Hi Madars,

For €2,000, you’re not going to get the best Golf 1.9 TDI. Although that engine has been proven to be almost indestructible, the things attached to it – like the turbo, for instance – are not and Volkswagens of that era aren’t as faultlessly reliable as some people seem to believe. If you want a cheap, reliable hatchback, you really ought to be looking at Japanese cars; the Aygo and Yaris are fairly decent runarounds with mechanically simple engines, so consider those, even if they are a lot smaller.