Not sure if an Edition 30 is small and uncomplicated!

Yeah, I'm probably a bit behind the times there. My last Golf was made in 1990…

Ahh – the late mk2 Golf – splendid car with it's big bumpers and "proper" wing mirrors. Mine was an early small bumper one (I stuck big ones on when they small ones looked tatty) with those daft wing mirrors so far back on the car that they were useless!

Yup, 8 valves, big bumpers, dodgy MFA … those were the days.  🙂

Get an Astra VXR! 240 bhp, and bags of torque! I love mine!

Get an Astra VXR! 240 bhp, and bags of torque! I love mine!

too much torque from everything I hear. I had the woefully underpowered SRi variant and that torque steered and understeered like nothing I have ever driven before or since. I can't begin to imagine what the VXR is like!

Torque steer just adds to the fun, especially in the wet!

Torque steer just adds to the fun, especially in the wet!

Sicko

I had the Astra 1.9CDTi 150 before the Bimmer – only 150bhp but 235lbs-ft – that definitely torque steered! I just learned to automatically correct it but getting the front wheels to break traction was very easy indeed – sometimes fun, occasionally a bit scary.

TBH it was a great car – had the estate. Cheap (bought it new) to buy and run, pretty rapid and the boot was huge. Quite well specced. Hateful dashboard though – whoever "designed" it needs shooting. New shape dash is better but still naff.

They are great fun and that turbo just kicks in and you're away. Handling is not the best, but good in a straight line…. Decent boot too, can get my bike in with seats down and my dog can get in the boot too (minus bike)

Ok not a hot hatch, or fast, but certainly more fun than any 'hot hatch' ….. an MX5 !

but good in a straight line….

If you can make it stay straight 😉

TBF, I do like them and would love to give one a test drive but other similar cars can just do the handling thing better.

…he needs room for a tent and a dog (I think)…

We need polls on STW! Golf Edition 30 would get my vote. They look very tidy, and I suspect they won't date too quickly, so will still look good in 3 years.