Is the Nissan Qashqai or the Volkswagen Golf cheaper to buy?

In current stock the Nissan Qashqai starts lower: the Nissan Qashqai is available from £6,480 (median £8,488) and the Volkswagen Golf from £7,990 (median £11,235).

What are the monthly finance payments on the Nissan Qashqai vs the Volkswagen Golf?

Illustrative finance starts from £151/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) on the Nissan Qashqai and £194/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.9% 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 Nissan Qashqai or the Volkswagen Golf?

The most common annual road tax (VED) across Nissan Qashqai stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Golf — so the Nissan Qashqai is generally cheaper to tax.

Which is more reliable at MOT, the Nissan Qashqai or the Volkswagen Golf?

Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Nissan Qashqai averages a 89% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Golf 91% — the Volkswagen Golf edges it on this measure.

Side by side

Nissan Qashqai vs Volkswagen Golf

A side-by-side comparison of the used Nissan Qashqai 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.

Nissan Qashqai or Volkswagen Golf — which should I buy?

The Nissan Qashqai starts cheaper (Nissan Qashqai from £6,480, Volkswagen Golf from £7,990), with illustrative finance from £151/mo and £194/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 89% and 91% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.

Qashqai from: £6,480
Golf from: £7,990
In stock: 18 vs 16

Nissan Qashqai versus Volkswagen Golf on price, running costs and MOT reliability, from live UK stock. The best value in each row is highlighted.
From live stock	★ Best value overall Nissan Qashqai 18 in stock · from £6,480	Volkswagen Golf 16 in stock · from £7,990
Cheapest in stock	£6,480★ lowest	£7,990
Median price	£8,488★ lower	£11,235
From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock	£151/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR)★ lower	£194/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.9% APR)
Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock	£200/yr	£200/yr
Median mileage	63,335 mi★ lower	68,346 mi
Median year	2018★ newer	2017
Median CO₂	124 g/km	116 g/km★ cleaner
Typical power	114 bhp	124 bhp★ more
Most common fuel	Diesel	Petrol
Most common gearbox	Manual	Manual
MOT first-time passDVSA history	89%	91%★ more reliable
Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating	9 / 18★ more	1 / 16
	View all 18 Qashqai →	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	Nissan Qashqai	Volkswagen Golf
Overall	70/100	73/100
Reliability	73	71
Running costs	73	85
Safety	60	66
Family & practicality	78	79
Insurance	66	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 Nissan Qashqai 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	Nissan Qashqai	Volkswagen Golf
MPG (combined)	33–74 mpg	0–83 mpg
CO₂ emissions	99–208 g/km	6–278 g/km
Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50	Group 11–29	Group 6–39
Euro NCAP safety	73% pillar avg	80% pillar avg
0–60mph	7.6s	4.5s
Power	104–187 bhp	60–328 bhp
Seats	5	5
Doors	5	5
Length	4377 mm	4255 mm
Width	2070 mm	2027 mm
Height	1595 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 Nissan Qashqai or the Volkswagen Golf cheaper to buy?: In current stock the Nissan Qashqai starts lower: the Nissan Qashqai is available from £6,480 (median £8,488) and the Volkswagen Golf from £7,990 (median £11,235).
What are the monthly finance payments on the Nissan Qashqai vs the Volkswagen Golf?: Illustrative finance starts from £151/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) on the Nissan Qashqai and £194/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.9% 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 Nissan Qashqai or the Volkswagen Golf?: The most common annual road tax (VED) across Nissan Qashqai stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Golf — so the Nissan Qashqai is generally cheaper to tax.
Which is more reliable at MOT, the Nissan Qashqai or the Volkswagen Golf?: Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Nissan Qashqai averages a 89% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Golf 91% — the Volkswagen Golf edges it on this measure.

Motoring Today score

Specs, side by side

Frequently asked questions

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