Faults:

Lots but mostly wear and tear. The car never had any serious issues. There was a rattle from the engine in its final years with me (but it did have well over 100K on it at this point!).

Oil leak, never investigated. No significant loss.

Clutch judder.

Alternator + battery failed.

Entire exhaust system was replaced over the years. Ditto for brakes/suspension.

Passenger door handle/lock broke. Glove box broke.

Rust on wheel arches.

The car was serviced on time, and any belt changes, it had them done.

General Comments:

A reliable and comfortable car, the Golf was always a safe choice for family motoring. Could be expensive to fix, but the car always returned on that with reliability.

This was the most basic 1.4 S model. Not much equipment, and dull looking wheel trims. My car was silver as most of them seem to have been, a very popular color in the mid 2000's.

Inside the seats were actually nice to sit in for long journeys. The car was quiet and smooth.

Biggest gripe was the engine - not very fast (14 seconds to 60 mph!) and not that economical either. Yes you could get 40 mpg from it, but that is only when cruising very slow on A-Roads. Most of the time it did 34 - 36 mpg, not that good for a small hatchback. I have heard the diesels of this generation are much better - more economical and simple to maintain before diesels got complicated. But in fairness this petrol engine was OK - with proper maintenance it lasted to nearly 180K, and still had some life in it.

I've since moved on to a more modern Seat Toledo - in all honesty it is identical to the Golf and seems cheaper to run so far. But if you like VW of this generation, there are still plenty around, don't pay too much for one at this age or mileage, run it for a year then scrap it before it becomes a money pit.

Faults:

Doorhandle stuck - this was a fault from new and pointed towards failings at the final inspection/quality control stage.

Central locking - the system used by VW on the Golf is weird to say the least. Other makes/models have a simple double click to lock/single click to open. This car is easy to lock, but I find I have to press the unlock button lots of times to make sure the doors are unlocked.

General Comments:

The acceleration/performance of the 140bhp engine is good and road holding of the 4motion system means you can attack the bends without fear of losing the back end or under steer.

I have yet to achieve the fuel economy figures quoted by VW - not even close - even when driving like a grandad at 56mph down a motorway. The best I've managed is 43mpg (motorway). This is a shame as I had hoped I was getting a mix of fuel economy and performance. Being a company car driver, this is important.

I almost went for the Skoda Superb 2.5l initially - as it is close on price and comes with a lot of toys. Once this lease is up in 3yrs I may well do so.