Now there are more options available than you'd find on the ready-to-pick-up rail in a bespoke gentlemen's outfitters.
You want a Bentley with Pope-mobile headroom and space for your thimble collection? You got it.
You want a versatile family hatchback with room for a shire horse and three bales of hay? No problem sir.
You'd really like to drive the brand new Volkswagen Golf but belong to a strange religious cult which requires you to wear a hat like the cat in the Dr Seuss books?
Coming right up, daddio, prepare to meet the new Golf Plus. As the name suggests, the Golf Plus is a Golf with a little bit extra up top and a £500 premium.
It sits on the same chassis as the ordinary Golf but is 10cm taller than its popular sister.
Toyotas
The clever bit is that unlike some ungainly Plus-style cars - some "bespoke" Toyotas are about as easy on the eye as a piece of sandpaper - the Golf Plus doesn't attract so much as a quizzical arch of the eyebrows.
The Golf Plus I was given to test was of the 1.6-litre FSI petrol variety.
It was nicely trimmed, with aircraft-style ceiling lights seat back tables and plenty of room in the boot.
My usual family car is the Peugeot 307, a hatchback which also boasts a people carrier-style headroom configuration, and slipping inside the VW provided a similar experience.
It felt VW firm to the touch, with satisfying clunks on shutting the doors and an all round well-built feel.
But while it was as smooth as you'd like on the open road, I found the 1.6litre Plus a little bit of an unbalanced proposition when it came to the dirty business of actually driving.
Maybe its my driving style or a lack of power in the VW when compared to my much more sporting Pug, but I found it difficult to get a feel for the making the best progress through the Plus's six speed manual box.
Engine
If you're considering a Plus for yourself it might be worth trying a few different engine and transmission options. Available are 1.4 and 2litre petrol, two 1.9litre turbo diesels (one 90PS and one 105PS) and a 2litre turbo.
Gearbox options are five-speed manual, six-speed manual, six-speed automatic and direct shift gearbox (TDI-only).
As standard you also get ABS, remote central locking, air conditioning and alloy wheels, while service intervals are variable.
There are five trim levels to choose from: S, SE, Sport and GT.
Overall, I found the oversize Golf to be a car suited to serving as a family motor.
And that has to be a big Plus.
