In truth, I had fallen for the GTI within the first few miles. I pulled away from the dealer forecourt, zipped around a roundabout, turned left and right, settled into a cruise on a dual carriageway and knew it was a fantastic car. It was obvious right away.
Six months and 4000 miles later, I am more convinced than ever. But it’s taken that time for me to identify exactly what it is that makes this car so good; aside from the driving characteristics I enjoy so much like the ultra-crisp steering and the supple ride, what is it that has won me over so completely? Now I’ve got it – quite simply, it is the no-compromise hot hatch. When I just need to get somewhere or my family is in the car with me, it has the docile temperament of the most common or garden Golf you can buy. But I know that beneath that veneer of civility, there is a stack of power and a willing chassis, raring to go.
The agility and performance simply don’t come at a cost – well, apart from cost itself. A GTI is more expensive to buy and run than a 1.5 TSI, but that’s to be expected. In terms of comfort, convenience, ride quality, usability, practicality, reliability, storage space, passenger space and so on, it’s in no way compromised compared to any other Golf. And I don’t think that’s true of any other comparable hot hatch.
