Volkswagen Golf GTI

“When it comes to image, the GTI is head and shoulders above its rivals. You wouldn’t mind turning up at an expensive hotel in any of these cars new, but the GTI will still look and feel special in another five or six years – and you can’t say that about the others.” Mike Brewer

Call it destiny if you like, but the car that started the whole hot hatch craze has now finally turned full circle. The original 1976 Volkswagen Golf GTI MkI has passed into folklore for introducing the concept of a high-performance family model, but later versions failed to live up to the legend – until the MkV arrived in a blaze
of retro-inspired publicity back in 2004.

It was much too rare and expensive to make the shortlist last year. Yet 12 months on, you can now pick up early examples from around £15,500. On the right road, some rivals are more fun or involving to drive. Others feature more powerful engines and give stronger performances, but none can match the Golf as an everyday ownership proposition.

The Vauxhall Astra VXR is quicker, Ford’s Focus ST more capable and the Honda Civic Type R more charismatic, yet none performs so many roles as easily as the Golf. The GTI is as happy playing the refined and economical motorway cruiser as it is the well mannered, urban runaround. And, when the mood strikes, you can access every one of the modest 2.0-litre T-FSI’s 197bhp.

So while we would all like to play in the competition, the Golf GTI is the hot hatch we want to take home, and that’s before you consider its class-leading cabin and unrivalled heritage. There is the option of Volkswagen’s excellent DSG gearbox, too. However, the paddle-operated transmission costs an extra £800, so our spare money would go on a manual three-door machine sporting
the retro tartan cloth upholstery.

The optional 18-inch alloys look great but compromise ride and are easily kerbed, so search for a car with standard 17-inch rims and pay attention to the colour to maximise resale values. Stick to smart grey, red or our favourite – white. If you look after your GTI, you can expect it to hold its value better than the competition.

Commended: Ford Focus ST

2004 to present

Standard versions of the Focus are fantastic fun to drive – and the performance flagship is even more so. With 222bhp at its disposal from a 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, the sprint from 0-62mph takes only 6.8 seconds, which puts the mighty ST right near the top of the class for outright pace.Plenty of front-end grip, pumped-up looks and some of the smartest alloy wheels in the business complete the package. Only its heavy thirst for unleaded petrol, high prices and the blue oval’s image prevented it from taking the main prize here.

Commended: Renault Clio Ren.sport 182

2004 to 2006

The sole survivor from last year’s top three, the Renault offers old-school thrills for pocket-money prices! Granted, the flimsy interior can’t live up to the luxury of more modern machinery, but it is light, which helps to make the Clio 182 very quick. Later Cup variants weigh even less and, unlike the previous 172 Cup, have air-con. Only 500 end-of-the-line Trophy models were sold in the UK, featuring firmer suspension for improved handling. If you’re on a limited budget, try the 172, which is now available from only £3,500. But avoid the vast number of modified motors.