Honest John Long-term tests

Volkswagen Golf eTFSI 150PS DSG

Meet the latest addition to the HJ fleet – the Volkswagen Golf

We put the new Volkswagen Golf to task over the next six months.

Date: 4 January 2022 | Current mileage: 725 | Claimed economy: 49.9mpg | Actual economy: 42.4mpg

Writing this introduction to our new Volkswagen Golf MK8 feels like a ‘farewell’ rather than a ‘hello’ because the Golf could soon be on the way out. The demise of the e-Golf means the EV baton has been passed to the ID.3 leaving the Golf lookng decidedly un-futureproofed.

That's despite our 150PS eTSI petrol having throughly modern, mild-hybrid technology that means it's resonably quick but also returns great fuel economy.

To go with the mid-range engine we went for Style trim that sits in the middle ground of the Golf line-up.  It gives you smarter looks than the basic model but without the lower and firmer suspension of the R-Line. You also get handy kit most notably autonomous driving aids that mean the Golf can do most of the driving for you on long slogs up the motorway.

Options on our car include Ventura wheels – their black highlights contrast our car’s Moonstone paint (you'll just about see it under the grime) – Dynamic Chassis Control, matrix headlights, heated seats and steering wheel, Harman/Kardon stereo and a space saver spare wheel. That little lot brought the price up from £29,245 basic to £33,175.

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We've yet to tip over the 1000-mile mark but we already have plenty of good things to say about our Golf. While it's popular to give the infotainment screen a kicking, its wireless charging and Apple CarPlay means you don't need to remember to bring a cable. This and the clean design make the Golf feel very modern. 

One of my favourite options was actually free – the Strom Grey interior. It makes the Golf feel light and airy inside compared to the more commonly specified dark upholstery. How well will it resist marks and stains? Time will tell but I'm strangley facinated to find out. 

And the driving? Well, we didn't break 2500rpm for the first 250 miles of running in – which really just went to prove that you rarely need to rev the 1.5-litre any harder than that around town. Meanwhile, a 400 mile scelp up the M6 to my Christmas lodgings heralded the Golf's ability to soak up hundreds of miles comfortable – it's autonomous driving aids taking a large portion of the pain out of sitting on a motorway for hours on end. 

All in all then, our Golf has been worth the wait – it seems as good as it heads into its twilight years as it was when it was first introduced. Could the next few months rub some of the shine off it? We'll soon find out. 

Our Golf experiences its first glitch

Getting the silent treatment: the Golf's stereo and warning buzzers take a brief hiatus.

Date: 18 January 2022 | Current mileage: 2422 | Claimed economy: 49.9mpg | Actual economy: 41.4mpg

Inevitably, it had to happen, after sticking up for our Golf’s infotainment system in my last report, it’s repaid me by serving up its first glitch. 

It was mid-journey last week when the radio stopped working for no obvious reason. Further investigation revealed that the parking sensors had also given up the ghost (or more accurately, their bleeps) - you don’t realise how reliant you become on these until you nearly ‘kiss’ the bumper of the car behind waiting for a warning that never comes. 

We administered the usual emergency treatment - switched the car off, opened the door, locked it, unlocked it, got back in and started it – to no avail. Still no sound. Sensor bleeps and the less jarring tones of Radio 2 resurrected themselves 2hrs later with no explanation. Unfortunately, it's happened more than once now. 

We've already commented on how handy the Golf's wireless Apple CarPlay is – you just get in the car and so long as your phone's Bluetooth is on, Google Maps, Whatsapp and Spotify miraculously appear on the screen. It's a great system. 

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Or at least it is when it works. Occasionally its slow to boot up taking an age to connect to your phone. It's usually not an issue but can be annoying when you have a big trip ahead of you and you're keen to set off. 

These are relatively minor niggles because the Golf has otherwise been perfect as its odometer ticks well past the 2000-mile mark. As you can see, fuel economy is already strong but we’d expect it to improve as the engine loosens up and we’re hoping performance – currently a little flat – will gain some sparkle at the top end.

The Golf's already proved itself to be a quiet and relaxing cruiser on the festive pilgrimage north and played the job of van well following an early spring clean.  

We asked earlier this month if the Golf’s shine would rub off with time but – glitches aside – that’s yet to happen. The touchscreen and it’s accompanying touch-sensitive buttons aren’t without their downsides but they also have quite a few benefits – stay tuned for those in our next report. 

Our Golf's IQ.Light is winter godsend

Our Volkswagen Golf's IQ.Light is rapidly becoming a favourite option.

Date: 1 February 2022 | Current mileage: 2991 miles | Claimed economy: 49.9mpg | Actual economy: 41.5mpg

Our Golf's gone back to its maker so its temperamental infotainment can be given the once over.

Time away from our car has given me plenty of time to ponder what I love about it and in the current short winters days, its optional £915 IQ.Light system is fast becoming a firm favourite. Yes, it's expensive but if you often drive on A-Roads and motorways, you'll quickly learn to love it.

'IQ.Light' is VW-speak for matrix LEDs which are controlled by a camera in the windscreen, but can also take into account your route via the sat-nav, steering angle, the type of road you're on and your speed. Their power is impressive, but it's their ability to consistently light up the whole road that really strikes home – like there's a second sun emerging from behind the Golf's grille.

With great (lighting) power comes great responsibility, so it's reassuring to know the auto-dip system performs faultlessly. In fact, it's better than that. Not only does it dip seemingly the minute another car appears, but it only dips the single LED that's shining on the opposing traffic – the rest stay illuminated. The result? Our fellow road user doesn't get blinded, but everything around their vehicle stays lit up like a Christmas tree.

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To this the IQ.Light adds a repertoire of features including corner lighting and indicators that scroll in the direction you're turning, not long ago a feature reserved for expensive Audis.

The LED strip that runs below the lip of the bonnet is standard-fit on Style models like ours and give the Golf an EV look at night, while also lighting your path when you're getting in and out of the car. Meanwhile, the standard puddle lights are great for making sure you don't step in a puddle – or worse – and the illuminated door handles mean you're not left fumbling about in the dark trying to get in.

With the VW snapping at the heels of 3000 miles its engine is loosening up nicely and our average fuel economy has been skewed by numerous fast cruises up to Scotland. A more impressive figure was attained on a 120-mile round trip from London to Oxford with a balanced mixture of town, motorway and country roads and a sensible driving style helped return 49.9mpg. Tantalisingly close to the magic 50 and seriously impressive for a 150PS petrol engine that's not wanting for power.

Second opinion: Family life with the Golf

Phil becomes the custodian of the HJ Golf and finds it to be a hit with the family.

Date: 15 February 2022 | Current mileage: 3496 miles | Claimed economy: 49.9mpg | Actual economy: 47.5mpg

With Russ in Amsterdam I've become the custodian of our long-term Volkswagen Golf. I've got a bit of a soft spot for Golfs, having had a couple of Mk4 models in the past (don't judge me - one of them was the lacklustre GTI), so I was looking forward to running this for a bit.

If you can look past the lack of reversing camera, our Golf has pretty much everything you could want and the understated Moonstone paint works well with the 17-inch Ventura wheels. While larger wheels would certainly have given the car a bit more presence, I'm glad we've got the smaller rims. Navigating the local roads of Surrey that are littered with potholes and a mish-mash of tarmac, the Golf's smaller wheels and higher sidewall tyres certainly make for a more comfortable driving experience. 

Anyone with children will know that kids and light covered fabric aren't an ideal combination, but the Strom Grey interior makes the cabin feel light and airy, and I think much nicer than the standard dark upholstery. And any marks left by sticky fingers, muddy boots or water bottle spillages (sorry Volkswagen) have easily come out with a rub with a wet wipe.

How does it stack up as a family car though? While it seems like everyone is plumping for an SUV in one shape or another, the Golf proved to be a very capable family hatch. For most situations, the boot was more than big enough, with the family dog having plenty of space. Two kids bikes were a squeeze though and required some careful packing, while there wouldn't be much hope of getting an adults bike in the boot (with the wheels off). That's where the Golf Estate comes in. 

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The Golf has been perfect as a stress-free daily driver, happily ferrying us around in comfort. As well as local short runs, we also took it on the continent for a trip to Bruges in Belgium. It happily soaked up the motorway miles on the trip over there, while the wirelessly connected Android Auto kept us on track with Google Maps. 

One little frustration came when we tried to swap the speedo over from mph to km/h. Forgetting to do this while we sat on the Eurotunnel shuttle, it was impossible to find the setting once we were on the move again in France. The Golf's menu system is so convoluted now and again that we had to admit defeat. Quite a contrast to the Ford Kuga we ran recently that required a couple of taps of the menu to make a change.

Unless you're buying the GTI or R variants, the Golf is probably a car you'd buy with your head and not your heart. It's a car you can get in and whatever type of journey that lies ahead, you know it'll get you there in comfort and without too much fuss. 

While it might not be the obvious (or should that be trendy) choice it once was for families, the Golf is still very much a classy all-rounder.

Third opinion: Hypermiling with the Golf

Lawrence becomes the HJ Golf’s third custodian and takes delight in how effective the mild-hybrid system is - if you set it up right.

Date: 2 March 2022 | Current mileage: 4591 | Claimed economy: 49.9mpg | Actual economy: 48.1mpg

After a brief foray with Phil - who’s now running something sportier and a lot less subtle - our long-term Volkswagen Golf is now outside my flat for the foreseeable. And, truth be told, I couldn’t be happier. 

You see prior to its arrival my own daily driver was a 4.2-litre V8 Jaguar S-Type. Great as a car to take out on special occasions, its circa 21mpg mixed average economy hardly makes you feel all warm and fuzzy when it’s £120 a tank at the pumps. 

Enter the Golf, which might be the colour of a fridge-freezer and about as characterful as one, but will manage double the miles-per-gallon thanks to its clever mild-hybrid 1.5 ‘eTSI’ petrol motor. Or even more than that, as I discovered. 

Mild-hybrids are often dismissed as verging on false advertising. You see the word ‘hybrid’ and expect electric-only running, but what you often get is a car that just drives like a normal petrol or diesel car with a slightly more effective stop-start system. The Golf’s is more effective than many, though.

 

Once warmed up it’ll cut the engine off and coast within a couple of seconds of you lifting off the throttle. If that sounds dangerous, don’t worry: the little on-board battery (charged during regenerative braking or coasting) ensures the power steering and brakes still work properly, as does the air-con. It’ll even let you apply a bit of braking without cutting the engine back in, unlike most mild-hybrids. 

This really helped boost economy, but one thing irritated me: hybrid VWs have a predictive function called ‘Eco Assist’ which uses navigation data and the front camera to detect upcoming hazards (such as roundabouts, junctions or slower cars ahead), cutting the engine back in and applying regenerative braking force as you approach. I found it far too sensitive, pulling you back when it wasn’t necessary or trying to get you to stop on empty roundabouts you can easily just coast into. 

I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a driver assist luddite (I much prefer normal cruise to adaptive cruise and loathe lane assist), so many may like this. But I found I could actually get better MPG by turning eco assist off, coasting more and reading the road further ahead myself. My average MPG with mixed town/country/motorway driving after six weeks or so is nudging 50, and on one A and B-road run from Basingstoke to Newbury over 59mpg was shown in the dials. I'd be happy with that from a diesel. 

Engine-off coasting adds a bit of satisfaction to what is a car that otherwise struggles to tug at the heartstrings. Let’s see if that comes with time. 

 

Our Golf meets a key new rival

The HJ Golf attends the launch of the new Peugeot 308, which makes for an interesting comparison.

Date: 18 April 2022 | Current mileage: 4982 | Claimed economy: 49.9mpg | Actual economy: 48.1mpg

It's not always easy to accurately rate a new car against its key rivals on the model launch alone. You're driving an unfamiliar car on unfamiliar roads, and often you don't get loads of time behind the wheel, plus it may have been months since you last drove a direct competitor for context.

Which is why I leapt at the chance to attend the UK launch of the new Peugeot 308 by driving our long-term VW Golf over to the Cotswolds. Competition doesn't get much tougher for the French arrival, and driving them back-to-back was an eye-opener. 

For starters, just looking at the 308 next to the Golf gives you an idea of their different priorities. Although the VW's unibrow front-end is quite distinctive, it's a subtly classy car rather than a stylish, showy one.

Next to the Peugeot it looked downright bland, however - and that's even with me picking the dullest possible colour on the 308 to compare with our primer-coloured Golf. But then some people like a car that stands out, others prefer to blend in. 

Interestingly it's the Golf that has the brighter, airier cabin, and you can thank our decision to spec the light grey trim and upholstery for that. The 308 is darker and feels more cocooning, with a more driver-focused layout and narrower windows. It isn't claustrophobic up front, but compared to the spacious Golf the 308 is lacking. I'm 6ft 3, and while in the VW I can sit behind myself in reasonable comfort things are noticeably tighter in the back of the Peugeot. 

Having said that, the 308's cabin design is nicer overall once you get used to the quirky driving position. The materials feel as plush as the Golf in most places and even plusher in some, while the infotainment is easier to use mainly thanks to Peugeot's new customisable shortcut widgets below the main screen. I'm more familiar with the Golf's menu layout, but the need to dive into the screen for most functions still grates. 

There's more similarities on the move. Both are refined and composed, although the VW feels a bit softer than the Peugeot, rolling more but keeping bumps that bit more isolated. It feels like you can have a touch more fun in the 308, even if it could do with an engine like the Golf's (dull-sounding but impressively capable) 1.5 eTSI to bridge the gap between the base three-cylinder car and the pricey hybrids. 

Overall I didn't feel downhearted to be going home in the Golf. It's probably the more capable all-rounder, great for journeys when you just want to get home and be isolated from the outside world. But it lacks personality, something which the Peugeot has more of. 

 

 

VW Golf update: Unexciting cars can be brilliant too

Lots of the journeys with our VW Golf e-TSI have been grim rush-hour drives inside the M25. But it's performed them perfectly.

Date: 1 June 2022 | Current mileage: 5312 | Claimed economy: 49.9mpg | Actual economy: 48.2mpg

If you’ll forgive the less-than-stellar photography, I’ve been missing this view of our long-term Golf with the longer summer days. I’m not a huge fan of the flat grey colour, but even with a more interesting hue the VW isn’t exactly a head-turner. 

And actually, that’s fine. Many car companies are choosing shock and awe with their latest designs in order to grab attention and controversy. But the Golf has always been about subtlety and classlessness, giving it the ability to never look out of place in any environment. 

Only at night does this particular Golf make any effort to show off, with the ‘IQ Light’ matrix LEDs (we’ve already talked about those in an earlier report) combining with the neatly integrated door handle LEDs and the projected puddle lights from the mirrors. Stuff like this is becoming more common now - particularly on well-specced press cars such as this - but to me it still looks special on a ‘normal’ family hatchback.

Recent summer journeys have allowed me to enjoy the Golf’s other good qualities, however - namely its ability to make even the most miserable, traffic-clogged journeys almost pleasant and relaxing. This includes numerous Gatwick and Heathrow airport runs in peak traffic times and the occasional commute from my home in West Berkshire into our Central London office.

It’s in these scenarios where the Golf’s smooth drivetrain, ability to coast off-throttle, its extremely comfortable seats and driving position, and the great stereo make it as good a journey companion as some luxury cars. The ride and refinement are excellent, too, while the Traffic Jam Assist comes in handy when you’re at the London end of the M4 creeping painfully towards the bottleneck and would rather the car did it for you. 

These sort of potentially stress-inducing journeys are where the Golf isolates you from the outside world and makes things as easy as possible. Probably more so than any mainstream rival I’ve spent time in, many of which have little niggles or foibles that grate when you’re not in the mood. Even though the Golf does have those - the haptic buttons and over-egged tech reliance - I’ve got used to them and they don’t dominate the driving experience. 

Sure, on a twisty B-road I’d long for a more characterful engine, a manual gearbox and a more sporting handling balance. But that’s such a small percentage of my actual journeys that I totally get the Golf’s everyday appeal - particularly if you were fortunate enough to also have something fun for those weekend ‘for the hell of it’ drives.