Volkswagen Golf - Reliability and safety
The Golf Mk8 is the safest version yet, but Volkswagen needs to improve upon its Driver Power score
Unfortunately, the latest Volkswagen Golf came last in the 2024 Driver Power satisfaction survey, with owners unhappy with numerous aspects of their cars, with the majority of issues surrounding the infotainment system, and the mix of touchscreen and physical controls. The updated Golf has a much improved touchscreen set-up, so several of these issues will hopefully be resolved.
Work still needs to be done to improve the Volkswagen brand’s poor 29th place out of 32 manufacturers included in the survey – a further slip from its 27th place (out of 32) result the brand received in 2023. According to our expert data, 23.4 per cent of Volkswagen owners surveyed experienced a fault of some sort during the first year of ownership.
The Golf has a strong reputation for being safe, and the Mk8.5 comes as standard with plenty of safety kit such as adaptive cruise control, a driver fatigue detection system, a road sign display system, and an autonomous braking feature that intervenes in an emergency to help reduce the possibility of accidents.
It also features Volkswagen’s advanced Car2X driver assistance system. The tech communicates wirelessly with other similarly-equipped vehicles, and is able to warn drivers of problems such as roadside hazards, vehicle breakdowns, and vehicles ahead that have applied emergency braking. The system also uses the information it receives to detect when the end of a traffic jam is coming up, and is then able to re-engage the car’s adaptive cruise control once the traffic clears.
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Road tests
Euro NCAP put the latest Golf through its rigorous safety tests in 2019 and reassessed it in 2022 to ensure the earlier score was still relevant with a more rigorous testing procedure. In both instances, the popular hatch was judged to have a top five-star rating, although the Honda Civic that was also tested in 2022 achieved higher scores in the adult, vulnerable road user and safety assistance categories. At least the Golf did much better than the Peugeot 308, which only got four stars out of five.
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Key standard safety features |
Euro NCAP safety ratings |
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Warranty
Volkswagen offers a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty package with its new cars. Although it’s the industry-standard cover, it does seem a little short when some rivals offer seven-year warranties. VW does offer extended cover for extra cost, though.
Servicing
The Golf is available with a two-year servicing package for around £500. The cost of the most basic oil-change service beyond that is around £250, which means three years of maintenance will set you back around £750.
Volkswagen offers a choice on how your vehicle is maintained, with fixed and flexible servicing options available. These relate to mileage covered and driving style. The latter can be impacted if the engine is regularly under a high load due to activities including frequent hill climbs, driving with the vehicle fully loaded, or towing a heavy trailer or caravan.
What do owners think?
Here’s what owners in the 2024 Driver Power survey thought of the VW Golf. These impressions are of the Mk8 car rather than the revised Mk8.5 version covered in this review.
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What they like |
What they don’t like |
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“I can drive 680 miles in one day on a round trip to Devon, and I am not stiff or sore when I get back.” |
“Disappointing quality. I expected better of VW and would not buy another Golf based on this one.” |
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“I love how comfortable and smooth a drive it is. It looks beautiful and the petrol costs are sensible.” |
“The touchscreen is almost impossible to use safely while the car is in motion. It needs more switches.” |
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“A reasonably serene ride when I’m just going from A to B. It goes like the clappers when I’m in the mood.” |
“I tend to use my phone because the Golf’s built-in navigation seems to take longer routes.” |
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“I find the much-maligned infotainment works really well if you set it up properly with shortcuts in the menu.” |
“Luggage space is all right, but it can be a bit of a squeeze in the back seats if passengers have long legs.” |
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“The boot is very accommodating. There’s enough space is for a family to go on holiday. Even better, we can bring our dog along, too. |
“I had two Golfs before my Mk8; each provided years of trouble-free motoring. This one is a joke in comparison.” |
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“My Golf offers a good balance between pin-sharp handling and limousine-like comfort. VW has struck just the right balance for me; it’s good to drive and comfortable.” | |
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“There’s a good amount of height and lumbar adjustment, and the bolsters give lots of support. The controls and switches are very user-friendly as they respond easily.” | |
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“The quality is good. I’ve driven many other cars, so I can appreciate the Golf’s fit and finish.” | |
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“It’s a great car in terms of style, performance, space and practicality, and the residuals will be strong.” |
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