1.5 TSI R-Line Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (150 ps)

The VW Golf is a highly recommendable choice if you want a family car. Some rivals are more spacious and better to drive, and premium rivals have higher-grade interiors, but a 2024 update has improved the usability of the Golf's infotainment. We think Match trim with the 1.5 TSI 150 petrol engine is the best combination – although company car drivers will be better off choosing the Golf eHybrid, which has a class-leading electric-only range.

R-Line adds sportier styling inside and out, stiffer sports suspension, a heated steering wheel, privacy glass and a driver profile (drive mode) switch.

Not to be confused with the mild hybrid eTSI 150, the 1.5 TSI 150 is a regular turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 148bhp. Only available with a six-speed manual gearbox, it has peppy performance but isn’t quite as flexible low down in the rev range as the eTSI. That you’ll have to make the odd gearchange when you need a burst of speed is no real hardship, though, especially as it’s a fair bit cheaper than the eTSI plus it's actually more fuel efficient. Add in the fact that you also get a more sophisticated rear suspension set up than you do on Golfs with less powerful engines, which makes the ride more settled, and this 1.5 TSI 150 is our pick of the engine range

At What Car?, we believe that no one should overpay for their new car, which is why we partnered with Autotrader to bring the biggest selection of discounted new cars available in the UK.