I review cars for a living, and the Mk7 Volkswagen Golf GTI is the daily driver I would buy

I’m lucky enough to have a job which sees me reviewing new cars all the time, so I don’t need to buy one car to do everything. Right now, I daily drive my Skoda Fabia 130 long-term test car, and I’ve bought a 2004 BMW Z4 for the weekends.

But if the press car pool did run dry, I’d look to spend between £15,000 and £20,000 on one car to cover all bases, and in this scenario I don’t think you can do better than the Mk7 Volkswagen Golf GTI.

It’s the direct predecessor to today’s Golf GTI, and after spending some time behind the wheel, I think it’s better.

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Let’s start outside. I think this Mk7 Golf GTI looks really handsome and chiselled compared to the bloated Mk8 on sale today. I also like the fact you can get the Mk7 as a three-door, making it look even sportier.

Then there’s the interior. For me, this is Volkswagen at its peak. Even after seven years on the road, this car still feels tight as a drum. The dashboard layout may look a bit dated by modern standards, but the material quality is top-rung and it feels more premium than the latest Golf.

You can’t forget the tartan seats either, which are a GTI staple and something I wouldn’t buy a GTI without. Some people paid extra to upgrade leather seats – how boring.

Under the bonnet is the same basic 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine as the current Golf GTI, but it makes 245hp as opposed to the 265hp you get in the latest car. It still feels more than powerful enough though, especially with the snappy dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

It’ll do 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, only 0.3 of a second off the current GTI. It’s just as quick with the manual gearbox as well, which is the one I’d go for because it adds another layer of involvement on a twisty road.

The Golf GTI isn’t quite as sharp or agile as a Ford Focus ST, but that’s because it’s also much more comfortable for day-to-day driving. When you’re just cruising around, it feels an awful lot like a normal Golf. It’s comfy and quiet, although the larger wheels do make it feel a tad firmer.

It’s still great fun through the bends as well. Models fitted with the Performance Pack have a clever front differential which sends power to the wheel with the most grip, and you can feel it pulling you tighter into a corner when you put your foot down. It’s a very easy car to drive quickly.

Prices for a Mk7 Volkswagen Golf GTI start from around £12,000 for an early 2013 example, but I’d want a later car with the Performance Pack and a manual gearbox. I found one through Carwow which fits the bill for £17,000.

If I had kids, I’d go for a Skoda Octavia vRS Estate instead. It’s larger and more practical than the Golf, and has the same engine. But as a child-free single man, the Mk7 Golf GTI ticks all the hot hatch boxes.

It looks great, is spacious enough to get three friends on board and it has a big boot for your festival camping gear. It’s also great fun to drive when you want it to be and comfortable when you don’t. It’s my perfect all-rounder, and it should be high up on your shortlist.

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