2002 Volkswagen Golf SE review from Australia and New Zealand

A rattling sound developed from within the dash after only 1 week. It was quite loud especially between 1000 - 2000 RPM while driving. However, a very helpful volkswagen service centre fixed the problem under warranty within a day (metal air conditioning pipe vibrating on bulkhead) as well as giving me a loan car and returning my car cleaned!

I bought a golf because of my perception of it being a reliable, comfortable, economical and responsive car to drive. I also wanted a car that would age well and offer reasonable resale value at some point down the track. It certainly offers luxury in a small package with surprising attention to detail. The cabin is very comfortable; the stereo sounds great, road/engine noise is minimal, the boot is huge, visibility/dash layout is well considered and has a feeling of quality. As far as performance goes the golf really does handle well; agile and body rigid in corners, however, you feel that the 1.6L engine is never really going to extend it lacking grunt below 2500rpm. It is economical though, especially on open roads where higher engine speeds also make it quite nimble. Its high level of standard safety features is class leading. Importantly also this car looks amazing - it is functional art.