Before the Golf there was nothing.
Before the Golf there was just rubbish like Ford Escorts, Austin Maestros and Vauxhall Vivas and all those other cars you’ve completely forgotten ever existed. I mention this because you may have noticed that there is a brand new Golf in showrooms. Well actually you won’t have noticed at all, because the mostly new Golf 6, looks uncannily like the Golf 5, but hey that’s a good thing. Youngsters should know that the Volkswagen Golf finally gave the great British buying public some options. Finally we could buy a car that was not just reliable, the Datsun Cherry provided that, but ‘also some style’, practicality and a hatchback. Until then the hatch was regarded with some suspicion and alarm, so the Golf swept away generations of ugly old boots.
That was 1974 and since then Volkswagen have created a class of car that is defined by the simple word ‘Golf’. Say Golf and you think iconic family hatch first and Tiger Woods, second. Since then Volkswagen have got it pretty much spot on so that the middle classes abandoned their BL-badged bodge-ups in droves. Indeed, if you have read my most recent (best-selling) book you will know that my own Dad bought a new Golf every other year during the 1980s.In brief then, the Mark 1s were great but most have now rusted away, or are in GTI trim and are now collectors’ items. The Mark 2 was bigger and tougher and is still around in considerable numbers and rather more resistant to rot. Even today you should buy one for less than £1,000 and it will probably last for decades to come and cost buttons to run.
However, the Mark 3 was a bit Mr. Blobby in the styling department, whilst also being just as manoeuvrable and reliable as the unlovably clumsy oaf. This was the only time that Volkswagen lost the plot with the Golf, but because it had become one of the strongest brands in the world, they managed to survive. Here is proof why you can never go wrong when you buy a Golf. It is one of the few sensible things that you can do.
Even a Mark 3, that seems a bit grim and dull, especially with a 1.4 engine, no air conditioning and wind up windows, may be all the car you ever need. That is because the best Golfs have only ever been consumer appliances with very long leads.The truth is that the vast majority of us without extended families or building companies really don’t need a car that is much bigger than a Golf, which is where the Golf 4 comes in.
The company knew that they had to re-establish themselves as the provider of premium quality hatchbacks in an increasingly competitive market. As a result, the Golf had an interior that even today remains a benchmark for comfort and quality. From the blue backlit instruments to the way it was bolted together, here was a Golf to be really proud of again. At the moment the 4 is probably the most numerous and best value of recent models. Get one with a diesel engine and it is smart and economical enough to be your daily driver and not at all embarrassing when you arrive for a meeting at Little Chef. That’s the great thing about Golfs, they are totally classless, but still remain a class act.
It refuses to show off, and right now, that is a very good thing.If you can afford a few quid more, then Golf 5 marked a return to form when it comes to driving enjoyment, which I know, bothers a few people. It also has plenty of room, bags of refinement and a comfy driving position. Possibly the very best thing about the old Golf is that it looks so much like the latest one – but costs so much less. Because probably the very worst thing about all Golfs is when they are brand new they cost quite a lot more money than anything else. But then, that’s the idea, you get what you pay for and as good as an Astra or Focus may be these days, they don’t have the feel good factor of a Golf.
However the whole point of Used Car Expert is proving that you can have your automotive cake and not just eat it, but drive it too. So with car prices softer than they have been, although of course Golf prices are never quite as spongy as rather more ordinary compact hatchbacks, there has never been a better time to buy yourself the best used car ever made.
Words: James Ruppert