~*~*~*~ Beware From Ciao So Is A Little On The Long Side ~*~*~*~ I will say now that the Mark 5 VW Golf has always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart, yes, I know it's a car but I really liked them when they first came out in 2004, even though I was only 14 I've always been into my cars. I blame Dad for that! So when July 2007 finally rolled around and I was hunting for a driving instructor, it was only natural for me to choose one that was using the Mark 5 as their instructor car, I was spoilt i have to say with a 4motion sport, 2.0 litre TDI - with leather interior and Lord knows what else - I told you I'd been spoilt. Thing is when I passed my test 6 ...  Read the complete review

When it comes to cars I'm pretty uncomplicated really - as long as I can get myself and my stuff into whatever car I'm driving, turn the key and go, I'm happy. Though, in my time, I've worked in tyre, brake and clutch factories (all part of my mission at the time to teach English to the French) I really have no interest in knowing what's under the bonnet. If you are in the market for one of these second hand - VW is on to MK6 now I believe, before you move on I should probably point out that I've owned a MK5 for over 5 years and in that time I've come to know it pretty well. I hope that some of my experience might help those thinking of embarking on a relationship ...  Read the complete review

I bought a Mk4 Golf GTI 1.8T about 11 years ago after wanting one since the MK1 Golf GTI from back in the 1980's. Having bought the Mk4 I realized that things had changed a bit since then. The car was now a lot bigger, heavier and had only a warm performance with soft unresponsive suspension for a "hot" hatch. Then after a local VW dealer serviced the car car it never ran right again. The final insult was being overtaken by a then new Mini cooper (not even an S model) on a winding road in Scotland, which led to me swapping the Golf for a Mini Cooper. Not giving up on the Golf GTI I decided that I would replace the Mini with a MK5 Golf GTI after ...  Read the complete review

I bought a 55 reg version of this car about 2 years ago in a part exchange deal for my old Renault Megane. I paid £7500, plus my old car. The engine~ Mine is a nippy petrol engine. Despite that the car is quite large, it accelerates nicely, and gear changes are relatively smooth. The bodywork~ So far I haven't had to replace any panels on the car. The golf is a tough thing though, as it has been hit numerous times by other car doors in car parks, and it hasn't left a mark. The dealer told me (if i'm to believe him) that repairs wouldn't be too expensive, as the it is a popular car. The boot is a good height, I haven't struggled when trying to ...  Read the complete review

We bought our Golf GTi Edition 30 two years ago, and have had about 23,000 miles of generally fault free driving (see minor niggles at the end). Our previous car was a Peugeot Gti-6, and the difference was profound. I've always been suspicious of the claims made about Golfs versus other competion, but it really seems to be true. The thing feels solid as a rock. The seats are absolutely superb, the driving position is perfect, visibility is good - you can see where the front of the car is (though the view out the back for reversing isn't as good as in the old peugeot - possibly the only negative comparison). We opted for the DSG gearbox which has two clutches ...  Read the complete review