1991 Volkswagen Golf Driver review from UK and Ireland

Leaking rocker cover gasket.

New exhaust.

These are excellent cars, the build quality is simply awesome, the Mk2 Golf is built like the proverbial tank. At early nine years old there is not a trace of corrosion anywhere on my car.

The Driver is the official GTi look-alike, so it comes with the wide wheels, the wheelarch spoilers and the distinctive twin-headlamp grille. Only the very last of the line ('91-'92) were fitted with a carburetted version of the GTi's 1781cc ohc engine.

Even today, the handling outclasses a lot of more modern machinery, even if the trade off is a rather unrefined ride -- all the road noise is transmitted back into the bodyshell, but this is a near-20 year old design, after all!.

The 1.8 engine makes for a big difference over the 1.6, even if there is only a 15bhp power advantage, the gearing makes it very flexible around the country lanes, and acceleration is swift and responsive.

My only gripes are the gloomy, morbid interior, the dated and rather boxy looking dashboard, and the steering is impossibly heavy without power assistance. VW parts, despite improvements, still cost a fortune. But overall, this car is a work of art.