New VW Golf Review: They Finally Listened!

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The has been upgraded!

has actually launched a mid-life facelift for its world-famous hatchback, and Mat's got his hands on one to see just what's brand-new on this Mk 8.5 edition.

In regards to the design, it's all pretty comparable to the Mk 8! Up leading the DRLs have been upgraded and the choice to fit a full-length light bar, while the lower bumper has also been modified. But apart from that, it's all quite similar to the previous edition. Along the side, there's a selection of brand-new alloy wheel creates to select from, while at the back the taillights have actually been updated, as have the lower bumper. Luckily though, has lastly eliminated phony exhaust pointers!

On the within, there are a few modifications over the previous edition, with the main one being the big infotainment screen which comes as requirement in all automobiles! The system has actually also been updated and is a bit less laggy than previously. The digital dial screen has actually been modified, and luckily the touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel have actually been switched with physical buttons! Eventually the Golf is rather a good location to sit – the majority of the cabin is fitted with quality products, and the seats are pretty comfy, too.

Regarding the engines, the Golf variety begins with a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo fuel that can put down 115hp or 150hp. There's also the alternative for a 2-litre turbo diesel, which likewise delivers either 115hp or 150hp. Both automobiles come with a manual transmission as basic, however automatics are offered, too. There's also a plug-in hybrid available, which utilizes the 1.5-litre gas combined with an electric motor to deliver either 204hp or 272hp.

The range starts from ₤ 27,000, rising all the method approximately ₤ 37,000 (excluding the GTI or R, naturally). So is it still the class leader? Or should you select something like an A3 instead? Stick to Mat and see on your own!

Chapters
00:00 Reversing Electronic camera
00:28 Style
01:40 Price
02:02 Interior
05:02 Back Seats
06:28 Boot
07:38 Annoying Features
09:15 Excellent Features
10:45 Engines
12:59 Town Driving
13:56 Freeway Driving
14:39 Country Road Driving
15:34 0-60mph
16:03 Verdict

Comments

98 responses to “New VW Golf Review: They Finally Listened!”

  1. @vibingwithvinyl Avatar
    @vibingwithvinyl

    Thank god they got rid of the _stupid_ touch controls on the steering wheel.

    1. @slamminx3 Avatar
      @slamminx3

      Tbh I’ve never had any issues with them. I think I may have turned the heating steering wheel on once or twice in the last 2 years. Also the new 8.5 R still has them.

    2. @vibingwithvinyl Avatar
      @vibingwithvinyl

      @@slamminx3 I have large hands and it was extremely annoying. I’m glad it was just a company car.

    3. @automation7295 Avatar
      @automation7295

      ​@@vibingwithvinyl I swear people on YT are brainwashed and always misinformed only non R-line/GTI/R versions Mk8 always had physical buttons.

    4. @chrislee6650 Avatar
      @chrislee6650

      @@automation7295 Yes, as I found out when I test drove a mark 8 Style before I settled on the mark 8.5, as I was surprised the mark 8 had normal buttons on the steering wheel, as from what I had been led to believe was all the Golfs had these touch buttons on the steering wheel.

  2. @0omsao0 Avatar
    @0omsao0

    MK7.5 is still the best looking

    1. @alexyan5651 Avatar
      @alexyan5651

      Agreed

    2. @jc74435 Avatar
      @jc74435

      No its not

    3. @sbstn110 Avatar
      @sbstn110

      You feel like it’s better looking just because that’s what you can afford. And there’s nothing wrong with not affording a new car, but that doesn’t make it better looking.

    4. @2_fast_4_Yu Avatar
      @2_fast_4_Yu

      Mk8

    5. @0omsao0 Avatar
      @0omsao0

      @@sbstn110 I can afford both, but i’d still go for 7.5 (especially 7.5R) 🙂

  3. @pAirA_ Avatar
    @pAirA_

    Props to VW for actually fixing the disastrous steering wheel buttons, thought they’d be more stubborn on that. Although I suppose the angry customers and the resulting loss of demand had something to do with it

    1. @GumiSlauh69o Avatar
      @GumiSlauh69o

      they are not that bad as people whine about they need a bit of refining as all new tech but they are ok… but they do work its just something new

    2. @IntoTheWhite04 Avatar
      @IntoTheWhite04

      the life model had physical buttons on the steering wheel

    3. @AzVfL Avatar
      @AzVfL

      VW will hopefully also get rid of that stupidly complicated window control for ID.4 (only 2 switches for left & right + thick button for rear or front)

    4. @hassyg4083 Avatar
      @hassyg4083

      you get buttons in a Toyota and Mazda and they are better cars. you guys need to shop around instead stuck on pcp lol

    5. @hughcostner Avatar
      @hughcostner

      I use them daily for about two years and have no problem what´s so ever. Probably more of a moron whine about, even more from people that don’t even have or use a golf.

  4. @Sachin2763 Avatar
    @Sachin2763

    flip camera on the golf is a old feature

    1. @Design_no Avatar
      @Design_no

      not mention its on Mercs for ages.

    2. @neilmorris6719 Avatar
      @neilmorris6719

      On quite a few makes for a while

    3. @gamesus Avatar
      @gamesus

      @@Design_no it’s just one year difference, “AGES” sounds too much 🙂
      Mercs 2011, VW 2012

    4. @Z4G. Avatar
      @Z4G.

      @@gamesus I was playing Minecraft then, feels like ages D:

    5. @user-tb1jy7rr9e Avatar
      @user-tb1jy7rr9e

      Same of them gets stuck in open position, no wonder not many other manufactures use this feature

  5. @carwow Avatar
    @carwow

    Sell your car for free with Carwow: https://bit.ly/-Sell-Your-Car-For-Free-0509

    1. @joebot2127 Avatar
      @joebot2127

      What tf is up with this channel and poor quality revers cameras on VW’s I live in Germany and have driven both the new Passat and Tiguan. The reverse cameras a high definition! Does the UK get shitty cameras because of Brexit or something???

    2. @p1lgr1m23 Avatar
      @p1lgr1m23

      Why would I set it for free? I want money for it!

    3. @vpx23 Avatar
      @vpx23

      I wonder if Mat looks so old because he is drinking Uranium-laced Evian water. 🤨

  6. @mbizozo6271 Avatar
    @mbizozo6271

    Pricing on these is so crazy that we only get the GTI and R models in South Africa.

    1. @GLadislav23 Avatar
      @GLadislav23

      FOR THE MONEY U GET A NICE hood stick HAHAHA

    2. @user-jn8he7fm2z Avatar
      @user-jn8he7fm2z

      Fr bro, this is perfect for SA

    3. @krevo6c Avatar
      @krevo6c

      You can also get an armored one.

    4. @hassyg4083 Avatar
      @hassyg4083

      you know Germany gives Israel gov free cars. They make rest of you pay lol

    5. @krane15 Avatar
      @krane15

      Which cars is that not the case?

  7. @BokiXI Avatar
    @BokiXI

    The only thing they didn’t fix is the price – which is the biggest problem.

    1. @vadym8713 Avatar
      @vadym8713

      Always been this way

    2. @PavelKostromitinov Avatar
      @PavelKostromitinov

      Why would they? Not as if the competition is much cheaper.

    3. @kane4013 Avatar
      @kane4013

      Gotta pay off their emissions fraud lawsuit.

    4. @lifesAtrip513 Avatar
      @lifesAtrip513

      Yes, yes it is cheaper though​@PavelKostromitinov

    5. @hassyg4083 Avatar
      @hassyg4083

      @@PavelKostromitinov competition gives more features as standard than vw

  8. @proxyhx2075 Avatar
    @proxyhx2075

    We’re in 2024 and yet car infotainment displays still can’t provide a smooth 60Hz (or higher) image and well made animations to go along with it.

    Scrolling through a menu shouldn’t give you a distasteful feeling in my humble opinion. It’s not the end of the world, but everything is in the details.

    1. @teknolojigundemi Avatar
      @teknolojigundemi

      They will update 90hz next then 120hz …

    2. @madgebishop5409 Avatar
      @madgebishop5409

      keep saying this myself, the car makers are still sticking in the cheapest processor they can for infotainment systems, it would cost them literally $40 more for a faster cpu but they dont care, let the customer drop £40k on a car with laggy unresponsive infotainment system

    3. @jamesdean433 Avatar
      @jamesdean433

      They are driving themselves out of business against Chinese cars, if they keep going like this

    4. @30harbakshsingh45 Avatar
      @30harbakshsingh45

      the day 60hz+ screens drop these will be yucky to use

    5. @Taylor___ Avatar
      @Taylor___

      Totally agree, even a £100 smartphone can provide a smooth transistion between screens and 300K Ferrari’s can’t. It’s not acceptable.

  9. @vladzubac5360 Avatar
    @vladzubac5360

    they almost fixed it. if they would have included normal rotative buttons for climate controls, that would have been fixed!

    1. @nsglcck Avatar
      @nsglcck

      Ik keep asking, but never get an answer. Why do some people want climate control buttons so badly? Why don’t you set it at a temperate you like and never touch it again.

    2. @mooferoo Avatar
      @mooferoo

      @@nsglcck Because sometimes the windscreen starts fogging up, and you need to sort that out sharpish WITHOUT taking eyes off the road.

      Sometimes internal temperature in the car stays constant, but because there is direct sunshine on you now (or disappears) , you need to change the temperature. Again, i like to do that WITHOUT taking my eyes off the road.

    3. @FenderUsa Avatar
      @FenderUsa

      @@nsglcck are you serious? because they’re tactile and make much more sense to use, the only reason they don’t provide them anymore is cost cutting. stop being an apologist and expect more out of expensive products.

    4. @souvikmondal6161 Avatar
      @souvikmondal6161

      They have rotative knobs but in the skoda version lol

    5. @hassyg4083 Avatar
      @hassyg4083

      just get Toyota or Mazda. Look at the 2025 Mazda 3 interior its a cut above this crap by VW

  10. @mrhowmuch Avatar
    @mrhowmuch

    Here in South Africa we missing out on these newer Golf’s 😭😭😭

    1. @andileleburu2129 Avatar
      @andileleburu2129

      Pricing of these is just madness to be honest… 😪

    2. @dbank6107 Avatar
      @dbank6107

      Never mind

    3. @Adwatism Avatar
      @Adwatism

      Instead your are getting cars same as us indians bcuz companies literally exports Made in India cars to south africa with dummed down features

    4. @shiveshp.3271 Avatar
      @shiveshp.3271

      Lol

    5. @thabzmad7265 Avatar
      @thabzmad7265

      We only get the GTI, but given the price of these, it would not have made much of a difference from entry 1.4 to GTI in the upper 600-900k brackets!

  11. @Taylor___ Avatar
    @Taylor___

    @2:30 How is this any different to using your mobile phone whilst driving? It’s mental! I’d also find that screen super distracting. I prefer the screen being intergrated in the centre console lower down.

    1. @mauricetoussaint7283 Avatar
      @mauricetoussaint7283

      Because your phone isn’t part of your car. Work it out, it’s not difficult.

    2. @SaulidSnake Avatar
      @SaulidSnake

      Or sticking a cheap tablet 😅

    3. @polishal9061 Avatar
      @polishal9061

      Operating it while driving is as illegal as using the phone …at least in the countries I know (EU)

  12. @jado3069 Avatar
    @jado3069

    Volkswagen were the cars in which you could just sit down and start driving. Everything was just perfectly in place. You could just drive without need for having a detailed study of your car‘s operating features. Which customer has ever asked for touch sliding buttons or control via touchscreen for functions so regularly used like a climate control? Hope Volkswagen turns around.

    1. @purwantiallan5089 Avatar
      @purwantiallan5089

      Did VW Lupo have climate control buttons?

    2. @chrislee6650 Avatar
      @chrislee6650

      @@purwantiallan5089 Exactly, or travel assist, or internet radio, DAB radio, medial playback from USB, Android Auto, Carplay, bluetooth for phone calls, navigation system, voice recognition, blind spot monitoring, speed limiters, auto start/stop, front break assist, user profiles, ambiant lighting, tyre pressure warnings, oil level indicator, location sharing and engine monitoring to an app, auto air recycling when pollution detected, front and rear temperature zones, heated seats and/or steering wheel, and a hundred and one options to configure all those things as you want. VW just made the decision to put everything within the touch screen UI with an all or nothing approach, clearly the complexity of cars has long gone past the point of a few knobs and buttons covering it all. It really isn’t that bad at all using the climate control, you can customise the UI so on the home screen you have a large panel with buttons for climate control always there to use. I think the days of just jumping into a new car you’ve not used before with there being no learning curve at all are long gone, its the modern world for better or worse.

    3. @krane15 Avatar
      @krane15

      Then Tesla came along and everything changed. That influence is car industry wide. Not just something only VW does.

    4. @Zadrigo Avatar
      @Zadrigo

      Exactly. I still remember when I entered VW Passat for the first time. I was rather anxious since I never drove a car that big, only drove compacts like Golf until that point. It was incredibly smooth, I immediately picked up on everything and everything went superbly well, from parking and narrow streets through highway driving to motorways and fast traffic. But this…? Not only I would never want those touch sliding buttons, I dont believe I would ever remember to tap them twice to switch funcionality from climate control to seats heating control.

  13. @Re-InCarNation Avatar
    @Re-InCarNation

    VW, bring back physical buttons for the HVAC.

    1. @krane15 Avatar
      @krane15

      Unlikely. But the may allow you to program the center console button with a computer update. Funny that many of their corporate twins have buttons.

    2. @hassyg4083 Avatar
      @hassyg4083

      get Mazda 3 instead

  14. @paulie-Gualtieri. Avatar
    @paulie-Gualtieri.

    Why can’t Volkswagen integrate in the screen into the dash. Still looks like an old iPad being used as a sat nav.

    1. @krane15 Avatar
      @krane15

      Do you ask that of BMW? What about Tesla?

    2. @anemeth9281 Avatar
      @anemeth9281

      Audi, Porsche can do it

    3. @peterlustig4875 Avatar
      @peterlustig4875

      You can’t put such a huge screen into the dashboard. There is also a 13.1 inch screen available, should this screen reach down to your feet 😉😅

    4. @hassyg4083 Avatar
      @hassyg4083

      looks crap

    5. @seventeen9718 Avatar
      @seventeen9718

      The AW Polo does exactly that and it looks/feels awesome… one of the many reasons I bought it (and the last of the manuals… hint hint VW)

  15. @Matty12333 Avatar
    @Matty12333

    Yet there still is no dials for the HVAC controls. Flimsy slide button. Mk7 and 7.5 were the best design in my opinion

    1. @FrotLopOfficial Avatar
      @FrotLopOfficial

      Specifically the 7.5 with the LED package. Those double-L Helix front headlightd are * Chefs Kiss. 2019 7.5 Golf R is a thing of beauty. These 2020+ models are diarhea turds.

    2. @krane15 Avatar
      @krane15

      Manufactures either didn’t research of totally ignored the function and saftey of these devices. With knobs your can feel what you want. With sliders, you always have to look. Not to mention, its messy. With my OCD I’d have to own stock in wipes. The screen cleaning type, of course.

    3. @Matty12333 Avatar
      @Matty12333

      @@FrotLopOfficial New cars are horrid from the 2020s, they are built on the cheap but at premium prices. All the screens and computerised functions make up for the lack of quality

    4. @FrotLopOfficial Avatar
      @FrotLopOfficial

      @@Matty12333 Tbh even the 2019s arent great in terms of longevity. I feel like VW fell off after 2017 when they offloaded production to Mexico. The ’19 model just so happens to look the best

    5. @AndriiVozniak Avatar
      @AndriiVozniak

      @@FrotLopOfficial I have purchased a 2019 Golf mk7.5, a wagon with those double-L headlights and Highline trim inside. Enjoying every minute of driving it.

  16. @Matty12333 Avatar
    @Matty12333

    Golf looks much more cheaper looking, yet it’s more expensive than ever to buy.

    1. @krane15 Avatar
      @krane15

      Have you gone car shopping lately? ALL cars are. But manufactures also offer incentive and discounts. The end of the year is a great time for that, and the buy.

    2. @faisalleeds Avatar
      @faisalleeds

      Probably because they are filling them with tech and cameras that people didn’t ask for or even need!
      Agree that some of it is for safety systems, but it’s a shame you can’t spec a base version without it. Also no option for cars without touchscreen!

    3. @hassyg4083 Avatar
      @hassyg4083

      @@krane15 once people break free from the pcp and shop around different brands they will probably pick Japanese or Korean

    4. @zxbc1 Avatar
      @zxbc1

      @@krane15 Not really. Korean and Japanese cars have gone way up in premium feelings. While their prices also went up, so did their driving dynamics and overall comfort levels. German carmakers are just behind, and outdated. Even Chinese cars now are reaching comfort and driving quality levels of Germans and at much cheaper prices. Some of these European cars are selling purely using their badge, not real quality.

    5. @oggyoggy1299 Avatar
      @oggyoggy1299

      No

  17. @johnmcfarlane1580 Avatar
    @johnmcfarlane1580

    Surely that massive feckin iPad stuck in the centre of the dashboard to change settings is a distraction 😂

    1. @chrislee6650 Avatar
      @chrislee6650

      Nope, doesn’t distract at all, it is a joy to use but I can honestly say its never taken my attention or done anything that has made be look at it for no reason.

    2. @nicholassmith7048 Avatar
      @nicholassmith7048

      ​@@chrislee6650thank you, VW marketing department.

    3. @richardwalsh1838 Avatar
      @richardwalsh1838

      ​@chrislee6650 the ipad on the dash is making me not buying this car.

    4. @AI-Records24 Avatar
      @AI-Records24

      @@chrislee6650it’s not a joy to use at all it’s slow, laggy, and menus feel like a sega rally game from 15 years ago.

  18. @elestromusicgamesfun1101 Avatar
    @elestromusicgamesfun1101

    As a Mk 7,5 owner I do love my buttons and dials. VW, LISTEN to what he says! NO ON wants those sliders or touch and NO ONE asked for them.

  19. @GinaBosch Avatar
    @GinaBosch

    Glad to see they have addressed a lot of the issues. But a Golf should be the definition of “go right ahead and buy it”, let’s hope they can find their way back to that level.

    1. @Brian-om2hh Avatar
      @Brian-om2hh

      The Golf’s problem is there are now several alternatives some might prefer to “go right ahead” and buy…….. The Golf isn’t the car it was just a few years back….

    2. @krane15 Avatar
      @krane15

      Depends on the Golf. In GTI or R form definitely

    3. @Caneandunable Avatar
      @Caneandunable

      VW are close to going out of business

  20. @harrisonhealey1679 Avatar
    @harrisonhealey1679

    The MK7.5 is hands down the best version out there. Why? Because it keeps things simple and practical. Unlike newer cars that make you rely on touchscreens for everything, the MK7.5 has physical controls for stuff like heating, ventilation, and volume. You can adjust these without taking your eyes off the road, which is super handy.
    Plus, the quality is top notch. It’s got that perfect mix of modern tech, like Apple CarPlay, without shoving a huge infotainment screen in your face. It’s all about balance, you get the cool tech you need without the distractions you don’t. The MK7.5 just gets it right.

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