VW Golf – just about perfect
4 I MIGHT well have said this before about a completely different piece of machinery, but I make no apologies.
The Volkswagen Golf TSI really is a car for all reasons. Just check out these figures: a real 54 miles per gallon driven carefully, brilliant acceleration, with 62 miles an hour coming up in under 10 seconds, excellent refinement and much more.
Yet because this is the 1.4 turbo, not the GTI, it comes with beautifullycompliant suspension, giving the most marvellous level of comfort over every surface and at every speed.
It even smoothed out the potholed roads in town with ease and took rough country roads at speed completely in its stride.
The power unit is as smooth and quiet as anyone could wish, and could give Mercedes quite a few pointers for its four-cylinder engines.
The gearchange is marvellous, slick, quick and just about perfect, while the engine is hugely willing, with no turbo lag above 1,600 revs.
It has a heady red line of 7,000 revs, but there’s little point in taking it beyond 5,500 because the engine pulls just as hard when you change up.
Despite the comfort offered by the suspension, it is also almost unstickable in the corners, making it very, very safe and a huge amount of fun for a twisty-road enthusiast like me.
The chassis balance is nigh on perfect and the whole car feels part of you when you push it hard.
It’s a car where the designers art has really come up trumps, giving great comfort and yet also marvellous handling. It really is that good and right at the top of the class.
Inside, the five-door Match model I drove has the usual VW sombre black, but it is lightened by many brightwork touches all around.
Equipment includes air con, traction control, alarm, alloys, cruise, 60/40 split fold seats, audio remote controls and parking sensors at the rear on top of the usual electrics and remote locking.
It may be a tad more expensive than cars like the Ford Focus but, if I had the money, I would happily pay that premium for a car as good as this.