Faults:

Only thing replaced under warranty was the remote key was reprogrammed as it was a little bit intermittent.

General Comments:

This car does just what you want from a small estate. Great economy (55mg at cruising speed of 75-80mph), okay at 90mph to 100mph (49mpg). Drove at top speed on the motorway for 20 miles at 126mph and the diesel engine was quiet and refined. Great torque for easy overtaking. Excellent brakes and ESP stability and ASR traction control make light work of snowy conditions. Estate means we can pack the car up with wine when coming back from France. Overall very good. So good I won't be coming back to petrol!

Faults:

I have had no faults with my Golf.

General Comments:

The first time I test drove the GOLF I knew it was the perfect car!

I test drove Astra's, Pugs - both 206 & 306, and also some Japanese models.

I found the Golf had heaps of power and the quality was superb! Compared with the Astra & Pugs.

I traded in a 1996 model BMW 318i and have found that the Golf has about the same power, but the fuel economy is very economical.

The seats are very comfortable, especially with the 3 head rests in the back.

I bought the Golf because I was looking for a small, sporty, luxury, good quality, powerful but economical car, and the Golf was the perfect choice.

The standard steel wheels don't look too good so I recommend fitting alloy wheels.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This car is fantastic. In Australia there is only one choice for the GTI, 1.8T 5 door. This suits me fine although a V6 4motion might get the performance marks to 10/10. Although Golf 4motions are not available down under. Damn.

GTI features are pretty good compared to its competition. Recaro seats look and feel great. Blue dash lights are a hoot. Sunroof as a standard feature is welcome, if unexpected in this class.

Resale and build quality are very high. The fit and finish of the car is first class. The car just feels so safe and smooth. Have bettered the claimed top speed by 4km/h to achieve 220km/h and was concentrating too much to notice much else! However at a more sedate 160km/h, or 100mp/h, the car feels so quiet and smooth, and with cruise control it is well suited to highway driving.

Performance from a standing start could be better. However if that was all I wanted I would have bought a WRX like everybody else in Australia! Compared to a WRX the GTI is better built, has higher standards of safety, resale is slightly higher, about 75% cheaper to insure, and GTIs are far more unique.

Faults:

Well, I've only owned the car for two weeks but the things I noticed so far are the seats are a bit hard, hopefully they will soften up over time.

The folding down back seat is kinda awkward to manage having to remove the head rests, but when you've completed the job it's nice and roomy.

The lock/alarm mechanism is really cool, but it only operates at no more than about 20 feet away.

General Comments:

I was actually going to the VW dealer to look at used Toyota's when I decided to test drive the Golf Diesel. I was so amazed, all the other cars I test drove after that did not compare.

This car totally holds the road even in a wind storm and the room inside is amazing.

Everyone I have talked to has told me I made a great purchase and the car will last me a long time, and that's good cause after it's paid off I want to still have a good car, not an expensive piece of junk.

Faults:

Right rear speaker had to be fixed twice.

Both felt door moldings were replaced (had holes all along them).

None of these problems were major, and were fixed under the warranty.

General Comments:

Car runs great, even in the winter. The new globe plugs, which turn on as soon as the doors are unlocked, work well.

The mileage has been exceptional so far, averaging about 800km on a tank, which is costing about $30-$40 Canadian. The mileage will only get better after the third maintenance, when the engine speed will be changed (should get a max of 1100km/tank).

The diesel doesn't accelerate as quickly as the Camaro did, but when this thing goes, it goes. Feels a lot more powerful, as it's power comes from a stand-still, as opposed to a gas car's acceleration power.

Overall an exceptional car. I got it for its mileage and Volkswagen reliability, but am keeping it for its comfort, its great package of features (even at the base model), and superior handling.