I've never liked the golf. The exterior is OK, but the interior is rubbish in my opinion. Everyone I've been in the interior looks cheaply made with rubbish looking plastics.
The Koreans make a better "looking" interior than zee Germans did on the golf.
The focus is a good suggestion. As would be a Mazda 3. (Same chassis as the focus although it doesn't handle as good)
Merc has a new hatch that looks good, can't put a finger on its name though.