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Used Volkswagen Golf cars for sale

We've got a fantastic selection of used Volkswagen Golf cars for sale. Every second hand Volkswagen Golf has a full history check and has been through a thorough mechanical inspection. All our Volkswagen Golf cars are available only from trusted dealers, are all less than nine years old and come with a 14-day returns guarantee*

See our range of used Volkswagen Golf cars for sale

How buying a used car through carwow works

Find a car

Use carwow to browse and compare used vehicles, advertised by a network of trusted dealers. You can search by make and model, or apply filters to find the perfect car for you.

Contact the dealer

Once you’ve found a car you’d like to buy, you can contact the dealer to arrange the next steps, whether that’s asking a question or taking it for a test drive.

Buy the car

When you’re happy to buy, you can do so at a fixed price, safe in the knowledge all models sold through carwow are mechanically checked and come with a warranty.

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Used Volkswagen Golf pros and cons

+ Efficient engines to choose from

+ Comfortable on bumpy roads

+ All of the latest tech

- Front end styling won’t appeal to all

- Infotainment isn’t easy to use

- No extra space over old Golf

Is a used Volkswagen Golf a good car?

The Volkswagen Golf is one of those cars that can be all things to all people. It manages to have great badge appeal without being too pricey, rivalling premium brands such as BMW and Mercedes as well as more mainstream companies like Ford and Vauxhall.

If you’re looking for a practical hatchback, the Golf has long been the first name on the shopping list. The latest model isn’t such a clear-cut winner, though. For a start, its front end styling is rather Marmite, then when you get inside it has a fiddly infotainment system and some baffling ergonomics.

It’s spacious, though no more roomy than the old one, and its 381-litre boot is bang on the money, being identical to an Audi A3. Material quality isn’t quite posh enough to rival the Audi, nor the BMW 1 Series, but it compares favourably with the likes of the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra.

There’s a good range of engines too, with diesel for those who spend a lot of time on the motorway, a plug-in hybrid for those who can charge and mainly do shorter journeys, and petrols if you do a mix of the two.

It’s very comfortable on a bumpy road, but the trade off is that it’s not as much fun on a twisty road as the Focus. There’s a capable hot hatch version if you want a bit more performance and handling prowess. The Volkswagen Golf R has a 315hp petrol engine and all-wheel drive for all-weather ability.

What to look for when buying a second hand Volkswagen Golf

The eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf had a rocky start to life, with software issues plaguing early cars in particular. The 2019 launch was delayed because of this and owners’ forums indicate it could be an ongoing issue.

Some owners recommend avoiding 2020 and 2021 cars. Volkswagen used over-the-air updates to iron out the most common issues, but there are still some small gremlins.

Unsurprisingly, ownership surveys haven’t shone a particularly positive light on Golf ownership. Although running costs are good, reliability and the infotainment system consistently score poorly.

When shopping around, ask the owner or dealer if the car has received all of its software updates. If you’re not worried about these software issues, the Golf seems to be otherwise mechanically reliable.

However, if your budget only stretches to early eighth-generation cars, it could be better to get a late, high specification/low mileage used seventh generation Volkswagen Golf.

Volkswagen Golf FAQs

The Volkswagen Golf is 4,284mm long, 1,789mm wide (excluding door mirrors) and 1,478mm high.

Historically, the Volkswagen Golf has a pretty good record for reliability. However, the latest model has been plagued by software issues in particular.

GTD stands for Gran Turismo Diesel. It is part of the firm’s GT range, spearheaded by the iconic Volkswagen Golf GTI model. The Golf GTD is the sporty diesel and the Golf GTE is the sporty hybrid.

We’d recommend going for a late seventh-generation used Volkswagen Golf, built until 2019. This will have had most of that model’s issues ironed out and avoids the problematic early eighth-generation models.

Used car buying guides

* In line with the Consumer Rights Act 2015