You guys crack me up. I mean really you have no understanding of the automotive industry and how it works. I didn't say exactly the same as that would be silly. If you don't believe me fine, next time you're in the dealers ask one of the techs out back, he'll put you straight.
My family has been involved in the motor industry for over 50 years and I do know what I'm talking about, I'm certainly not a balding journo and I certainly am not just lifting my opinion from theirs. I am repeating the official VW information. If you want to disbelieve the company that actually made your car and fool yuourself you're driving a completely different car from a MK5 go ahead, it's no skin off my nose it just makes me laugh you get suckered in by the glossy brochure and sales patter of some spotty sales clerk.
nick
i think you'll find most negative comments said it was the same car - which as you rightly say is silly. and you are repeating opinion because you're repeating the vw information. i'm not disbelieving anyone, my beef is people commenting on something when they haven't actually driven one to find out for themselves!! and i certainly don't get suckered into the glossy brochure - i actually have owned both so i made up my own mind instead of being a sheep. when you have driven both come back to me and we'll have a sensible conversation. until then your opinion is basically what you have read. mind you, i suppose even a fool is entitled to his opinion 
You're really not understanding what I'm saying are you? I never ever said the car is bad, sh!t or rubbish. In fact I have actually said it is
better than the MK5 and not dissed it at all. To be honest I think the styling is pretty poor but that's personal taste.
All my comments have been about the physical structure and parts used in the car. These parts and the chasis are not
opinion they are hard fact. I don't have an opinion that the shell is the same with a re designed profile, it is a
fact that this is the case. I don't need to drive a car to know or not if the same parts have been used to manufacture it much as I don't need to eat a tin of Heinz beans and a tin of Hp Beans to know that both contain beans and tomato sauce!
I won't ever argue that the MK6 is a more refined and quieter car, it is. I will actually argue that I think it's a bit soft a fluffy compared to the MK5 but then I like my cars a bit hard with plenty of feedback. I like how you assume (I guess from the fact I own a MKII Golf) that I haven't driven a MK5 or 6. Your crystal ball seems to be broken as I have in fact driven both although not back to back on the same day.
Here are some example of othe rfacelifts for you to consider.
MKI Fiesta:
MKII Fiesta:
Same body but with skin deep changes, new lights, bumpers and interior. Although listed as different MK's pretty much everything is directly interchangable between the two and are to all intents and purpose the same car.
MK2 Polo:
MK3 Polo:
Same body, same running gear, updated lights, bumpers and interior. As with the fiesta 90%+ of the parts are directly swappable between the two.
In both the above cases the early car was taken and improved on to last a few more years and be better than the earlier model. These and the MK6 golf are just many examples of where the car companies update their products to keep pace with the market without having to splash out massed on R&D on a complete new car. Both the Fiesta and the Polo were considered greatly improved at the time as the MK6 is considered an improvement over the MK5. But at the end of the day it's an improved car not an all new car.
I myself drive a Corrado. Considered by many at the time (and some extent even now) to be one of the best handling cars FWD cars of all time. It is however a parts bin special, the engine in mine is from a passat, the front suspension is from a MKII Golf, the rear from a passat estate. It then has a body designed and built by Karmann. Doesn't sound that great written like that but the sum is greater than it's parts and the same can be said of the MK6. While it is mostly MK5 with a sprinkle of new bits and a redesigned skin the complete package is more than what the parts list suggest and that's a good thing and nothing to be ashamed or upset about.
nick
