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Looking for a car that’s compact but practical, that looks and feels premium but doesn’t cost too much to buy or run? The Volkswagen Golf is all those things and more. It’s one of the most familiar and most popular cars around, giving you a huge range of models to choose from – everything from value-focused hatchbacks to high-performance estates. There really is a Golf for everyone.
The current version of the Volkswagen Golf has been on sale in the UK since 2020. It’s the eighth-generation model and has a slightly sharper look than (but almost identical dimensions to) the seventh-generation version that was introduced in 2012.
The current Golf is available as a five-door hatchback or as an estate. The previous model also came as a three-door hatchback or a two-door convertible. You can choose from petrol, diesel or (petrol) plug-in hybrid power with the latest Golf (the previous model was also available as a pure-electric model called the e-Golf). There are models with manual or automatic gearboxes, front- or four-wheel drive and there’s a wide selection of trim levels, including high-performance GTI and R models.
The current Golf is very well equipped with many features included as standard regardless of which trim level you get. At a minimum there’s a touchscreen infotainment system with built-in sat nav and support for Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, air con, adaptive cruise control, a digital driver’s display and parking sensors. Top-of-the-range models have some extra infotainment features like an internet connection, higher-grade interior trim and unique styling details.
Older versions of the Golf come with many of the same features, although the infotainment system isn’t as advanced as the one in the current car.
You can choose from petrol or diesel engines in the current Volkswagen Golf; it’s also available with plug-in hybrid power. The petrol and diesel models are very fuel-efficient. According to the official figures, petrol Golfs can give average fuel economy of 35mpg to 54mpg, depending on the model and diesels can give 48mpg to 67mpg. Figures for older versions are similar.
Other running costs are pretty low. Car tax is reasonable although some models cost more than £40,000 new and those incur an extra annual charge until they’re six years old. For some Golf models sold before April 2017, car tax is only £30 a year or less. Although the Golf does cost more to buy than some similar cars, you get a good level of features included as standard and it’s solid value for money overall.
There are many other mid-size hatchbacks you might want to consider alongside the Volkswagen Golf – the Audi A3, Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla and Vauxhall Astra to name just a few. Compared with them, the Golf is one of the best all-rounders of the bunch, with family-friendly practicality, an upmarket interior, a smooth drive and an especially wide range of models to choose from.
The Volkswagen Golf is similar in size to other mid-size hatchbacks such as the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra and there’s more than enough room in the current version for four tallish adults, five if someone doesn’t mind squeezing into the middle back seat. Either version should work as a family car if you have two kids. But the Golf Estate gives you more headroom in the back and the latest version has a longer wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) than the hatchback, which gives everyone more space to stretch out.
Boot space in the current Golf hatchback is average for this type of car, with a capacity of 380 litres. A family’s weekly food shopping goes in with space to spare, though careful packing might be needed when going on holiday. Plug-in hybrid models lose more than 100 litres of space to their batteries. If you regularly carry lots of stuff, the Golf Estate is the better bet. Its boot is a cavernous 611 litres in size, big enough for a St. Bernard to lie down. The back seats in both the hatchback and the Estate fold down on those occasions you need to carry more stuff.
Older versions of the Golf have a similar amount of space, although the Estate has the same wheelbase as the hatchback.
The current Volkswagen Golf was awarded a full five-star safety rating by safety organisation Euro NCAP, as was the previous version. Driver-safety features fitted to the current car include automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and a driver attention monitor.
The current version of the Volkswagen Golf is available as a petrol/electric plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model called eHybrid. It has official average fuel economy of 313mpg and a pure-electric range of 42 miles with a fully charged battery. There’s a sportier version of the PHEV – the Golf GTE, which promises 246mpg and 39 miles of range.
The older, seventh-generation Golf is also available in plug-in hybrid GTE form, which gives an average of 156mpg and a battery range of 31 miles. This version of the Golf is also available as the fully-electric e-Golf, which has an official range of 144 miles on a fully charged battery.