The VW Golf is one of the most successful cars in history - and a fine used purchase

For four decades VW have been honing their Golf. Despite the high-profiel scandals, here's why a used Golf can make a lot of sense

The Golf has been the definitive family hatchback for as long as anyone can remember. These days, however, it has a greater number of excellent rivals than ever. VW’s response has been to move the Golf into the gap between other volume motors such as the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra, and premium rivals such as the Audi A3. It remains an excellent all-rounder, too – so if you’re shopping for a family hatch, here are seven reasons why the old favourite remains as good a choice as ever.

1: You won’t struggle to find a good driving position – the seats and steering wheel alike have all the adjustability you’ll ever need.

2: You’ll get a great view, too, both of the road ahead and all around.

3: Making yourself heard above noise from the road, engine and so on won’t be a problem (we can’t guarantee the same for your kids).

4: Want a fast one? The Golf is the car that invented the GTI – and these days, the all-wheel-drive Golf R is one of the hottest hatches around.

5: Even if you’re not after a full-on hot hatch, the Golf’s handling is excellent, making it one of the most enjoyable and confidence-inspiring hatchbacks to drive.

6: Safety kit is good across the range, and you don’t have to go too far up for it to get better still. In Match trim, the Golf gains rear parking sensors and autonomous emergency braking.

7: Move beyond the basic engines and the Golf gains a more sophisticated suspension set-up – giving it a much better ride. That’s reason enough to go for the 1.4 TSI petrol unit – which will also reward you with an excellent combination of strength, refinement and fuel efficiency.

We’re talking about the new Golf here, of course. This was launched in 2013, but for a used purchase the previous model makes excellent sense.

Look for one from the run of 2009 to 2013 and you’ll get a fine all-rounder with the same high standards of refinement and interior quality as the current model. The 2.0 TDI 140 and 1.4 TSI 122 are your best diesel and petrol bets respectively, and once again the Match trim level strikes the best balance between price and kit – though it wasn’t available on 2009 models.