Volkswagen Golf MK6 2007 - 2012 review - CarBuyer

When it comes to image, no family hatchback can quite match the VW Golf and the good news is you no longer have to pay a premium for that rather desirable badge because believe it or not, the Golf is no more expensive than many of its rivals. In fact, it's actually cheaper than some. Obviously, it's anything but cheap here on the inside. I mean, the cabin oozes quality and while other manufacturers have caught up, VW is still the standard setter. I mean, no other car door shuts with such a reassuring thud. This cabin is very practical as well too. I've got a big glove box and it's chilled by the air con to keep my drink nice and cool. There's even room for it down there in the big door bin. It's very comfortable, this car as well. You've got lots of adjustment for the steering wheel. There's rake and reach adjustment and also I can adjust the height of the driver's seat. You can get the Golf with optional electrically adjustable suspension down here but I won't bother with that because a standard setup is so good. I mean, it kind of pummels imperfections in the road into submission and everything just feels smooth and flat and comfortable. But don't go thinking that means the Golf isn't any fun because it's actually surprisingly agile and a bit of a laugh around the twisty bits. What's most impressive though is just how refined and quiet it is in here. It's because VW has done a lot of work on noise deadening. For instance, there's an extra thick windscreen and also the wing mirrors have been specifically designed so that they reduce wind whistle. All this means the Golf is great on long journeys but because the controls are all nice and light and there's great visibility, it's superb around town as well. It's easiest to park too, especially if you go for the optional rear camera which, when you select reverse, pops out the badge in the back and has these handy guide lines to help you back into a space. As for the boot, well, it's not quite the largest in this class but its square shape means it's very usable so there's plenty of space for at least a couple of suitcases and in case all the hotels are full, I've even brought along my camping equipment. As for the back, well, if you follow me, you'll see it's pretty roomy. Headroom's decent and knee room, that's very impressive. However, we need to move on to the Golf's bad points and if you look at this, you can see the rear seat back doesn't fold flat which could be a bit of a pain if you're wanting to carry flat pack furniture. As for the negatives, well, um, actually, it's quite hard to think of any. I mean, I could moan that the Golf's exterior doesn't look as dramatic as a Honda Civic's. It might not be quite as sharp to drive either as a Ford Focus and I think inside, perhaps a Vauxhall Astra is a bit more stylish but that's just nitpicking because the Golf really is a fantastic all-round car and it'll hold its value better than most all because of that ultra-desirable VW badge.