The bleak north German outpost of Wolfsburg is all too easy to find. Land at the Hook of Holland, locate the E30, floor the throttle and six hours later arrive on a sub-zero Sunday afternoon in a place that makes Dusseldorf look inviting.
But I am not here for the scenery. Twenty-one years ago, german automaker Volkswagen launched the model that changed the shape of affordable sports cars into hatchbacks – and hot ones at that. So I’ve brought my Golf GTi to its birthplace to find out what makes this model so special.
Fifty years ago, Wolfsburg was even less inviting. It also had a nasty Nazi name, KdF Stadt. The Allies renamed it Wolfsburg after a nearby castle. A major in the Royal Engineers, Ivan Hirst, uncovered a surviving prototype, KdF Wagen, aka the Beetle, which he put into production and kickstarted the post-war industrial miracle.

Wolfburg is Volkswagen City, with a skyline dominated by the factories’ huge chimneys and the streets full of home-produced product. In the dour breeze-block shopping centre the cafes are open, serving cholesterol-laden cream cakes. Judging by the queues of portly Germans, this is what must pass for entertainment around here.

Clearly, there isn’t much to do in Wolfsburg. Hardly surprising, then, that a bunch of Volkswagen engineers decided to do some unpaid overtime, rummage around the parts bin and cobble together a “Sport Golf”, as it was initially known. Brilliant raw material was the Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro’s stylish and revolutionary hatchback. It was light, handled well, and just needed a little more power. Installing a fuel-injected Audi engine achieved the desired result, even though Volkswagen senior management were not impressed. Their first reaction was “put zat in zer basement”, but they finally agreed that it would be wise to get out of Wolfsburg a bit more often, especially behind the wheel of an agile, high-performance hatch. And so the GTi was born. How else can you explain the transformation of a company best known for making outdated rear-engined Bugs into the originators of the hot hatch?

I wonder if Volkswagen shares my view that the pent-up frustration from bashing out Beetles for 30 years in the bleak Wolfsburg suburbs has resulted in the exuberant GTi. The only place to find out is at their Auto Museum. Of course, there are lots of Beetles and sundry Volkswagen group relatives in the shape of Auto Unions and Audis, but where are the GTis? How they could omit such an automotive icon is beyond reason. At a stroke the Golf GTi outclassed and killed off all those asthmatic, unreliable British sports cars, while undercutting on price and outperforming impractical coupes like the Capri. Volkswagen could not care less, and it sadly shows in the sorry state of some exhibits. I spot the first 1974 Golf, but how can this pure, groundbreaking masterpiece look dignified on two flat tyres? Not only that, the landmark motor that is the 60,000,000th Volkswagen turns out to be a podgy Golf 3 GL which has had its front nearside indicator pinched. Some of the older Audis even looked like I’d painted them: bubbles, rust, oil leaks. I suppose that’s what you get when you park a museum on Diesel Strasse, not the most inspiring of names, or places.
At least there are some interesting hatchback prototypes as Volkswagen looked for a way out of the Beetle rut. According to prototype EA 266, your GTi could have had the Beetle’s air-cooled engine hiding under the boot floor, a sort of three-door Porsche 911. It looked quite attractive in a cuddly Nineties way, with a twin tailpipe and chunky tyres.

After the disappointment at Wolfsburg, all it takes to restore my confidence in German efficiency is a two-hour journey to Osnabruck, home of Karmann, long-time Volkswagen collaborators and coach-builders. I had asked for a peek inside their private museum. It is a small, but fabulous display. Beetles never looked better than when they were rebodied, or turned into cabriolets by Karmann. There were classic Karmann Ghias, BMW 6 series coupes, secret prototypes (including volkswagen convertible) and at last a GTi. Karmann built the convertible version of the Golf which started the trend for hatchback-based cabriolet convertibles. None was as well-built or comfortable and Karmann has retained the very last example in prime condition. Every exhibit is immaculate and roadworthy. The secret is employing a man who cares. Hats off, then, to Herr Breford, who keeps them looking brand new. All I saw at Wolfsburg was a Fraulein with a Hoover. Karmann not only rolled out the red carpet, but also gave me a scale model Scirocco GTi. Danke.
So the spirit of the GTi is alive and well in Osnabruck, but Volkswagen has clearly lost the plot. Have you driven the latest GTi recently? I did, and it was as dull as a Sunday afternoon in Wolfsburg. I won’t be going back.

Hatchbacks: mercedes hatchback, audi hatchback, ford hatchback, mazda hatchback.

In the old days, you bought an estate car for a simple reason: you needed more boot space than a saloon. It was a utilitarian vehicle, as all good cars should be.
Sure, there was a tiny bit of pretension – after all, the very term “estate” conjured up images of the idyllic rustic lifestyle so adored by the English. Old-fashioned estates were sometimes known as “shooting brakes” to suggest scenes of Edwardian shooting parties, with a James Mason-like character as your titled host. None the less, estate cars were born to lug loads which saloons simply could not accommodate.

How different things are now. Pop into your local dealer and you’ll be shown small estates, sports estates, luxury estates, lifestyle estates and – the newest fad – off-roading estates. Even the police choose estate cars as chase cars nowadays and, a few years back, Volvo used one of its estate models to compete in the British Touring Car Championship. Four very different estates have passed through my hands recently. First up was one of the recently revised Mercedes C class. This is known, in motor industry-speak, as a lifestyle estate. It’s more of a giant hatchback than a true estate, and it’s aimed at people with busy, sporty lifestyles who need space for skis and tennis rackets but don’t spend much time at B&Q or in antique shops. Other lifestyle estates include the BMW 3-series touring, the Volvo V40 and the Audi A4 Avant. None has a big carrying area, which is a polite way of saying that, although they may be good big hatchbacks, they are not good estates. Next up was the Volkswagen Passat Syncro V6 estate, the top model in the new Passat estate range. Although not as roomy as an old-style Volvo estate, it has a much better standard of finish, and drives much better. If I wanted a new estate I’d buy a Passat, but not the Syncro V6 model, which at pounds 25,000 is rather pricey. Stick with one of the turbodiesel or petrol front-drive models, and feel smug every time you see a far pricier, but no better, Mercedes or Volvo pass by. A Volvo V70R AWD came next. This is a Volvo estate unlike any other Volvo estate, more motorway racer than protective shell for motorists of a nervous disposition. The standard V70 is Britain’s best-seller, the stylish heir to the old green wellie, labrador and luvvy type of Volvo. But in V70R AWD (for All Wheel Drive) mode it epitomises New Volvo, a firm fast breaking away from its “sensible shoes” image and eager to make the motoring equivalent of multi-coloured air- cushioned trainers. The V70R AWD is a Ferrari wearing family car clothes. I loved it, even though I thought it was crazy. One minute you’re carrying pots and plants back from the garden centre, feeling all green and virtuous and awfully sensible; the next you’re revving that turbocharged powerhouse of a motor around to the red line and racing away from the traffic lights like a kid driving your first sports car. There is nothing sporty about the Subaru Forester, one of the first of the new-breed of off-roading estates. These offer some of the go-anywhere virtues of a Land Rover – by dint of their high ground clearance and four- wheel drive – but, being based on normal estates, they are more car-like on Tarmac. Volvo has just launched a rival (the V70 XC); BMW and Audi will soon have their own go anywhere estates. This proliferation has had one unusual casualty, however. Sales of the really big, commodious estates – which put carrying capacity before style – are evaporating. Volvo is to announce that its upcoming new big car, the S80 – successor to the 940 – won’t be offered in estate form. The traditional square-back substance-before-style Volvo estate is dead. Huge carrying capacity, it seems, is the one thing estate car buyers no longer demand.

Cheap cars for the cost-conscious. Getting good wheels for less than 10 grand

Sure you’d like a Ferrari or Rolls, but reality is forcing you to buy a new car for under $10,000. But that doesn’t mean you have to settle for a junker.
Rising prices make it tougher each year to find cars for less than $10,000, but a good number exist. One advantage of these cars is that they’re mostly small with economical engines and simple construction, and that makes them pretty cheap to operate.
Be forewarned that it may not be easy finding one of these cars that isn’t loaded with options. That’s because there is little profit in cars that sticker for less than $10,000, and many dealers make their money from options.

But you don’t have to play their game. If a dealer doesn’t stock the car you want, order it from the manufacturer equipped your way.
On the other hand, chances are good in today’s depressed market that buyer incentives, such as rebates, will cover much, if not all, of the cost of the few popular options you might want, such as air-conditioning. The incentives should hold the price to under $10,000, even when shipping, taxes and dealer preparation charges are added.

Here are pros and cons of American and foreign cars with under-$10,000 base sticker prices:

Dodge Colt two-door hatchback: Zippy and economical Mitsubishi-designed cars with 92-horsepower overhead-camshaft engines. Economical and fun to drive. Tight rear seat room.

Dodge Shadow two- and four-door hatchbacks: Replaces venerable Omni as Dodge entry-level vehicle. Average design, but nice ride and handling from one of largest four-door autos in under-$10,000 group. Even air-conditioning and automatic transmission don’t cause the price of new Shadow America model to top $10,000. Standard driver’s air bag a bonus.

Eagle Summit two-door hatchback and 4 door sedan: Joint Chrysler-Mitsubishi auto is refined, with adequate power, good ride and fairly roomy interior and trunk. Nicely equipped. Four-cylinder engine is small at 1.5 liters, so is noisy when pushed. Jeep/Eagle dealers especially hurting, so deals should be easy to make.

Ford Escort two- and four-door hatchback and station wagon: Jointly developed with Mazda. Very functional, with high-quality feel. Smooth runner with good ride and road manners. Small tires don’t help handling, and 88-horsepower four-cylinder provides just adequate acceleration with automatic transmission and air-conditioning switched on.

Ford Festiva two-door hatchback: Tiny two-door hatchback based on a Mazda mini-car sold in other countries. EPA-estimated 35 m.p.g. in the city and 42 on highway. Roomy, despite 90.2-inch wheelbase. Handy in traffic and tight parking spots, although steering heavy during parking. Lively acceleration with 63-horsepower four-cylinder and manual transmission. Very light at 1,785 pounds. Good assembly, but noisy under hard acceleration. Miniscule wheels and tires hinder handling and braking.

Geo Metro two- and four-door hatchbacks and convertible: A Suzuki design sold by Chevrolet. Economical three-cylinder engine provides good performance. Base model gets astounding, EPA-estimated 53 m.p.g. in the city and 58 on highway in miserly XFi two-door hatchback model. Surprisingly large interior. Small size handy for city motoring. Poor ride on bad surfaces. Light weight translates to tinny feel. Small wheels and tires hurt handling and braking.

Honda Civic two-door hatchback: Beautifully designed and built. Comfortable. Fun to drive with nice handling and good acceleration. Engine very economical, but noisy. Roomy up front, but cramped rear-seat area. Best acceleration and fuel economy with manual transmission, as automatic soaks up too much power.

Honda CRX two-door hatchback : Looks and feels much more expensive than it is. Virtually a sports car. Only two seats, but large cargo area. Highly economical and a ball to drive. Automatic transmission puts it in the above-$10,000 range, but performance and economy far better with standard five-speed manual gearbox. No power steering, so parking can be a chore. Small 90.6-inch wheelbase results in poor ride on bad roads.

Hyundai Excel two-door hatchback and four-door sedan: Unlike most automakers listed here, Korean Hyundai offers no less than 10 models in the under-$10,000 price range and should do very well, considering the slow economy and stiff gasoline prices. Decent interior room despite 93.8-inch wheelbase. Comfortable ride, but soft springs and small tires conspire against sporty driving. Assembly quality improved. Economical. Lively performance with manual, but slow with automatic.

Mazda 323 two-door hatchback): Nicely built, with decent performance, ride and handling. Room for four adults. Doggish performance with automatic.

Mitsubishi Mirage two-door hatchback and four-door sedan: Nicely designed and developed. Solid feel and eye-catching styling. Strong acceleration. Quiet highway cruising with overdrive manual transmission, although 92-horsepower engine on the noisy side. Acceleration decent with automatic transmission. Not much rear-seat room.

Mitsubishi Precis two-door hatchback: Made in Korea and very similar to two-door Korean Hyundai Excel. Nifty styling by Italian styling whiz Giorgetto Giugiaro. Solid car with good ride and average handling. Acceleration good with manual, marginal with automatic.

Nissan Sentra: Revamped considerably for 1991 and one of the best small cars ever. Slick lines, neat interior, solid feel and strong acceleration with 110-horsepower, double-overhead-camshaft engine and manual transmission. But excessive engine noise and appreciably less performance with automatic transmission. Fuel economy tops with either transmission, in high 20s in city and mid- to high 30s on highways.

Plymouth Colt two-door hatchback ($6,949-$7,845): Near identical to Mitsubishi-designed Dodge Colt. Quicker and more attractive and spacious than previous Colts. Solid-feeling car, but too much plastic in the interior.

Plymouth Sundance two- and four-door hatchbacks: Base America model replaces discontinued Plymouth Horizon. Nearly identical to Dodge Shadow. Roomy enough, with good ride and handling. Standard driver’s air bag usually not found in under-$10,000 car.

Pontiac LeMans two-door hatchback and four-door sedan: Economical, basic transportation with some flair. Good seats. Average acceleration. Fairly long 99.2-inch wheelbase for small car provides smoother ride. Engine noisy when pushed. Small rear doors. Rubbery manual shifter.

Subaru Justy two- and four-door hatchback. Stands out in this crowd because two Justy models (GL two-door and GL four-door) have four-wheel drive for under $10,000. Also only car sold in United States with unique continuously variable automatic transmission that gives a manual’s efficiency and an automatic’s ease of operation. (But standard, conventional five-speed manual offers more responsive performance.) Taller and much longer than original Justy. Economical with good maneuverability. Noisy. Small rear set. Marginal ride comfort.

Suzuki Swift two-door hatchback and four-door sedan: GT model is steal at $9,399, with zoomy acceleration (0-60 m.p.h. in 8.2 seconds) from double-overhead-camshaft, 16-valve, 100-horsepower four-cylinder engine, great bucket seats, slick manual transmission, four-wheel disc brakes, all-independent suspension and AM/FM stereo cassette. Other Swifts tamer, but offer good economy and decent ride and handling. Fuel economy is impressive, at an EPA-estimated 39 m.p.g. city, 43 highway with manual transmission. All Swifts are small and rather noisy, with tight interiors.

Volkswagen Golf two- and four-door hatchback: Hot in Europe, but overshadowed by Japanese cars here. Supple ride, great handling and quick acceleration with standard five-speed manual transmission. Four adults easily fit. Good cargo space. Economical. Optional automatic transmission hurts performance. A bit noisy. German no-nonsense design becoming old, but is competent.

Yugo GV Plus two-door hatchback and Cabrio convertible: Least expensive car sold in the United States, but not the joke some describe it as being. Made in Yugoslavia and based on Fiat design. Fairly quick and economical. Tougher than you might think. Cabrio least-expensive convertible sold in this country. Power soft top even has glass rear window with defroster. Handling tops that of hatchback because of wider tires. Cabrio also has sportier appearance with front spoiler, side skirts and fog lights. Based on hatchback. Both have fairly crude design. Quality not up to competitors. Poor resale value. Limited availability, with about 200 dealers.