Good bits - it's a golf in a frock with 4wd
Bad bits - it's a golf in a frock with 4wd
Probably run forever if looked after and should provide reasonably reliable transport with a few electric gremlins cropping up now and again
The early mk1 versions combined a good aerofoil roofline with a flat floor to provide plenty of aero lift at high speed. Coupled with a good nose heavy design making the rear end go light this lead to the interesting high speed experience Don mentioned. Cured with a ducks bottom spoiler attached to the rear end iirc. I have a vague recollection of a software hiccup in the haldex being incriminated too. Something about switching power to the rear wheels as they were starting to come off the floor and loosing grip
I've only ever driven a mk1 version. It wasn't terrible but when pushed through twisty stuff it had (like the mk4 golf) comedic understeer where steering input became more of a polite suggestion than an attempt to navigate a corner
Find a decent example for a sensible price and I'd imagine it would serve a normal mum well. If your mum is Sabine Schmitz I'd look elsewhere...