Why did you get a golf???

[fliptophead]

Not a question for anybody here as such... I know you all have discerning taste in your wheels!

I met a family do over the weekend for usual sort of grand gathering...

My brother in law and I play this sort of sick (and very expensive) game of surprising each other with new cars... ( I hasten to add he started it!)

So my last car was a 3.2V6 TT... which I didnt have that long ( about 7 months)...  and when I saw the Ed.30... I needed one... it was like the pied piper playing me a tune to buy it 


When I turned up my brother in law, basically was a bit shocked... TT gone, Ed.30 in situ... and his first question apart from 'wow' was ... but its a golf... why a golf???
I replied with ... its a very fast golf... its a very comfortable golf... its a very well specced golf.... and I have to admit to being a total hot hatch fiend at heart.

He's managed to go from a Porsche boxter S, to a mini cooper S to spending an insane amount of money on a 'tick every box on the options chart' A4 quatro TDI....  ( nearly 35k's worth!)..  but he just couldnt grasp ' a golf '.


Has anybody else had similar questions.... 'why' ... 'but its a golf'  ...
I know lots of you out there have had some rather spectacular cars.

[illyun]

Just a Golf?    The Golf GTI was one of the iconic cars of the 20th Century!  Only a couple of years ago did it get voted in at No. 2 in Top Gear's Top 100 cars of the 20th and was only beaten by the £1million McLaren F1 Roadcar...  And don't even get me started on his choice of cars - either they are for the wrong sex, or they are boring - no cars mentioned A4 Audi TDI    25 million sold and counting... the third - or second best selling car in history... Give me a Golf GTI over a Mini Cooper S or  Audi A4 Diesel anyday. And as for the Porsche, if I was ever to buy one - and I have plans  - nothing but a 911 would suffice.  Rant over.

[Snoopy]

Its just a golf and a bloody expensive one at that.
I can understand were hes coming from i have a good mate who works for benfield who thinks the  same. He does like mk1 golfs though but thinks all the newer ones are overpriced euro boxes styled by VW and it shows. I can see his side of things, the golf has a 'peoples car badge' it was a mark that always went up against ford and vauxhalls so does not have a prestige badge or huge sporting heritage, Every other house wife has a golf of some description etc etc.

[Hurdy]

On this subject it appears that Illyun and myself have been "separated at birth"

I agree entirely with what he is saying and his possible future car too.

Some people just cannot get over someone spending close to £30k on a Golf. Some comments like "you could get a decent coupe for that" or "you could have bought a Beemer" spring to mind.

The ED30 suits my needs for now. I need a fast, comfortable, 5 door car that quickens the heart when you know you are about to drive it.

However, if both the wifee's and my parents weren't a factor.........the a W12 GTI? but VW would have to sort out it's saggy backside

[fliptophead]

I'm pleased there's this reaction and it wasnt just my bro -in- law.

He's had all sorts ( elise,  2 x scoobie's, some sad merc of some description, Z3 ) and so on...  In about the last 10 years.
He also has a Leon Cupra R for his wife which is now ageing a little...

Yes... more money than sense.

I guess he's used to me having Sporty A3's and such...

As for the porsche thing... None of them float my boat...
And beemer's... ( baring in midn the 3 series out sold the Mondeo last year...) ... no thanks.
The 1 series is ugly and the rest are 'old mans' cars  ( I hate saloons )...

I test drove a *NEW* cooper S before I ordered the Ed30, just to be sure...  And it was fun, but I'd have sold it after a month becuase I would have lost my licence as I found the engine far to racy for its (and my) own good.

My wife is getting a mini one and that was actually much better... ( the suspension setup is actually better ) and the car actually feels more balanced.

[Stiggy]

I've had this a lot and it's beginning to annoy me !  When the car was just a few days old, many people said "why did you get that?  Just looks like a normal golf to me," i had to give a lecture about what the car is all about, why its such an amazing car etc etc - and after all that lecturing - "well why didn't you get something like a beemer?" (can relate to you totally Hurdy!)  Its clear these people know NOTTING about cars.  Now whenever they ask, I don't bother - just either laugh or give them a dirty look (depending on mood!)....and to be honest, it's one of the main reasons why i bought the car - it has all the performance, comfort, practically with a stealthy, low key look which doesn't grab (too much) attention.

Hurdy - read your post and seemed to me that you had 2 wives!!!  Began to feel really sorry for you!

[maxamus]

when i was looking for a new car, i test drove an A3, a C-Class merc, 3 Series BMW and a GTI.

The GTI was by far the best and thats why i bought one!

I know its only a golf, but there are only a few around my kneck of the woods. And i have to say it gets some serious attention! People just cant take their eyes of the Red bit around the grill.

Students (both male and female), housewifes, workers, boyracers, old men, and young kids all admire my GTI.

Most people dont know what it is. They look in amazement. Thats what a GTI does!
The GTI is the GTI !

ITS ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN

[fliptophead]

Just a think about VW not being a prestige brand... ... Ok Polo's and stuff ... 10 a penny.

That has blured compelety now... Way too many beemers and audi's around.  Golf GTI's have become much more prestige as people with the cash to buy one have regularly bought A3's of some description.

I looked around the surrounding estate and stuff, and I see more Audi's and BMW's than Vw's by some margin...

I moved to the GTI simply because I loved the car... and the same spec on an A3 ( lets face it a VERY similar car) would cost at least 5k more, and with the proliferation of A3's around, I would suspect they wont hold their value anywhere near as much as the Ed30 will.

Hysterically, I just spoke to the Bro-in-law and he's about to order an RS4...  Clearly the TDI coal burner has lost its appeal.


Anyway... I knew that Clarkson geezer knew what he was talking about all along.... lol

[Phil mcavity]

I get so much pleasure driving mine, get so many onlookers, especially young blonde/brunnetts passing !!! its great!!, its most deffinatly the most gorgeous car ive ever owned and plan to keep for some time yet, to the fact ive just ordered some private plate costing me £500, but shes worth it, even the wife agreed and she gets as much enjoyment being seen in it as i do.
The car is iconic, nothing will change that,people that drive astra vxr's, focus ST's,honda civic's, just always to me look like some posessed child because they could quiet afford an extra few quid for a proper handling hot hatch!!.  just my opinion, but i know im right! 

[Creepy Coupe]

For me the Golf is greater than the sum of it's part's, in the sense that, for a hatchback it's a very grown up , very accomplished car, I also like it's almost classless value's.when compared to Porsches, Merc and BMW's.