Car reviews

Volkswagen Golf Hatchback (97-04)

New price range	£10,893 - £23,228


Used price range	£1,018 - £10,920
See 295 used cars for sale from £1,390

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Summary

Strong residuals, reputation for quality, comfortable on the move, neat design
SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia do the same for less, not as good to drive as the Focus

The fourth generation Golf delivers luxury, quality and refinement in a very safe package. Rivals may look or drive better, but none offer the Golf's superb cabin and solid but understated image. It costs more than most small family cars, but depreciation is slow and running costs are reasonable. Fuel economy is fine on petrol-engined cars, but the diesel cars are excellent, especially the PD high pressure injection engines. These give enjoyable brisk performance combined with 50mpg.

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