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A used Volkswagen is a great choice if you’re looking for a car that feels a class above many of its rivals without having a premium price tag.
The company has developed a reputation for building safe, reliable and dependable cars, many of which are among the most popular in the UK. Indeed, the Volkswagen Golf is one of the most instantly recognisable cars in the country.
Whether you’re after a little runabout for the city or a large SUV for weekend pursuits, you’ll almost certainly find a family-friendly Volkswagen that’s right for you.
You can choose from a broad selection of used Volkswagen cars for sale, including hatchbacks, saloons, SUVs and pure-electric cars. Popular hatchbacks include the Polo and Golf, while the ID.3 is one of the best-selling pure-electric cars in the UK.
The range of Volkswagen SUVs stretches from the Taigo to the Touareg, with the Tiguan sitting in the middle as the company’s most popular SUV in Europe. Fancy a seven-seater? Take a look at the Tiguan Allspace SUV or the Multivan. Need a practical estate? The Passat and Arteon Shooting Brake are perfect for carrying a dog or the contents of a trip from a Swedish furniture store.
As for pure-electric cars, Volkswagen’s range stretches from the ID.3 to the trendy ID.Buzz.
Plug-in hybrid versions of the Golf, Arteon and Touareg are available, but Volkswagen offers an even more extensive range of pure-electric cars. The most popular is the ID.3, which is essentially a replacement for the old e-Golf. Then there’s the ID.4, which was one of the first pure-electric SUVs to hit the market, along with the even larger ID.5. The ID.7 estate car is coming soon, but the ID.Buzz MPV is for you if you want to turn heads.
The Volkswagen Polo is a compact hatchback that feels more like the larger Golf than any of its immediate rivals. That’s because it blends a ‘big car’ feel with a reassuring level of quality, along with a range of trim levels and fuel-efficient engines. There’s also a sporty GTI model.
Since its arrival in the UK in 1974, the Golf has been one of the most popular hatchbacks around. The current version has been on sale new since 2020 and is available as a five-door hatchback, an estate or as sporty GTI and R models.
The ID.3 is Volkswagen’s most affordable new pure-electric car and is the ideal choice if you’re after a Golf-size car with zero emissions. There’s an array of trim levels to choose from, along with a choice of battery sizes, but all versions give you a decent electric range.
Volkswagen offers three compact SUVs, and the T-Roc is arguably the best of the trio. That’s because it gives you more space than the other two, plus a high-quality interior and a sportier driving experience. It’s also available as a convertible called the T-Roc Cabriolet.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a mid-size SUV that’s a rival for cars such as the Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Karoq. It’s practical, well-equipped and very comfortable to travel in. An all-new Tiguan went on sale in late 2023, replacing the previous version introduced in 2016.
Volkswagen gives you the choice of three compact SUVs: the Taigo, the T-Cross and the T-Roc. The Taigo is essentially a coupe version of the T-Cross, albeit with an extra 150mm in length. This means the sloping roofline doesn’t have a significant impact on the interior space. Next up is the T-Cross, which feels like a Polo with a raised ride height and more rugged styling.
The T-Roc, which arrived in 2017 as a replacement for the Scirocco coupe, is based on the Golf, but offers more interior space, a raised driving position and more-fashionable looks. The T-Roc Cabriolet is the only SUV convertible now on the market.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is the company’s mid-size SUV, which is also available as the longer, seven-seat Tiguan Allspace. The five-seat Touareg sits at the top of the range as a rival for large SUVs with a premium badge. Finally, the ID.4 and ID.5 are pure-electric SUVs.
Volkswagen was founded in 1937 by the German government to mass-produce an affordable ‘people’s car’ (a volks wagen). In 1938, the name was changed from ‘Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH’ to ‘Volkswagenwerk GmbH’, with the company building its first factory in Wolfsburg.
The Volkswagen Group owns Audi, Bentley, Cupra, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen.
BlueMotion is the name Volkswagen gives to a combination of several technologies designed to reduce emissions and increase fuel economy. Cars with the badge are worth seeking out if you want to lower your running costs. The cars will feature one or a combination of a start-stop system, aerodynamic styling, turbocharged engine, brake energy recuperation and low rolling resistance tyres.
4Motion is the name used by Volkswagen for its four-wheel-drive system. Using sensors, 4Motion constantly monitors the driving conditions and, in the event of wheel slip, will send power to the wheels with the most grip. It provides reassurance on wet and slippery roads.
DSG stands for ‘Direct Shift Gearbox’ and is a type of dual-clutch transmission you’ll find in Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat cars. Today, there are six-speed and seven-speed versions available, but all cars will have just two pedals: a brake and an accelerator. It’s essentially an enhanced version of a standard automatic transmission and will often come with a pair of paddles behind the steering wheel. These can be used to change up or down a gear.
