After saying  farewell to our Mini five-door hatch in April I’m now back in the Golf. It took just one drive for me to remember how much I like this car.

Although not as funky as the Mini, it has the looks, performance and practicality to appeal to most company car drivers. Our previous tester, Andrew Ryan, was a fan of the ‘sport’ mode but I’ve gone for the more sensible (and, let’s face it, boring) option of switching into ‘eco’ mode. This, in some cars I have tested, can lead to a notable difference in power, but that’s not the case here. The major difference is the change in noise levels as you miss out on the sound of the throaty exhaust note (added with the ‘sport and sound pack’ for £255).

But my sensible approach is paying off. Since the last refuel, economy has risen from the low 50s to closer to 60mpg, although I have been doing longer journeys over the past week during a stay in the Peak District. The Golf was untroubled by the twisty country roads and the sat-nav proved to be an accurate companion – which hasn’t always been the case. On one journey it suddenly decided it was in Germany.

Sarah Tooze