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It was much too rare and expensive to make the shortlist last year. Yet 12 months on, you can now pick up early examples from around £15,500. On the right road, some rivals are more fun or involving to drive. Others feature more powerful engines and give stronger performances, but none can match the Golf as an everyday ownership proposition.
The Vauxhall Astra VXR is quicker, Ford's Focus ST more capable and the Honda Civic Type R more charismatic, yet none performs so many roles as easily as the Golf. The GTI is as happy playing the refined and economical motorway cruiser as it is the well mannered, urban runaround. And, when the mood strikes, you can access every one of the modest 2.0-litre T-FSI's 197bhp.
So while we would all like to play in the competition, the Golf GTI is the hot hatch we want to take home, and that's before you consider its class-leading cabin and unrivalled heritage. There is the option of Volkswagen's excellent DSG gearbox, too. However, the paddle-operated transmission costs an extra £800, so our spare money would go on a manual three-door machine sporting
the retro tartan cloth upholstery.
The optional 18-inch alloys look great but compromise ride and are easily kerbed, so search for a car with standard 17-inch rims and pay attention to the colour to maximise resale values. Stick to smart grey, red or our favourite - white. If you look after your GTI, you can expect it to hold its value better than the competition.
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