1999 Volkswagen Golf GT TDi review from UK and Ireland

Brake servo hose split.

Anti roll bar bushes wore out.

Brake discs and pads replaced (general wear and tear).

Air mass meter faulty.

I thought it necessary to add this review given a lot of the bad press the Mk4 Golf has received on this site. I am not a short-sighted devotee of VW, this is the first one I've had, but I like what I see.

The problems above are nothing major, and quite normal for any car of this mileage.

Compared with my old 306 the Golf is light years ahead in terms of refinement and comfort. The TDi engine is gutsy, quiet and economical. I have several years experience of working in the motor trade and believe that the Golf is a great balance of solidity and style.

Yes, maybe there are better cars out there, but the high resale values reflect the continued demand for these cars. If they had become so bad this would have inevitably changed by now.

My car has not been troublesome. It has had far fewer problems than my last car and I work it hard, covering upto 20K miles a year.

Come on people, give these cars a lot of the credit they deserve. Yes, slate bad examples, but don't be shallow enough to over generalise. There are some excellent ones too.