Volkswagen

Volkswagen

No, it doesn’t mean ‘People’s Car’, it means ‘Properly Built Alternatives To Cheap Aussie Plastics’. VW has been responsible for raising the engineering, build and reliability standards of ordinary cars. It’s still up there, but now finds itself surrounded on the podium by more and more genius upstarts.

  • Volkswagen Beetle

    Beetle

    $25,990 - $39,290

    Cutesy sentimentalism only goes so far, and even die-hard Herbie fans must be beginning to tire of poor packaging, odd ride and limp handling. Time to move on.

  • Volkswagen Eos

    Eos

    $47,990 - $52,290

    An odd leap onto the tin-top convertible bandwagon, hamstrung by an extended Golf chassis and a boot so small you can take sandwiches to the picnic, but not chips.

  • Volkswagen Golf

    Golf

    $25,490 - $58,790

    Benchmark is an over-used word, but you simply can’t consider buying a hatchback without comparing it with the original. Still superb, but now being run mighty close.

  • Volkswagen Golf GTi

    Golf GTi

    If the HSV Astra VXR is a hooligan, then the Golf GTI is a jewel thief played by Cary Grant – sublime, effortless, powerful. You’d like not to be seduced, but dammit he’s good.

  • Volkswagen Jetta

    Jetta

    $32,990 - $39,990

    Look, sorry about this but they’ve asked me to design a booted version of the Golf. Yeah, I know it’s half five – you start the car, it should only take a couple of secs. 

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