BEST USED PERFORMANCE CAR VW GOLF GTI PERFORMANCE PACK Mk7
OUR PICK Volkswagen golf 2014(14) Gtiperformancepack, 44kmiles,£16,000
MORE than 40 years ago the original Volkswagen Golf GTI set the template for the hot hatchback class, and its appeal is clearly enduring, because it’s our Best Used Performance Car for 2017.
Launched in 2013, the Mk7 GTI is a thoroughly modern family hatch and uses the VW Group’s latest MQB underpinnings. If you can do without the subtly tweaked styling and glossy-screened infotainment system of the recently facelifted Mk7.5 model, a used GTI offers a blend of stunning performance, plenty of refinement, all the practicality you’d expect from a Golf and an image that fits every occasion.
We’ve picked out the Performance Pack variant in particular, because this featured a power boost to 227bhp from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine, but more importantly, upgraded brakes and a clever VAQ front differential to help put that extra grunt to the road.
Combined with the sweet six-speed manual gearbox, precise steering and agile, grippy chassis, the GTI is brilliant to drive and offers just the right level of involvement on your favourite road.
On the motorway, standard sat-nav, cruise control and other gadgets allied to the superb refinement mean it’s no more taxing than a regular diesel Golf. And with a light foot you’ll easily see more than 35mpg, meaning it’s not only an affordable used performance car to buy, but the Performance Pack version should be relatively cost-effective to run given the oomph on offer.
The build quality is exceptional, the driving position is great and the seats offer a lovely balance between comfort and support. Nods to its ancestors in the form of the tartan Jacarra cloth trim and the dimpled gearlever are nice touches, but it’s the explosive, freerevving engine, that diff that helps the front tyres claw the road and the powerful brakes that make the GTI Performance Pack our Best Used Performance car.
“With the sweet six-speed manual gearbox, precise steering and agile, grippy chassis, the GTI is brilliant to drive and offers just the right level of involvement”