Faults:

This car has been nothing more than 100% reliable. I have had nothing at all go wrong with the car since the day I purchased it. A credit to Volkswagen, and the reason why they have such a strong following.

General Comments:

As said before reliability is 100%. The car has had three MOT's, since I have owned it and passed without any work on each visit.

Drives well with good performance from the 90bhp engine and turns back 35mpg however it is driven, and I drive fast on most occasions. I return 350 miles to a tank full of fuel.

The cabin is a bit dark and dreary with not many of the extras you would normally get on a Japanese equivalent vehicle, this model does come with sports seats and fancy white dials, but that's about it.

Boot space is a bit limited, but more than adequate.

Faults:

Electrical problem, fixed for nothing. I think it was named 109 switch or something of the sort. It was causing the car to loose power about once every 2 weeks. It is located below the release lever for the hood. The spark mechanic took it out stuck some solder on it and no problems since. A good Bosch spark will know what to do as my man spotted it as a common problem.

The electric window motor on the driver-side went this year. Got one from a breakers for less than half the price of the dealer. Check the switch as they can often be the problem and fixed with some spray oil.

Power Steering pump replaced at 120,000 miles. Not a major cost.

Lock on the driverside door needed to be replaced at 135,000.

General Comments:

A wonderful machine. Great fuel economy. I drive an estate and it works as a great family car. I drive 60 miles a day and this car is comfortable and well able for taking over in traffic. Not a spot of rust on it and I am expecting this engine to go on into the two hundred thousands.

OK the VW badge is a bit more cost. But my car was paid off after 3 years and I know I will be getting many more years of high mileage driving out of it.

Faults:

No problems at all.

General Comments:

The Golf GTI 8v is a great "all round" car and is miles ahead of the competition in its class.

The Golf wasn't my first choice of car, I looked at 306 XSI's, Astra's, Escort GTI's, Civics, but on a whole, none of them compared to the Golf. With the Golf you know it will hold its value much better, be more reliable, it has lots of quality and won't drop to bits when you slam the door too hard!

I have the rare aircon model in "Dragon Green" with a full VW service history and only 2 owners from new.

The Golf is not the quickest of the mark due to its weight, but once it gets going there is enough power there to keep you happy and I'd imagine you could do 130mph in one if you wanted.

The cars handling is brilliant in all conditions, it sticks to the road very well giving you confidence to push it harder.

The interior is spacious and well laid out. The standard Recaro seats are comfortable giving you good support.

The in car entertainment is very good, 6 speakers and a CD player is good compared to today's standards and this is an 8yr-old car!

The running costs are very reasonable for a 2 litre engine. 180 miles off £20 worth of petrol stop-start urban driving is not bad.

Everything about the car has been made to a very high standard; the finish of the paintwork, the Recaro interior trim, the alloy wheels (BBS), the car has lots of quality.

The only bad things I have to say about the car are; the steering can be heavy at low speeds and the parts can be expensive.

The car is still going as strong as the day it rolled out of the factory, there is no wear on the seats, the engine is smooth and picks up very well, the bodywork is immaculate with no rust spots, everything works (even the aircon) and nothing has broken or fallen off, all this after 8 years and 101,000 miles is a credit to VW for making such good cars.

If your looking for a sporty, spacious hatchback forget the competition this is the car to have. I prefer it to my brother's 2-yr old Focus and wouldn't swap him if he asked.