Ford Fiesta vs Volkswagen Golf
A side-by-side comparison of the used Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Golf — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Golf — which should I buy?
The Ford Fiesta starts cheaper (Ford Fiesta from £3,200, Volkswagen Golf from £4,495), with illustrative finance from £145/mo and £119/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 82% and 91% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- Fiesta from
- £3,200
- Golf from
- £4,495
- In stock
- 17 vs 16
| From live stock | Ford Fiesta 17 in stock · from £3,200 | ★ Best value overall Volkswagen Golf 16 in stock · from £4,495 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £3,200★ lowest | £4,495 |
| Median price | £8,350★ lower | £10,738 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £145/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR) | £119/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR)★ lower |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 51,630 mi★ lower | 73,408 mi |
| Median year | 2017 | 2018★ newer |
| Median CO₂ | 114 g/km★ cleaner | 118 g/km |
| Typical power | 98 bhp | 120 bhp★ more |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Manual | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 82% | 91%★ more reliable |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 4 / 17 | 5 / 16★ more |
| View all 17 Fiesta → | View all 16 Golf → |
Motoring Today score
Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.
| Score | Ford Fiesta | Volkswagen Golf |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 73/100 | 73/100 |
| Reliability | 65 | 71 |
| Running costs | 78 | 85 |
| Safety | — | 66 |
| Family & practicality | 79 | 79 |
| Insurance | 72 | 61 |
A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.
Specs, side by side
Manufacturer specifications across the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Golf trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).
| Spec | Ford Fiesta | Volkswagen Golf |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 37–88 mpg | 0–83 mpg |
| CO₂ emissions | 82–179 g/km | 6–278 g/km |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 2–31 | Group 6–39 |
| Euro NCAP safety | 5 stars (2017) | 80% pillar avg |
| 0–60mph | 6.3s | 4.5s |
| Power | 45–197 bhp | 60–328 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Length | 3950 mm | 4255 mm |
| Width | 1912 mm | 2027 mm |
| Height | 1476 mm | 1484 mm |
How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring Today price model. Our methodology →
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Ford Fiesta or the Volkswagen Golf cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Ford Fiesta starts lower: the Ford Fiesta is available from £3,200 (median £8,350) and the Volkswagen Golf from £4,495 (median £10,738).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Ford Fiesta vs the Volkswagen Golf?
- Illustrative finance starts from £145/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR) on the Ford Fiesta and £119/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR) on the Volkswagen Golf. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the Ford Fiesta or the Volkswagen Golf?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Ford Fiesta stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Golf — so the Ford Fiesta is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Ford Fiesta or the Volkswagen Golf?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Ford Fiesta averages a 82% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Golf 91% — the Volkswagen Golf edges it on this measure.