Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
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 unless you fork out for the more expensive, if also more fun GTI Clubsport. 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.
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 gets 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.
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