Volkswagen Golf (1993 - 1997) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I love my 1995 VW golf (named Scarlett). It's over 210,000 miles right now and still runs well. It is small, fast, and fun to drive, economical, cheap and easy to fix, reliable, easy to park, has a fantastic turning radius (U-Turn on a narrow city streets for a parking place? No problem!), can carry more than many suvs (I've packed it with 25 18" CMUs at Home Depot), comes in red, low maintenance cost, running great at over 210,000 miles, can drive several 12-hour days at 70-miles per hour with no problems. If it wasn't getting dowdy looking and smelly inside I'd keep driving it forever.Feb 14, 2014

Actually gets a little better fuel economy when you don't try to squeeze extra miles out by running at lower rpm's... I guess I was just lugging it. Regardless I haven't broken 26 mpg yet, so not great for a 2-door hatchback. Great fun to drive and even at a brisk interstate speed it always has power to accelerate. Decent cargo space for a small car. Good rear seats but I wish it had better hookups for a child's seat. Technically it seats five, but I have done it and that was a cramped ride! Jul 08, 2012

although the 1.6 is not the fastest car it still nice, its purlpe and i have 15" 5 spokes not the biggest but look ok. it starts first time every time and never have to put oil or water in it. the inside is still like it came from the factory last week its a fun car to drive when you have full tank of petrol and need to go for a blast you can go round corners like its on rails, ive had 3 golfs now 2 mark 2 gti's and this one and i know the power is not the same but i think for over all look's and running cost the little one wins every time Nov 27, 2010

I drive this car because its great on gas, and it rides well. I also can fit the whole family in this car along with whatever else we need and still get 34 miles per gallon. Its pretty reliable for everyday driving. That said I will say its a 96, and its starting to show its age and volkswagen does like to design this a little...odd if your repairing your own car, but it workds. So I do need to find a newer car in the near future, but giving they way this golf has performed with winter and hot summer days on the road for all the years Im sure I will be buying another VW. Sep 25, 2010

All in respect to its category :) Performance - fast acc, braking medium, handling easy/good, fast cornering Build quality - Only electric window and door lock replaced, exhaust rattled a bit (with a little prof. exhaust kit resolved it), rust free Appearance - metallic looks briliant, no dents, no scratches, 2 minor chips from stones // interior as new Cost of ownership - cheap maintenance, 1:15 Fun factor - Fast and reliable, fun at trafficlights :) Jul 23, 2009

I bought my Golf Mk3 Driver second hand. This vehicle has been an absolute pleasure to drive. I have had a few small problems with it but nothing I was not able to fix myself. The biggest problem I encountered was when the drain ducts that allow the water to escape from the sunroof inlay got blocked. The inlay filled up with rain water and subsequently overflowed into the roof lining and down into the car. Keep this in mind if you ever own one of these and make sure you keep them clear by checking the exit point just below the front door hinge. The vehicle is an 1800 with an electronic carburettor motor putting out 66kw (about 90bhp). Being an older vehicle, fuel efficiency is not fantastic but decent for this type of vehicle if driven well. As for me, well, I have a heavy foot so she gets a tiny bit juicy. She does accelerate well for her age and I have managed to successfully push her to 120mph. All this coming from a motor that has 135000 miles on it. With the car's lower centre of gravity compared to other MMk3 Golfs, handling is active and responsive and helped with power assisted steering. VW have always been known for their supreme build quality and this car is no exception. A 14 year old vehicle that has been exposed to the extremely wet climate of the UK as well as the raised acidity of coastal air can be expected to show some signs of body ageing. However, no main chassis rust is present although the front edge of the bonnet, the grill trim and a small spot on the boot lid have some spots of rust. Inside the upholstery is dark to hide dirt and the seats quite comfortable. As previously stated, she can be a bit juicy if driven hard although on a full tank of fuel (about 55l including reserve) I was able to drive from London to Stratford-upon-Avon and back (a round trip of about 220 miles) at 80-90mph and still had just below a quarter tank left. Maintenance is relatively cheap if you send it to someone but most simple jobs like servicing are so easy, with a bit of reading on the internet and the right tools, you grandma could probably service this car. This car is really fun to drive and I intend to keep it for quite some timeDec 05, 2008

Overall the best platform Vw has ever built. Power is not impressive but still fun to drive. Has the 2.0L 8V I-4 that is almost indestructible and is very cheap and easy to maintain. This is the perfect car for any car enthusiast. Takes corners beautifully and can stop itself pretty well for the 10.1" braking system. Space inside the car is by no means spacious but it is comfortable. All guages are lit in a factory green glow and are easily read. Cargo room is there but not a great deal of it in the hatch, but the back seat folds down easily to make the extra room. You will be amazed at how much you can stuff in there.Oct 09, 2008

It doesn't get the gas mileage that I thought it would...it revs almost like there should be another gear. It handles really well. I really like the looks of my car and it's nice inside...trimmed out nice. When I clean it out it really looks sharp. It is a solid sounding car that really surprised me when I took it get inspected because the things that were wrong with it in other cars I have owned you were hearing squeaks and thumps and bangs and blah, blah, blah...this car...no noise.Aug 21, 2008