Should I buy one?

Yes, but only if you are prone to driving up muddy farm tracks, or across slippery meadows, or onto beaches. You certainly don’t need the weight and cost of the all-wheel-drive system if you only ever drive on well-surfaced roads.

Having said that, its impressive on-road comfort and motorway cruising ability make this a surprisingly good all-rounder for those who never get off the beaten track – but want the security of four-wheel drive in poor weather conditions.

It’s not a cheap Golf, but on a cost-per-use basis it could well prove to be good value, because it has the versatility to be the right car for just about every occasion, without the unnecessary bulk of a full-sized SUV.

Buy a new, nearly new or used Volkswagen Golf Alltrack

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• The Parkers guide to SUVs

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