Volkswagen Golf 2012-2017 in-depth review | Mat Watson Reviews
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- Опубликовано: 22 авг 2016
- The 2012-2016 Volkswagen Golf was a class leader in the family hatchback range, despite tough opposition from the Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus and Peugeot 308. Volkswagen's interior quality stood above the rest, but how did it fare for interior space? What's it like to drive, and which engine is the best bet? Find out in our full in-depth review of the Volkswagen Golf!
Due to an editing error, the the dials shown at 4:58 mins are not from the Golf we tested. They were accidentally taken from the footage of a Tiguan 2.0 TDI which was filmed on the same day. If you want to see the real clip from the Golf 1.4 TSI from that day you can click the link here:
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I’ve had loads of Golfs and yes they are boring and plain/basic inside, but it is not until you step out of a golf and drive one of the rivals back-to-back that you realise how quiet, solid and refined it is.
The mk6 golf was decent and refined and feels solid. The mk7 is so much cheaper feeling and less refined
Forza223 Bowe Reducing 100kg and developing the MQB platform was for cost-cutting purposes, sure, but regular driving around with what feels like an extra 1.25 humans, no thanks
Owned the mk6 got a mk7 at the moment identical the car in the video feels a lot quicker handled better and build is just as good as a 6
Yes the main reason Golf is significantly more expensive than Leon or Octavia is the refinement, fitting, materials, and quietness. But I take Auris hybrid instead, just drive and oil change as all Toyota. No drama on fuel injectors, p pump, carbon built up, dpf filters , coils, or dual clutch failures
The why you bought many golfs if you don’t like them??? Look, your brain 🧠 fell out 😂
A few years ago I had to downsize my business and get rid of the big fancy cars, I grudgingly bought an entry-level golf 1.2, but was immediately surprised by how good it was!
Yes it didn’t come with many gizmos compared to the competition, and dare I say was a bit boring, but for the price it was so refined and nice to drive compared to the others. I can totally see why the Golf is so popular!
Recently bought one second hand 1.2 tsi and it's certainly not deathly slow at all. In fact its brilliant to drive and has great acceleration when you need it plus good fuel economy to boot. Delighted!
Couldn’t agree MORE. Use sport mode for even more welly😅😅
Happy to see that your channel is climbing steadily with subscribers and viewcount. You really deserve it wit the effort you and the team put in your reviews, great technical facts mixed in with personal thoughts and some humor, great filming, editing and overall production value. Keep it up Matt! Much love from Sweden.
Thanks Jarpen - big love from sunny London!
Now he’s drag racing red bulls formula 1 car, Bugattis, and several thousand horsepower tuner machines
Can't wait to get one of these for my first ever car!
Congrats
KEKW
Same
But ima get the 2015 golf r
Motionz Yt than first car ?
Well done to you guys who spotted we showed the economy figure from a diesel VW when I said the mpg for the Golf 1.4TSI petrol I was driving. This an editing error - we filmed the 2.0-litre Tiguan the same day and the editor picked up that clip by mistake as it was the same number. He did this because the cutaway the cameraman took of the Golf was from the central screen not the dials like we normally do (this is actually filmed at a different time to when I am driving for obvious reasons). If you want to see the clip from the Golf 1.4 TSI from that day you can click the link here: ruclips.net/video/aceFLBhPlY4/видео.html
Ref the editing error: Do we now have a second Dieselgate? :-)
I getting a vibe here that VW products cannot do one bit wrong. I expect you will say that they are just that good. But every decent has adjustable seats and steering wheel so why does the VW stand out in this area? The idea of under seat trays is quite old. I have a 307SW with 2 under seat trays. The idea of weighted cords for the rear shelf was around in the 80's. So did the car manufacturers forget about these little details and only now have they just rediscovered them?
Is this the 92TSI highline trim?
quote:"I getting a vibe here that VW products cannot do one bit wrong." Actually it´s very difficult, to pay an VW nowadays. I drove 2 Passat for about the last 10 years and will switch to Opel Astra now. To get the same values, a new Passat will cost about 10k more, VW refuses to reduce prices for business clients and that´s why nearly all of my colleagues are switching to Opel (which will be around 30 cars in complete, at our facility). Of course high quality and I loved my cars - but it´s way overpriced. For example: Passat (as configured) I had to pay about 8500 Euros myself, Opel Insignia around 3500 Euros, Opel Astra (nearly full options) 850 Euros.....it´s a question of personal taste, but 10 times more to pay? No way.
Astra V Passat? You're talking about two completely different size/class segments. No wonder you find the Astra much cheaper you're comparing a grape to melon. And good luck with the GM Astra quality, you'll find a lot more than the size got downgraded.
Karl P no. they are in the same class of cars: cars that break down every week.
it is a valid comparison.
Mann you are such a genuine hylarious actor , it's such a pleasure to view your coolish-realistic reviews.I dont't know why i view all reviews , because of the cool presentation or beacuase of the cars 😂 but i can trust them for sure .👍👏
Mat, your reviews are the best in youtube for cars. I very like your style - not to long and most important! Keep doing! Thanks. Aivars from Latvia
if you look reeeeeeeally closely, you can see that its actually the new golf and not the one from 2013.
And if you're not totally clueless about cars, you can see that it's a new one in about 0.2 seconds. "I don't know shit about cars and I can't tell which version it is...cry cry cry"
derbigpr500 oh my god chill bro its a joke jeez take a chill pill i owned a 2014 what is wrong with youtube commenters nowadays
Oh Noooooooooooooooooo, they delivered me a Golf from 2013! I should have watched carwow before! And yeah, at 5:49 I now can see, that’s me…
How? The only major difference I noticed is that the radar is a different one, if the car has adaptive cruise control. Older Mk 7 have a long range radar (the round one), newer ones have a mid range radar. The long range is obviously better. On Audis there are two options, the cheap one works until 160 km/h, the expensive (long range) works until 210 km/h. On the Golf both are limited to 160 km/h, but the long range detects other cars earlier and will ease off from the gas instead of noticing other cars last minute and having to brake.
Ah. A joke. Well, there are differences though. Another one (but hard to see) is that they upgraded the head unit. The newer ones support Android Auto etc., may be a bit faster, ...
Just bought this baby second hand and its still such a nice car to drive 😊 so far i have no complaints
The best compact reviewer ever in youtube!
He's not that compact… he's 5'11"! And a half.
Why are so many people calling this car "boring but practical"? For what it is, this thing is hella fun to drive! Yeah the interior is kinda boring but functional but the driving experience for this class of vehicle is second to none! I travel and rent cars constantly and have driven basically all the main competitors and they all feel like mush compared to a golf. Yeah, no track records will be set, but it's got plenty of pep and it's fun as hell to chuck into corners.
The Golf ball and the parcel weight had me. 😂😂
I got upgraded to the GT edition (ordered the GT) 1.4 tsi (150bhp.)
really happy with it so far, was torn between this and a Mazda 3, but think I made the right choice.
No LED DRL's, keyless entry or reversing camera as standard for this price is a bit tight of VW though.
Although this review is for the Euro version, it helped me decided on the US model (2017 Wolfsburg Edition) Very similar other then we get the 1.8T 170HP gasoline engine. The US Wolfsburg is pretty loaded & the price is very, very reasonable ($18,200 w/ rebates) His review was spot-on & found him very witty. You really can't go wrong with the VW Golf.
I have this exact color on my Golf which I took delivery of this April :-) 1.4 TSI with 150 hp and DSG, lots of extra bells and whistles (navigation, heated windscreen, reversing camera, front xenon lights, rear LED lights, etc.). So far it's been amazing - just made a 5000 km roundtrip to Greece and back, super stable at any highway speed, overtaking is a doddle even when fully loaded (250 N*m of torque from low down really helps), pretty much a small rocket in the city. I will not agree that ANY car below the Golf's price has a better interior - Mazda 3 looks like a VW Polo in this regard, harsh plastic everywhere, horrible fabric on the seats. Golf has always been between the normal and the premium, both quality and price wise, and does remain the optimal choice, in my opinion.
Superb review of a superb car! Great job, Mat & Carwow, thumbsup!
I want to see a review of the skoda superb
This really is one of the best reviews I've seen, you're right. (I own a TDI Golf and agree w him on all points.)
Superb car??! A Golf??😆😆😆 Yeah,good enough to take a dump and flush the water for 1 eu
I just bought a used golff tsi 1.4 140hp full extras now, and i had to search for a car wow review :D Always the best ones! And the car itself has very good quality. It has 10 years(2014) and still looks almost as new. It shows the quality of the car.
A bit boring, but best car in the segment. Whoever disagrees can sod off because they know nothing about cars, and I tell you that as a mechanical engineer. I've had plenty of experience with various cars in this segment. All I'll say is...go buy your Astra, or Focus or Mazda 3 and be excited about how nice and exciting looking they are when they're brand new, or how pretty they are, but don't come crying to me when every panel in the interior starts to rattle after a year of use or the car starts to feel like it's going to fall apart each time you drive it over a bump in a few years. And yes, I'm talking from experience, again. Our company Astra's from LAST year rattle more and feel more badly put together than our ancient Renault Lagunas from 2001 with over 300k km's on the clock.
Golf is simply the best car in the segment, objectively speaking. Best refinement, comfort, best materials, best build quality, most logical interior with almost perfect layout and ergonomics, most polished and substantial chassis and suspension in the segment, best engines, best performance for the size or power of engines, nicest driving experience, etc. It's not the most exciting car, but it doesn't have to be. It's not trying to win you over with fakery, it's just an honest, very premium and well made car. It's a car you need to live with to realize how good it really is, and the fact is, NOBODY who's ever owned one thought it was a bad car, and most people who hate it never even sat in one. The longer you own one or drive it, the more you get to appreciate it's qualities. That's why it's so popular and so many people buy it over and over again. It's one of those cars that feel like an "original" when you own it, and all other cars in the segment feel like copies or fake versions of it that are cheaper and not as good.
Agree with you mate, have been owinig a Gold for quiet a while and although it may be a bit boring, the quality and practicality is very solid.
+1001speedster *Golf LOL
+1001speedster *owning
I have a vw with just 21,000 kms and every panel inside sounds as the end of the world it's coming.
Used to drive a Mazda 3 before and it was really smooth.
+juan lopez I own VW Golf, so far with 53,000 miles, no issues. Looks like you're the minority.
Great review. Very informative and also funny. The easter egg disclaimer at the end made me laugh.
Great review! Definitely subscribing for future videos.
Had mine for about a month now, hands down the best feature is the adaptive cruise control and front radar assist! It's the little things....
I know this is a comment from 6 years ago lol but did the car have auto hand break? Couldn’t tell through the vid
@@tomhallam2230 Yes it does from MK7 model onwards
@@MaiseyS19 cheers mate
Very entertaining and informative videos, greetings from Mexico
Like videos like this because these are the type of cars for young drivers like myself, like to see reviews like the golf come up, cheerrrrrssss
"Don't judge a book by it's cover" never applied to any car more perfectly than it does to the Golf. A lot of people hate it or don't realize how good it actually is just because it's not styled by 12 year olds for 9 years olds taste standards.
Matt! Thanks for the lovely reviews - I enjoy the forbidden fruit videos (cars that don't sell in the US!) especially.. Could you please do a VW Golf Alltrack review? It is upcoming in the US but you guys already have it in Europe.
Matt, you are my favourite car reviewer when it comes to cars for regular folks. Have you considered spending a few minutes on models available in North America? It might get you more audience.
I had a polo when I was student, now I have small family and I bought this golf , really those Germans do build good cars .
Bought a 2015 model used, could not be happier.
Good review ! Keep it up!
Well covered review as always, Matt has got even better after moving to his new channel in my opinion. By the way I hear DSG transmissions still keep breaking down and remain awfully unreliable although the car itself feels easily the solidest and most refined in the segment. The highest trim should definitely be avoided as the gloss black interior plastic collects fingerprints and dust like crazy and it's just simply overpriced.
Always bought Toyota tried a 2016 golf 1.4tsi match bought it on the spot so quiet and refined the interior quality is great it handles great with minimal body roll the rear independent suspension works a treat with sat nav heated seats dab active cruise self parking its loaded with tech best car I've ever had
Toyota beat VW every day...Tech extras are a marketing tool to sell you a car with the perception of value
Buying my very own mk6 Golf this sunday 😍😍
Hey man! Gr8 review!!! gone it be any review on the Clubsport?
4:58 If you look carefully you can see that the red pointer in velocimeter it is close to 0 while he is driving.
Hey Mat great reviews,wondering if you would put the Peugeot 308 in a group test of some sort??like with the Golf,Focus,Astra or Leon.
I just bought it! And im in love 1.4l ofc😉
Any update on your experience 3 years on?
VW have perfect quality, practicality and reliability with every car they make! Love em!
Could you share more information about golf 1.4 tsi bluemotion 2015, please.
Great stuff Matt! Now, please, try to review the GTI Clubsport S if possible! :)
Mat,
as a car expert, which one do you prefer; front wheel drive or rear wheel drive? which one is more fun?
0:47 been practicing mat?✊
I live in the USA and just purchased a Golf TSI 1.8T that looks just like the one you share in your video. I love it! I drove it and the GTI and to be honest, I felt the GTI even with its added horsepower and torque just didn't seem that much faster. I also think it's quite good looking, although one day I may do a wheel/tire update as the basic model comes with just 15-inch wheels. Still, that's probably one reason it rides so well. In the GTI, with it's low profile tires and 18-inch wheels, I felt every tiny bump in the road -- handled like a slot car -- but for everyday casual driving, I felt the standard Golf would be most comfortable and more economical. One thing I'm a little envious of -- you European drivers get 6-speed manual transmissions, while in the USA, we just get a 5-speed. I wonder why VW made that choice? I did notice that at freeway speeds, the top fifth gear in the Golf was the same gear ratio as the top sixth gear in the GTI, for the RPM's were identical at speed. Still, 6-speeds is so standard today I wish VW would have given us the same as they give the rest of the world. VW needs to value their North American buyers more! I absolutely love how quiet this car is and how easy it is to drive. Everything is just right about it and they seem to get better with each generation. Thank you for your review!
I'm from the USA as well. I'm about a month ahead of you. I purchased my 2017 Golf Wolfburg Edition in early December. Love it. Torando Red w/ M/T. I agree. Why no 6-speed? I fine with it. It seems like North America always get shorted when it comes to foreign cars. I'm very happy with my new rig. Did you consider the Wolfsburg? It's pretty loaded vs. the standard VW Golf. With the TDI scandal & the $1000.00 loyalty program & made out pretty well. Does the base model have Android Auto built-in?
Hi Alex, great response! I did consider upgrading to the Wolfsburg, but since my wife and I both had TDI's, and she got a Tiguan to replace hers, in order to come out within the amount VW is paying us for our cars so we don't have car payments, I needed to stick with the basic Golf. I would have liked some of those features you got on yours, but I guess I'll live without them. For me, the fewer distractions the better! I was going to get a tornado red, just as my Golf TDI was, but ended up with platinum gray, a color which suits the Golf design quite well! Enjoy your new Golf and we'll enjoy our new toys as well!
How have your 1.8 tsi golf's treated you after all these years?
@@22chachalaca, well, almost six years later, we still have our wonderful Golf. I’ve got about 52K miles on it. The only issue was a thermostat that went bad, causing a coolant leak, but this was repaired under warranty with no charge to me. This occurred after driving in grueling 117 degree weather in AZ. Whether that excessive heat caused this, who knows? But that’s been the only problem. On several road trips, I’ve achieved over 50 mpg, with the best of 52.7 mpg. That’s into diesel territory with a GASOLINE engine. More generally, I get 45-48 mpg on highway trips, as long as I keep it under 70 mph. Amazing. The car still looks like it’s brand new. I’m tempted of course by the new Mk 8 GTI, which I really love the design, but my Golf S is so ideal, I think I’d be a fool to let it go. So, thank you for asking the question! It truly has been the best, most trouble-free, fun driving auto I’ve ever owned. I couldn’t be more happy!
@@ecmcomichael1 glad to hear it's been a positive experience. The water pump appears to have a 100% failure rate, as in literally everyones golfs need theirs replaced. Have you ever tuned yours?
Great car and fun to drive. Highly recommended!
Any chance you guys compare the civic hatchback to the golf? Or even a compact hatchback comparison?
Hello Mat,could you please mention in ALL your reviews how long it it takes the respective cars to go from 0-100km/h. Thank you for the wonderful reviews.best channel
In countries that don't have a metric system, the standard is 0-60mph (nought to sixty), which he indeed mentions in every review.
Hey CarWow, do you know if you guys will be reviewing the Polo Beats? I saw there 1 year free insurance deal so I'm really tempted to go for it
good review ! are you gong to do the peugeot 208 anytime soon ?
I'm getting a new golf 1.4lt 2017 base model in indium grey in a couple of weeks..hope it's good 🤔
the 1.4 Tsi model CBU in Indonesia looks really good actually.
Matt for a second your Delts lifted the headrest up lol! on a serious note How does the 1.4 compare two Bmw 1.5 3 cylinder unit? I drove both & Enjoyed the revvy 3 cylinder. But whats you educated opinion?
By the way, nice try to fake the MPG figure. That picture with 47.2 mpg was clearly a diesel, you can tell by the tachometer, and you just said you were driving a TSI model.
needs explaining
Red TSI used in the review has standard monochrome MFD, but mpg figure is from a diesel car with colour MFD
Good spot, also the EML is on
why does a hoax have to be involved whenever it comes to vw :D
But i have 1.4 tsi 125 dsg golf 7 and my average for this summer is 48.7 imp mpg. Around 3000 miles.
Getting my Highline next week on saturday
anyone have any experience with 2.0 tdi 2015 golf? compared to 1.6tdi is it better? would it be better for motorway miles?
Fantastic little car. It pleases me on every drive. It's just so solid and well-built. That said, I hate to report a couple electrical gremlins are starting to pop up after just 1.5 years of ownership. It's a true VW, I guess lol...
Are these reliable? Thinking of buying one second hand
I have one similar but it shifts funky (auto) in low gears and trying to take off smoothly. I heard about a software update. hope that helps
I would love to see a review of the Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake. Any chance this is coming soon?
I bought vw golf 7 this week and it feel amazing.
I was about to buy audi but for my budget i got vw and i don’t regret it at all.
Im happy driver
can you do review on the volvo v40 r design with audi a3 and the vw gti thanks
awesome review...!!!
i wish they will comper the golf with the octavia and the leon estate... does the golf realy worth the extra money?
the golfball was a nice great lil touch
this is golf 2016. version right ? when the golf 2017 will be into the market ?
Was the troubles with the TSI engines sorted?
for those of you who think a Golf has a boring & cheap interior you clearly haven't been in Corolla, Yaris or nearly everything offered from Korea lately.
I sold a Toyota to buy a Golf recently & the step up means I don't fall asleep the instant I get behind the wheel any more.
Objectively, the Golf is miles ahead of the competition and the facelift model is coming this Autumn which is going to increase the gap even further
Would love to see a Golf GTD review.
I got mine last year and im inloved
Watching this in 2021, just realized Mat is not doing flick test anymore
Goof at 3:01. The boot floor was removed and put beside the car and at 3:01 it's in the car again as he takes the parcel shelf off
Can you review the honda jazz?
Does it have headlamps washer? Even not being xenon one?
Have they fixed the unreliable dsg gearbox issue?
hi Matt I'm waiting for review on Audi A6 allroad please
Do a review on the Honda Civic because then you will of done a review on all of the main hatchbacks. It also will give more people options when it comes to buying a hatchback.
I wonder what's new or improved respect 2016 model?
Nice car. Pricey second hand so picked an Octavia. Lose some features but gains it in other areas. Quality on both are solid.
James May said it's really the only car the world needs.
Hi matt ^__^ great review
Btw, this 2016 model as last update for Golf was in july 2015
Let's talk numbers. I own the 150cv DSG sport and it consumes as follows:
City driving: 30-35 mpg
Motorway: 45-50 mpg
Mixed driving (80% motorways, 20% city): 45 mpg
Can you review the Golf GTD
Got a new one 3 months ago. All but seats and speakers are fine. My Yaris had a whole lot better seats. My three month average diesel fuel consumption=47mpg. Will check to see the Angela look out front.
Best fucking car I ever drove for the money I swear it! It's a 1.8 turbo with numb steering but great response. It felt like I was tossing around a miata! And it makes sense b/c for 2016 the golf and the audi a3 are essentially the same minus 200 extra cc and a DSG.
I fucking want a Golf 2016 1.6 Diesel right now
Would the golf 1.2 be suitable for a new driver ?
Yes. My MK7 golf has the 1.2 liter engine in it and in my opinion its not even that slow. Yes im comparing this to a mk4 golf with 1.6 liter in it but still the 1.2 has plenty of go-go when needed around town. Besides, if you really need more power there are mods and tunes for the 1.2 liter for some power gains.
1:54.... that wasn't the Golf's infotainment system, was it? Tiguan perhaps?
What’s the gas consumption like on these?
please do a review to vw passat cc.
"2017" and when you can get this version? how do you know the year version of the car you're buying? the VW website doesn't tell you
Lol u actually can get it until 2017
Please do the seat leon cupra or a volvo s60 t5
I currently own the current polo..I would like a golf R for my next car :D
Quite a jump lol
still no keyless entry and ignition?
Please review the new CLA
I have a question about Auto Hold function in VW Golf:
If I want to restart on an incline with Auto Hold ON (+ assuming I'm in 1st gear):
1. I need to press the accelerator
2. And then release the clutch?
Or is it before step 1, I need to release the clutch a "little bit"?
When using auto hold it doesn't matter if you are or a hill or flat. So let's say you are on incline with auto hold on and in 1st gear. If you press the accelerator first with autohold on i think actually it might even cause more problems when trying to get the car moving. Thats why at the same time you release the clutch (usually halfway clutch movement the autohold turns OFF) give it a bit of tap on the gas and you are good to go. At least that's how I use it and it works.
OK thanks. I figured out recently that "with halfway clutch movement the autohold turns OFF". Initially I was under the impression that Auto Hold turns OFF when accelerator is pressed.
What about the emissions Mat?
Keep up with the good job
Thanks man!
Thinking about getting a 2015 Golf, what are those buttons at the gear stick?
you will know when you get it
waiting for the electric version of the Golf :)