Volkswagen Golf review

The Golf comes with a full selection of petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid engines with a choice of six-speed manual or a automatic ‘DSG’ dual-clutch gearboxes.

The pick of the Golf’s engines is the 150hp 1.5 TSI turbo petrol, which combines solid economy with decent open-road performance, and impressive refinement. Don’t discount the entry 1.0-litre three-cylinder TSI turbo petrol though — it’s sweet, and has better performance than you might think, but the 1.5 is better for nipping past slower traffic on B-roads.

Don’t do much open-road driving? Well, there’s the option of a lower-power 130hp version of that 1.5 TSI petrol engine, which is a little cheaper to buy, and which will be a little more economical to run.

There’s also the option of an e-TSI mild-hybrid, which uses a small battery and a compact electric motor to help save fuel (although it won’t drive the car under electric power at any point).

Alternatively, there’s the Golf e-Hybrid. This combines a petrol engine with a plug-in hybrid battery and a larger electric motor that can drive the car on its own.

Really, you’ll need a driveway or garage with at the very least an external socket (or better yet, a proper wall-mounted electric car charger) to make the most of the eHybrid. But fully charged, you can go for a theoretical 44 miles on electric power alone before the petrol engine cuts in.

Being slightly more realistic, you’ll more likely get around 25-30 miles out of a full charge, but that’s still enough to cover many people’s daily driving, with the petrol engine (and fuel tank) held in reserve. It’s an effective system as long as you can keep it regularly charged up, but longer runs (especially on the motorway) will see average fuel economy fall to around 40mpg, which is a little disappointing. Really, it’s a model best kept for in-town use, with only occasional forays out onto the open road.

The Golf’s standard suspension is well set up to ease away poor in-town road surfaces, and in spite of those big rear pillars, all-round visibility is good. On the tech front, there’s now autonomous emergency braking, which can slam on the anchors if someone steps off the pavement in front of you, and an optional automated parking system that can guide you effortlessly into tight spaces, both in car parks and at the kerb.

If your regular driving includes lots of motorway miles, then it’s worth considering a diesel Golf. The Golf now comes with a choice of two diesel engines — both 2.0-litre TDI units, with a choice of 115hp or 150hp power outputs. The 115hp engine is fine, but the 150hp model is truly impressive, with plenty of poke and very good long range economy. You should be able to hit 55mpg pretty easily, and we’ve seen better than 60mpg on some journeys.

As it has always been, the Golf is relaxing and easy to drive on longer hauls, thanks to relatively low wind noise and tyre roar levels.

There’s also lots of new safety equipment that can help you drive more safely on motorways, including radar-guided cruise control and lane-keeping steering (you still have to keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road though). Pick a Golf with an automatic gearbox and these systems can even bring you to a complete stop in heavy traffic, and shuffle you forward as the traffic in front moves.

Headlights that automatically dip their beams when they detect oncoming traffic are also available, as is Volkswagen’s Emergency Assist system. This brings the Golf to a safe halt if it detects that the driver has dozed off and isn’t waking up (you’ll need to tick the DSG automatic gearbox options for that one, though).

While the more expensive GTI and R models are the Golfs to have if you want to have some driving fun on a twisty road, the standard car has enough sporty genes of its own to provide some enjoyment, and even to offer a decent challenge to the Ford Focus.

Now, there’s a caveat to that — you need to get a Golf with at least 150hp. Do that and you get a more expensive rear suspension setup which helps to iron out bumps better, and which sharpens up the handling.

You could always add to that the optional adaptive suspension, which allows you to choose between an ultra-soft setting for poor roads, or a firmer, sportier setting for when you want maximum cornering ability and agility. Plus, you can tweak individual settings — such as the steering and throttle response, and the automatic gearbox settings — so that you can have, say, soft suspension but sharper steering for maximum enjoyment mixed with excellent comfort.

Cheaper Golfs are still very good, but a little less sharp to steer, and less capable when it comes to dealing with mid-corner bumps.

The Golf’s standard six-speed manual box is just fine — it shifts easily, with that familiar VW notchy sensation as the gears engage. If you do mostly motorway rush hour, or in-town driving, then the DSG dual-clutch gearbox is well worth considering. That said, it can occasionally feel slow, even sluggish, to respond, especially when pulling out of tight junctions.