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I'm not sure if the Cupra like Mike's was available in 2005 when I bought my GTI but I like the Cupra a lot. Never got as far as test driving one but I like their styling - So much nicer than any Skoda IMO. I also checked out the Audi Sportback but no RS3 in those days and I find most Audi's a bit too bland for my taste.
My family have had a number of Volkswagens including a strange coloured Camper, white Mk1 GTI, red Mk2 Scirocco, and a red Mk4 Golf, and I like the long tradition of the brand. It's funny that my family didn't much like the Germans due to 4 years WW2 occupation and my uncle shot by a German firing squad for resistance work, but my father highly rated German vehicles. So I was kinda brought up with Volkswagens. I like the brand - It has history and status.
I was going to buy a Mk4 R32 but then Jeremy Clarkson presented the Mk5 GTI on Top Gear and the following day I arranged a test-drive which luckily was a whole morning (the salesman was an ex-karter and his brother races in the VW Cup, so fellow enthusiast etc). No looking back!