Vauxhall Corsa vs Volkswagen Golf
A side-by-side comparison of the used Vauxhall Corsa 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.
Vauxhall Corsa or Volkswagen Golf — which should I buy?
The Vauxhall Corsa starts cheaper (Vauxhall Corsa from £5,476, Volkswagen Golf from £6,695), with illustrative finance from £132/mo and £178/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 23% and 50% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- Corsa from
- £5,476
- Golf from
- £6,695
- In stock
- 11 vs 12
| From live stock | ★ Best value overall Vauxhall Corsa 11 in stock · from £5,476 | Volkswagen Golf 12 in stock · from £6,695 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £5,476★ lowest | £6,695 |
| Median price | £7,290★ lower | £11,843 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £132/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR)★ lower | £178/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 46,000 mi★ lower | 63,057 mi |
| Median year | 2020★ newer | 2018 |
| Median CO₂ | 118 g/km | 111 g/km★ cleaner |
| Typical power | 99 bhp | 133 bhp★ more |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Manual | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 23% | 50%★ more reliable |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 3 / 11★ more | 2 / 12 |
| View all 11 Corsa → | View all 12 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 | Vauxhall Corsa | Volkswagen Golf |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 63/100 | 73/100 |
| Reliability | 40 | 71 |
| Running costs | 76 | 85 |
| Safety | 60 | 66 |
| Family & practicality | 75 | 79 |
| Insurance | 70 | 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 Vauxhall Corsa 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 | Vauxhall Corsa | Volkswagen Golf |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 35–85 mpg | 0–83 mpg |
| CO₂ emissions | 88–190 g/km | 6–278 g/km |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 1–34 | Group 6–39 |
| Euro NCAP safety | 73% pillar avg | 80% pillar avg |
| 0–60mph | 6.5s | 4.5s |
| Power | 59–204 bhp | 60–328 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Length | 3999 mm | 4255 mm |
| Width | 1944 mm | 2027 mm |
| Height | 1488 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 Vauxhall Corsa or the Volkswagen Golf cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Vauxhall Corsa starts lower: the Vauxhall Corsa is available from £5,476 (median £7,290) and the Volkswagen Golf from £6,695 (median £11,843).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Vauxhall Corsa vs the Volkswagen Golf?
- Illustrative finance starts from £132/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the Vauxhall Corsa and £178/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% 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 Vauxhall Corsa or the Volkswagen Golf?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Vauxhall Corsa stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Golf — so the Vauxhall Corsa is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Vauxhall Corsa or the Volkswagen Golf?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Vauxhall Corsa averages a 23% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Golf 50% — the Volkswagen Golf edges it on this measure.