German or German owned.
What's with this 'boring' comment?
A Golf is a Golf, and its appearance is evolutionary, a development concept similar to that followed by Porsche.
If you want 'exciting' styling, there's plenty of choice, especially from Asian manufacturers.
Its appearance is boring that's what it is!
Fair enough styling is a preference, some people like the golfs styling, but the other two points I made are still very valid. The golf isn't as good to drive as some of the competition and their retailer network is by far the worst I have encountered on numerous occasions.
Also whilst you're at it... maybe edit your spelling of you're.
How about this? http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/c...
5 starts and it doesn't make it in the top 50 most reliable cars?
Yes, absurd isn't it. AE should cut out their star rating altogether and avoid derisory remarks.
Ford Focus a better Drive?? Rubbish!! It felt cheap and pretty nasty compared to the VW, Skoda or even a Vauxhall Astra!!! AE gets the top of the rangers to spin around in, not the models down th food chain - and you don't get to suffer the Blue Oval's awful Dealerships and attitude to warranty claims when the auto gearboxes break and they start to leak after 3 years!!
I came to the same conclusion 4 years ago that A E reviews were becoming more and more useless to the reader wanting an honest and accurate view of a particular vehicle as an aid to a buying decision.
I did exactly this, I drove around and tried: A Golf, A3, Astra, Focus, 1 Series, i30, Guiletta, Auris(?), DS4, 308 and a V40. You don't seem to have tried many in the class and just stuck with best known for badge snobbery not the entire class. If you had you would see just how far behind the Golf is.
There was only one outstanding car. The Guiletta, it had the best spec for the best base price, it was the cleanest, fastest, best looking, best handling, just the best. Its why I have one now and will probably have another one when its renewal time saying that the Volvo is well wroth considering too, but one that will not be on my list after trying it is a Golf.
The reason I only mentioned the German makes is that Lixunhuan was making a silly snobbish comment suggesting that the other germans are better than the Golf which they are not. That has nothing to do with the cars I actually tested, or my preferences. I'm sure you would have retorted if he had said the same about your Alfa.
I hate snobs with a passion, particularly "arm glued to the window, sun glasses wearing snobs", and I can assure you I am not one of them! I pride myself that I will buy any car regardless of the badge - so you're so wrong on those two counts, that you couldn't possibly be any farther away from the truth. I didn't test drive the Alfa because I don't like the look of it (although I do like it's rear styling). I have owned an Alfa in the past, and love the marque. Like you, when I purchased my Golf, I bought it for all the reasons you perceived when you bought your Alfa - as you feel the Alfa is the best all round car, I equally feel the Golf is the best car all round car... as you say "best looking, fastest, best handing/ride, just the best etc etc etc etc etc .... We're both happy with our purchases, and we both feel we've made the best choice!! But to say " you would see just how far behind the Golf is" is frankly, a ridiculous thing to say.
That's fair do's :)