For The Golf is refined and comfortable, but remains fun to drive. The cabin is classy and practical, the residual values are strong, and every car has lots of safety kit.
Against The most basic engines in the range don’t have a lot of power, and the styling is conservative, inside and out.
What Car? says
The Golf is better than ever. Desirable, refined and great to drive, it's one of the best all-rounders, and deservedly our 2010 Small Family Car of the Year.
Reader review rating
There are 31 Volkswagen Golf versions available
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…
Volkswagen Golf Hatchback 1.4 TSI 160 GT 5dr
Previous car was an A3 TDi 170. This car is…
Volkswagen Golf Hatchback 1.6 TDI 105 SE 5dr
Hi all at last i have my Golf after a 3 month wait…
Volkswagen Golf Hatchback 1.4 TSI 122 S 5dr
Had it at the dealer nothing found wrong something…
Golf used car reviews
What Car?
is brought to you by
Haymarket Consumer MediaWhat Car? is part of Haymarket Motoring
© Haymarket Media Group 2010
