It'd be easy to say that the best car I drove this year was something ultra posh, exotic, or stupendously powerful. I've been fortunate enough that there were plenty of vehicles that fit those descriptors in my driveway this year, and I'm tempted to lean on some of them here, but I'm not going to.

Given the cornucopia of performance and lux on offer, picking the Volkswagen GTI may seem like I'm eating humble pie, but that's hardly the case – this VW is a savory and satisfying dish. Not only is it the best sort of workaday transportation, it's more entertaining to drive – and more exploitable on a daily basis – than many cars with a multiple of its modest 220-horsepower top specification.

The GTI's handling is sweet; its powertrain flexible; its cabin simple, robust and well laid out, and it's got enough cargo room to make it an able partner for nearly every use. It's an honest, affordable piece of work for most drivers and a powerful and enjoyable tool in the hands of the enthusiast.

I'm even starting to get over my longstanding heebie-jeebies about VW quality and reliability, and that, friends, is really saying something.