Volkswagen Golf GTI review

The previous-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI was very much positioned as an attainable hot hatch with a premium image; Volkswagen gave the more powerful, range-topping Golf R instead the responsibility of doing battle with more expensive 300bhp plus hot hatches, and these included the Honda Civic Type R. 

Well, times have changed. This latest GTI now occupies the same price bracket as the big boys, including the Ford Focus ST and Civic Type R – and remember, the Type R is way quicker. If you want what we’d consider to be a ‘reasonably’ priced hot hatch, you’re better off looking at the Hyundai i30N Performance and entry-level Renault Mégane RS. 

Official PCP finance rates certainly look competitive, with healthy deposit contributions meaning that a Golf GTI  won’t cost a great deal more than a Ford Focus ST, is cheaper than a Type R and seriously undercuts the Mégane RS. The GTI will be slightly cheaper to run, however, than the Honda; in our recent twin test, the GTI proved to be seriously frugal on our mixed test route, averaging an impressive 36.8mpg, compared with 32.9mpg for the Type R. The Type R is also likely to cost fractionally more to service and insure, but it’s predicted to hold onto its value just as well.

Equipment levels are high. The Golf GTI comes with 18in alloy wheels, twin exhausts, adaptive cruise control, three-zone climate control, sports front seats, a heated steering wheel, power-folding door mirrors, privacy glass and keyless entry and start. That's not bad, but the Focus ST and Civic Type R offer a similar chest of toys. 

The GTI comes with a three-year warranty, but Volkswagen didn’t perform brilliantly in the 2020 What Car? Reliability Survey, finishing 20th out of 31 brands overall. That put it below Ford, Honda and Hyundai but above Renault.

The GTI also comes with automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, a driver fatigue monitor, traffic sign recognition and something called Car-to-X. That allows all cars fitted with the same feature – not just Volkswagens – to share information on the traffic conditions and any hazards within a radius of 800m, so you get an early warning of the dangers that lie ahead. 

The Golf also achieved a full five-star (out of five) Euro NCAP safety rating, with excellent category scores that all but matched the best cars in the class. In fact, it's a lot better than the Civic at protecting adults in the front and children in the back.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here