Volkswagen Golf Estate - Interior & comfort (2013-2020)

The Golf Estate builds on the impressive road manners of the hatchback and is especially smooth on the motorway – although its slightly firm ride is revealed at lower speeds. We tested a model equipped with the optional adaptive damping system (£875) – offering sport, comfort and normal driving modes, but we found the ride was compliant and settled whichever mode we selected.

It’s worth noting that the more sophisticated rear suspension of 1.5-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel models further adds to ride comfort and driving feel – but no model is downright uncomfortable. All are quiet, too, with any diesel drone dying away when you’re at cruising speed and just a rustle of wind noise from around the mirrors. We reckon the Golf Estate is quieter inside than the SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia and we found the 1.5-litre TSI engine particularly hushed when we tried it in the hatchback.

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Volkswagen Golf Estate dashboard

We love the latest dashboard design of the Volkswagen Golf and the current model’s eight-inch touchscreen just makes it better. It’s used to control secondary systems such as the stereo, cutting down on buttons and making the Golf’s dashboard easier to navigate. All buttons have a lovely damped operation and the general quality of the cabin is better than any of the Golf’s mainstream rivals.

Even if you poke around the lower reaches of the interior, it’s hard to find any evidence of cost-cutting. Most of the materials are soft to the touch, and all have a pleasingly substantial feel to them.

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Equipment

All Golfs come with an eight-inch touchscreen display, air-conditioning, heated door mirrors, DAB radio and a multitude of safety features.

Match Edition cars arguably offer the best value in the range, coming with 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, automatic windscreen wipers and automatic emergency braking with active cruise control, as well as parking sensors, sat-nav, tinted windows and electric folding door mirrors.

The GT Edition is the top-spec model before you reach the sporty versions, and has 17-inch alloy wheels, silver roof rails, Alcantara suede-effect seat trim, piano-black interior trim, a performance monitor and ambient lighting.

The top-spec R model also has 18-inch alloy wheels, as well as sportier suspension and a styling pack. It features bolstered and heated front seats, keyless entry and a 12.3-inch Active Info Display that replaces traditional dials with a configurable screen. The rugged-looking Alltrack, meanwhile, includes off-road suspension, hill-descent assist and the Active Info Display.

Options

Popular options on the Golf include parking assistance (£600), which effectively parks the car for you, a heated steering wheel for £190 and a panoramic sunroof (for £1,050).