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 Golf starts cheaper (Volkswagen Golf from £5,695, Volkswagen Polo from £7,252), with illustrative finance from £151/mo and £169/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 91% and 83% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- Golf from
- £5,695
- Polo from
- £7,252
- In stock
- 19 vs 5
| From live stock | Volkswagen Golf 19 in stock · from £5,695 | ★ Best value overall Volkswagen Polo 5 in stock · from £7,252 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £5,695★ lowest | £7,252 |
| Median price | £10,990 | £9,190★ lower |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £151/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR)★ lower | £169/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 73,315 mi | 57,676 mi★ lower |
| Median year | 2016 | 2018★ newer |
| Median CO₂ | 116 g/km | 104 g/km★ cleaner |
| Typical power | 128 bhp★ more | 93 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Manual | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 91%★ more reliable | 83% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 1 / 19 | 3 / 5★ more |
| View all 19 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 | 73/100 | 75/100 |
| Reliability | 71 | 69 |
| Running costs | 85 | 78 |
| Safety | 66 | — |
| Family & practicality | 79 | 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 | 80% pillar avg | 5 stars (2022) |
| 0–60mph | 4.5s | 6.3s |
| Power | 60–328 bhp | 45–204 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Length | 4255 mm | 3970 mm |
| Width | 2027 mm | 1901 mm |
| Height | 1484 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 Golf starts lower: the Volkswagen Golf is available from £5,695 (median £10,990) and the Volkswagen Polo from £7,252 (median £9,190).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Volkswagen Golf vs the Volkswagen Polo?
- Illustrative finance starts from £151/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR) on the Volkswagen Golf and £169/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% 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 91% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Polo 83% — the Volkswagen Golf edges it on this measure.