The 2001 Volkswagen Golf is a sleek, good-looking hatchback that overall is very average in performance. While the car itself looks great, it under performs in many ways. I bought the car used with less than 30,000 miles on it. Everything was great in the first two months or so. The air conditioning was cool, the brakes worked well, it handled great, and overall was a decent car. Then the problems started. First, the brakes needed to be replaced. 45,000 miles into this car and I needed a full new brake replacement. Then the air conditioning stopped working, and living in Texas, this was not an option. After that, it was small things like windshield wipers, etc. After I got the major problems fixed, it was a decent car. It got me from point A to point B. However, I felt like I spent way too much time at auto shops, dealerships, or even the parts store. It felt like I was there once a week at some points. It drove and handled well and was a decent car, just a few too many problems.

I've had my Golf since 2009. I thought it would be a car I owned for a few years before moving on to a bigger 4 door sedan. I was wrong. As soon as I drove it off the lot, I fell in love. It was responsive and quicker than I anticipated. The steering wheel was incredibly comfortable, as were the seats. The Golf became my everyday car. I am at about 100 thousand miles now. I've maintained it properly and take good care of it. 6 years later and I am still snapping around corners the way I did on the first day I bought it. Fuel economy has stayed constant throughout, which is great since fuel economy was a huge selling point for me. I still get complimented on the aesthetic features of the car. I do have aftermarket rims on it so they really accentuate the cars sharp features. I have added my own little twist to the car but one look at it and you know it is a Golf. The amount of compliments I get on the car is really flattering. So a big thanks the engineers and designers over at Volkswagen. Another little piece of info you might enjoy is the this little car is actually surprisingly good at getting out of a crunch, specifically, finding yourself stuck in some mud or a hole. You're gonna have to trust me on that one.