2005 Volkswagen Golf GT TDi review from UK and Ireland

Nothing so far.

This is my first mark 5 Golf after having 3 mark 4 Golfs in a row.

Styling is good and the car looks more sporty and aggressive compared to the mark 4. The colour (coastal blue metallic) and the 8-spoke alloys just make the car look great. I've had a few admiring comments from friends, neighbours and work colleagues.

The handling and ride is a big improvement over the mark 4.

Car is bigger inside than previous model especially for rear seat passengers. Quality of interior trim plastics and fabrics is very good and will hopefully stand up well to a good few years wear and tear. A slight downside though is that the boot is a bit smaller than on the mark 4.

The 2.0 turbo diesel engine is an absolute gem. Effortless performance and great mid-range acceleration coupled with amazing fuel economy (53/54 mpg)

Car is very quiet inside with only slight wind noise and tyre roar motorway speeds.

Climate control is excellent and has a feature which enables front seat passenger to control the temperature independently of the driver.

My only slight criticism is my previous mark 4 Golf had a 6-CD autochanger whereas this car only has a single disc in-dash mounted unit.

However this is a minor point on an otherwise very good car.