Having spent the vast majority of yesterday cleaning and polishing the gti and mr2, I finished as the sun was starting to go down. Sunny winter days are some of my favourites for a top down drive in the mr2, so following a faff on for 15 mins to get the roof down (it stiffens up badly in the winter), I put a wooly hat on, cranked the heating up and went for a blast around some of my favourite local b-roads. Having got the golf in mid December and been intent to get through the first 1000 miles as quickly as possible (very frustrating but thankfully now done
) I havent driven the mr2 for a while so it was a nice change and really exciting. If anyone hasnt tried one of these I'd recommend it.
Anyway, when I got back home I couldnt resist jumping straight into the golf to retrace my steps as a means of comparison. Unsurprisingly the golf felt quicker and more responsive to a heavy right foot out of the bends, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good it felt round the twistier bits as well. OK, it didn't feel quite as composed and adjustable as the mr2 at times (I never get tired of how easy it is to get the back end moving on a rear wheel drive, rear engined roadster - especially when the tyres are drastically in need of changing), but given that the golf is significantly heavier and taller it really felt in touch with what was going on.
I have to say that I enjoyed the drive more in the mr2, but I've prefered the golf for every other moment of the last month filled with motorways and rain and it was really very impressive around those b roads as well (and I'm sure the mr2 wouldnt have seen which way it went in terms of outright pace).
To sum up, I love them both...... and I'm lucky my fiance doesn't mind driving whichever one I dont fancy each morning
