Volkswagen Golf

base stats

• power 296 hptop version
• efficiency 98 g CO₂/kmcleanest version
• popularity 310,124 in NL#1 most common
• price € 45.742new, 2026
• weight 1,332 kgaverage, ready to drive

Bars compare against all cars: 600 hp, 0 g CO₂, 400k registrations, €150k.

what the fuel types mean

• ⛽petrol Cheapest to buy, simple, but fuel is expensive in NL.
• 🛢️diesel Frugal on long trips, but NL road tax is much higher and city bans are growing.
• 🔌plug-in Bigger battery you charge from a plug; short trips can be fully electric.
• 🍃hybrid Petrol engine + small battery that charges itself. Great for city driving.
• ⚡electric Battery only: cheapest per km and quiet, but you need somewhere to charge. NL road-tax discounts are shrinking.

spec sheet

built

1974–now

body

estate / wagon, hatchback, MPV, convertible

engine

1.0 L–3.1 L

cylinders

4–6

turbo

some versions

power

44–296 hp

drive

all-wheel drive, front-wheel drive

gearbox

automatic, manual

seats

5

doors

4

weight

1,332 kg

fuel use

3.8–10.0 L/100 km

CO₂

98–239 g/km

US rating

19–119 mpg

EV range

up to 201 km

US size class

Compact Cars, Midsize Cars, Small Station Wagons

avg new price NL

€ 33.835

Ranges cover every version ever sold. Blank means the sources don't say.

🇳🇱 on Dutch roads

310,124 are registered in the Netherlands today, #1 of all models. Most common build year: 2013 (21,463 cars).

Cars still registered, by year of first registration (RDW).

secondhand shopping hint

Cars 8–20 years old are where budget buys usually live. The register has 193,765 Golfs from 2006–2018, so there should be plenty to choose from on Marktplaats or AutoScout24. Their price when new:

• 2013€ 29.819
• 2014€ 30.842
• 2015€ 35.625
• 2016€ 32.002
• 2017€ 34.188
• 2018€ 35.481

🇺🇸 US versions (243)

Every version the EPA tested, model years 1985–2027. mpg is combined; L/100 km converted.