Volkswagen Golf review

Whatever your size or shape, the Volkswagen Golf has plenty of adjustments in seat height and steering wheel rake and reach, so you should be able to find a decent driving position. There’s even a movable centre armrest with lots of cushioning for added support. Lumbar adjustment is standard, although some of our testers didn’t have enough lower back support with the seats fitted to entry-level Life. The sports seats found on Style trim and up are much better and offer excellent side support through corners.

Most of the dashboard controls have been loaded on to the central touchscreen, with a few supplementary touch-sensitive sliders or ‘buttons’ left behind for frequently used commands. R-Line trim and up add touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel. It looks tidy, but the result is that you’re often taking your eyes off the road momentarily just to perform basic actions, such as changing the interior temperature, a task that’s much less distracting in rivals such as the BMW 1 Series, Ford Focus and Mercedes A-Class.

The Volkswagen Golf's large windscreen and side windows give you good visibility at junctions, although you might have to crane your neck at roundabouts for a clear view around the front pillars. The pillars at the back of the car are large enough to obscure what's lurking behind you when you're looking over your shoulder, although not nearly as much as they do in a Mazda 3. Fortunately, front and rear parking sensors are standard on all trims, and a rear-view camera is optional. 

Powerful LED headlights are standard, but you can upgrade them on lower trims to the same LED 'Plus' headlights fitted to Style that can direct light around corners. Alternatively, trick Matrix LED headlights are optional on all models, allowing you to leave full beam on without dazzling other road users. They're not cheap, but if you go for a GTD, they are included as standard.

At first glance, the interior of the VW Golf looks smart, clean and modern. There are even some soft-touch surfaces on the upper parts of the dashboard and the tops of the front doors. Look a little deeper and you’ll start to find lots of harder and scratchier plastics, especially in the rear. When you consider the Golf is usually a paragon of quality, that’s disappointing.