Used Volkswagen Golf Estate 2020-present review

Let's suppose you admire all the good qualities of the latest Mk8 Volkswagen Golf hatchback (and why wouldn't you?) but what you really want or need is more room in the boot for luggage. Step forward the Volkswagen Golf Estate.

Having been on sale for a year or three now, the Golf Estate makes for a very good used buy. You'll get a classy, practical and comfortable wagon with a healthy choice of engines and three well-equipped trims.

Life trim kicks off the range and includes single-zone climate control, 16in alloy wheels, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob, automatic lights and wipers and adaptive cruise control. Style and R-Line trims add in a few more toys and sharper looks.

The 1.5 TSI 150 petrol engine has 148bhp for 0-62mph in a sprightly 8.7sec and enough mid-range get-up-and-go to pull the car with a full boot. Meanwhile, the eTSI 150 mild-hybrid version comes with a responsive seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The 128bhp 1.5 TSI 130 petrol is not a bad alternative but is not much cheaper than the TSI 150. Even the entry-level 109bhp 1.0 TSI 110 isn’t vastly cheaper. The 110 is surprisingly flexible and does 0-62mph in 10.5sec, although it does struggle a bit with a full car.

As for diesels, there are two. The 2.0 TDI 115 makes for relaxed progress but is no quicker than the 1.0 TSI 110. The more powerful 2.0 TDI 150 feels genuinely punchy regardless of where you are in the rev range.

On the standard suspension, the Golf Estate rides potholes and ridges around town more adeptly than the Ford Focus Estate. It’s comfortable at higher speeds, making motorway jaunts a real treat. The Skoda Octavia Estate is slightly softer overall, though.

If you look at the dashboard closely, you’ll see that all the buttons are touch-sensitive or on the infotainment touchscreen. The only physical buttons are on the steering wheel, but even those are replaced with touch-sensitive buttons on the R-Line trim.

What's the problem with that? Well, touch-sensitive buttons are fiddly to use while driving compared with proper buttons and knobs, which you’ll find in the Ford Focus Estate and the Kia Ceed Sportswagon. In the Golf Estate, you have to take your eyes off the road to make small changes and at night the temperature controls don’t even light up, which leaves you guessing where they are. .

The Golf Estate does come with a 10.0in touchscreen infotainment system, though. It's mounted high up, the screen is sharp and there are lots of helpful standard features, including wireless phone-charging, built-in sat-nav, Bluetooth and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration.

The Golf Estate’s interior dimensions allow a pair of six-footers to sit relatively comfortably in the back. Head room is generous and there’s loads of space for feet under the front seats. Leg room isn't outstanding, though, and if the front-seat occupants slide their seats fully back, taller folks sitting in the rear won't have any space in front of their knees.

The biggest difference between the Golf hatchback and the estate version is, as you'd expect, the boot. Whereas the former is acceptable, the latter is big. Not quite as big as the Octavia Estate’s boot, and nothing like as voluminous as the frankly obscenely large luggage space in the Superb Estate, but more than roomy enough. There's room for a fold-up baby buggy, a week’s shopping or two sets of golf clubs.

If you're interested in buying a used VW Golf Estate or any of the cars we've mentioned, head over to our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Prices are holding steady, but that doesn't mean there aren't some good buys out there. Starting prices are around £20,000 for a 1.0 or 1.5 2020 petrol Golf, rising to between £21,000 and £23,000 for a higher-spec or larger-engined car of the same vintage. Spend the same on a good 2021 car with the smaller engines or in a lower spec or bought privately, or between £22,000 and £27,000 on higher spec 2021 or 2022 cars bought from franchised dealers. Spend over that on 2023 models.

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MPG

According to the latest WLTP tests, the 1.0 petrol Volkswagen Golf averages 51.4mpg, the 1.0 eTSI 54.3mpg, the 1.5 130 52.3mpg, the 1.5 eTSI 51.4mpg, the 1.5 150 50.4mpg and the 2.0 TDI 115 diesel 64.2mpg and the 2.0 TDI 150 60.1mpg.

Road Tax

All Golfs of this generation will have been registered after the tax changes of April 2017 came into force will pay annual VED at the flat rate, currently £180 a year or £170 a year for hybrids.

Running costs

Servicing is reasonably priced. It won’t be quite as cheap as, say, a Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra, but compares well with most other rivals.

Like most VWs, the Golf comes with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty and one year of roadside assistance. That's not exceptional these days, falling short of the five-year warranties Hyundai, Renault and Toyota offer, let alone the seven years of cover provided by Kia.

The Golf achieved a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, with excellent category scores that all but matched the best cars in the class, including the Mercedes A-Class, for adult and child protection. The protection for pedestrians and vulnerable road users isn’t as good as the A-Class's, though.

Engine

We think the more muscular 148bhp 1.5 eTSI 150 makes the most sense out of the VW Golf range. It’s noticeably swifter getting up to motorway speeds (0-62mph comes in a sprightly 8.5sec).

Trim

We'd also stick with the Golf's entry-level Life trim. It comes with all you really need, including single-zone climate control, 16in alloy wheels, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob, automatic lights and wipers, adaptive cruise control, and all the infotainment, visibility and parking aids we've discussed in the previous sections.

Whichever trim you pick, stick with the regular 16in alloy wheels. The optional 18in wheels cause the Golf’s suspension to ping and thwack over expansion joints and large surface abrasions.

Our favourite Volkswagen Golf Estate: 1.5 eTSI 150 Life

The Ford Focus Estate is good fun to drive and has been one of the best-sellers in the family car class for many years. However, it isn’t quite as comfortable as the Volkswagen Golf, nor does it have such a classy interior.

The same can be said of the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer, although it does offer exceptional value for money as a used buy because of its heavy depreciation. It’s also comfortable, roomy and, with the right engine, reasonably economical.

If you want a Golf with a little extra flair, you could try the Seat Leon Estate. It’s sharper to drive but its interior doesn’t feel quite as classy as that of the Golf. Second-hand prices are highly competitive, making it one of our favourite used cars in this class.

That's also true of the Skoda Octavia Estate – the car’s big plus point is the space it offers. While it’s similar in size to the Golf, it has a much bigger boot and more room in the rear seats.

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If you're interested in finding a used Golf Estate or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at great prices.