Is the Volkswagen Golf or the Volkswagen Polo cheaper to buy?

In current stock the Volkswagen Polo starts lower: the Volkswagen Golf is available from £7,990 (median £12,393) and the Volkswagen Polo from £6,599 (median £7,995).

What are the monthly finance payments on the Volkswagen Golf vs the Volkswagen Polo?

Illustrative finance starts from £185/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) on the Volkswagen Golf and £161/mo (HP, 60 months, 17.4% APR) on the Volkswagen Polo. 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 Volkswagen Golf or the Volkswagen Polo?

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

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

Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Volkswagen Golf averages a 92% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Polo 81% — the Volkswagen Golf edges it on this measure.

Side by side

Volkswagen Golf vs Volkswagen Polo

A side-by-side comparison of the used Volkswagen Golf and Volkswagen Polo — 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.

Volkswagen Golf or Volkswagen Polo — which should I buy?

The Volkswagen Polo starts cheaper (Volkswagen Golf from £7,990, Volkswagen Polo from £6,599), with illustrative finance from £185/mo and £161/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 92% and 81% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.

Golf from: £7,990
Polo from: £6,599
In stock: 12 vs 5

Volkswagen Golf versus Volkswagen Polo on price, running costs and MOT reliability, from live UK stock. The best value in each row is highlighted.
From live stock	Volkswagen Golf 12 in stock · from £7,990	★ Best value overall Volkswagen Polo 5 in stock · from £6,599
Cheapest in stock	£7,990	£6,599★ lowest
Median price	£12,393	£7,995★ lower
From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock	£185/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR)	£161/mo (HP, 60 months, 17.4% APR)★ lower
Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock	£200/yr	£200/yr
Median mileage	66,694 mi	47,971 mi★ lower
Median year	2018★ newer	2015
Median CO₂	118 g/km	108 g/km★ cleaner
Typical power	147 bhp★ more	74 bhp
Most common fuel	Petrol	Petrol
Most common gearbox	Automatic	Manual
MOT first-time passDVSA history	92%★ more reliable	81%
Great/good deals in stockMotoring.Today price rating	2 / 12	1 / 5★ more
	View all 12 Golf →	View all 5 Polo →

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	Volkswagen Golf	Volkswagen Polo
Overall	75/100	75/100
Reliability	71	69
Running costs	85	78
Safety	74	—
Family & practicality	80	78
Insurance	61	74

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 Volkswagen Golf and Volkswagen Polo trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).

Spec	Volkswagen Golf	Volkswagen Polo
MPG (combined)	0–83 mpg	0–83 mpg
CO₂ emissions	6–278 g/km	82–216 g/km
Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50	Group 6–39	Group 1–30
Euro NCAP safety	90% pillar avg	5 stars (2022)
0–60mph	4.5s	6.3s
Power	54–328 bhp	45–204 bhp
Seats	5	5
Doors	5	5
Length	4206 mm	3970 mm
Width	2018 mm	1901 mm
Height	1479 mm	1461 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 Volkswagen Golf or the Volkswagen Polo cheaper to buy?: In current stock the Volkswagen Polo starts lower: the Volkswagen Golf is available from £7,990 (median £12,393) and the Volkswagen Polo from £6,599 (median £7,995).
What are the monthly finance payments on the Volkswagen Golf vs the Volkswagen Polo?: Illustrative finance starts from £185/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) on the Volkswagen Golf and £161/mo (HP, 60 months, 17.4% APR) on the Volkswagen Polo. 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 Volkswagen Golf or the Volkswagen Polo?: The most common annual road tax (VED) across Volkswagen Golf stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Polo — so the Volkswagen Golf is generally cheaper to tax.
Which is more reliable at MOT, the Volkswagen Golf or the Volkswagen Polo?: Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Volkswagen Golf averages a 92% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Polo 81% — the Volkswagen Golf edges it on this measure.

Motoring.Today score

Specs, side by side

Frequently asked questions

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