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Id like something sportier...
Hi I have a 2012 golf tdi and would like to change it for something more sporty. What would you recommend? I would change to petrol once consumption is somewhat reasonable. Thanks for your help
Our answer:
Hi Glenn,
OK, we have a few options here, but much depends on what you consider ‘sporty’ or otherwise. If you like your Golf, then trading up to a GTI seems like an obvious move — utterly brilliant to drive, looks great, we love the tartan seats and you should get 40mpg if you drive it gently. That said, ‘enthusiastic’ (ahem) driving will see that figure plummet.
Want to be a bit more economical? The how about a 1.4 TSI 150hp petrol Golf in sporty-looking R-Line trim? Three-quarters of the GTI experience without the extra expense. Or worth looking for the same engine in the brilliant (and under-rated) Scirocco coupe.
Outside the Volkswagen empire, you could consider a Honda Civic Type-S (lovely to drive, great quality, but the old 1.8 petrol is expensive to run), or how about a BMW 1 Series? A 120i has all the power you’ll need, decent economy and fantastic rear-wheel-drive handling. Another under-rated option would be the Peugeot 308 in GT-Line spec. Looks great, sweet to drive, well-made and that 1.2-litre 130hp turbo petrol engine is a belter.
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