Golf's, I just don't get it.

[Golaboots]

Could someone explain the appeal of the Golf to me. For years I've never quite understood why people love them so much. I've been in a few and driven a couple and have never been that impressed.

They all seemed well screwed together but had no flair or cleverness to them. People go on about Toyota building 'washing machines' but to my eyes VW usually do the same.

Golf's seem to age well (as the shape never changes) but to my mind any equivalent is usually cheaper and better to drive.

I'm sure there will be a torrent of abuse, but I just don't get the VW love in.

[HorneyMX5]

I've got an 86 MKII Golf GTI 8v track car and I love it. Had 3 MKII GTI road cars over the years as well. I love how they look and when I drive them they just feel "right". Are they better than a 205 or a fiesta or some other Eurobox? To me yes, to others maybe not.

Nick

[KaraK]

Golaboots said:

Could someone explain the appeal of the Golf to me. For years I've never quite understood why people love them so much. I've been in a few and driven a couple and have never been that impressed.

They all seemed well screwed together but had no flair or cleverness to them. People go on about Toyota building 'washing machines' but to my eyes VW usually do the same.

Golf's seem to age well (as the shape never changes) but to my mind any equivalent is usually cheaper and better to drive.

I'm sure there will be a torrent of abuse, but I just don't get the VW love in.

They have never appealled to me, they are just a reasonably well put together box with four wheels on. And these days they are an overweight and expensive box with four wheels on.

[kambites]

I don't really understand it either. They're decent transport, but I can't understand how anyone could yearn to own one. Much like every other car in the sector, really.

[Golaboots]

Glad I'm not alone on this one.

I do have a weird view of the world though, of the VAG group I'd look at Skoda's first!

[RedRose123]

Golaboots said:

Glad I'm not alone on this one.

I do have a weird view of the world though, of the VAG group I'd look at Skoda's first!

I don't see it either.

[Hell27]

Golfs came about when we all drove early escorts, Maxi's, dolomites, toledos, and princesses.
They were far more reliable. Aided by some extremely clever marketing in the 70's and 80's, the reputation grew. The Mk1 and 2 Golf GTi were labelled as "the definitive hot hatch", so it was a pukka alternative to the 3 series for well off people who did not want to be seen in BMW's, and Yuppies.
After that, the reputation seemed to last, but you might argue that the car got dull, whilst other makes upped their game in the build quality stakes.

Given the choice of a Golf diesel or a Focus diesel, I'd go for the Focus every time. Same choice but with Gti / ST - I'd actually go for the VW.

[SooperDan]

Older Mk1's and Mk2's are desirable. It's the feel of them and the retro image. Particularly the older ones which feel like they're built like tanks. The Mk1 GTI feels special in the sense it's the beginning of the hot hatch.

Past the Mk2 I don't understand the appeal. I had a Mk4 Golf (Bora), and it was just slow, not well built and boring to drive. Not driven a Mk5 but I would imagine it wouldn't be much of an improvement.
Plus, Mk4 Golfs (TDi's in particular) tend to be driven by idiots these days anyway...

[vinnie83]

Golaboots said:

Could someone explain the appeal of the Golf to me. For years I've never quite understood why people love them so much. I've been in a few and driven a couple and have never been that impressed.

They all seemed well screwed together but had no flair or cleverness to them. People go on about Toyota building 'washing machines' but to my eyes VW usually do the same.

Golf's seem to age well (as the shape never changes) but to my mind any equivalent is usually cheaper and better to drive.

I'm sure there will be a torrent of abuse, but I just don't get the VW love in.

I am by no means a VW fanboy, but seriously - the shape never changes? Maybe more recently the changes have been subtler, but seriously, who is going to confuse a mk2 golf with a mk5?

And you should post up what you feel is a cheaper and better equivalent, as I think the golf does what it's designed to do fantastically.

I'm struggling to think of a cheaper car that is clearly better (I'm sure there are others that are preferable to an individual, but not clearly better).

[KaraK]

Golaboots said:

Glad I'm not alone on this one.

I do have a weird view of the world though, of the VAG group I'd look at Skoda's first!

A few years back when I was looking to replace my dearly departed first Impreza I was looking at a VAG diesel and at the garage I was at there was a 90BHP Golf and a 110BHP Octavia, they were the same age and had similar miles on them. The Octavia was better equipped and a nicer car in every respect than the Golf, it was also nearly 2 grand cheaper. Needless to say I didn't buy the Golf!

[12gauge]

Although ive only driven the current incarnation once, my impressions were bland, slow and err, cant really think of much else to say about it. It was just bland.

Id take a Focus anyday. I guess its the lesser depreciation that is the golf's one and only saving grace. Which admittedly is a big one for private buyers who arent interested in how a car drives.

[redtwin]

Golaboots said:

Glad I'm not alone on this one.

I do have a weird view of the world though, of the VAG group I'd look at Skoda's first!

Explain the appeal of a Skoda over a VW. Mechanically they are near enough identical, neither can claim exciting looks so why a Skoda?.

[Morba]

KaraK said:

A few years back when I was looking to replace my dearly departed first Impreza I was looking at a VAG diesel and at the garage I was at there was a 90BHP Golf and a 110BHP Octavia, they were the same age and had similar miles on them. The Octavia was better equipped and a nicer car in every respect than the Golf, it was also nearly 2 grand cheaper. Needless to say I didn't buy the Golf!

Different brand, larger car, less appeal. No different to comparing a Focus and a Mondeo (removing the brand part) and noticing that better specced mondeos are cheaper than a focus..... Not seeing the point in your comparison tbh, apples and oranges.

[VoziKaoFangio]

The marketing of the Golf in the 1980s was utter genius, and the image has stuck. Even with those who are too young to remember the '80s.

Add to this that the Mk 1 Golf was so utterly, absolutely streets ahead of everything in its class at the time (Escort, Allegro, etc) and you have a powerful "brand", and one which has endured. Mk 1 Golf created a strong, market leading product, and subsequent marketing efforts since then have perpetuated its standing, even when it was clearly not the class leader (Mks 3-5).

This image factor has kept the residual value of Golfs high, and that helps keep them popular - this then becomes a self generating means of maintaining the car's popularity.

And, dare I say it, the image the vehicle has, maintains and manages to self-perpetuate is very appeling to a particular 51% of the human population (particularly in this country) - those who favour virtues and attributes in vehicles which are clearly displayed by the Golf and its image.

My family runs a Mk4 TDi auto - purely because the missus was so hooked on them ("My Dad always had the latest Golf when we were kids, etc....). But I have to confess, it's probably the best all round vehicle I've ever had (I've owned 30 different cars), certainly as a second family car - my Mk2 Mondeo estate (1.8LX petrol) probably takes the overall title, though.

[kambites]

SooperDan said:

Past the Mk2 I don't understand the appeal. I had a Mk4 Golf (Bora), and it was just slow, not well built and boring to drive. Not driven a Mk5 but I would imagine it wouldn't be much of an improvement.
Plus, Mk4 Golfs (TDi's in particular) tend to be driven by idiots these days anyway...

The mk5 is a big improvement over the mk4, at least as a drivers' car, but it's still not outstanding.

[Golaboots]

vinnie83 said:

I am by no means a VW fanboy, but seriously - the shape never changes? Maybe more recently the changes have been subtler, but seriously, who is going to confuse a mk2 golf with a mk5?

And you should post up what you feel is a cheaper and better equivalent, as I think the golf does what it's designed to do fantastically.

I'm struggling to think of a cheaper car that is clearly better (I'm sure there are others that are preferable to an individual, but not clearly better).

Anything really, as long as its not french. Only an Audi A3 offers worse value in my opinion.
Focus, Octavia etc all offer more for less.

[Golaboots]

redtwin said:

Explain the appeal of a Skoda over a VW. Mechanically they are near enough identical, neither can claim exciting looks so why a Skoda?.

Cheaper, more kit. Also no one buys a skoda to be cool, which is cool.

[c7xlg]

"Explain the appeal of a Skoda over a VW"

Well I can explain the appeal of a Seat over a VW. £10,000 give or take. THat is the difference between a golf GTI and Seat Leon Fr+ when you try and bring the golf up to the same spec as the Seat, and you take discounts available into account. Yes the interior of the Seat is slightly low rent, but not in the bits you touch (seats, wheel, gearstick) and mechanically pretty much identical.

I'm with the OP... I just don't get 'Golf' especially when a decent spec GTI isn't far off £30,000.....

[Classic Grad 98]

It isn't a particularly piston-headdy car. It is, however, a solidly built, well styled, practical and user friendly car which benefits the reputation from a history of reliable and long-lived cars.

[kambites]

The A3 baffles me even more than the Golf. We looked at one before buying the Octavia and... well it was just a mid-sized hatchback. It didn't seem to do anything better than an Octavia costing several thousand pounds less.