Large, square door openings make it easy to get into the Golf without banging your head. And there’s enough legroom and headroom to keep four six-footers happy.

True, life isn’t as comfortable for a fifth person because the floor is raised in the middle of the car, but this is also an issue in most rivals.

As for the boot, it’s nowhere near as big as that of the Skoda Octavia, but will still take a fold-up baby buggy and several bags of shopping without any difficulty.

You also get a false boot floor that lets you divide the space in two and raise the load level so that you’re less likely to strain your back when lifting in heavy items. And there are several useful storage cubbies in the front of the car.

Even the sporty GTI model is good at soaking up bumps in the road, while lesser Golfs are about as comfortable as family hatchbacks get.

This isn’t just down to the suspension. There’s a huge range of adjustment to help you find a good driving position. What’s more, the seats are supportive and only the cheapest, S-specification cars miss out on adjustable lumbar support.

The fact that the Golf shuts out wind and road noise better than rivals adds to its credentials as a long-distance cruiser. And most of the engines are smooth and quiet; only the 1.6-litre diesels sound a bit grumbly.

The Golf has rotary air-conditioning controls that make it easy to adjust the temperature inside the car, while the stereo, sat-nav and vehicle settings are all controlled through a touchscreen that’s similarly user-friendly.

Not only are the various menus clearly laid out, but there are shortcut buttons around the outside of the screen that let you quickly switch between the various functions.

The only downside is that you have to look away from the road at times to find the correct area of the screen to hit – this isn’t necessary with the systems in the Audi A3 and BMW 1-series.

The materials in the Golf don’t feel as special as the A3’s, either, but the Golf is classier than most other rivals.

Few cars in any class offer a better all-round view than the Golf because it has large, deep windows that keep blind spots to a minimum.

The steering is light enough to make parking pretty easy, too, while well weighted pedals help you drive smoothly in stop-start traffic.

The only engine that struggles to pull the car is the weakest 1.2-litre petrol. And you can specify an automatic gearbox with every engine except this 1.2 and the super-efficient, Bluemotion diesel.

It grips well in corners and the steering is precise and responsive. That said, some people will wish the wheel weighted up a little more at speed to offer extra reassurance.

The cheaper of the two turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engines is worth the premium over the 1.2-litre petrols, because it makes overtaking that much easier.

Alternatively, if you want a car that’s properly fast but still easy to live with, the Golf GTI is about as good as it gets.

However, Volkswagen has a pretty good record, finishing ninth out of 27 manufacturers in 2013.

You also get the reassurance of a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, although Toyota and Hyundai are both more generous here, offering five-year warranties, while Kia’s cover lasts for seven years.

Volkswagen provides a year’s worth of breakdown assistance as standard.

The most efficient Golf is the Bluemotion model, which has an official average of 88.3mpg.That’s quite a bit better than the figures for eco versions of the BMW 1-series and Ford Focus. However, the Bluemotion is based on the relatively poorly equipped S-specification Golf, so even if you do a lot of miles, you might want to go for the regular 1.6-litre diesel; this still managed more than 70mpg in official tests.

Petrol Golfs are also more efficient than many of their rivals, although we wouldn’t bother with the 1.4-litre ACT engine; this carries a large premium over the regular 1.4, yet returns almost identical figures in real-world driving.

Pricing is more in line with the latest Audi A3 and BMW 1-series, and all three cars will set you back a similar amount over three years, whether you’re buying or leasing.

The Golf’s impressive official fuel economy figures translate into low CO2 emissions, so it’s relatively cheap to run as a company car – particularly if you go for a diesel.

The Golf comes with seven airbags, including a driver’s knee ’bag, and this helped it earn the maximum five-star rating when it was crash tested by car safety specialists Euro NCAP.

It scored particularly highly for adult occupant and child occupant protection, beating rivals such as the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra. However, the Focus had the edge for pedestrian protection.

Like the Focus and Astra, the Golf comes with a stability control system that helps correct skids. What’s more, most versions of the Golf have a city emergency braking system that can stop the car for you if it detects a collision is imminent (only the S model misses out on this).

The cheapest version of the Golf is the S, which comes with air-conditioning, front electric windows, a digital radio and a Bluetooth hands-free phone connection.

We reckon it’s worth upgrading to the SE model, though, because this adds alloy wheels, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, electric rear windows (on five-door models) and an adaptive cruise control system that keeps you a set distance from the car in front.

The GT version of the Golf also comes with satellite-navigation and front and rear parking sensors, but this is a bit pricey.

Only the Bluemotion model misses out on a space saver spare wheel; it gets a tyre repair kit instead.