For The Golf GTI combines strong performance, agile handling and precise steering with impressive refinement and a supple ride. It's also practical enough for everyday use and is very classy inside.

Against Some rivals are faster, the GTI is expensive to buy and it doesn't look as striking as its cheaper in-house rival, the Scirocco coupe.

Volkswagen Golf Hatchback

What Car? says

0 out of 5 stars

A brilliant all-rounder that's as good to drive as it is to own. Yes, it's pricey, but resale values are strong and this is one instance where you get what you pay for.

Reader review rating

4.186047
advertisement



Key facts

0–60mph
6.9 secs
Top speed
149 mph
Average mpg
38.7
Tank range
468 miles
See all running costs

Features

See all equipment

Size

See all measurements schematic

View the whole Volkswagen Golf Hatchback range

Cheaper

More expensive

The Volkswagen Golf Hatchback full review Read in full

Watch video See all

Or view…

Buyer's notes

Target Price team says:

The Golf is all the car most families will ever need. There are rivals with more prestigious badges, larger cabins, punchier engines or lower prices, but if we had to pick one model to cope with everything a family is likely to ask of a car for the next, say, three years, it would be a Golf.

Yes, the styling couldn't be more conservative if it wore a blue rosette, but buyers still love it. The Golf is amazingly well-rounded, too. It’s class-leading in many areas, and there isn’t a thing that it does badly.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t big discounts to be had, though. Haggle hard, and you’ll get four figures off almost any version. Bigger savings can be had online, and because the Golf’s residual values are so strong, you’ll get plenty of money back at resale time.

We’d avoid the smaller petrol and diesel engines, because they’re a little short on grunt. For the best mix of abilities, go for either the 1.4TSI petrol engine, or the 138bhp 2.0TDI diesel.

Reader test team says:

Volkswagen Golf Hatchback 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion Tech SE 5dr

I took delivery of a 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion SE a…

Paul Gredley

5 out of 5 stars

Volkswagen Golf Hatchback 1.4 TSI 160 GT 5dr

Previous car was an A3 TDi 170. This car is…

Mike Rees

3 out of 5 stars

Volkswagen Golf Hatchback 1.6 TDI 105 SE 5dr

Hi all at last i have my Golf after a 3 month wait…

ken butler

5 out of 5 stars

Volkswagen Golf Hatchback 1.4 TSI 122 S 5dr

Had it at the dealer nothing found wrong something…

Geoffrey Charlesworth

1 out of 5 stars
Post a reader review for your car View all reader reviews

Golf rivals

Golf used car reviews

More on this car

Today's most popular reviews

Other reviews in this category