Used Volkswagen Golf GTI 2013-present review

Although it’s possible to buy a high-mileage example for slightly less, you’ll need around £13,000 to get behind the wheel of a Golf GTI in good condition. This will get you an early 2014 car with an average mileage for the year and a full service history, bought privately or from a trader. Up this to between £14,000 and £16,000 for similar cars bought from an independent dealer, while £17,000-£19,000 will grab you a 2015 or 2016 model satisfying the same criteria. Spend between £20,000 and £22,000 for 2016 and early 2017 cars bought from a franchised dealer, or a little more for post-facelift cars.

There’s no economy penalty for choosing either the three-door or the five-door version, since they both have the same figures. The latest version of the standard GTI claims an average 47.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 139g/km, or 44.1mpg and 148g/km for the automatic version, while the Performance Pack variant claims 47.1mpg and 139g/km, or 42.8mpg and 150g/km for the auto.

Annual tax for cars registered before the changes of April 2017 are based on CO2 emissions and, by a neat coincidence, will cost roughly the same as cars registered after that date; the current annual flat rate is £140 a year. Insurance groupings have been kept low for the Golf GTI and range from 32 to 39, depending on power output.

Servicing costs are moderate next to some of its high-performance brethren, but perhaps more than you’d pay for the average Ford or Vauxhall. VW also offers a number of differing servicing plans that help you plan for and spread the cost of the next two services.