The Volkswagen Golf has been around for more than 25 years, over 19m have been built and it has been Europe’s biggest selling car.

With credentials like that you would expect the Golf to be a great second-hand buy. And it is, but make sure you choose the right model.

The latest (Mk IV) Golf was introduced in 1997 and you have the choice of hatchbacks (with three or five-doors) or estates, petrol or diesel engines, manual or automatic transmission and front or four-wheel drive. With all those permutations it’s important to know what to look for.

Volkswagen build quality is best-in-class and all models handle the miles well. Some buyers are nervous of cars with above-average mileage but this is where the bargains can be had: find a two-year-old car with 60,000 miles and a full service history and you will save a fortune.

The choice of engine can change the character of these cars beyond all recognition. The 1.4 and 1.6 litre petrol units are terminally dull, the only compensation being reasonable fuel economy and cheap insurance (groups 4 and 6 respectively).

The GTI badge is legendary and in its most recent guise you can choose between 2 litre or turbocharged 1.8 petrol engines. But be careful: the

2 litre car is a corruption of the GTI concept. Top speed is barely 120mph and 0 to 60mph takes more than 10 seconds. The 1.8T is a bit quicker but neither is a match for the more focused Honda Civic Type-R or Subaru Impreza WRX.

At the top of the price range are the 150bhp 2.3 litre V5 and 204bhp 2.8 litre V6 petrol engines, though neither offers much in terms of real performance, the V6 being handicapped by the weight of its four-wheel drive.

So what about the 1.9 litre diesels? The non-turbo SDI with just 68bhp is almost criminally slow and the 90bhp variant also disappoints. But get into an 110bhp, 115bhp or 130bhp car and you will be grinning from ear to ear. The range-topping 130bhp diesel, introduced in June 2001, even makes the petrol-powered 1.8T look breathless.

Light steering and good visibility (thick rear pillars excepted) make the Golf a doddle to drive and you can get comfy regardless of your height: there’s plenty of fore-aft seat movement and all Mk IVs come with a height-adjustable driver’s seat and a steering column that moves up and down, in and out. At night the instruments are illuminated in blue which makes the cabin feel special.

Golfs are heavy, about 220lb more than an equivalent Ford Focus, but that weight is invested in strength and safety. Driver and passenger airbags are standard and all models gained seat-mounted side airbags in May 1998 and Isofix child seat mountings a year later.

Drive a Golf for the first time and the brakes may feel a little dead, but they work fine and simply require a little familiarisation.

Some of the factory-fitted stereos were poor and some owners will have changed them. Make sure that the system you see when viewing is the one you get if you buy the car. An unscrupulous seller may put the original back once the car is sold.

Buying a Golf from a main dealer will give you a VW-approved 12-month warranty. Servicing is reasonable across the range, and with 320 dealers in the UK you are likely to find one locally.



Vital statistics

Engine type 1.9 litre, four-cylinder
Transmission Five-speed manual
Max power 110bhp @ 4150rpm
Acceleration 0 to 62mph: 10.6sec
Top speed 120mph
Fuel 57.7mpg (combined)

Values of Volkswagen Golf GT TDI 5-door

Mileage 30,000
1998 R Trade £7,700. Retail £8,750
1999 S Trade £8,250. Retail £9,295
2000 W Trade £9,550. Retail £10,595

Mileage 40,000
1998 R Trade £7,325. Retail £8,375
1999 S Trade £7,850. Retail £8,875
2000 W Trade £9,075. Retail £10,150

Mileage 60,000
1998 R Trade £6,600. Retail £7,650
1999 S Trade £7,050. Retail £8,095
2000 W Trade £8,325. Retail £9,375

Three-door cars are worth £300 less. Source: estimates based on CAP confidential Black Book prices.
'Trade' is what a dealer would pay to buy your car.