After eight months and 12,321 miles the novelty of running the baby hot hatch didn't waver at all. The styling, 'cuddly with claws' (΂© David Vivian, evo 34), always brought a smile to my face and the interior never failed to impress either.

The Lupo wasn't just about good looks, however. It's also blessed with an effortless gearchange, a torquey 125bhp engine, Xenon headlights (which are the best I've ever encountered on any car) and a lightweight body with aluminum doors, bonnet and front wings. All of which adds up to a car that can be punted along efficiently with little effort.

The low mass meant it could also be thrown around like a toy with little concern for the suspension getting baggy in its old age. With light steering which weights up a little once turned in, the GTI just goes where you point it, with plenty of comedy body-roll, which adds to the fun though it makes you wish the seats were a little more supportive. These antics soon smoothed off the shoulders of the front Dunlops, although the rears still looked brand new. In fact we just escaped replacing the fronts, which was a relief because a pair of chunky little 205/45 VR15s costs a not insubstantial ΂£260.

That's pricey, and I speak as someone who tackled the options list with a money-no-object attitude, specifying heated leather seats, CD player, side airbags, metallic paint and air-con, adding ΂£2780 to the basic price. Unfortunately you don't recoup even a fraction of that at trade-in time (see depreciation figure).

The Lupo also had a taste for expensive super- unleaded, which made it run smoother and go as rapidly as most people would want in a car of this size. And the benefits of using the higher octane fuel still seemed to be felt, even using normal unleaded every other titchy tankful.

Ah, that minuscule tank. One reader phoned to let off some steam, complaining that he'd only been getting 180 miles to the fill-up, though if I was a really good boy I could eke it out to 260 miles. Then one day, after once again putting almost 33 litres of fuel into the 34-litre tank, it dawned on me it was silly to run it so low. What if I ran out, miles from a petrol station, on a cold wet night? After that I was happy to get 230 miles from a tank which, more often than not, seemed to get me just a little short of my final destination. That was a shame because the Lupo was a comfortable place to be and it was the small tank that dictated when you needed to stop rather than the 'numb-bum' syndrome. In fact the seats, covered in that optional leather, were always very comfortable.

The little Lupo also impressed with its ability to do a convincing impersonation of a bigger car. Refinement was a league above most cars of its size and it felt glued to the road on blustery days. This was proven on a trip to France and after a hard blat on Aston Martin's test track (or, as it's more commonly known, the dual carriageway just outside Newport Pagnall).

As a driver with merely mortal abilities compared with some members of the evo team, I admired the chuckable little VW's subtle adjustability without the bite. It will loosen its tail a little when you're trail braking, and while it's not as light on its toes as, say, a 106 GTI, at least it won't spit you off backwards if you've overcooked things or need to drop anchor mid-bend.

I'm sure its unflappable nature saved me from a severe bollocking from MD Metcalfe after I barrelled into a dry downhill bend and hit a line of slimy water running down from a nearby tree. Terminal understeer was taking me towards a ditch at a rate that was going to hurt, so I braked sharply and the front tyres bit into dryer tarmac. Eyes wide and buttocks munching leather, understeer turned to oversteer, I managed a whiff of opposite lock and a stab at the throttle to bring it all back into shape, keeping me in Harry's good books. Eat your heart out, Barker and Meaden.

The head-turning Lupo wasn't perfect of course. Aside from the tiddly tank, the lack of a glovebox was a bit of a niggle, as the car was often parked in a not-so-pleasant London side-street at the weekend, which meant any valuables had to be removed. I could have put them in the tiny boot, but when I did I always forgot to take them out again before setting off, and you know how annoying it is to have stuff rolling and sliding about. Most of the time I didn't even carry CDs for the single-slot player.

Glovebox and fuel tank issues apart, the ownership experience was hassle-free, with exceptional dealer service from Autohaus Volkswagen in Northampton. They even called a week after the service to check that everything was okay, that the work had been carried to my satisfaction, and to ask if there was anything they could have done to improve their service! If only all car dealers were as good.

The Lupo GTI is one of those cars that does everything well without shining in one particular area. Really it's hard to level any serious criticism at it. Sure, the boot can only take a large sports bag and rucksack, but it is a short car and there's still more room in the back than in a Mini. Great aftersales service was the icing on the cake for the little car that wormed its way into our affections with its good looks, premium car feel and back-to-basics hot hatch appeal. It fully deserved the 'new Golf GTI' tag. It'll be sorely missed.