Last night was the Auto Express awards show and in amongst the variuos awards on offer was the title of Best Hot Hatch of 2011. This year the Auto Express jury decided to award that title to the Volkswagen Golf GTI.
The Golf actually won two awards. The sixth generation model won the Best Compact Family Car award, praised for its quality, refinement and affordable running costs.
But it was the GTI model that scooped that hot hatch award, a title it has now won three years in a row. With 208bhp and a 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds it’s got the necessary performance credentials, but Auto Express acknowledge that there’s more to the Golf than a decent engine.
So Auto Express think the Golf is the best hot hatch while What Car? think it’s the Renaultsport Megane 250 Cup. Those are two cars that are very different in character, so who’s right?
I suspect AE rates reliability/refinement much more highly than the fun-factor, which surprises me as I thought WhatCar would go for the sensible option.
I’m sure the Megane 250 is more exciting and quicker than the Golf, but if the driver surveys are to be believed the Golf would be a much better ownership experience. I know I really should want the Megane more but I’d pick the Golf if I were putting that much money into a hot hatch.
I do think some of these car of the year awards have different criteria. I think some awards might be for the best hot hatch that came out that year. Others for the best hot hatch on sale in 2011.
Either way, both the GTI and Renault came out in 2009, so it seems both AE and WhatCar choose it on what’s the best on sale at the moment.