First car - Insurance friendly alternative to MK5 Golf GTI

I love the Golf GTI. However as a 22 year old male I don't think buying a sporty 2.0l is a good choice for insurance reasons. I have yet to actually get a quote as I'm a few months away from buying a car. I've had my license for 4 years but only 6 months insured in that time.

I like the appearance and the power of the GTI. Is there any alternatives maybe with a slightly smaller engine? I wouldn't be against the idea of buying a cheaper / less powerful car and doing some work on it myself. I suppose an obvious choice might be an MK5 TDI with a smaller engine (think there's 1.6l Golf TDIs?).

Budget is not set in stone, but ~ 7,000 for the car.
I'd pay 3,000 for insurance for the first year, with the expectation of it going down a good chunk next year.

Use: Short journeys around Dublin. I'd like to be able to use it for longer drives if necessary - pop it on the ferry and go traveling for a bit with it.