Why the entry-level Volkswagen Golf is the one you actually want

In traditionally distracting fashion, a recent meandering office chat turned to the thorny subject of the best-ever Volkswagen Golf.

A shortlist was duly assembled and it was understandably filled with performance versions spanning the generations: GTIs, Rs, R32s, 16vs, Clubsports et al. Heck, I think someone pushed for the W12-650.

It was a fine list and sparked plenty of debate, although clearly the correct answer is the Mk7.5 GTI. Thanks, no further questions.

But in celebrating the fastest, funnest Golf models to drive, I reckon something is lost. Because regardless of the generation, when it comes to value for money, all-round usability and general agreeability, in my mind the best Golf, the Golfiest Golf, is usually the bog-standard one.

An example might help. A few years back, I ran a pair of Golf Mk8s back to back on our long-term test fleet: an entry-level Life TSI followed by a GTI.

Undoubtedly, the GTI looked sharper outside, was plusher inside (you’ve got to love a bit of tartan) and, on the right road, was sharper and more entertaining. So, overall, which did I enjoy more? Of course it was the entry-level one.

For everyday driving, it was just easier to live with and more relaxing to drive and did pretty much everything you could reasonably want from it, without any real compromise.

The ride was soft enough to tackle any bumps, it was still plenty comfy inside, there was all the kit you needed, it was pleasantly fun to drive and cheaper to buy and run and I was less worried about dinging the alloys.

And it did all that, like its boggo predecessors did over seven previous generations, with absolutely no fuss.

In similar fashion, you do make judgements about other motorists based on what car they drive. But I reckon it’s impossible to think ill of someone for driving a standard Golf. It’s the absolute sweet spot in the car market: you don’t look at a Golf driver and think they’ve paid for badge prestige, but nor do you think they don’t know or care about cars.

You don’t question why they’ve bought a big SUV that doesn’t fit down their street. Instead, you think: “There’s a person who’s bought all the car they need and nothing they don’t.”

Truly, the bog-standard, entry-level Golf is the baby bear’s porridge of the car world: not too hot, not too cold, just about right. And that’s not just in terms of the Volkswagen line-up but the whole car industry. 

For the past 50 years, if you’ve wanted a car that will do everything well and rarely let you down, the default choice has been a Golf – and not just any Golf but the entry-level one.