But a panoramic roof…
The good, old, trusted Volkswagen Golf – preferably in gray – is still the most sought-after car on the used car market. Not surprising, because the range is enormous and anyone looking for a handy, reliable and inexpensive used car cannot ignore the Golf. But which generation is most sought after? And in which version does the average customer prefer to see his or her Golf? A taste: people prefer to see it in its original form.
The Volkswagen Golf is a certainty
When Volkswagen launched the Golf in the 1970s, it quickly became clear that the German brand had hit the mark. The Golf is celebrating its fiftieth (!) anniversary this year and is in its eighth generation. Despite emissions scandals, cheaper competitors and the rise of the compact SUV, it is still one of the best running models of all. On sites such as AutoTrack and Gaspedal, the search term ‘Volkswagen Golf’ is entered millions of times a year. But what exactly do buyers want? How specific does the Golf have to be?
Golf VII and Golf VIII compete for the lead
So there are eight generations on the market and it should come as no surprise that the old berries are hardly sought after. A Golf from the 1970s or 1980s is either almost used up or in such good condition that it is a collector’s item. Instead, it’s the most recent generations, the Golf VII and Golf VIII, that buyers are looking for. The favorite year of construction is 2017, closely followed by 2020, 2018 and 2021. Not too new, but certainly not too old. Middle of the roadas befits a Golf.
Petrol waves are by far the most popular
If we search by fuel type, petrol is the big winner. Hybrid and diesel follow in second and third place, making the Volkswagen Golf an excellent picture of our national search behavior when it comes to used cars. If people are looking for special versions of the Golf – which does not always happen – then the GTI is still the most requested variant. The sporty R and the hybrid GTE are also doing excellently. However, with more than 100,000 searches in 2023, the GTI wins by a mile.
Volkswagen Golf VII GTI.
Hatchback above the station wagon
The VW Golf is originally a hatchback and various body variants have been added over the years. The convertible soon arrived and the Variant also proved to be a great success. Buyers of a second-hand Golf still primarily want a hatchback. This option was checked 573,309 times, while the Variant, the station wagon, was searched for 272,565 times. With 59,447 specific searches, the Golf Cabrio is still doing excellently.
Volkswagen Golf VIII.
Five doors and a panoramic roof
Finally, some striking facts that arise from the search behavior for the Volkswagen Golf. Almost unanimously, Golf buyers are looking for a version with five doors. In 2023, that option was checked more than 100,000 times, while a Golf with three doors was explicitly searched for just over 5,000 times. And the most popular option? Not the towbar, not air conditioning or navigation, but a panoramic roof. This option was checked no fewer than 56,076 times, compared to 20,368 times for a tow bar. In terms of transmission, the automatic is by far the favorite, with 950,337 requests compared to 392,727 for the manual.
Look for used car purchasing advice about the Volkswagen Golf VII this video
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl