DULL to look at, dull to drive and not particularly shiny in any area, the old Golf estate desperately needed replacing when it ceased production in March. Its worst failing was that it soldiered on based on the old-shape Mk3 Golf for a full year after the latest generation car went on sale, a kind of bad apple in the new car's basket of vastly improved quality, image and customer appealThis year, Volkswagen has sold just 809 old-shape Golf estates from the seven-model range until stocks ran out in August, comparing with total Golf volume of 45,377. The new estate makes a much more concerted attack on the lower medium estate market, with prices starting at £13,380 on the road for the entry-level 1.4E, rising to £20,365 for the top-of-the-range V5 automatic. The sales prognosis for the new car is much stronger: 5,000 are expected to find homes in its first full year on sale - 2000. In between, there are S and SE trim levels with a choice of 1.6 100bhp or 2-litre 115bhp petrol engines, and the acclaimed 1.9-litre direct injection turbo diesels in 90bhp and new 115bhp forms. There is also a naturally aspirated 68bhp version of the 1.9-litre engine available in base E trim only. The old 110bhp TDI has been dropped in favour of the remarkable 115bhp 'pumpe düse' engine, which comes complete with a six-speed manual gearbox and no price increase for the useful extra power and torque it provides. Tested here is the 1.9 TDI 115 S estate, costing £16,510 on the road. Fleet appeal THE idea with Volkswagen seems to be that you pay more at the front end but get correspondingly more back at disposal time - and this is certainly true of the Golf estate. At £16,510 on the road, the S tested here is over £1,000 more expensive than the priciest diesel Focus estate, the Ghia TD, and nearly £500 more than the top-of-the-range Astra CD Di. Residual value predictions are stronger than for its rivals: whereas the Golf returns some 42% of its cost new, the Focus manages 37%, the Astra 34% and the Citroen Xsara Exclusive a disappointing 32% after three years/60,000 miles, according to CAP Monitor. Yet the higher front-end price means running costs fall second to the Focus whose lower maintenance and depreciation costs shave just under a penny from the total. There is, however, a small fuel consumption penalty with the new 115bhp engine: the old 110bhp model was good for 56.5mpg with a carbon dioxide emissions rating of 135g/km whereas the 115 manages 55.4mpg and 138g/km, bringing the Golf into line with the Focus. As with all Volkswagens, the Golf estate is covered by a three-year/unlimited mileage warranty - one of the best in the business. Driver appeal THE new 115bhp engine brings with it a significant rise in torque, from 173lb ft to 210lb ft, produced at the same 1,900rpm as before. The result is impressive acceleration both in- gear and from a standstill, with progressive delivery that makes light work of rapid overtaking in give and take driving: the basic rule of thumb is to select as high a gear as possible, keeping the revs around 1,900rpm, and let the torque do the work. Using this tactic, economy frequently exceeds the 50mpg barrier with little effort, while overtaking is accomplished with just minimal pressure on the accelerator. With so much torque, however, the value of the six-speed gearbox is questionable as the engine's outstanding flexibility encourages fewer gear changes rather than more, which the six-speed 'box requires. And until you are used to it, it's easy to get 'lost' in the 'box. The engine's spirited performance is tempered by handling that feels stodgy compared with the Focus and Astra. The Golf's over-light steering is more apparent in the estate, making for a drive that's less enjoyable than with the Vauxhall and Ford, though ride quality is impressive. Comfort and interior AS with the Golf hatchback driver comfort is good with plenty of rearward adjustment on the seat and rake/reach movement on the steering wheel. Space in the rear isn't overly generous with the front seats fully rearwards, but it's no worse than in the Focus or Astra - average for the class. Volkswagen claims 1,470 litres of space with rear seats folded, 45 litres more than in the old car, and a useful 286 litres more than in the hatchback. Seats up, there's 460 litres of luggage space underneath the flexible load cover, and a steel plate protects the load sill during loading and unloading. But despite the Golf's quality fascia and comfortable seats, the grey and black interior has a somewhat utilitarian feel to it, not helped by the estate's no-frills styling. The overall effect is disappointing: for the money, it just doesn't feel that special as a 'lifestyle' estate. Safety and security THE estate shares the Golf hatchback's excellent safety specification, with four front airbags, anti-lock brakes and Isofix child seat mountings as standard, though surprisingly there's no centre three-point rear belt as standard. The Golf also scored top points in the Euro-NCAP crash tests, which pays tribute to the car's design. Though an alarm is extra on the S, central locking with deadlocks is standard, but the Golf scored poorly in the recent What Car? vehicle security survey, a report that was dominated by the Ford Focus which defied attempts at both forced entry and drive away. Entry to the locked Golf took just 22secs, and drive away was possible despite the immobiliser. Equipment and value THERE'S no air con or alloys with the S: in fact the spec seems ill conceived for an estate. For instance, the somewhat unnecessary all-round electric windows are standard whereas a third three-point rear seatbelt - essential for carrying children - is £265 extra. There's no sunroof on the S either (it's a £460 option), and manual air conditioning will add £795 to the price, with alloy wheels a further £695: both are standard on the Astra and Focus. It makes an already expensive car look distinctly un-competitive: adding air conditioning and alloys to bring the Golf up to the Focus Ghia or Astra CD's spec level will cost nearly £1,500 more, widening the price gap between the Golf and Focus to £2,500, and bumping the S's price to over £18,000. In a sector where style counts for less than practicality and value, the Golf's price premium is hard to justify. Verdict THE Golf estate is a classic illustration of the need to evaluate cars by whole-life costs rather than front-end price. Although it is significantly more expensive to buy in S form than our rivals here, its total running costs undercut the Vauxhall Astra and Citroen Xsara estates making a good case for the Golf as a fleet prospect. Less impressive is specification: equipping the S to the level of the cheaper Focus, Astra and Xsara by adding air conditioning and alloy wheels adds almost £1,500 to the price, rendering it un-competitive in a sector populated by so-called 'job-need' cars, and where value and practicality take precedence over style and image. Even the Golf's fine RV and excellent economy can't make up for its price premium. Potential buyers need to think hard about the Golf estate's more utilitarian no-nonsense feel over the greater aspirational appeal of the hatchback and decide if it's worth paying the extra for the Volkswagen over more established lower medium estates. .