Best mk7 Golf?
Discussion
I have had a few favourite cars that I have owned for more specific reasons but the best all-round car that I have ever owned was a mk7 Golf Estate. I owned this car for 6 years and took it from 40,000 miles to 130,000 miles, it never let me down and only ever required routine maintenance. It was a 2016 (so mk7 not mk7.5) 1.4 TSI GT DSG Estate, a fairly rare spec but fully loaded with 18" alloys, leather, heated seats, satnav, dual-zone, pan roof, LED headlights, radar cruise, front and rear parking sensors etc and I would probably still have it if it wasn't for an errant deer that ran out from a hedge whilst I was travelling at 60mph and unfortunately the insurance company wrote it off, even though it was still drivable! Of course on account of the relatively high mileage, the insurance company paid out substantially less than it would cost to replace it with a comparable vehicle so I bought a 2015 Renault Captur dCi as a cheap stopgap until I could afford something nicer but that was about 18 months ago at this point!
I went for a Captur off the back of my wife's 2015 Clio (the 0.9 TCe model), which she already owned and we both quite like and in many ways the Captur is similarly likable. It rides a bit better than the Clio whilst being more practical, handles fairly tidily, only 20 quid to tax and is very economical. I average 55+ mpg and get 500+ miles out of a tank, which isn't bad for a 45 litre tank. However, it is very slow and it's clear that it's a less refined and lower quality vehicle than the Golf. Just the little details like the door pockets/glovebox aren't lined, so stuff rattles around in them and if I'm not using the rear seats, the seat belt buckles rattle against the rear doors which drives me crazy when I forget to buckle them back in!
I happen to think that the mk7 Golf could well be "peak" car (or at least "peak" ICE car) in its segment offering decent performance, efficiency and a good drive combined with comfort, refinement, practicality, luxury car features in a high quality package. I'm not a VW fanboy by any means and up until I first drove a mk5 Golf, I was more of a Ford/Vauxhall/Peugeot man and of the opinion that you would only buy a Golf if you couldn't afford a bigger, better, more luxurious car than a Mondeo/3-Series but that car completely changed my mindset on the small family hatchback/humble Golf.
So although I like to try different cars and don't tend to buy the same car twice, I'm kind of starting to think that I need another mk7 Golf! Of course the mk8 Golf carries over a lot of positives from the mk7 but I'm not convinced that it's a better car. I've had a look at a couple and it seems like a backwards step in terms of quality, interactivity (the overly-reliant touchscreen interface is a nightmare) and I still think that the styling of the mk7 if a little boring still looks crisper but which is the version to have? I would probably go with a later (mk7.5) car than the one that I had. So accepting that I don't really think that there is a duffer amongst them but I would like a high/comparable spec to what I had before the options are:
GTD: offers the performance that my Captur lacks but should be just as economical, should be fairly reliable for a modern diesel and crucially it was available as an estate (not an essential but the extra practicality of the estate over the hatchback was nice to have).
GTE: a friend owns one of these and rates it very highly and claims to be averaging 65mpg. Almost as quick as a GTI, diesel fuel economy combined with petrol fuel prices but it's only a 20 mile EV range (my commute is 20 miles each way) but I guess 65mpg average is still good. Only available as a hatchback though.
e-Golf: I think that VW missed a bit of a trick with this car. Only available in one quite plain spec, hatchback only and a limited range but I don't find the prospect of a full EV unappealing. Fine for my commute but more restricted for longer journeys. A mk7 e-Golf with the range of a modern id3, available in a variety of specs and available as both a hatchback and an estate would have been quite a compelling car I think.
GTI: probably the most fun mk7 Golf. I would probably go manual on this one, I always wanted a mk5 GTI when they were new but couldn't afford one, fantastic cars. This would be the same but better/more modern. Hatchback only but that's OK.
R: these were extremely popular and had a bit of an image problem but probably because it was such a good and accessible performance car thanks to those cheap lease deals. Do you really need the extra performance over the GTI though and how much does the extra power impact fuel economy? I can get one of these in an estate though, which negates the loss of practicality in the hatchback due to the AWD. DSG only but that's OK, as I hear the standard clutch in the manual version isn't really up to the torque.
I guess the previous generation SEAT Leon/Audi A3 offers similar options with a slightly different flavour but the above summary really lays out the different option available. So which in your opinion is the mk7 Golf to have?
I went for a Captur off the back of my wife's 2015 Clio (the 0.9 TCe model), which she already owned and we both quite like and in many ways the Captur is similarly likable. It rides a bit better than the Clio whilst being more practical, handles fairly tidily, only 20 quid to tax and is very economical. I average 55+ mpg and get 500+ miles out of a tank, which isn't bad for a 45 litre tank. However, it is very slow and it's clear that it's a less refined and lower quality vehicle than the Golf. Just the little details like the door pockets/glovebox aren't lined, so stuff rattles around in them and if I'm not using the rear seats, the seat belt buckles rattle against the rear doors which drives me crazy when I forget to buckle them back in!
I happen to think that the mk7 Golf could well be "peak" car (or at least "peak" ICE car) in its segment offering decent performance, efficiency and a good drive combined with comfort, refinement, practicality, luxury car features in a high quality package. I'm not a VW fanboy by any means and up until I first drove a mk5 Golf, I was more of a Ford/Vauxhall/Peugeot man and of the opinion that you would only buy a Golf if you couldn't afford a bigger, better, more luxurious car than a Mondeo/3-Series but that car completely changed my mindset on the small family hatchback/humble Golf.
So although I like to try different cars and don't tend to buy the same car twice, I'm kind of starting to think that I need another mk7 Golf! Of course the mk8 Golf carries over a lot of positives from the mk7 but I'm not convinced that it's a better car. I've had a look at a couple and it seems like a backwards step in terms of quality, interactivity (the overly-reliant touchscreen interface is a nightmare) and I still think that the styling of the mk7 if a little boring still looks crisper but which is the version to have? I would probably go with a later (mk7.5) car than the one that I had. So accepting that I don't really think that there is a duffer amongst them but I would like a high/comparable spec to what I had before the options are:
GTD: offers the performance that my Captur lacks but should be just as economical, should be fairly reliable for a modern diesel and crucially it was available as an estate (not an essential but the extra practicality of the estate over the hatchback was nice to have).
GTE: a friend owns one of these and rates it very highly and claims to be averaging 65mpg. Almost as quick as a GTI, diesel fuel economy combined with petrol fuel prices but it's only a 20 mile EV range (my commute is 20 miles each way) but I guess 65mpg average is still good. Only available as a hatchback though.
e-Golf: I think that VW missed a bit of a trick with this car. Only available in one quite plain spec, hatchback only and a limited range but I don't find the prospect of a full EV unappealing. Fine for my commute but more restricted for longer journeys. A mk7 e-Golf with the range of a modern id3, available in a variety of specs and available as both a hatchback and an estate would have been quite a compelling car I think.
GTI: probably the most fun mk7 Golf. I would probably go manual on this one, I always wanted a mk5 GTI when they were new but couldn't afford one, fantastic cars. This would be the same but better/more modern. Hatchback only but that's OK.
R: these were extremely popular and had a bit of an image problem but probably because it was such a good and accessible performance car thanks to those cheap lease deals. Do you really need the extra performance over the GTI though and how much does the extra power impact fuel economy? I can get one of these in an estate though, which negates the loss of practicality in the hatchback due to the AWD. DSG only but that's OK, as I hear the standard clutch in the manual version isn't really up to the torque.
I guess the previous generation SEAT Leon/Audi A3 offers similar options with a slightly different flavour but the above summary really lays out the different option available. So which in your opinion is the mk7 Golf to have?
Edited by white_goodman on Saturday 30th May 11:50
Edited by white_goodman on Saturday 30th May 11:52
Edited by white_goodman on Saturday 30th May 11:53
I have a 2016 Golf Alltrack. Only the 2.0 TDI 150 Manual one.
Bought 3.5 years ago from the first owner privately. Taken it from 48 to 90000m.
Bought it after 3 years with a leased Q5.
TBH even though the Golf is 10 yr old now I'm not sure what I would replace it with.
It's had its faults. Sticky rear calipers, door check strap and a clutch/flywheel. Nothing that has let me down.(touch wood!!)
I'd sooner have 17" wheels rather than the 18s it's on. But it's ok.
Has a towbar for my trailer.
It's comfy, fairly anonymous, classless even.
Cleans up ok with a quality interior.
No monthly payments, run it for work at HMRC rates.
VED is reasonable. (£180??)
48 MPG average. Mostly rural roads. 56 on a run.
Uses no oil.
As said even though I look ate replacing it with new.
A new what?
Bought 3.5 years ago from the first owner privately. Taken it from 48 to 90000m.
Bought it after 3 years with a leased Q5.
TBH even though the Golf is 10 yr old now I'm not sure what I would replace it with.
It's had its faults. Sticky rear calipers, door check strap and a clutch/flywheel. Nothing that has let me down.(touch wood!!)
I'd sooner have 17" wheels rather than the 18s it's on. But it's ok.
Has a towbar for my trailer.
It's comfy, fairly anonymous, classless even.
Cleans up ok with a quality interior.
No monthly payments, run it for work at HMRC rates.
VED is reasonable. (£180??)
48 MPG average. Mostly rural roads. 56 on a run.
Uses no oil.
As said even though I look ate replacing it with new.
A new what?
Edited by loskie on Saturday 30th May 12:38
Edited by loskie on Saturday 30th May 13:03
Edited by loskie on Saturday 30th May 13:06
Also a fan of the Mk7.
Had a 12013 1.4 TSI GT DSG hatch for a few years, easy 50mpg on a run, £20 RFL and only had to replace the water pump in my ownership (40,000-86,000 miles).
I only replaced it my wife sold her Ateca for an i3 (which she adores) and the Golf wasn't quite big enough for family stuff. I looked at a Mk7.5 estate but they were mainly diesel and quite leggy for the budget I had at the time.
I looked at a Jap import Alltrack with the 1.8 TSI engine briefly but it was too expensive I thought, it's still for sale today, a year or so since I saw it.
I ended up in a BMW F31 320i. It's OK, certainly not a huge improvement over the Golf.
Had a 12013 1.4 TSI GT DSG hatch for a few years, easy 50mpg on a run, £20 RFL and only had to replace the water pump in my ownership (40,000-86,000 miles).
I only replaced it my wife sold her Ateca for an i3 (which she adores) and the Golf wasn't quite big enough for family stuff. I looked at a Mk7.5 estate but they were mainly diesel and quite leggy for the budget I had at the time.
I looked at a Jap import Alltrack with the 1.8 TSI engine briefly but it was too expensive I thought, it's still for sale today, a year or so since I saw it.
I ended up in a BMW F31 320i. It's OK, certainly not a huge improvement over the Golf.
loskie said:
I have a 2016 Golf Alltrack. Only the 2.0 TDI 150 Manual one.
Bought 3.5 years ago from the first owner privately. Taken it from 48 to 80000m.
Bought it after 3 years with a leased Q5.
TBH even though the Golf is 10 yr old now I'm not sure what I would replace it with.
It's had its faults. Sticky rear calipers, door check strap and a clutch/flywheel. Nothing that has let me down.(touch wood!!)
I'd sooner have 17" wheels rather than the 18s it's on. But it's ok.
Has a towbar for my trailer.
It's comfy, fairly anonymous, classless even.
Cleans up ok with a quality interior.
No monthly payments, run it for work at HMRC rates.
VED is reasonable. (£180??)
48 MPG average. Mostly rural roads. 56 on a run.
Uses no oil.
As said even though I look ate replacing it with new.
A new what?
Forgot about the Alltrack, thanks. Might meet my higher spec requirements. They just did it with the 2.0 TDI 150 engine?Bought 3.5 years ago from the first owner privately. Taken it from 48 to 80000m.
Bought it after 3 years with a leased Q5.
TBH even though the Golf is 10 yr old now I'm not sure what I would replace it with.
It's had its faults. Sticky rear calipers, door check strap and a clutch/flywheel. Nothing that has let me down.(touch wood!!)
I'd sooner have 17" wheels rather than the 18s it's on. But it's ok.
Has a towbar for my trailer.
It's comfy, fairly anonymous, classless even.
Cleans up ok with a quality interior.
No monthly payments, run it for work at HMRC rates.
VED is reasonable. (£180??)
48 MPG average. Mostly rural roads. 56 on a run.
Uses no oil.
As said even though I look ate replacing it with new.
A new what?
Edited by loskie on Saturday 30th May 12:38
I recall they did a Passat Estate with the powertrain from the Golf GTE too? Much bigger car though (Mk7 Golf estate is kind of the perfect size) and I'm guessing still only a 20 mile EV range...
Exactly what you say though, my mk7 Golf Estate I kept for 3 years longer than any other car that I have had and that wasn't for lack of looking at other options but for me, the Focus has never been quite as good as the Golf since the mk1 (still a good car though), the mk8 Golf was subjectively "worse" and I don't find the "premium" BMW/Audi/Mercedes/Volvo options quite as desirable as I used to. Sure you can get a nicer, more powerful engine but the massive additional expense was too much to justify. Other more expensive options (RR Evoque for example) just weren't as good to drive and I did really rather like the Honda CRV hybrid that I borrowed but it was very expensive and less economical than my Golf!
Edited by white_goodman on Saturday 30th May 13:22
Deerfoot said:
Its Just Adz said:
That's nice. Three doors aren't my thing (doors are too long when parking) but they do suit a GTI. Regardless, a 5 door GTI Performance manual would be a fantastic thing.
In 2019 I was looking at buying a 2018 Golf GT hatchback. I ended up with a 2018 Leon FR. The Leon still used the 1.4TSi (150) where the Golf was fitted with the later 1.5TSi (150) that was then proving troublesome. The Leon had a better standard spec - LED headlights & climate control that were optional on the Golf GT. Finally the Leon was over £4.5k cheaper with similar mileage. But the GT did have better front seats.
I didn't regret my decision in 7 years of ownership & I definitely preferred the Leon's styling.
I didn't regret my decision in 7 years of ownership & I definitely preferred the Leon's styling.
I've had 3 Mk7/Mk7.5 Golf Rs / R estates. They were great cars.
However, even I'd admit that the 2014 Golf TDI 150 GT DSG that my wife had was probably all the car that anyone ever needed. Everything about it just felt so right, and I couldn't fault it at all. It somehow felt like much more effort had been put into it than the MK3 Leon FR that preceded it.
However, even I'd admit that the 2014 Golf TDI 150 GT DSG that my wife had was probably all the car that anyone ever needed. Everything about it just felt so right, and I couldn't fault it at all. It somehow felt like much more effort had been put into it than the MK3 Leon FR that preceded it.
Glosphil said:
In 2019 I was looking at buying a 2018 Golf GT hatchback. I ended up with a 2018 Leon FR. The Leon still used the 1.4TSi (150) where the Golf was fitted with the later 1.5TSi (150) that was then proving troublesome. The Leon had a better standard spec - LED headlights & climate control that were optional on the Golf GT. Finally the Leon was over £4.5k cheaper with similar mileage. But the GT did have better front seats.
I didn't regret my decision in 7 years of ownership & I definitely preferred the Leon's styling.
Good to know and I agree that the previous gen Leon is a more interesting looking car than the mk7 Golf (the current Ibiza blows the Polo away in terms of styling too), certainly in hatchback guise but I did really like how my GT estate looked on its 18 inch alloy wheels. The Golf interior has the edge over the Leon though? I was also fortunate that the original owner had pretty much ticked every option box, so I didn't want for anything in terms of spec.I didn't regret my decision in 7 years of ownership & I definitely preferred the Leon's styling.
Less options with the Leon though? ie no hybrid/EV (GTE/e-Golf equivalent) but the Cupra does have more power (pretty much Golf R power?) compared to the GTI? There was an AWD Golf R equivalent but only in the estate rather than the hatch?
In that case, it might have to be the Cupra if I went for the SEAT. The GTD equivalent would be badged as an FR? What do you lose in terms of spec with the FR compared to the Cupra?
Edited by white_goodman on Sunday 31st May 09:19
white_goodman said:
Good to know and I agree that the previous gen Leon is a more interesting looking car than the mk7 Golf (the current Ibiza blows the Polo away in terms of styling too), certainly in hatchback guise but I did really like how my GT estate looked on its 18 inch alloy wheels. The Golf interior has the edge over the Leon though? I was also fortunate that the original owner had pretty much ticked every option box, so I didn't want for anything in terms of spec.
Less options with the Leon though? ie no hybrid/EV (GTE/e-Golf equivalent) but the Cupra does have more power (pretty much Golf R power?) compared to the GTI? There was an AWD Golf R equivalent but only in the estate rather than the hatch?
In that case, it might have to be the Cupra if I went for the SEAT. The GTD equivalent would be badged as an FR? What do you lose in terms of spec with the FR compared to the Cupra?
I was looking at either a MK7 Golf GTI PP, R or Leon Cupra. I ended up with the Cupra as they are essentially a GTI PP with an R engine, but they get more as standard such as DCC which does make a difference on longer journeys. Less options with the Leon though? ie no hybrid/EV (GTE/e-Golf equivalent) but the Cupra does have more power (pretty much Golf R power?) compared to the GTI? There was an AWD Golf R equivalent but only in the estate rather than the hatch?
In that case, it might have to be the Cupra if I went for the SEAT. The GTD equivalent would be badged as an FR? What do you lose in terms of spec with the FR compared to the Cupra?
Edited by white_goodman on Sunday 31st May 09:19
In terms of performance my friends R always quick of the line regardless of the weather, the Cupra was slightly quicker once rolling due to being around 90kg lighter. In dry conditions its still quick off the line for a FWD car thanks to the VAQ diff.
Interior there is nothing really in it but the Leon does have slightly more scratchy plastics in the lower part of the cabin, I think the tartan seats look fantastic in the GTI compared to the understated seats in the Cupra. The digital dash and interior lighting is more customisable in the Cupra if that's your thing.
white_goodman said:
Forgot about the Alltrack, thanks. Might meet my higher spec requirements. They just did it with the 2.0 TDI 150 engine?
My Alltrack has the 184 - same engine as the GTD, but AWD and the extra ride height. I stuck with 17s, and put Cross Climates on pretty soon after buying it. Had it since new and the only issue was a broken rear spring last year.Sounds like you were very luck with the spec you had on your MK7!
If practicality is a factor, very little beats an Octavia.
But as a previous poster said, Mk7 2.0TDI DSG is about all the car one would ever need.
GTD is nice to have but it's power benefit only really shows at higher speeds.
GTE could be good if most of your journeys are short, if not you'll be out of battery in no time at all and then lugging around a load of extra gubbins which don't help petrol MPG.
If practicality is a factor, very little beats an Octavia.
But as a previous poster said, Mk7 2.0TDI DSG is about all the car one would ever need.
GTD is nice to have but it's power benefit only really shows at higher speeds.
GTE could be good if most of your journeys are short, if not you'll be out of battery in no time at all and then lugging around a load of extra gubbins which don't help petrol MPG.
We love our 2020 MK7.5 GT Edition 1.5 TSI estate DSG, which has unusual spec with comfort opening, digital dash and the bigger wheels. The amount of stuff we can fit in is impressive, including recently 4 adults, a bulky baby car seat, with a dog in a crate and a pram with a basonette in the boot and a number of other smaller bags.
The interior quality is really nice and incredibly practical. Has car play, proper temp gauges, comfy seats, is refined, does 45mpg and is an all round excellent car. Tried the newer stuff and a big step down in interior quality and ergonomics. Does feel peak Golf. Highly recommend.
The interior quality is really nice and incredibly practical. Has car play, proper temp gauges, comfy seats, is refined, does 45mpg and is an all round excellent car. Tried the newer stuff and a big step down in interior quality and ergonomics. Does feel peak Golf. Highly recommend.
I'm sure the others are better for specific things eg performance, fuel consumption, load space but the model that is the best of all worlds to me is the GTE. 2 months in, it's decent enough as an all-rounder once you figure out how to make it work for you.
OPer, you say 20 miles range, well, that would be for a battery that's lost about 30% SOH. My 100k mile+ 10 year old GTE is on 23 miles with everything on. As to how to cover a 40 mile round trip, assuming you can't charge it up at work, then you use the EV bit for stop-start traffic and the ICE bit for motorways and fast A and B roads. It nicely charges itself up while braking, so when hustling it down a country lane for 20 minutes depending on how much I've had to brake, I can find my mileage/charge has gone up. So your day's charge could really help in reducing your fuel consumption - even on a normal tariff, you'd end up averaging a lower fuel cost (running on EV is basically half the price per mile as it would cost to use petrol IIRC).
As a warm hatch, it's pretty good. Sure, it's a bit heavier than a GTI but for a daily, it's got a nice acceleration (instant EV boost before the 1.4 Turbo kicks in), handles well (50/50 weight distribution thanks to the battery location) and you can mod it in the usual ways to improve the performance, the handling and the soundtrack. Mine has a cone filter and sounds fantastic under light load - the engine sounds bigger than a 1.4 litre.
If you want to go further, there's some nutter in the Netherlands with a 300+ bhp GTE. I'll just stick with the cone filter as it's all the pace I need for real world driving.
It does take a bit of figuring things out to get the best out of it for your individual circumstances. Alternatively, just charge it up when you can and drive it in GTE (sport) mode everywhere. You'd still make savings and have fun.
Edit: been thinking about doing a write-up as it's such an under-rated car... or maybe a confusing car. I did post that it's mildly boring - and it is for commuting but outside of that, it is just about fun. I guess it's a balance.
OPer, you say 20 miles range, well, that would be for a battery that's lost about 30% SOH. My 100k mile+ 10 year old GTE is on 23 miles with everything on. As to how to cover a 40 mile round trip, assuming you can't charge it up at work, then you use the EV bit for stop-start traffic and the ICE bit for motorways and fast A and B roads. It nicely charges itself up while braking, so when hustling it down a country lane for 20 minutes depending on how much I've had to brake, I can find my mileage/charge has gone up. So your day's charge could really help in reducing your fuel consumption - even on a normal tariff, you'd end up averaging a lower fuel cost (running on EV is basically half the price per mile as it would cost to use petrol IIRC).
As a warm hatch, it's pretty good. Sure, it's a bit heavier than a GTI but for a daily, it's got a nice acceleration (instant EV boost before the 1.4 Turbo kicks in), handles well (50/50 weight distribution thanks to the battery location) and you can mod it in the usual ways to improve the performance, the handling and the soundtrack. Mine has a cone filter and sounds fantastic under light load - the engine sounds bigger than a 1.4 litre.
If you want to go further, there's some nutter in the Netherlands with a 300+ bhp GTE. I'll just stick with the cone filter as it's all the pace I need for real world driving.It does take a bit of figuring things out to get the best out of it for your individual circumstances. Alternatively, just charge it up when you can and drive it in GTE (sport) mode everywhere. You'd still make savings and have fun.
Edit: been thinking about doing a write-up as it's such an under-rated car... or maybe a confusing car. I did post that it's mildly boring - and it is for commuting but outside of that, it is just about fun. I guess it's a balance.
Edited by Hoofy on Monday 1st June 18:49
Forums | Audi, Seat, Skoda & VW | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff