Skip advert
Advertisement

Volkswagen Golf GTI - Reliability and safety

Exceptional levels of safety equipment and a top Euro NCAP rating should prove reassuring for Golf GTI buyers

Reliability and safety rating

3.8

How we review cars
RRP
£30,430 £30,430
Find your Volkswagen Golf
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car
Advertisement

According to the 2024 Driver Power customer satisfaction, the Volkswagen Golf came last in the best cars to own category, while the VW brand was down in 29th place out of 32 manufacturers - only one place above Ford in 30th place. A number of the issues owners had surrounded the infotainment system, so hopefully the improvements made as part of its mid-life facelift will result in an uplift in future surveys. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

Euro NCAP reassessed the Golf in 2022 under more rigorous criteria than its previous 2019 result to check if its five-star rating still applied. The independent safety organisation has ruled that the Golf (along with the GTI variant) still has a maximum five-star rating, although the Honda Civic that was tested under the same criteria in 2022 did better in the adult, vulnerable road user and safety assistance categories.

Safety kit onboard the Golf GTI is excellent. In the unfortunate event of a collision, there are front, side and curtain airbag systems in place to help prevent injury, while VW’s automatic post-collision braking function brings the vehicle to a stop to try and avert a secondary impact.

Other driver assistance features include driver fatigue detection and Lane Assist with Road Edge Recognition, along with a Travel Assist system, which utilises camera and radar sensors to allow partially assisted driving, as long as the driver keeps their hands in contact with the steering wheel. The Side Assist and Rear traffic alert use radar technology to monitor approaching vehicles.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

The Emergency Assist function intervenes if it detects no driver input: if the driver has no contact with the capacitive touch-sensitive steering wheel for 10 seconds, then the system activates visual and audible warnings along with a braking jolt. If there is still no response, the hazard lights are activated and the vehicle is automatically slowed and steered into the left-hand lane, bringing it to a controlled stop - traffic behind permitting.

Key standard safety features

Euro NCAP safety ratings

  • Five out of five stars (2022)
  • Adult occupant protection - 88%
  • Child occupant protection - 87%
  • Vulnerable road user protection - 74% 
  • Safety assist - 82%

Warranty

Volkswagen offers the Golf with an industry standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty, with an option to extend the cover at extra cost. VW does offer extended cover for extra cost, though.

Servicing

Customers are offered a choice of how their Golf GTI is maintained, with fixed and flexible servicing options available. These relate to mileage covered, driving style and whether the vehicle is regularly producing high engine loading due to activities such as frequent hill climbs, driving with the vehicle fully loaded or towing.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    2.0 TSI GTI 5dr DSG
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £30,430
Select car

Most Economical

  • Name
    2.0 TSI GTI 5dr DSG
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £30,430
Select car

Fastest

  • Name
    2.0 TSI GTI 5dr DSG
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £30,430
Select car
Chief reviewer

Alex joined Auto Express as staff writer in early 2018, helping out with news, drives, features, and the occasional sports report. His current role of Chief reviewer sees him head up our road test team, which gives readers the full lowdown on our comparison tests.

Our latest car deals

Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £36,645Avg. savings £2,892 off RRP*Compare Offers
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £25,235Avg. savings £1,836 off RRP*Compare Offers
Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £28,085Avg. savings £1,458 off RRP*Compare Offers
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £35,080Avg. savings £3,600 off RRP*Compare Offers
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Have you considered?

Volkswagen Golf GTI review
Volkswagen Golf GTI - main image

Volkswagen Golf GTI review

In-depth reviews
1 Oct 2024
New Cupra Leon 2024 facelift review: fun hatch gets sharper looks
New 2024 Cupra Leon - front tracking

New Cupra Leon 2024 facelift review: fun hatch gets sharper looks

Road tests
21 Jun 2024
New Cupra Born VZ 2024 review: a great stride for the EV hot hatch genre
New Cupra Born VZ - front

New Cupra Born VZ 2024 review: a great stride for the EV hot hatch genre

Road tests
17 May 2024

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: new MG4 long-range EV for a ridiculously low price
MG4 - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: new MG4 long-range EV for a ridiculously low price

The MG4 is one of our favourite EVs on account of its sheer value for money. It’s our Deal of the Day for 11 December
News
11 Dec 2024
ZEV Mandate to spoil Christmas for 1,000s of petrol and diesel car buyers
Nissan Cube

ZEV Mandate to spoil Christmas for 1,000s of petrol and diesel car buyers

Got an ICE car on order? Don’t bet on collecting it before the New Year…
News
10 Dec 2024
McLaren gets a new owner with big plans for the future
McLaren 750S Spider - front

McLaren gets a new owner with big plans for the future

Abu Dhabi-based CYVN Holdings aims to “redefine high-performance mobility”
News
9 Dec 2024