Volkswagen Golf Mk8 review: the most frustrating car on sale?

The latest Volkswagen Golf comes tantalisingly close to being a great car, but it misses out - here's why.

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The Volkswagen Golf is like no other hatchback currently on sale. With a famous history dating back to 1974, it’s taken on all-comers with continual success thanks to a fine blend of handling, practicality, great build quality and a classy image.

Over time, Volkswagen has adopted the ‘if it ain't broke, don’t fix it’ approach for the Golf. Evolutionary styling updates, an increasingly high quality feel to the cabin and a succession of capable engines have secured millions of customers, and the German manufacturer has broadly followed this strategy with the eighth-generation model.

The new Golf is based on the Mk7’s MQB Evo platform, which is used across a variety of other VW Group cars including the SEAT Leon and Skoda Scala - direct rivals in the family hatchback class. Other mainstream competitors include the Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Vauxhall Astra, and Peugeot 308, while for those looking towards the premium end of the hatchback market, there’s the Audi A3, Mercedes A-Class and BMW 1 Series. In addition, buyers shouldn’t discount the much improved Kia Ceed, Hyundai i30 and Renault Megane.

The Mk8 Volkswagen Golf is available in five-door hatchback and estate body styles, which also includes a more rugged all-wheel-drive Alltrack variant. In this review, Nicola Hume tests the plug-in hybrid version, and finds out that it's just as frustrating as it is brilliant.

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[Silver-stzq]

Lack of buttons is a deal breaker for me, good review 👍

[ernodios]

This just comes to show that VW hit the nail in the head with the mk7.

Also, I had never seen this reviewer before but she's awesome, props to her!

[ispybeeper]

Just had a MK8 Golf style 2.0 DSG delivered. I've had it for two weeks, and I absolutely love it. It’s got all the familiar features of my previous MK6, but the new infotainment systems take things to a new level. I think it's absolutely awesome and I love it to bits. She talks about the sensor touch volume control, but the physical buttons I am familiar with are still on the steering wheel as well, my wife prefers the new touch controls, but either way best of both worlds. I think every aspect of the new infotainment system has been very well thought out. The connected system, for example, integrates extremely well with the Sat Nav and adaptive cruise control, to alert and offer automatic control. The slot she refers to, holds your mobile phone perfectly which connects flawlessly to the vehicle via cable or Bluetooth. If you don't want to use the in-built Sat Nav you can use an App on your phone with apple car connect. If you don't like the map display in the middle of the car you can move it to the centre of the dashboard. So many nice touches such as the interior lighting schemes, which can light up the door cards, to the auto dip headlights. The headlights themselves are outstanding, and actually make driving on the darkest of roads an absolute pleasure. Fuel economy wise my diesel engine will deliver 60mpg + on the shortest of journeys. Whoever finds this car frustrating must be people who simply don't like VW brand.

[andrewmontague]

I had every intention of replacing my 7.5 R with a Mk8, and test drove both the Clubsport and the R. Dynamically both very good and unlike some, I like most aspects of the styling. Ultimately though I just couldn’t get past the awful reviews I’ve read of electronic glitches, adaptive cruise controls deciding in the outside lane of a motorway that it’s 70kph and not 70 mph, plus other unforgivable problems, with little conviction from VW to sort them out. In addition, the lovely material quality of the Mk7 interior just isn’t there on the 8. Acceptable perhaps on a £25k car but not on one costing £45k. So with regret, I’m switching brands, VW isn’t getting my business again any time soon ☹️

[waleedhassan]

Vw golf and the ID3 officially has the worst system in the market. Defo wouldn’t consider this car.

[MetalJesusRocks]

I have the US version GTI of this 2022 car. You end up saying “Hey Volkswagen, I’m too hot” or “Hey Volkswagen, the windshield is fogged up”, etc… That works pretty well once you get used to it.

[drunkenmonkey]

Cut backs due to the emissions fine as expected.

[TheAaronshah]

I have one and the infotainment system got me confused first but now after driving it for a while it's really easy to use

[MattHealey.]

Had a mk8 gti. Car itself to drive was amazing. Brilliant handling. But the infotainment software was awful. Sold it after 3 months as was not gonna be a beta tester for vw. Especially with the possibility of the brakes slamming on with no warning

[nathanb]

I think VW may have dropped the ball with the Mk8, interior-wise. It's still a good car, but like other recent VW group models, it's things like the infotainment system glitches that let's the latest Golf down a bit. Great review Nicola :)

[Odinz]

Best review ever of the Mk 8! VW needs to fire all their interior designers. All of them. Now.

[markjackson]

I've got a Mk8. I absolutely hate it I've had nothing but problems with it . I agree the infotainment system is awkward and seems very slow even after mine went in for a recall on it to supposedly speed it up. I'm currently looking at Auto Trader for a MK7.5.

[Stevieboy]

The problem is that all VW Golf controls up until the MK7 were a model of simplicity and clarity. This is the sort of thing Volkswagen are normally the best in the business at and one of the reasons most buyers go back to them. Even their electronic handbrake works well!

What happened, VW? I believe the chassis is a development of the MK7 chassis rather than all new (same with the engines) with the reduced design and development time that requires so why was something like this allowed to be put on the market - it's such an obvious fail.

Their ergonomists must have all been working from home/sick/sacked (delete to suit) that day/week/month.

Metallic white silver is my favourite Golf colour.

[AntJoseph_]

The C segment is in a weird place right now. If one wants soft touch materials in the rear one has to go for a Toyota Corolla, Mercedes A Class, BMW 1 series, Hyundai i30 or DS4(nope, the Audi doesn't have them either). If one wants mega performance one has to go for an Audi RS3 or Mercedes A45s. If one wants proper comfort, the C4 and probably Megane will be the best choices. If one wants something that's very well designed the Peugeot 308 is the only option to go and for fun driving the Civic and the Focus are the two best ones. The one that probably does it all well is the Octavia, really, not the Golf.

[malph]

reviews just get better and should be a consultant for VW. Piano black, touch screens and no knobs are my interior pet are all the manufacturers so obsessed with it??

[stevehunter]

Having owned a Mk 8 R Line for a while now I have to say it is the best Golf I have ever had. I have never had any issues with the infotainment system, it really isn't hard to use, admittedly it took me a few days to learn where all the shortcut buttons were, but once you know how to use it then it is really easy and you can do all common functions almost with your eyes closed though thats not advisable if you are driving at the time.
I have never experienced any of the lagging or glitches that other people speak of and have done 25k miles so far with no complaints. It's loads better than my previous one.

[billsheehy]

BTW, all the VW’s we get in America are built in Mexico and the Mexicans building them are paid $6.85 a day, not an hour, but a day. Guess how the quality of those cars are? Way to go VW.

[PenFriends]

I own a golf 8 and yes I agree there are issues. But having owned a gte for a year now, I’m more than used to it. In fact I love it!

[ahmettalha]

big thanks to auto expres for being honest and shooting an entire video on roasting Golf

[kerpoise]

Death by a thousand cuts.

I had a mk8R for 9 months. Sold it. Bought a mk7.5R. The superior car, and pocketed £15k.

Everything inside the car you touch or interact with is poorer quality. It's like from a base level Renault.

From the thin door plastics that rattle, the A, B and C pillars that all feel cheaps and rattle to the boot trim that is probably the cheapest trim I've seen on any car.

Then add in zero physical switches for air con or lights or media.

The remove the pneumatic bonnet strut, the drink holder cover, the mobile phone pocket cover, the smaller virtual cockpit, the infotainment system that is awful and made by a child, the horrible piano black plastics everywhere.

Death by a thousand cuts.