It does everything very well
My GTI (named Guinevere) is a car I've wanted for 30 years. I had a 1985 Golf years ago and, until I bought my GTI, that was my favourite car.
Driving: The GTI is a bit narrower than other cars, with a wide stance and wheels out to the corner, so it is very stable in turns and nipping about in traffic. The 200+ horsepower and torque make passing a breeze at any speed, given the car's light weight. The beefy steering wheel molds easily into your hands, and every move feels effortless. Indeed, that's my normal way to describe this car - effortless. It does what I want, when I want, no fuss or muss.
Practicality: Off the lot, the car was getting about 12litres/100km; not great, not bad. However, as the engine has broken in, the mileage has improved to roughly 10-11 litres/100km in the city, and about 7 litres/100km on the highway. Of course, if you set the shift parameters to "sport", fuel efficiency drops noticeably.
The other side of practicality (to me, anyway) is "what can it carry?". I can easily and comfortably seat 4 6-foot people in this car - VW has always had a terrific seat layout that allows tall people to feel comfortable in the back seat. With the back seats down, I can buy a bunch of stuff at IKEA and bring it all home, or move a dining room table (although the table was a near thing!).
Comfort: Heated seats are terrific in the winter, as are all the thoughful touches throughout the car, like ample stowage, a low lift-gate to the hatch which makes loading it up really simple, a fairly quiet ride (for a hatchback). The seat bolsters are a bit aggressive for me (6'1", 230lbs) so I gave it a 4 instead of a 5. Really, that's the only thing I'd change on the whole car.
One article I read put it best - It's not the best at any one thing, but it does everything very well.