Volkswagen Polo vs Golf

If you’re set on on a Volkswagen hatchback as your next car, you’re looking at a showdown of the Volkswagen Polo vs Golf.

Both are excellent cars in their own right, but which suits you better? This guide breaks down the key differences between each car, and why you might favour one over the other.

Driving and performance

With a lot of mechanical parts shared across the two, it may not surprise you that both the Volkswagen Polo and Golf offer similar driving experiences relative to other cars within their classes.

Both are designed to work in a broad range of driving situations — meaning they don’t particularly set a new bar in one particular area, but both do the basics impressively.

Neither are as outright fun as a Ford Focus or Fiesta respectively, but both offer a little more comfort than those too and just that extra edge of urban friendliness.

The difference between the Polo and Golf will depend mostly on how you want to use them.

If you need something for running around town in, the Polo will be more suited — its smaller size makes it easier to manoeuvre than a Golf and it has its turning circle beat too at 10.6m and 10.9m respectively

The larger size of the Golf works in its favour if you’re covering motorway miles though. It feels a little more stable and more comfortable as a result.

Plus you can have a diesel in the Golf, which will prove more economical if you’re covering long distances regularly.

That said, neither car is exactly bad at either of those things so it comes down to your personal preference for which you favour.

Style and size

With the latest Volkswagen Golf introduced in 2019 and the Polo receiving a refresh in 2021, both cars look pretty sharp and up to date.

It’s fair to say neither car is the most wildly styled or exactly exciting compared with some cars on the market, but then they’re not polarising in the way something such as a Honda Civic may be.

Regardless which is your winner of the Volkswagen Polo vs Golf, R-Line trim on either is your best bet.

This brings inspiration from Volkswagen’s R range of performance cars with a racier-looking body kit and aggressive alloy wheels.

Both cars can be had in a range of subdued colours, or some more vibrant options if you do want them to pop a little more.

The pick of the Golf’s colours has to be Lime Yellow Metallic, which really adds some character to the hatchback. This is a cost-option though at £665.

Vibrant Violet Metallic makes the most of the updated Polo’s sharp features. Again, this is a cost option of £610.

Interior and tech

In typical Volkswagen fashion, both the Polo and Golf are well-built and feature high-quality materials. Neither are all that exciting in design terms, but both are sensibly laid out.

That said, the latest Volkswagen Golf takes on an almost buttonless approach. Most functions are now used through the infotainment system which can be fiddly to get to grips with on the move.

Though the Polo is a few years older at heart, its most recent update brings the interior a little more in line with the Golf including touch-sensitive sliders for the climate control system.

The physical option on the entry-level Polo is much easier to use on the go and is a sorely missed feature on the Golf — as sleek as a near-buttonless dash looks.

Both cars now have digital driver’s displays as standard. While the Volkswagen Polo’s version is an 8-inch unit as standard, you’ve got a 10-inch one in the Golf out of the box. You can upgrade to this in the Polo if you want, though.

All versions of the Polo have an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, but again this comes in at 10-inches on the Golf across the range.

Boot space and practicality

The larger size of the Golf naturally means it’ll be more practical to use than the Polo, but whether or not you actually need the space will depend on how you plan to use the car.

Boot space for the Polo comes in at 351, which isn’t all too far behind the Golf’s 381 litres. If you need even more space, you can go for the Golf Estate with its 605 litres — but the focus of this comparison is the hatchback.

Headroom in the Polo for those in front comes in a 1,019mm (dipping to 981mm with the optional sunroof), while rear passengers have 965mm.

Despite its larger size, the Golf pretty much matches the Polo for headroom — at 1,018mm and 968mm respectively. You will have more legroom and space to stretch out a bit, though.

Safety and reliability

Both the Volkswagen Polo and Golf scored the maximum of five-star Euro NCAP ratings when each was last tested (2017 and 2019 respectively).

Both cars are still reasonably new, so it’s hard to talk with certainty about reliability at this stage as the data will be scarce and most examples will be covered under manufacturer warranties still.

Every Volkswagen is covered by a three-year warranty. The first two of those years sees you covered with no mileage cap, though in your third year your vehicle will only be covered up to 60,000 miles.

Price and running costs

It’ll come as no surprise that the Volkswagen Polo comes in at a lower price than the Golf as a result of it being a smaller car.

Its RRP starts at £18,285, though (at the time of writing) you can get an average saving of £990 through carwow.

Pricing for the Golf kicks off at £24,430, with (at the time of writing) an average saving of £1,175 available.

Insurance groups for the Polo range from the very lowest at 1 up to 12, making it an ideal option for low-cost insurance. The Golf ranges from 14-24, so will cost more to insure.

Should I buy a Volkswagen Polo or Golf?

The Volkswagen Polo and Golf both aim for different segments, so choosing between the two will largely come down to your use case — it’s more one compliments the other rather than a sheer showdown of Volkswagen Polo vs Golf.

If you’re looking for something as a lower-cost city runaround and can sacrifice a little space, the Volkswagen Polo may be the better option for you.

As a family car or something to regularly cover long distances in, the Volkswagen Golf is more likely to be suitable for you.