How The Hell Can A 10 Year Old BMW 320d Be Better Than A New VW Golf R?

My recent car history has been quite interesting. For a few years I spent and lost far too much money on a succession of box ticking cars starting with a V6 Audi TT, a Lotus Elise and a Porsche 996 911. They all cost me money, the 911 especially so when the engine exploded in a cloud of steam - literally. 22 litres of coolant being dumped out of a hole in the engine tends to do that.

So then I decided to be sensible and bought a 2007 BMW 330i and it was good and I thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I even drove 857 miles in one day in it.

But then the engine developed an intermittent fault where it would briefly drop power at low revs which was annoying. So I thought I'd buy a new car because they don't go wrong. I reckoned that I could just afford the payments for a new VW Golf R, so I ordered one.

God it was good. 306bhp from a 2-litre turbocharged engine it would do 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and it did it in a clinical, precise manner. No histrionics just blam blam blam through its ultra-slick 7 speed dual clutch automated manual gearbox. Passengers new to the car would let out a little shriek as I put my foot down and let the car catapult us forward.

And it was great to drive too. 1505kg and four wheel drive, you could chuck it round corners and put your foot down immediately post apex and it would pick up the pace without a hint of understeer, oversteer or wheelspin. I once drove it all round Europe over the course of a week and it was brilliant on the motorway, on the amazing roads to be found in the Alps and Pyrenees and cruising the Riviera.

Driving the Golf R down the Stelvio pass is something I'll always remember.

But then after a year's ownership and 15,000 miles for reasons beyond my control (a tax bill) I had to sell the Golf. I logged into the VW finance website and got a settlement figure immediately. It was a reasonable sum so I cleaned the car thoroughly, wrote an advert and posted it on Autotrader at 10pm one Saturday.

The first call came in at 7.30am Sunday. The second at 8am. I ignored both. I answered the third at 8.15am. He was from Birmingham and wanted to come and buy the car that day. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I thought. He said he would call back. Another call at 8.30am. He was from Cardiff and he wanted to buy the car that day. Oh, I thought.

Long story short I received 20 emails and 30 phone calls that morning. I had several offers and at 2pm two young chaps arrived and smoked half a packet of cigarettes in my driveway whilst they inspected the car. They wouldn't go in the house because they were scared of my incredibly friendly border collie.

One of them test drove the car (after showing me his trader's insurance certificate) absolutely terribly and then turned to me and said, "Most people get scared when I drive them cos I drive fast, but it's OK I'm a great driver." He had been doing 15mph around the village then put his foot down on the dead straight A-road which leads out of the village and went up to 88mph. We didn't travel in time but I did know he was going to buy the car so I kept shtum.

At one point he let go of the wheel and it turned slightly left. He told me the steering was broken and that he would have to knock some money off the price. I explained to him that roads have something called camber so that the rain can drain away...

After all sorts of daft tactics they bought the car from me for the price I had asked and drove it away. I settled the finance with VW and that was that.

16 hours after placing the ad, and expecting it to take several weeks to sell, I was carless.

I hadn't even thought about how I was going to pay for a new car. I had no budget, no finance.  Hmmm.

So I surfed the adverts on eBay and Autotrader. After a lot of research I decided that I wanted either a Mk5 Golf GTI or a BMW 3-series. My budget would be up to £3k but I'd rather pay less.

After scouring dozens of ads for each I realised that I could only really get a scruffy GTI for the money. Some had been modified, some had missing histories, some had dents and dings, some had rust.

There was a real variety of 3-series. There were a lot of E46s in varying specs and conditions, but an E46 feels quite old nowadays. I preferred an E90, and a 330i if possible. But 330s in both i and d form were few and far between, and generally a bit too tatty.

On the Monday morning I saw an ad for an E90 320d for sale from a dealer just two miles from home. It was incredibly cheap for a 2008. It had only two owners, a clean MOT history, full service history and new tyres all round but had racked up an incredible 198,400 miles in its ten years.

I went to see it at lunch and saw it had a few minor car park dings and the wheels had been kerbed and some lacquer on the bonnet was peeling but the interior was great and it was generally solid. The dealer had taken it as a trade in for a much newer 525d and just wanted rid so I made him a daft offer. We negotiated a little but not much and I bought it for £2300.

From one year old Golf R to a leggy 10 year old 320d in just one day. But needs must.

The 320d produces 174bhp and 258lb/ft of torque, does 0-60mph in 7.6 seconds and weighs 1430kg.

It is rear wheel drive as opposed to the Golf's four wheel drive and it is a manual rather than DSG.

I've owned the BMW for two weeks and driven it 300 miles and have been taken aback at how good it is. In some areas it is better than the Golf - a car that is worth ten times as much.

The BMW's driving position is better than the Golf's. You sit low in the BM and stretch your legs out. The E90's seats adjust almost too much. It takes forever to find the right position but when you do it feels perfect. In the Golf you're always comprised by a hatchback's shallower pedal box. In the 320d everything feels exactly where it should be but in the Golf you understand the car is designed to fit anyone of any size which suits most people most of the time but no-one all of the time.

Mind you the tech in the Golf is far superior. It has a touch screen with a satnav and digital radio and bluetooth and trip computers and all sorts of gubbins - half of which you don't use or need. It also has adaptive cruise control. The BMW doesn't have a screen at all so you need to plug in a satnav, and then you realise that a £150 TomTom is far superior to the factory VW satnav and that Google Maps on your phone is far superior to both of those.

The BMW also has the ability to play music from your phone, you just need to plug in an aux cable. And it does have cruise control, just not adaptive. And I love adaptive cruise and will miss it.

The 320's interior is ten years old but it is nicer than the Golf's. The materials used are better and the design and execution is superior, as it would be - the 3-series has always been pitched as a premium car. But it's surprising that even a ten year old car, given a thorough clean, can have a better interior than a current model.

In a straight line the R beats the 320d in every way but one. It is faster in every metric. The BM simply does not have the wow factor. It is merely quick as opposed to insanely fast. But the Golf has a much firmer suspension and a more brittle ride. Where the Golf crashes into speed bumps and hits pot holes with such a bang you are amazed the alloys don't crack the BMW soaks these things up without breaking sweat.

At nearly 200,000 miles you'd imagine the BMW would be soggy but it has new shocks at the rear and feels better than I imagined it would.

On a motorway cruise both cars are equal. Where the Golf has adaptive cruise the BMW uses 50% less fuel. Both have similar levels of noise, both have a comfortable ride and both have enough power  to cruise at decent speed.

But turn off the motorway and drive on good roads and the BMW edges ahead. Where the Golf is fast and precise like an F1 car the BMW makes you feel like Peter Brock, moving and sliding over the mountain section of the Bathurst circuit in his touring car.

The Golf feels digital where the BMW feels analogue. The 3-series' fat steering wheel and low slung seat deliver feedback the Golf can only dream of. You can feel it slip and slide just millimetres and fractions of degrees and adjust accordingly. This arguably creates a greater serotonin rush than the Golf's pure speed.

The Golf's DSG gearbox is an awesome piece of automotive engineering but the BMW's fairly average, short throw, manual gearbox delivers a better and more involved experience.

You can throw both cars around. The Golf feels precise and unflustered. It is like Ivan Drago in Rocky IV - it is unyielding in the way it always delivers and never flinches. Meanwhile the 320d, lighter by almost 100kg, with a better front to rear weight distribution, rear wheel drive and hydraulic power steering uses its advantages to greater effect. The rear feels mobile and adjustable - though I do think it would feel too light when pushed hard on track - and the front goes where you ask and when it does slip you adjust accordingly with tangible reward.

The Golf just delivers, expertly. I enjoyed it without reservation. It was great looking and felt great to be in and to drive. The tech was interesting and mostly useful and the doors made a lovely noise when you shut them.

If you avoid speed bumps, potholes and poorly surfaced roads and want to drive at 15mph around town and 90mph on A-roads then the Golf is easily the better car but for most other conditions the BMW is actually the more involving car to drive.

I loved the Golf but in the BMW I have rediscovered the soul of driving, and I hadn't even realised it had gone.

If I could have another Golf R I would but for now I am not at all unhappy with my old, high mileage, diesel BMW.

By Matt Hubbard

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2003 Mini Cooper S (R53) Review (And How I Came To Buy It)

After an absolute age I sold my Lotus Elise. My reasons for selling it were outlined here and once I'd decided it had to go I got slightly more annoyed with it as each day passed unsold.

One horrible day in early February I went into the garage to load the tumble dryer. My Triumph Tiger is a fair bit longer than the Street Triple which preceded it. The Tiger was at the back of the garage and the Elise in front of it but shuffled really far forwards so there wasn't much room between it and my workbench - and the tumble dryer adjacent. I caught the edge of my kneecap against the Elise's number plate and swore loudly.

After two months on sale it had become just a lump that was in the way. I'd never really bonded with it and its state of unsoldness (someone call Oxford - I invented a new word) was wearing really thin. Four people had viewed it and taken it for extensive test drives and had taken up many hours of my time - and then not bought it. The day before the kneecapping incident a young man had spent two hours poring over every last detail and then proceeded to piss me around with a series of offers with catches attached. He wanted me to take it to a Lotus expert for an independent inspection as well as service it and MOT it. In polite terms I let him know he could Foxtrot Oscar.

"Will the damn thing ever sell?" is not what I was thinking when I received a phone call the next day at 8.30am whilst still asleep. "Yes?" I barked as I answered the unrecognised number. "I'm calling about the Lotus," said the voice. I snapped to attention. We spoke for thirty minutes. I tried to hide my just having woken-upness. He sounded genuine. He sounded sane. He did not sound like your typical Lotus-buying arse-merchant. He would visit the next morning.

They next morning I walked round the car to give it a check over and noticed the front number plate was hanging off.

On an Elise the front plate is stuck on with industrial-spec double sided sticky tape. I did not have any in the house and it was too late to go shopping. 99% of Elise buyers want a car that is 99.9% perfect and a hanging off number plate is reason enough to walk away from a sale - after having spent  five hours asking the seller questions that would flummox even Lotus' longest serving employee.

I tried to stick it on with a piece of normal sellotape folded back on itself but this did not work. Obviously. I was desperately trying to make it stick in place by mind power alone when the prospective buyer turned up.

As it turned out he was a normal person rather than the usual Lotus time-waster buyer and after just half an hour he bought the car. He paid me the money and drove away in it, very happy.

I immediately paid off the loan which I had taken out to buy the Elise - and  which was the over-riding reason for selling it.

However I did want another second car. I love my XC60 but I lease it and I've overshot the allowed mileage by nearly 50% and rather than pay extra for the privilege of driving it more than I should I wanted to buy a second car.

Eagle-eyed Speedmonkey readers will remember that in November last year I declared I needed a "Don't Give A Shit Car," and that that would be a 2004 Mini Cooper S.

I set myself a budget of £2,500, which I could afford without taking out a loan, and spent hours looking at the classifieds for the perfect Cooper S.

I ignored all those sold by dealers who at that budget I consider (through experience) to be cowboys. I found one for sale in Cornwall. I texted a mate and asked if he fancied a trip to Truro that Saturday (yes he'd like that he said) and texted the seller. Unfortunately she was away for the next weekend.

I didn't really like any others. Missing service history, horrible colours, horrible condition, horrible places, horrible sellers.

Then one Friday I was working from home. Whilst making a cup of tea I checked the Autotrader app and a new private ad for a Cooper S popped up. It had done 105,000 miles, had a full service history, one lady had owned it for the past five years and it was only ten miles from home.

I called the seller and asked if I could see it on Saturday. "You'll be lucky," he said, "...the phone's been ringing off the hook."

I knew why. At £1,750 it was around £750 cheaper than anything else of the same spec and condition.  "OK, I'll be there at lunch," I said.

I ignored every one of my own rules for buying a used car, primarily because the seller was obviously a decent bloke (and that counts for a lot when buying used) and because at the price it was a complete steal. After a short inspection and an even shorter test drive I offered the full asking price, paid a deposit and shook hands on the deal. I couldn't afford to haggle or muck him about because the usual second hand dealer ghouls were phoning him every few minutes offering him close to the asking price.

The next morning my mate who was going to come to Cornwall came instead to Wokingham and we picked the car up.

I drove to Halfrauds to buy a Pure DAB digital radio to replace the analogue unit in the dash as well as 5 litres of 5W30, an oil filter and four Bosch spark plugs.

Once home and with a large cup of tea I set about servicing my new (to me) Mini Cooper S. It had only been serviced six months previously but I wanted to get to know it and give it a good start to my ownership of it.

The servicing was ridiculously easy. The engine is well packaged and everything was easy to get at.

Afterwards I filled it up with super unleaded (not necessary but I wanted to treat it) and took it for a proper test drive.

A 2003 Mini Cooper S has a 1.6 litre, 4-cylinder engine and is fitted with a supercharger. For those who don't know this is similar to a turbocharger but instead of being fed by exhaust gases is driven by a belt from the engine.  The supercharger is cooled by an intercooler which sits behind the scoop in the bonnet - so it is there for a reason.

The car has 163bhp, 155b ft of torque, does 0-60mph in 7 seconds and weighs around 1,140kg.

The driving position is great. The bulkhead sits quite far forward so the footwell is relatively deep which means you can sit with your legs out like you would in a rear wheel drive sportscar. The interior is nicely designed but the seats in mine are part cloth (in an eye-watering shade of Smurf blue) and part leather.

The steering wheel feels chunky as does the gear lever. The switchgear is designed for maximum retro effect but looks and feels of a decent quality.

Some people told me the Mini is a girl's car but a) it looks good, b) it's fast, c) I don't care. And it really does look good, inside and out.

My own car misses some options I would have liked, namely full leather seats, heated seats, twin dials (we'll come to those in a minute) and cruise control but it makes up for all those because it has the glass panoramic roof. This is so big it makes the car feel like a Targa. Full epicness (another new word!).

The only real let-down inside the car is the fact the speed readout is in the middle of the dashboard. If the original owner had specced satnav this would have been housed in the centre of the dash and instead of just the rev-counter being located above the steering column two dials (speed and revs) would have sat just below the driver's view of the road. Instead working out the speed means briefly looking down and to the left - which is silly.

Driving the Cooper S is an absolute hoot. The engine has a lot less low-down torque than I imagined and the gearbox is less than smooth. My main driver this past year has been my Volvo XC60 which has one megaton of torque and the smoothest gearchange outside of Madonna's wardrobe.

But once used to these twin foibles I drove the Mini as it should be driven. Hard. And by god it rewards. You'll notice in the photos the overhangs are absolutely tiny. This means you can chuck the car this way and that and it'll comply. It turns like a Jack Russell on carpet and it goes like the proverbial clappers as long as you change gear right in the red zone. And it refuses to understeer no matter what you do.

The ride is less than relaxed but the upside is you feel the road and what is going on with the wheels. The power is linear which means you don't really get torque steer but it's still a good idea to turn the traction control off because it does cut in far too early if, for example, you corner quickly and get the inside front wheel spinning slightly.

For less than two grand I can't think of another car with four seats that'll deliver so much fun. I suppose a Renault Clio 182 might do but once you've bought one you'll realise you have bought a Renault and this will make you annoyed.

By Matt Hubbard

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Driven - Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG

Colin Hubbard reviews the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG, a sort of super hot hatch/crossover.

Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG

Typically Mercedes' have been bought by the more mature driver but when the new A Class was launched it appealed to a whole new and younger market. It has been a huge success, not only because it's great looking in base spec but also because it's a very capable front wheel drive car. The market is constantly evolving and now SUVs and more importantly mini-SUVs and crossovers are selling like hot cakes.

The Evoque, Kuga and Q3 have stolen many sales from the hatchback market, even with their inflated list prices, and Mercedes has hit back hard with the GLA, a mini SUV based on the A class.

At a first glance it looks like an A Class on raised springs and fitted with bigger wheels but have a good look at the body and you will notice they are completely different.

Starting at the front the headlights dip into a deeper front bumper and the front side air intakes are enlarged to highlight the taller front end. The bonnet features an extra pair of ridges running equidistance to the outside ridges, a nod to the 300SL Gullwing of old, which give an aggressive stance when viewed in a rear view mirror.

Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG

At the sides the wheel arches are widened and increased in diameter to be able to the swallow larger wheels and tyres fitted to GLAs. The side profile appears to be bulked out like an A Class on steroids.

Black plastic wheel arch trims are fitted along with some black nobbly effect side skirts to create the impression of an off roader's extended wheel arches.

The A Class's lower body crease that kicks up from the front door to the rear light is now more restrained and runs a lower line to the top of the wheel level. The rear door window line kicks up at the rear to highlight the more curvaceous body.

At the rear the lights are much deeper and are split in half by the tailgate but add to the aggression in the bodywork.

The GLA45 AMG is fitted with the attention grabbing aero pack consisting of 'flics' on the front bumper, a deep front splitter and a rear aerofoil which give it a look like it's after a fight with something exotic.

The test car is not front wheel drive, instead all wheels are driven, not because it wants to go off road but because this is the range topping GLA45AMG. This means the car is fitted with the same rip-snorting 4 pot motor from the A45AMG, a 2 litre 4 cylinder unit but with a weapons-grade turbo-charger and some very special AMG engineering. The little 4 pot creates a staggering 177bhp per litre giving a total output of 355bhp.

It is a very special engine and an in AMG tradition is built by just one man and fitted with a plaque on top of the engine cover signed off in this case by Tobias Rohler. This restores confidence in the highly tuned motor in that is isn't simply a highly boosted, small capacity engine but a hand built unit designed to operate under extreme pressure but with everyday reliability.

Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG

Front wheel drive wouldn't cut it with all that power and 332 ft/lb torque so it is fitted with a Haldex all wheel drive system. It's front wheel drive until it detects slip then a clutch in the rear axle engages and up to 50% of the power is sent to the back wheels. Sounds complicated, it is, but it works effortlessly and so quickly you just don't know it is anything other than all wheel drive.

The gearbox is a 7 speed twin clutch unit. Sadly there's no manual option but it is all is forgiven when you experience the full power upshifts and rev matched downshifts. The ratios are well stepped for hard acceleration but 7th is a good cruising gear keeping the engine revs low.

The suspensions is fixed rate, there is no adjustability but this works just fine, the set up is fairly hard but perfectly damped with the larger tyres helping go soak up bumps in the road. It is extremely well balanced so B road stability is fantastic and will give a supercar a hard time in these conditions.

Tested back to back with the A45 AMG and on the same roundabout the GLA is actually the more stable car. I found it gripped and controlled itself better than the lower car. This is strange as the higher centre of gravity should have the opposite effect but the larger alloys and taller tyres with a longer rolling radius and a wider track offer greater balance and control.

What it gains in traction it loses slightly in outright agility as the A45 can dart about changing direction quickly and easily whereas the GLA takes that nano second longer to register your inputs.

Inside and the cabin shares only the dash with the A class and the whole interior feels that little more elevated. The front seats look amazing with fixed headrests and flashes of red and polished alloy detailing but also hold you in really well without feeling too tight. A little like a baseball glove in that they are comfortable but hold you in place millimetre perfect.

Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG

The dash is a quality affair with a stitched leather top section and real carbon fibre panelling on the front with Mercedes' tablet style multifunction display in the centre. I wasn't a fan of the tablet protruding from dash design when it was launched in the A Class but with time it grows on you, like a Bangle 5 series or the Audi A4 (B7) with the large chromed front grille, now they look great and completely natural.

The steering wheel is a thick and feelsome, and nicely trimmed with leather and Alcantara but with polished alloy on the base so through corners as the wheel moves in your hands you feel the cool sensation of the aluminium between fingers and thumbs.

In the back and it feels about the same size as the A Class but the tall front seats and deep doors with rising rear edges make it feel quite claustrophobic. The additional height means a bigger boot area so it has a useful 140 litres over the A Class's 341 litres.

On the road the GLA45 is a bit of an animal, but not in the same way as the A45 is; they are quite different cars altogether. The A45's perfect habitat would be a race track or some deserted roundabouts in Milton Keynes where it can go dart around flat - it's a little headbanger of a car. The GLA is the more car refined car and would be as happy outside Selfridges as it would be on a gravel rally stage.

The shells are structurally different and it is obvious when driving the two cars back to back as they  have identical power trains and engines with the sports exhausts fitted but the GLA is a little more muted and stable than the A45.

Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG

When I say muted I don't mean Prius quiet, there's still the same smile-generating snap, crackle and pop from the rear end like, Mercedes have fitted a popping candy dispenser in the backboxes but it is less manic. Part of this could be the GLA's higher ground clearance but I also suspect there is additional sound deadening fitted.

The performance is only marginally dulled over the A45 with 0-62mph taking only 4.8 seconds and stopping only at 155mph on the limiter. That's only part of the picture as the engine is a real gem, not a laggy unit like highly-tuned 4-pots of old but a reliable, smooth, tractable powerhouse that feels like a much bigger capacity lump.

The gearbox keeps the engine nicely on the boil when in sport mode by keeping the revs high and bounces off the rev limiter with ease at full throttle which in turn releases quite an explosion from the exhausts. Gear changes are snappily quick as the second clutch has the next gear pre-selected.

The other modes on the gearbox are Manual, for use with the wheel mounted paddles, and Controlled Efficiency for everyday driving, which helps achieve the combined 37.7mpg. It's much more relaxed in efficiency mode and just the hard ride reminds you of the true potential of the car.

It is telling that manufacturers are now producing smaller cars with big car rivalling performance and interior quality so no longer do you need to buy a big car to get glorious performance and a luxurious cabin. Cars like the GLA and Audi A1 are showing what's in store for the future when there will less room to park and less fuel to use so nobody actually needs that big car anymore.

As a package it's a great all rounder, just high enough to satisfy the types who want something more of an elevated driving position for security yet small enough to be able manoeuvre around and park easily. Combined with that brutal engine and well set up chassis it is a really entertaining and enjoyable car to drive.

In 45 AMG guise the GLA is a stunning piece of kit combining aggressive rally car style looks, touring car performance but with a stylish functional interior. If you get the opportunity you should try one.

Stats

Price - £44,250 (as tested -  £53,080)
Engine - 2.0 litre, inline 4, turbocharged, petrol
Transmission - 7-speed dual clutch auto
0-62mph - 4.8 seconds
Top speed - 155 mph (limited)
Power - 355 bhp
Torque - 332 lb ft
Economy - 37.7mpg (combined)
CO2 - 175 g/km
Kerb weight - 1,585 kg

Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG

Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG

Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG

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The Curious Case Of The Exceedingly Hot Hatchbacks

Today's cars are not only driven by market forces but by legislation. European emissions rules have meant that our cars are lighter, cleaner, more efficient and produce more power per cc than ever before. The advance of technology, and some very clever engineering, has meant some niche cars are becoming ever more powerful. Enter the super hatch.

2015 Audi RS3

Not that long ago a hot hatch struggled to produce 100bhp from a 1.8 litre naturally aspirated engine. Turbocharging added a few more bhp but the hatchbacks on which the hot versions were based got heavier and relative performance hardly advanced.

In 2002 the Focus RS was launched - it produced 212bhp from a 2.0 turbocharged engine. In 2004 the Mk5 Golf GTi turned the clock back for VW, it was lighter and more powerful than the Mk4. The Mk2 Focus RS was launched in 2009 and produced 301bhp from a 2.5 turbocharged engine. The Golf GTi Mk7 has 198bhp from a 2.0 turbocharged engine - no more than its Mk5 predecessor.

The Golf GTi has never produced the most power of any hot hatch of its era but it's always had the most balanced chassis. The Focus RS was a torque steering monster, the Mk5 Golf GTi a beautifully supple performance car that could cock an inside rear wheel.

What's really moved things along has been the advent of four wheel drive and advanced turbocharging. Whereas 100bhp per litre used to be the peak of performance we're now on the verge of a production 2.0 engine that produces 400bhp.

A 2-litre engine, albeit one festooned with turbos and superchargers, will fit in a family hatchback replete with comfortable seating for five and a decent boot for the dog. And because the car on which it is based is a mass produced model the price is reasonable.

This is great news.

Right now about the most outrageous hot hatch on the market is the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, in which AMG extracts a humungous 355bhp from a 2-litre engine. It'll do 0-60 in 4.3 seconds yet sips fuel at a rate of 40.9mpg. The price for all this hot hatchery is £38k so you do pay through the nose for it.

The A45 AMG behaves just like a sports car and handles better than a 20 year old supercar, although its engine displays signs of being stretched right to the limit - turbo lag is particularly noticeable from the off - and the brakes are grabby.

Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG

However five years ago those stats, including the price, would have been thought impossible by the man in the street who was looking to buy his next car. Whilst the world moves on, the car world is moving at a faster rate.

The Golf R produces a more reasonable 296bhp but is packaged such that it's an everyday useable hot hatch that happens to accelerate to 62mph in 4.9 seconds. In my review of the Golf R I said, "The Golf R is the most sensible, competent, grown up, fast, hot hatch that anyone would want. You could buy one and keep it forever, never wanting another car again. It's that good."

The difference between the Merc and the VW is that the A45 AMG sells itself as a performance car whereas the Golf takes everything in its stride. It's a calm, relaxing car that very nearly outperforms a Ferrari 360 but costs only £31k.

It's such a hit, and such a car of the people, that the waiting list is 8 months long. I would have bought one myself but am too impatient.

In 2016 Volkswagen will launch the Golf R400. Using the same 2-litre engine in the R it'll produce an astonishing 396bhp and put that power down with the latest Haldex four wheel drive system. 0-60 will be under 4 seconds, which means it really will outperform a Ferrari 360.

Volkswagen Golf R400

The newest entrant in the super hatch market is the latest Audi RS3. Available to order in March 2015 and in dealers in the summer the RS3 produces 362bhp from a 2.5-litre engine. It'll do 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds and has a top speed of 174mph.

174mph in a fancy Audi A3, which in itself is a fancy Golf, is so outrageous its a wonder some bureaucrat in Brussels isn't working out how to outlaw it.

You see, the best thing about these modern super hatches is that they are socially acceptable. The 80s hot hatches were frowned upon by 'decent' society, and stolen by so many proto-chavs that insurance premiums rose to such levels no-one could afford to run one. And because their power units have been developed at least partially as a result of increased efficiency they sip fuel.

In the not too distant future Mercedes is planning to hike the A45 AMG's power to 400bhp.

Take away four wheel drive and the competition in the front wheel drive hot hatch market is even more frenzied. The next Honda Civic Type R has 300bhp and has generated Hollywood levels of hype. The Peugeot 308 R will use the 1.6 litre 270bhp engine from the RCZ R. The next Focus RS will get 330bhp. Vauxhall, who's current Astra VXR produces 270bhp, will have a new, more powerful version out in 2016.

We live in an age where power is easier to access than at any time before. A normal family can have a 300bhp, 1400kg, sensible and sensibly priced hatchback in the drive and they won't be outed as scum by society. And it won't cost a great deal to tax, fuel and insure.

Supercars are for the rich, hot hatches and super hatches are for us ordinary folk who earn ordinary salaries. These are good times. Enjoy them. The internal combustion engine is nearing the end of its useful life.

One day we will look back on this era and think, wow they made amazing cars back in the mid-2010s.

Volkswagen Golf R

By Matt Hubbard

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Fleet - I'm Going To Sell The TT And Buy A...

I recently wrote a blog entitled 'Why Can't I Ever Make My Bloody Mind Up About Cars' in which I spoke about the car enthusiast's curse of never being able to make a decision and stick to it. Well, this time I think I have.

I've owned my Audi TT 3.2 V6 for 8 months. I said it was a keeper and, all things being equal, it should be.

But all things aren't equal.  When I bought it I was freshly single and wanted to buy a coupe that looked good - a result of which was tiny rear seats but I didn't care back then. I only needed to transport my son and the dog.

But times change and now I increasingly have a need for four seats, which is difficult in the TT.  My 12 year old son and his best friend, who I ferry about from time to time, will fit in the car but one has to squash in the back and the other has to pull the passenger seat as far forward as it'll go.

Were someone else to travel in the TT then I'd have to push my seat all the way forwards and that's just not possible for a journey longer than a few minutes. If you've sat in the back of a TT you'll know it's pretty claustrophobic.

Four of us recently drove to Germany and back in a Range Rover Sport but I can't rely on having a press car all the time. When we next need to travel four up I might have to use my own car and that won't be much fun in a 2+2 coupe.

I'm going to have to buy something more sensible.

But what?  God I've been over and over this question in my mind for ever. Not an estate - too big, too sensible, too fuddy duddy. Not a saloon - I might need to put the dog in the boot. Not a convertible for the same reason. Not an MPV - I have a soul. Not an SUV - I don't want one if it isn't a Range Rover or Volvo and I can't afford either.

It'll have to be a hatchback. Damn.

There are some good hot hatches out there but I cannot see past a Golf.  BMW 1-series - great dynamics, looks like a pig.  Audi A3 - bit too dull. Seat - if I buy VAG I'll buy German rather than Spanish. Renault - hahahaha. Alfa - LOL.

Nope, a Golf it must be. My budget will be £6k and for that I can afford a 2006 Golf GTI. This is the Mk5 and has the 2.0 turbocharged engine. It'll sit four in comfort and five at a pinch, the boot is pretty  big and at the time Jeremy Clarkson said of it, "As a driver’s car the new GTI is just fantastic."

The big man isn't always right but in this case I'm pretty sure he is.  Paul Eldred's 'Living With VW Golf GTI MK5' article for Speedmonkey is a must read for anyone interested in the Mk5 GTI. In it he says, "...the car has pretty good handling and lived up to the hype that was around when the car was launched."

The big problem I have with the Golf is that it's front wheel drive. My last few cars have been Audi TT (4WD), Porsche 924S (RWD), BMW 323i (RWD), Audi S4 (4WD), Golf V6 4Motion (4WD), Mercedes 300TE (RWD), Subaru Outback (4WD).

See a pattern emerging?

However, I think I'll be able to cope with a Golf GTI because it has such a good reputation as a driver's car. Also, I've driven an Astra VXR, Renaultsport 265 Megane and enough others to know that when the ingredients are right the car can be a great one, never mind the driven wheels.

It's a terrible time of year to sell a car so I'll wait until February, and then put the TT on the market.

Wish me luck.

If you've experience of a Golf GTI Mk5 please let me know what you thought of it.

NB - The photo is of Paul Eldred driving his Golf.

By Matt Hubbard

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Battle Of The Hot Hatches

Hot hatches are back with a vengeance. After years in the doldrums we're now awash with them.  Here are my fave five.

If you're in the market for a hot hatch here are my thoughts on my favourites. The links take you to the written reviews and the video reviews are below. They are the Volkswagen Golf R, Vauxhall Astra VXR, Audi S1, Renaultsport Clio 200 Turbo and Volvo V40 T5.

Volkswagen Golf R - Crushingly capable

Audi S1 - By god it's quick

Vauxhall Astra VXR - Manically insane

Renaultsport Clio 200 Turbo - Frantic and fun, deserves a better press than it has

Volvo V40 T5 - Proof that you can have speed as well as comfort

By Matt Hubbard

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2015 Vauxhall Corsa Review

Matt Hubbard reviews the new Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 SRi VX-Line

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

The Corsa is hugely important to Vauxhall. The company shifted 84,000 Corsas in 2014 and 70,000 so far in the first three quarters of 2015. One third of all Vauxhalls sold are Corsas and it generates the most revenue and profit for the company.

So the new one is a big deal. It had better be good.

It's not a brand new car, Vauxhall describes it as an evolution but that's not being very fair on it. Every body panel is new, the engines and gearboxes are new, in fact everything fore of the A-pillar is new, the interior is new, the steering is new and the chassis is new. Oh, and the centre of gravity is 5mm lower than in the old Corsa.

The Corsa starts at £8,995 and ends at £15,380 but most of the range is around the £12k mark. Prices are £3k lower than the old Corsa, which makes it sensibly priced (finally) and much cheaper than the Fiesta.

Does this mean Vauxhall is not confident in the new Corsa? Not at all, Vauxhall thinks it has a great little car and wants to micturate on Ford's rug.

It comes with a host of standard kit and some reasonably priced options. Of interest to people who want an everyday run-around is the heated windscreen and winter pack which comes with heated seats and steering wheel.  LED DRLs (Daytime Running Lights) are standard on all but the base model. Bi-Xenon lights are a £395 option.

DAB and Bluetooth are standard but satnav is not, you have to buy a £50 app called BringGo which streams it to the info screen. I do not like this - either fit a satnav or not.  Rain sensitive wipers, auto lights and cruise control are fitted as standard on all but the base model.

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

Lots of trim levels are available - Life, Sting and Sting R, Design, SRi, Excite, SE, SRi VX Line and Limited Edition - and lots of engines, all new and economical and clean. The newest is the 3-cylinder 1.0 EcoTec in a variety of power outputs.

The green car in the photos is a 1.4T SRi VX-Line. It has a new petrol engine with 98bhp and 148b ft of torque. The gearbox is a new 6-speed manual and the colour is Flaming Green. It costs £14,230 and is right at the top of the Corsa range.

So, does Vauxhall have any right to be confident in the new Corsa? Is it any good? Is it as good as the Fiesta?

Damn right. It's a superb little car.

Let's start with the looks. OK, not everyone likes them. Despite all the panels being new it's visually similar to the outgoing car but with a new front end - similar in appearance to the Adam's.  The C-pillar, by the way, is quite different in the 3-door (sharp) than it is in the 5-door (rounded).

The interior is well designed with buttons and dials well laid out and perfectly placed so you'll find them in the dark. The info screen is functional and easy to use (although I had to look in the manual to find out how to adjust the bass and treble on the stereo) but its buttons are annoyingly vague (press lightly, has it actually registered? Press it hard, I think it has?).

The driving position is great for a small hatchback - deepish footwell, lots of adjustability in the chunky steering wheel, leather clad gear knob close to hand. The twin A-pillar impedes visibility though.

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

The seats are comfortable and provide plenty of support but the seat squab (the bit that goes under your thighs) is too short and doesn't provide quite enough support.  The rear seats are fairly spacious, a six footer will fit in but their knees will brush against the back of the front seats.

Fire it up and the 1.4 4-pot is quiet. The gearbox is better than in any Vauxhall I've driven before (better than the 6-speed in the Cascada and Astra VXR) and snicks into gear without notchy encumbrance.  The ratios are sensibly spaced for the roads rather than track, 2nd gear runs out of puff at around 60mph.

The engine produces most of its torque at low and medium revs and feels like it doesn't really want to go past 5,000rpm but nevertheless has plenty of grunt. The car feels quicker than the stats suggest.

On the road is where the Corsa really stands out. The chassis is incredibly good. The Corsa was tuned on UK roads, the theory being if it'd work on our crappy roads it'd work anywhere. The SRi VX-Line had the sports chassis but was not firm at all, in fact it would glide over poorly paved roads in the manner of a bigger, more expensive car.

But turn it into a corner and the Corsa doesn't roll, instead the steering is sharp and precise with good feedback. It's quite the hoot, in fact it's as good as anything else in its class.

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

The Corsa weighs about 1,100kg (the test cars were pre-production models so Vauxhall doesn't have a precise figure yet) and with its sharp steering, fantastic ride and decent gearbox and engine it will be enjoyed by anyone seeking some serious thrills. Yes, you heard that right. It's jolly fine to drive.

Turn onto a motorway and it's also a good cruiser. The controls have a light touch (steering weight is adjustable), interior noise is more than tolerable and the sound system is loud and clear.

Over recent years the Vauxhall Corsa has been hiding in the shadows of the competition, particularly arch rival Ford's brilliant Fiesta. This new iteration has proved itself a worthy competitor, and with pricing that seriously undercuts the Fiesta it deserves to do well.

After the 1.4T I drove a 1.0T EcoTec. The new 3-cylinder feels like a bigger engine. It has a balancer shaft which makes it quiet and smooth, it's got plenty of grunt (113bhp and 170Nm/125lb ft) and is just as quick as the 1.4T. It returns 57.6mpg and produces 115g/km of CO2. Up a hill it sounds like it's struggling but it still pulls pretty hard for a little 3-pot. It's a cracking engine.

Stats:

Price - £14,230

Engine - 1.4 litre, inline-4, turbocharged, petrol

Transmission - 6-speed manual

0-60mph - 11 seconds

Top Speed - 115mph

Power - 98bhp

Torque - 200Nm/148lb ft

Economy - 53.3mpg

CO2 - 123g/km

Kerb weight - approx 1,100kg

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

The 2015 Vauxhall Corsa's 1.0 EcoTec engine

By Matt Hubbard

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Peugeot RCZ R - First Drive Review - Road Trip!

Colin Hubbard has a Peugeot RCZ R for a week. Here's his first drive review combined with a long day's road trip.

Peugeot RCZ R

I had some work commitments in far away places that I'd been putting off for too long, and also a new car to purchase for my wife. With a Peugeot RCZ R due to be delivered I decided to combine all of these things into one long day. A road trip was born.

I left the house at 06:00 and made my way in the dark and wet to the RCZ R that had been delivered the day before. I hadn't yet seen it in daylight and despite having a RCZ a few months back it takes time to familiarise yourself with the controls, functions and positioning.

I sat myself in the heavily bolstered driver's seat and dropped my bag on the passenger seat.

My thermos coffee cup sat nicely in the single cupholder between the seats and I located my TomTom on the right of the windscreen. The RCZ has a built in satnav but it won't take UK postcodes and I hate getting lost. I programmed the TomTom to take me to my first appointment which was a paper storage depot in Northampton, some 120 miles away.

The engine starts with a key which is fine by me and turns over with a slightly gruffer engine tone than the normal models. It's deadly quiet compared to my TT V6, which was no doubt appreciated by my family and neighbours on this early morning.

I depressed the clutch and noticed how light it is, considering it's a heavy duty item to cope with 270bhp from the little 1.6 turbo 4 pot. Select 1st from a rather smooth alloy gear knob and head out from my drive onto the local A-roads, noticing the ride is surprisingly choppy which makes me think this is going to be a very long day.

After 10 minutes I was on the M6 heading south and the ride calmed as the road quality improved and direction straightens. I got up to motorway speeds and settled to a steady cruising speed, dodging lorries and lane 2 hogging cars.

The hard ride comes into its own on the motorway as it feels like a go-kart in that you move the wheel and there's no slop in the bushes or damping so the car moves in correlation with the wheel to the nth degree. A soft push is felt on the opposite Alcantara shoulder bolster to direction change as you move lane.

6th gear is well suited to motorway speeds so at 70mph the engine is spinning at 2,800rpm, which is calm, yet there's also good pull from this rev level. I couldn't recall how to set the cruise control so that will have to wait for daylight.

Sometime later I switched from the M6 onto the M1 for a short hop to Northampton. As I had plenty of time I stopped off at Rothersthorpe Services for my road trip treat of a McDonalds breakfast. As I turned on full lock into a parking space the limited slip differential groaned as it tried to push both front wheels at equal-ish speeds.

After a soggy sausage bagel, lovely hash brown and well needed coffee I headed back to the car. I found a Mk1 Audi TT had parked next to me and it's obvious to me the TT's looks were a heavy influence in the RCZ's design inspiration, although the RCZ is so much bigger than the TT. Both great looking cars!

15 minutes later and I parked up at Howard Smith Paper for a meeting over the decommissioning of my client's mobile phone installation on the roof of its building.

After 2 hours spent looking at the installation from the inside of the building I head back to the car park and soak in the details of the RCZ in proper daylight. It is a fabulous looking car, the R gets unique alloys (which help to cool the uprated brakes), a fixed rear spoiler and matt black roof arches which differentiate it from the already good looking RCZ.

On the inside the seats are a work of art and wouldn't look out of place in a Lamborghini. The gear knob is carried over from the 208 GTI, has 3 different colours and is a joy to stir the gears with as it is smooth and nicely shaped.

Next, I'm off to Coventry to look at an 'immaculate' Audi A6 Avant in Ibis White to replace our now sold BMW 320d.

The sat nav took me on the A45 towards Coventry which is littered with 50mph limits and speed cameras so I took the time to figure out the cruise control. It is operated from a lower left stalk and, once armed, speed is adjusted via two buttons on the same stalk. 

The speed is shown in a digital display between the clocks and you can alter the it by 1mph at a time. I set it to 53mph which, according to the satellite calculated speed from my TomTom, is exactly 50mph.

When in Coventry the hard damping revels in the turns and twist of the side roads and I found it perfectly acceptable for my own taste.

The A6 is parked on a rough street and as I walked up to it I saw the first mark on the rear wheel arch. As I walked around I saw more marks and think about walking away - but decide to wait for the trader to turn up. 10 minutes later he arrives, we chat, I ask if he has both keys, the reply is no but the previous owner said he will send them on if he finds them. Yeah yeah.

I also ask where the immaculate Audi is as this clearly isn't immaculate and, as I point out the half dozen marks on the body, the trader remarks, "ooh I didn't notice that," and, "that wasn't there this morning," and as there's no movement in the price I walk away without even opening a door never mind going for a test drive.

Now off to Boston which will be a pain in the arse as the route is diagonal across the country on some tiny roads which will no doubt be littered with HGV's on their journeys to the middle of nowhere.

Just before I set off I connected my phone to the Peugeot's Bluetooth system - this is done simply and quickly and is a lesson to other manufacturers. I set off and call the wife to update her on the car situation, the call is clear and easily made but you do have to stretch out to press the buttons on the infotainment system which is annoying. The problem is the upper centre console rakes back towards the windscreen so while the heater controls can be reached easily you have to stretch to be able to touch the hi-fi and phone controls.

As I passed Leicester if find my assumption on the nightmare journey is totally wrong, it turns out that the A52 is actually a brilliant road and fabulous fun in the zingy, curvy Peugeot. The mix of high power and high torque (243lb/ft) with a lightweight 4 pot motor and mechanical LSD means progress is fast and steady.

The scatterings of tractors and doddering Landrovers were simply annihilated with a good dose of right foot and it stepped back in quickly and safely afterwards. The wheel control in the R is much, much better than the other models, no doubt helped by the lighter alloys but also the stiffened suspension and bracing.

The handling has been tuned by Peugeot Sport and they have done a damn fine job. The RCZ R is 10mm lower than the rest of the range and whilst hard it is very accurate and stable so the car can be placed inch perfect without being thrown off line by potholes. Compared with a well damped German car the French car's damping is almost elastic in feel rather than fluid, I suspect down to the hard bushing and tight damping. 

I would go so far as to say that it's on par with the front wheel drive hot hatch king, the Megane 265 Cup and only a back to back test would reveal which is the better car.

When I get to my destination in Boston to view a 520d Touring the private drive to the trader's house is littered with deep potholes which are a potential challenge to the hard ride and low body height. I needn't have worried as there was no awkward scratching noises nor crashing through the wheel when the Goodyear Eagle F1s suddenly hit the other side of a pothole.

When I see the Le Mans blue Beemer it looks great but needed to be jump started by the trader as a seized rear wiper meant that the rear screen wouldn't close so the interior light stayed on, which then drained the battery. 

A brief drive reveals it as a large, heavy car which is kind of what I expected but also a little prehistoric in terms of feel - yet it was only 5 years old. It was a genuine enough car with a full BMW service history and 2 keys but the missing sat nav disc, missing floor mats, seized wiper and the traders refusal to budge on the price meant I didn't leave a deposit. My intention was to think about it overnight but the final straw of no heated seats meant I'm still looking for a new car.

My last stop en route was in Messingham, just outside Scunthorpe, which was some 60 miles away and the same mix of roads as the journey to Boston.

The roads turn slightly different as I headed north - straighter and more open with long reaching views which offer great overtaking potential and the R didn't fail to impress again, surprising a BMW driver, which is always nice.

There's no escaping torque steer in a 270bhp front wheel drive car, the forward pulling motion is exaggerated with higher power but the mechanical limited slip diff does a great job of balancing traction to either front wheel. Physics are still there and it does pull increasingly at higher revs where most of the power is. You have to hold the wheel tight during full bore acceleration but luckily the steering is light and direct so any compensation required is easily dealt with.

The speed limits though the Lincoln area really had me confused and annoyed.

I entered a large village which was a 40mph limit and as I drove through (at about 35mph (remember it's a limit not a target)) there were families walking and cyclists cycling and then I got to the other side and it was still 40mph. The village should have been a 30mph.

At the other end of the scale were some very quiet open roads about a mile before a small village which were marked as 30mph and all that was about were farms. Absolutely crazy regulation of limits which needs an outsider to regularise.

After leaving Lincoln on the A15 it remained eerily straight for 16 miles like something you would expect in America. I started getting tired and with traffic at a steady speed there was no point overtaking to gain a few seconds here and there which just annoys other drivers.

I tried to wake myself a little by turning up the volume on the excellent standard fit JBL sound system. Up to this point I had been listening to Radio 2 so I popped a Metallica (Black Album) CD into the single CD slot and the Just Bloody Loud speakers coped well with the highs and lows of Los Angeles's finest. It may not be a high end (read high price) set up like Bose or Harman Kardon with many speakers and an additional amplifier but it produces cracking sound quality and some good volume from just 6 speakers.

I turn off the A15 onto the B4100 which provides some opportunities for a little more fun, some nice straights and then fast corners until it becomes built up and 30mph limits.

I entered Messingham and located the garage where I am to meet the owner to discuss the positioning of a new cabinet as part of a 4G telecoms upgrade for EE. I agreed the location for the new cabinet and then drove onto the forecourt to fill up with fuel.

I put in 10.56 gallons of unleaded and calculated the RCZ R has done a real world 32.9mpg which is pretty impressive considering how hard it has been driven.

I left Messingham at 16:40 and according to TomTom it was 120 miles and just over 2 hours to home. On the M62. Oh joy!

I was soon on motorways, first the M180, then the M18 and then the M62 which will take me the majority of the way home.

Strangely, at rush hour the M62 is free flowing and the R settles on cruise at an appropriate pace. The ride was still noticeably firm but it's forgiven the moment you change lane and feel the stability of the car.

Soon I dropped on to the M6 for a short hop then onto the M56 for a junction before getting onto the A559 to near enough home. The A559 is a winding tree lined county road well known for a high death rate as the corners get increasing tighter and catch drivers out but I know this road like the back of my hand so I can play safely.

Out of tight corners in second gear the torque steer builds quickly from 4,000rpm and is great fun to interact with through the thin rimmed steering wheel. Many new cars are dull lifeless boxes but this feels alive and edgy.

The uprated brakes (380mm floating dics and 4 piston calipers) come into full use along here, they have huge stopping power and practically no fade yet still offer a good degree of modulation through the pedal.

Sadly the journey's about to end as I turned into my road - Ollershaw Lane. 1 mile later and I turned into my drive and parked up at 18:57.

I'd been on the road for 13 hours and 428 miles and predictably was knackered but I didn't have a single ache or pain from sitting in the same position for many hours. That's pretty impressive and partly due to the good driving position but is mostly down to the seats in the R. They could have been moulded to fit my torso as they are so comfy yet also supportive in the corners, nevermind looking like they have been plucked from something Italian and very expensive.

I got out of the car, gave it a pat on the Le Mans scooped roof, closed the door and went in the house for a well deserved brew.

What a day, what a car! The Peugeot Sport team have done an excellent job.

Full review to follow. 

Peugeot RCZ R and Mk1 Audi TT

Peugeot RCZ R

Peugeot RCZ R

Peugeot RCZ R

Peugeot RCZ R

By Colin Hubbard

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2014 Volkswagen Golf R Review

Matt Hubbard reviews the VW Golf R DSG, the most powerful Golf ever

2014 Volkswagen Golf R

Competence is under-rated.  Competence means everything is done properly with no (or at least few) issues.  Many cars are not competent.

The Golf Mk7 is the most competent car I've driven, the Golf R is the fastest production Golf there has ever been.  You could always just stop here because the words below just reiterate the words above.  Don't forget to check out the photos though.

The latest Golf looks sharp.  The R, especially in 3-door form, looks that little bit more sporty than the rest of the range.  Quad exhaust pipes, R bumpers, skirts and diffuser, chrome mirrors and R badging distinguish it from the rest of the range.  It hardly stands out to the uninitiated though.

Despite the fact it's a hotter hatch than most hot hatches it looks sensible.  The interior follows a similar theme. Take one standard Golf interior and make it that bit better. Sports seats, carbon look inserts (not sure about this myself although you may like it), lovely, small steering wheel.

Aside from R branding that's it. The R looks just that bit better, sharper and, yes, faster.

It's packed with kit.  Bluetooth, digital radio, touchscreen, USB points, bi-xenon headlights with LED DRLs, adaptive cruise control, programmable chassis, stop/start, multifunctional trip computer.  Basically it comes with pretty much everything you'll need in a car.

The cabin is light and airy and visibility is good. The seats are supportive and comfortable, and manually adjustable. The driving position is fine and the small, flat-bottomed steering wheel is perfectly placed.

2014 Volkswagen Golf R

A word here on competence. I've driven some cars for an entire week and not got comfortable with the seat, pedal position and distance and position of steering wheel and gearstick from the driver. I adjusted the Golf's seat once and that was it. Two hours later it was still fine.  Some cars don't have space to put your left foot. The Golf does.

The engine is a 2-litre inline-4 and is used in many other VW group cars. In the R it's got 296bhp and 280lb ft of torque.  The test car had a 6-speed DSG (automatic, double clutch) gearbox.

Power is transmitted to the road via 4 wheel drive - the fifth generation Haldex 4Motion system.  In normal driving it's a front wheel drive car but when wheel slip is detected the rear wheels automatically engage.  This happens so quickly you'd never know.

In a straight line the Golf R is very quick. 0-60 in 5 seconds is proper sports car territory.  The brilliant thing about the car is that the ride and handling are also on a par with a sports car.  In enthusiastic driving the Golf belies its basic shape (front engine, high roof).

The steering feel is better than in the Golf R's cousin, the Audi S3.  VW seems to have tuned their system better than Audi have theirs.

Given that the R is also available with a manual gearbox I'd rather take the manual over the DSG.  It is fine in day to day driving but, as is often the case with autos, is a bit lax in normal mode and a bit enthusiastic in sports mode.

In reality this means it trundles along in the highest gear possible until you floor the throttle when it wakes up and changes down a few. In sports mode it keeps that high gear and only changes down almost at the red line, even if you're at half throttle.  Using the paddles overcomes this.

2014 Volkswagen Golf R

The paddles, by the way, are perfectly placed so the driver can hold the wheel at a quarter to three and  still use them. Even some high-end cars have the paddles in the way of where you'd normally hold the wheel.  More competence.

The ride is superb, the suspension is finely tuned to soak up poor road surfaces but also fling the R round corners with hardly any roll.  This is not a balancing act every car company is able to achieve. Yet more competence.

The rear seats are spacious and provide leg room for adults, even with the front seats far back.  The boot has a flat floor and is spacious for a hatchback.

Does the Golf R have any faults? Well, the DSG gearbox could be better and the suspension, pliable though it is, feels like the springs are a little short and hit the bump stops over speed bumps.  And satnav is an expensive option when it should be standard. That's it though.

The Golf R is the most sensible, competent, grown up, fast, hot hatch that anyone would want. You could buy one and keep it forever, never wanting another car again. It's that good.

Stats:

Price - £31,315 (£34,785 as tested, includes: Uprated screen & nav, dynamic chassis, winter pack, paint)

Engine - 4-cylinder, 2-litre 

Transmission - 6-speed, twin clutch automatic (DSG)

0-62mph - 4.9 seconds 

Top Speed - 155mph (limited) 

Power - 296bhp 

Torque - 280lb ft 

Economy - 40.9mpg 

CO2 - 159g/km 

Kerb Weight - 1,495kg

2014 Volkswagen Golf R

2014 Volkswagen Golf R

2014 Volkswagen Golf R

2014 Volkswagen Golf R

2014 Volkswagen Golf R

By Matt Hubbard

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2014 Audi S1 Review

Matt Hubbard reviews the smallest ever quattro, the new Audi S1

Audi couldn't help but draw comparisons with the original S1 rally car when it came to naming the hot version of the A1. Nothing else but S1 would have done.

They've not shied away from those comparisons either. At the launch of the S1 (new) an S1 (old) was on display. The classic S1 also featured heavily in the corporate video Audi put together to tell us all about the new S1.

So, does it live up to the hype? Yes it does. The S1 is an explosive ball of manic Germanic laughter. It's fast in a straight line, fast round corners, the 6-speed manual gearbox is slick, the steering is the best of the Ss and it can get a bit lairy at high speed.

In short the new Audi S1 quattro is the best hot hatch, of any size, I've driven.

The A1 is a sharp looking car in the first place. The S1 gets a few extras to visually differentiate it from the rest of the range such as Xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED rear lights, chrome mirrors (an S staple), red brake callipers, roof spoiler, quad exhaust tips and S1 logos.

What you can't see is the brand new 2.0 TFSI engine that's EU6 compliant, independent rear suspension, variable dampers, quattro four wheel drive with multi plate clutch on the rear axle and electronic torque vectoring.

Step inside and the interior is as good as it is in any Audi, which means it's the best of any mainstream premium manufacturer outside Jaguar, and they don't make small cars.

Compared to rival hot hatches the S1's interior is more classy, less funky. Being all black it's a bit dark but the turbine air vents, top-notch materials, dials, knobs and switches, aluminium and rubber pedals, infotainment system and general ambience are great to look at and to touch.

The nappa leather seats are supportive and comfortable - the sign of a great seat is when you don't need to touch the lumbar support yet it still provides good support to your lower back. The steering wheel is small and chunky and is clad in super-soft leather, and has controls for the trip computer and audio system (the multifunction wheel is a £250 option though).

The car has lots of modern tech such as auto lights and windscreen wipers, satnav (an £875 option), Bluetooth and DAB, cruise control and an info screen which lives on top of the dash.

Surprisingly though the interior is quite button free. There aren't many and those there are are well placed. Climate and info/satnav have their own set of knobs and dials and there's not many others to clutter the dashboard. It has 12v and USB sockets and quite a few handy storage spaces.

The key is an actual key (usual Audi fold-away job) but there's nowhere to put it. The engine starts with a button.

The only gearbox option is a 6-speed manual (good) and and it has a real handbrake (exciting!)

The engine sounds quiet at idle. Snick the gearbox into 1st, dab the throttle and release the clutch in a frightfully old fashioned and marvellously mechanical fashion and...Jesus it's time to change up to 2nd rather quickly - then 3rd, 4th and so on. It pulls like a train.

The 2 litre engine is turbocharged but allied with a manual gearbox and you don't notice any turbo lag unless you're cruising at super low revs and want to give it the beans.

The S1's 0-60, top speed and kerb weight stats are almost identical to those of a Porsche Cayman. The S1 has less power, more torque and lower gearing than the Cayman but this gives you an idea of how quick it is.

It never loses grip and the manual gearbox is delightfully fluid. Find a corner and the S1 is one of the most chuckable cars I've driven. You can fling it into and around corners with abandon, until you reach high speeds, at which point the short wheelbase and physics come into play and it feels a little edgy.

The quattro four wheel drive, ESC and torque vectoring never intrude or make themselves known, instead the S1 just grips and goes where you want it. You don't get wheel slip and you don't get oversteer or understeer - just neutral, finely balanced handling.

Zipping up and down the 'box, playing with the throttle and brakes and the S1 is both huge fun and feels quite safe until you go a little too fast and the aforementioned short wheelbase overcomes all the clever electronics and reminds you you'll lose your licence unless you slow down.

Find an A-road or motorway and the S1 settles down into a fine cruiser with a good, clear sound system, comfortable seats and driving position, reasonable economy and cruise control to while away those boring hours on congested, speed camera-infested main roads. It's even got cup holders for a large cup of Costa latte.

The S1 is my new favourite hot hatch. It's better even than my previous favourite, the Renaultsport Megane 265. I'd heartily recommend it.

The new Audi S1 will be in UK Audi dealers in late May 2014.

Check out my video review of the Audi S1 here.

Stats

Price - £24,900
Engine - 2.0 litre, inline-4, petrol Transmission - 6-speed manual 0-60mph - 5.8 seconds
Top speed - 155 mph
Power - 230 bhp
Torque - 273 lb ft
Economy - 40.4mpg
CO2 - 162 g/km
Kerb weight - 1,315 kg

Review by Matt Hubbard

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