Used 2016 Volkswagen Golf Consumer Reviews

This is a fantastic automobile

The 2016 Volkswagen Golf TSI S 4-door hatchback equipped with the 5-speed manual transmission is truly a great car. I chose the model without the sunroof for the reason that it costs around $1,000 more for that model, and the sunroof was not worth it for me. Starting with the exterior, the Golf looks sporty yet refined (not as bold as the GTI, yet still retains some sportiness). The standard 15" Lyon wheels look good, and the 195/65 tires transmit almost zero road noise, which makes the ride very quiet and comfortable, especially when coupled with the suspension setup. The four-door model offers plenty of space as well. I am 6' 3", and with the driver's seat in my setting, I have 1.5"-2" of leg room in the back seat, which is more than I have in most sedans which outsize the Golf considerably. The hatchback design also allows for a ton of cargo room, which is great when compared to sedans. The door panels are tight and make a solid "thunk" when closed. The halogen lights on the Golf are good (the lighting package cannot be had on this trim, an $1,100 option) and give you good visibility at night. I was surprised that the signals on the mirrors are LEDs, and the Golf has heated mirrors standard (great for the northern folks). Moving to the interior, the Golf's seating surfaces are a sort of cloth, but it is thick and durable, not like that found in a Toyota or Honda. The steering wheel is the same as the one found in the GTI model, leather-wrapped and having a flat bottom, which is very comfortable and feels great. The gauge cluster is very appealing, with easy-to-read font and a well-spaced layout. The steering wheel controls allow the menus to be navigated easily on the mini-screen between the tachometer and speedometer. This moves me to one of my favorite aspects about the car, and that is the Volkswagen Infotainment System. I have driven many cars (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Porsche, and many more) and this is one of the top systems I have ever used. This is because it is simple, yet loaded with useful features that other vehicles lack. For instance, the VW system offers Apple Carplay and Android Auto, which essentially converts the screen to appear just like the phone you are using. It also has a wealth of vehicle information, such as MPGs, a ThinkBlue Trainer (which measures how much fuel the drivers' style saves or loses), and much more. This system arguably works better than vehicles with price tags double or triple of my Golf ($21,495). In the glove box, there are outlets for three SD cards and a CD player as well. In the center stack there are the USB and AUX input jacks for your telephone. The Golf also has three 12V power outlets, one by the E-brake, one in the center arm-rest, and one in the right side of the trunk. This allows for plenty of charging of any devices. The seats in the Golf are not as supportive as those found in the GTI, but they do the job. They are manually adjusting for forward/backward and height, but the backrest is electric for whatever reason (I found that rather odd) However, the overall quality of the interior is good. You can tell the quality of the materials used is economical, but altogether it is pretty good for the price point. Mechanically, the engine in this vehicle was one of the reasons I chose to go with the Golf. For the price point, you get the most power (170 hp, 200 lb-ft tq) and it is fantastic. The engine sounds great when it is revved up to around 5-6 thousand RPMs, and it does not sound annoying like some inline-4 cylinder turbos of today do. The 5-speed manual transmission is great as well, it is smooth, and the clutch is firm, which I like. The windows in the Golf are all auto up and down, and the actuators work well and do not feel/sound cheap at all. Driving the car is a blast. Though it is front wheel drive, there is virtually no torque-steer under full acceleration, and this car takes corners like a champ, despite the 195/65 tires. There are also many different accessories available for the Golf to make it an even better car than I have described it to be here. Overall, I give this car a 5/5 for the power, value, build quality, and overall fit-and-finish.

So Glad I Bought It

This little car is awesome. It's zippy and handles the road like a champ. Plenty of flexible cargo space. Great visibility, plenty of "get-up," fantastic turn radius, great for city driving also good on the highway. Very fun to drive, definitely the best small car I've driven. I was hesitant to buy a brand new car, but this turned out to be well worth it. I often get over 40 mpg on the highway cruising at ~72/mph. In the city I get around 25 mpg so it is a little worse than my cheap old hyundai in the city, but vastly better. The cargo space is not as big as the Jetta but it's more flexible and the car looks a lot cooler. If you are bored by the Civic or Elantra and have an extra ~ $3,000 go for this. UPDATE 6/2018: this car still kicks a$$. I just drove from Toronto to Pittsburgh and back: 45 mpg the whole time, and I always use the lowest grade of fuel. Sometimes I wonder if I could get even better economy from premium gas. So far the only parts I've replaced include the wipers (cost $75 total, had to special order from Bosch) and the cabin air filter ($25). I've had the oil changed twice because the car has some kind of sensor or timer that tells you when to change it. So, my total maintenance cost the last three years has been about $280. The exterior still looks great, everything works well, I really enjoy the carplay feature. The interior has definitely deteriorated a little bit, just normal waer and tear, especially in the driver's seat. I sometimes regreat not getting the leather seats because of that. Anyway, overall, this is one of the best things I've ever bought, I like it more than my house LOL!

Unity

Smooth engine, precise responsive steering, clean tasteful styling, better ride height and visibility won me over from the 2016 Civic. I wanted the lighting package so migrated to the SE which gives you an amazing Fender stereo. Wasn't planning on the driver assist safety package but given the how distractable life can be, and the non-obtrusive nature of this German version, I decided to fork out the extra $1500 in hopes it may safe my life in some way. The seats don't look impressive but are very comfortable and supportive. The new Honda Civic is their best version yet with lots of features on the touring. The best way to describe the difference between these two cars is the German car reflects the near perfection of unity between car and driver and the Japanese car reflects excellent car parts put together well but you still know it's a puzzle and not a photo. The Apple car play is a nice feature. Wind noise is exceptionally low. Not a fan of Mazda, but always rated high by professional reviewers.

Built to drive and have fun

It took a 10 minute drive to fall in love with this car.... and I've driven a LOT of cars. I didn't want to have anything to do with Volkswagen --- I wanted something that had a more reliable reputation -- but I suddenly find myself a devoted follower. The car is built to drive, to have fun and enjoy. Somewhere between the paddle shifters (makes the car FAST), technology and lighting packages, I just lost it. And I'm still loving it! Update: After a year of owning the Golf, I still look forward to driving. No problems with the vehicle. More and more I appreciate the lighting package, frequently use the parking assist (parallel parking) feature and love apple-play for podcasts / audiobooks. A great package in a small car. The difference between my wife's top of the line Toyota Highlander (a very nice $50k car) and the Golf is striking -- the Golf is built for the driving experience, where you can easily see, maneuver and accelerate in a way that, in my opinion, out-performs any of Toyota's cars. I'd buy it again.

Mixed bag, love the car, but hate repair record

I bought a TSI SE with the lighting and safety packages late in 2016. I really debated just getting the wolfsburg but really liked the lighting package and the fender. I regret that decision daily. Been in the shop a total of 14 days from 200 miles to 2700 so far. EPC light on twice, car went into limp mode. Sunroof leaked from day ONE. Evidently their plastic sunroof channels in GTIs and Golfs crack over time. Google it, or check out the link below for the technical bulletin. With all the issues I have had I honestly am almost about done with the car, but can't trade it in cause the value sucks. 28k sticker, paid just over 23k, now only worth 16k trade, great cars lol. I will say that the dealers worked with me to make things right and VW corporate did follow up with me all the time. I asked for a new car or give me my money back, they declined both. I then asked for something less and they accepted. So while this has become a love/hate relationship at least VW did something. I dealt with Honda and their VCM vibrations on their 6 cyl and they do nothing for you. So my verdict is still out, fun little car to drive, love the seats, love the radio and straight forward manual hvac controls. Their LKAS sucks though, FYI, Honda's implementation of that system is much better. We'll see how this progresses, but short of declaring a lemon law claim don't think I can afford to trade it in at that sort of loss. So my message is buyer beware here for VW, fun cars but get ready for a few possible trips to the dealer.

Fantastic Buy!

Purchased the SE model with automatic transmission. It's a blast to drive. The car rides like a luxury car and is super quiet at highway speeds. The doors close with a solid thud and overall the car feels more expensive than it is. There are w lot of small touches that are really cool like the cooled glovebox, carpet lined bin in the doors, and rear view camera that deploys from the logo when in reverse. The fender audio system is amazing! The car looks small on the outside but is very roomy for the class. Handling is exactly what you'd expect from a Volkswagen. It handles corners with ease. Plenty of power. Mileage is at 28 mpg or so but I have a lot of stop and go traffic and the car isn't broken in yet. My only gripe is the transmission. It can be a bit clunky at lower speeds as Edmunds says. It's eager to up shift and seems to have trouble finding the right gear when coming to a stop. There is of course the option to shift yourself. It's not enough to stop me from loving the car but something to consider. Perhaps a transmission reprogram would help. Can't comment on reliability yet. Overall this car would be a great buy for many people but always seems to get overlooked by all the Civics, corollas, and even jettas.

Vault solid and great value.

This car drives sublimely. Quiet, stable and agreeably fun. Excellent highway MPG (40) OK city (25). Manual takes a little getting used to after precise 6 speed manual 14 Mazda6. Fit and finish are great. Wish the aluminum wheels were a little less boring on the S, but the suspension is way more refined than anything close price-wise. Inside, its all logical and nothing feels base. I got this with a huge discount off MSRP and in many ways it is like a 2005 Acura TSX I owned for 5 years. I hope that the reliability is good and that VW gets on track following the scandal. This is an icon of simple design refinement. Now at almost 12,000 miles, I continue to love the Golf. Masterful in city traffic and mileage has improved, great suspension and no problems. What a deal! At 26,000 miles I really like this car....solid, less is more, fun to drive and great space. Superb smaller car for a big city. No problems.

Love the Golf TSI. Traded in for 2019 GTI Autobahn

Bought a loaded (except Nav) Golf 4door TSI SE in March 2016 and love it with some reservation. I think the value of this car exceeds the competition but they are catching up (eg. Mazda). The build quality mimics Audi and has performed well. My dealership service department (Coastal VW) has also been good to date but the Sales department has gone downhill. I owned the car for 3 years driving very low miles (20,500). My only complaints was the EPC error with engine hesitation which has occurred about 10 times before it was resolved with a software update. My other complaint (minor) is the automatic transmission down shifting could be smoother. If you are looking for a hatchback you must include the VW Golf TSI in your test drive line-up as the car is a good value. I got a good trade in value. Purchased a 2019 GTI Autobahn in Silver White Metallic with the new VW warranty offering (6/72k). Got a great deal and the Sales experience at Kelly VW was excellent!

Golf is a much better car than the Jetta

The basic S model in the 4 door with cloth interior is a great value. The beige interior with brushed aluminum trim looks very upscale and the materials feel expensive. The 15 inch wheel contribute greatly to ride comfort over the broken pavement and pot holes and the car still tracked well. It feels solid and well put together. Its quiet and smooth and easy to see out of. I drove the Jetta Sport in a five speed and I was disappointed. That particular Jetta also seems to have been abused as a demo so it might not be representative. Then I drove the Golf 6 speed auto and what a difference. If VW offered a 6 speed manual in the TSI I would have no hesitation in buying one. As it were, I am very tempted with the 6 speed auto. The paddle shifter on the steering wheel gave it a sporting touch and they also worked very well. Everything about the car is spot on!

Love to drive it

I look forward to going anywhere knowing i get to drive if there and back 😊 The automatic in shift mode ( paddle or stick) is just as fast as the manual and faster if you don't power shift. 0 to 30 is really fast ! My wife likes to tool around in auto drive mode and is more than happy with the response. Feels like i am in an Audi. Interior is high quality. This baby will do until I get the wherewithall to buy an S3. (Audi)👍

Nice little city car

2016 golf looks very clean, distiller almost. In general the ride is very enjoyable: plush and quite. Ride wise my two biggest complains are: cornering and handling uneven pavement on stock 15" wheels/tire is entirely unpredictable, the car tilts and bobs diagonally at highway speed at times. The second complain is down-shifting of an automatic transmission: especially at lower gears, when downshift occurred the sound and the vibration comming from transmission is to much, almost feels as some sort of malfunction.

1st Month - No buyer's remorse yet - LOL

Got a '16 SE on closeout. Had I been able to get it with a manual, I'd be supremely happy, as I'd say the only flaw in this otherwise fine machine is the odd and irritating shifting of the auto transmission. The computer and I are rarely in agreement. I find it to be over-eager to upshift and then lug (esp. on an incline) at 900 RPM or so, and in so doing, the normally peppy demeanor of the car is lost. It also seems to get confused when coasting, downshifting as one decelerates, only to then think the revs are too high and upshift again, and then back again. This issue aside, I continue to be impressed with the Golf's able handling, surprisingly good noise isolation for such a small car, firm seats, logical controls, clean design and other general German virtues. Just wish I could have gotten the SE's 17" rims and leather seats on the S, OR a manual tranny on the SE. But ultimately my aversion to the S's 15" rims outweighed my desire for a manual transmission (not available on the SE). One year on and, with the only exception of the oddly programmed automatic transmission, I remain very pleased with this car. Took a 2,600 mile road trip this summer, and it proved a worthy travel companion.

Quick and Comfortable

The 2016 Golf is small, agile, quick, and comfortable, except for one small thing (four small things, actually): the doors. After having driven 2-door GTIs for thirty-one years, shoe-horning myself into the Golf is a challenge. Before buying the Golf, I paid CarMax $800 to ship a two-door 2016 GTI across country since I'd been happy with GTIs. But the ride on the 18-inch wheels was a lot harsher than on the 17-inch wheels of my previous GTI, so I bought the Golf instead.

Exceptional Golf

This car's handling far exceeded my expectation. Awesome acceleration! Purchased base S automatic in white. Installed aftermarket leather and tinted windows. The car looks fantastic! Got a great deal from VW Royal in San Francisco from James!

Transmission dead Engine misfiring 4yrs old

A ten thousand dollar repair on a 4 yr old well maintained vehicle is ridiculous. Volkswagen Canada, no response local Barrie dealer, no response.

buy used golf, not new.

if you are in the market for a Volkswagen golf, find a well cared for 2016 tsi s ,instead of a 2019. vw ruined the golf when they replaced the wonderful 1.8 engine with the 2.4 litre. the transmission is also less desireable.other than that it is still a quality hatchback. I have owned the 2016 model for four years and it rides,drives and performes as well as it did the day I drove it off the showroom floor.in addition ,the car is still rock solid without a squeak or a rattle.good luck finding one.

Amazing Little Car

I've had a love/hate relationship with VW, having owned over 10 since the early 90's. I purchased a 2016 TSI SE in late November 2015 and 15 months later I've only put a hair over 7,000 miles on it. Living in Salt Lake City and finally getting a heavy snow year, the Golf rallied in deep snow but at low and high speeds. Even pulling into an unplowed parking lot with 9" of snow, the car never felt like it was going to get stuck. For 170hp, the car is quite quick with a little turbo lag. But quick accelerating at 90mph to pass interstate traffic is never a problem. At first I didn't notice much of a change in performance between Drive and 'Sport' mode, other than a huge decline in fuel economy. Now it seems like the car is broken in and I've noticed Sport mode working around town - although not nearly as noticeable as my BMW 3 Series or my old Audi A3 Sportback. The car provides a super comfortable ride. At 6'4" tall, I have plenty of head and leg room. My only complaint in the comfort department is that I wish the lumbar support had a bit more adjustability. The suspension is great, even at high speed cornering, and always feels planted. A/C is decent, but VW isn't known for it's A/C. However the seat heaters and heating overall is amazing. The small engine gets up to temperature quick so you're feeling the effects kick in, even on short commutes. Shifting... That would be the Achilles heel of this car. I find the lag in upshift between 2nd and 3rd to be frustrating at times, but an easy solution is to hit the + paddle on the steering wheel and manually shift up when the RPM's are high. I have to say I'm glad to have pulled the trigger on the 2016 SE model before the 2017's hit the market with a reduced number of choices. Although the same car, my neighobor's 2017 Golf Wolfsburg Edition is essentially the same car - less the super nice wheels that come stock on the 2016 SE's.

1st 1,000 miles and still loving it

Very happy with my Golf. It wasn't my top choice but with mfg rebates the price was to good to pass up. Car handling is great and I appreciate the interior and how quiet the car is. Only regret so far is I didn't get sunroof. As I live in the northeast I'm curios to see how it handles in the snow.

Excellent Quality

I have had this car for for 8 months and I love it. I literally researched different cars for years before I bought this one, and definitely made the right choice. I've had no problems, and I feel the quality and luxury every time I drive it. The only things that are a "con" would be these: the gas mileage is not as good as my old car (which was a 2001 Kia Rio), I still have problems fiddling with the windshield wiper lever, and I wish that every model came with an option for a blind spot monitor. I wanted that feature, but didn't want to buy an entire package for thousands of dollars just to get a blind spot monitor.

Fun to drive, great value

I have the Golf wagon with 6 speed automatic. It's fun to drive and with the wagon it can haul a LOT. Been completely reliable thus far - 15,000 miles. And I got it for just over $20K with 0% financing. Couldn't be happier.

Great car for the money

It’s not the best looking vehicle out there but compared to every vehicle in its class it’s significantly better. To be fair I have the 1.8T SEL with tech package and “ leatherette” interior. It feels premium for the price I paid though would have seemed a bit pricey if I bought it new. I bought it used with 22,000 miles. I have had the car now for over 2 years put 28,000 miles on the car. It gets great gas mileage when you are not hammering the turbo. If you actually drive at highway speed limits you can get about 35mpg. I’m a fairly aggressive driver so I am getting about 24MPG combined and 32 MPG highway. In terms of balance and feel the car is simply unparalleled. It’s easily maneuvered due to its compact size and masterfully crafted chassis. Does it have its plastic bits that creak? Sure! but so did one of my $85k SUVs. I bought this car as a beater that I could throw miles on and not care about. The drive is so fun that I fell in love with it and choose to drive it over my other cars on most days. If I knew what I was getting myself into from the start I would have opted for the 2.0L GTI yet I am enjoying the extra fuel savings and not having to buy premium fuel. All in all if you can find a GTI or 1.8T with all the upgrades buy it. You won’t be disappointed.

Excellent Car

I bought the Golf TSI S model in 2016. I selected the 2-door, with a 5-speed manual. It is now 2025 and 123,000 miles later. This car has been an absolute pleasure to own. I use premium fuel, and it easily gets 40 mpg hwy. Smooth, responsive, handling at all speeds, even with 15" wheels! After 8 years of ownership the only negatives I can identify is a blind spot over my left shoulder, which is common with small hatchbacks. Also, my right knee touches the large center console. That is it. Car is nimble around town with a micro turning radius. It is not super zippy like a Honda Civic or Mazda 3. Instead, this car is geared for highway travel, which is amazing for a small car. It rides very stable at 75 mph, with lots of power for passing. Quiet at high speed and the engine is nowhere near winding out like Honda or Mazda would be. There have been 3 recalls: clock spring and fuel tank pump twice. Dealer took care of these. Bottom line: If they still offered this car I would absolutely buy a new one today. If you are considering a used 2016, buy it. It is a very well made car. I don't know how the automatic has held up, but the manual is a winner.

Great car

I've owned my Golf for almost 2 years, and have 45,000 miles on it. It's been the best car I've ever owned - even better than my Hondas and definitely better than my old Mazda3 and Ford Focus. Exceptional reliability so far, very fun to drive, gets amazing gas mileage, and can hold a crazy amount of cargo (2 bikes, a dog, 2 people, and luggage for a weekend trip).

Get it

Golf TSI S Review

I got this car as I wanted a somewhat sporty hatchback that is good on gas. I had a jetta from around 2008 and enjoyed it and so I thought I would try out the golf. The TSI is a fairly barebones model without any real fancy features but it was very affordable. The exterior is subdued as is the utilitarian interior design but it is functional and good quality materials. I like the center touch screen and it functions nicely. The golf tsi s has paddle shifters and a sport mode which makes it a fun drive. With a 170 hp 4 cylinder turbocharged engine, it does a good job of balancing sporty performance with excellent fuel economy. At just around 7 seconds from 0-60 mph it is lively but not a speed demon. It lacks some safety features now present on the competition, such as Lane assist. I have had several maintenance related problems. I got the car with 55,000 mi and I had to have 1. The gear shifter assembly replaced and 2. The clock spring in the steering wheel. Both were covered under warranty but it was still a head ache to deal with. As a result, it's hard to give it the best marks for reliability but I also recognize it is a used car and you get what you pay for. Looking back I don't regret my decision to get this car but I am wanting more and springing for the GTI or the R is tempting now that I've had a taste of the Golf TSI.

Great Car

In 2018, I bought a used 2016 S model with 5,000 miles on it, for $14,500. Couldn’t be happier. So far, zero problems, with regular maintenance. No squeaks or rattles. Drives smoothly and good highway mileage (drove 800+ miles and filled the tank twice. It now (2023) has 50,000 miles on it: still comfortable, still no problems, smooth ride. A really great little car—so much so that we bought another one (2018 model), pre-owned with 15,000 miles on it, for the family, equally reliable and a comfortable ride, in the city and on the highway. A friend recently drove it and said, “I love this little car, so smooth and frisky!” Every once in a while, I think about trading it in for a Tiguan, but I like it so much I’m keeping it.

Excellent choice

Agile and fun yet comfortable. Five years no major maintenance issues.

Awesome car, great fuel economy!

I’m very happy with my purchase, car has been awesome. Good pep in the step, and fuel economy is good when I need it.

Full

New 2016Golf

Great service and deal at Pasadena Volkswagen.