The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Slick handling
- Great power
- Impressive steering
- Practical shape
Dislikes
- Last year for the manual
- Skip Golf SE, Autobahn for the Golf R
- Firm ride, especially with bigger wheels
- Some turbo lag
- Annoying haptic controls
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2024 VW Golf lineup delights in any form. Grab a base GTI S for the most approachable thrills, or vault all the way to the delightful Golf R.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI? What does it compare to?
The GTI and Golf R are sporty versions of VW’s small hatchback. Compare them to the Subaru WRX, Hyundai Elantra N, and Hyundai Kona N.
Is the 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI a good car?
These polished performers are a gas to drive, and they’re plenty practical. We rate them at 6.5 out of 10 thanks to their utility, refined feel, and driving zest. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI?
The GTI and Golf R lineups carry into 2024 essentially unchanged, aside from the addition of power-folding mirrors to all versions.
This is the last year for the manual transmission in the GTI, unfortunately. To mark the occasion, all GTIs with a manual will be in a new GTI 380 appearance package with 19-inch wheels, gloss-black exterior accents, and adaptive dampers. The package will be offered on all three trim levels—S, SE, and Autobahn, as well as the Golf R. A Graphite Gray Metallic paint hue will be exclusive to the GTI 380, though the rest of the color palette will also be offered with the manual transmission.
Now the only Golf variants sold in the U.S., these sporty cars share a basic shape with the family-oriented hatchbacks popular in Europe. But they’re dressed up with big alloy wheels, a low stance, and zippy bodywork to match their underhood muscle. Inside, a center stack canted toward the driver has a classy look with either an 8.3-inch or a 10.0-inch touchscreen and a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Seats with big bolsters remind drivers that these cars would rather be on a winding road than handling daily-drive slogs, though they’re reasonable commuters overall.
Golf GTIs use a 241-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 to send power to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. The dual-clutch is infinitely snappier, but the 6-speed is a genuine delight.
The Golf R swaps in a more powerful version of the turbo-4 rated at a hefty 315 hp, which is delivered to all four corners. They even have a nifty drift mode for weekend hooning.
All models have good, if firm, ride, and some of the best steering you’ll find on any modern car. Inside, look for good space for four or even five passengers, so long as they’re not linebackers. A big cargo area gives the GTI small SUV-grade utility. VW even sells a roof rack.
Top crash-test scores from the IIHS and plenty of driver-assistance tech make these cars very safe choices, too.
How much does the 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI cost?
The Golf starts at $32,915 in base S trim, a hefty $2,000 bump over last year’s model. That money buys power-folding mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels, cloth seats that are heated up front, and an 8.3-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Golf R runs about $14,000 more, though it comes with leather seats, a bigger touchscreen, wireless smartphone mirroring, a sunroof, and, of course more power sent to all four corners.
Where is the 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI made?
In Germany.
2024 Volkswagen Golf Styling
While not a classic beauty, these VW hatchbacks have sharp, sporty lines.
Is the Volkswagen Golf GTI a good-looking car?
It’s the anti-SUV. These low-slung five-door hatchbacks wear a bigger version of the basic shape introduced to replace the venerable VW Beetle back in the 1970s. Make no mistake, though, with 18- or 19-inch wheels, complex LED headlights, and beefy side skirts, they’re fully up-to-date. We like the classic look enough to grant them a 6 on the TCC scale.
The two-box shape and big rear roof pillars are a clear nod to the classics. Golf R versions have sportier front bumpers and a big, but well-integrated rear wing. They also wear different wheel designs and blue-painted brake calipers.
Inside, the conservative cabin is light on buttons since nearly everything is now integrated into the touchscreen display or on a touch-sensitive pad just below. Those haptic buttons are frustrating to operate, and they stand in marked contrast to the tartan plaid cloth that comes standard. Talk about an anachronism.
2024 Volkswagen Golf Performance
The VW Golf GTI and Golf R offer spectacular handling and good power paired with a firm ride.
With zippy handling and great turbo power, these hot hatches live up to their performance reputation. Golf R versions include all-wheel drive for sure-footed grip, too.
We wind up at 7 for the lineup.
Is the Volkswagen Golf GTI 4WD?
The Golf R includes an impressive all-wheel-drive system that can hustle half of the engine’s power to the rear wheels and then deliver every bit of that power to an outside rear wheel in hard cornering.
How fast is the Volkswagen Golf GTI?
It’s fleet of foot, that’s for sure. The base 241-hp, 273 lb-ft of torque 2.0-liter turbo-4 delivers rapid go with only a hint of initial turbo lag. We adore the sublime, precise shifting feel you’ll find with the standard 6-speed manual. The optional dual-clutch can stumble a bit at low speeds, which makes turbo lag more obvious, though they’re quicker to shuffle through the gears than a human’s arm and leg can row the manual.
The Golf R includes an amped-up turbo-4 rated at 315 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. That power bump makes their all-wheel-drive system even more necessary. Look for 60 mph to come up in just 4.7 seconds with the dual-clutch automatic.
These cars have great steering heft, especially in comparison to the lightness typically found in the rest of the VW lineup. Good steering feel for an electric setup and rapid-fire response make these cars feel nimble, but they’re not tiring at speed. You won’t find yourself constantly correcting them.
Handling is balanced and neutral, with limited lean and a confident feel down a winding road.
The downside to that handling prowess is a firm ride, especially with the available 19-inch wheels. So-equipped models definitely need their adaptive dampers; they’d be punishing without.
Good brake modulation makes scrubbing off power easy.
Golf R models turn up the wick at every opportunity, with astounding grip, no shortage of neutral feel, and a slightly stiffer ride. They’re a bit rough for daily-driver use, though.
2024 Volkswagen Golf Comfort & Quality
VW’s small hatchbacks make great use of their small footprints.
They may be powerful and fun to drive, but these VWs wear a practical economy car shell. They’re a 7 for SUV-rivaling utility and comfy front seats.
GTIs come with firm, supportive front seats. You’ll have to spend up for power adjustment, but that’s a fair tradeoff for the playful plaid cloth that comes standard. There’s decent rear-seat leg room with big door openings for such a small car. Nice materials inside are in line with pricing, even if the GTI doesn’t have the mini-Audi feel it once did.
Out back, the 19.9 cubic-foot cargo area mushrooms to 34.5 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks flopped forward.
2024 Volkswagen Golf Safety
Good crash-test results and ample standard fare make these VWs good choices.
How safe is the Volkswagen Golf GTI?
They’ve done well in crash tests. Option up to the available upgraded LED headlights and the IIHS says that these cars earn a Top Safety Pick+ award. Standard automatic emergency braking elevates them by another point. These VW hatchbacks rate a 7 on the TCC scale, with room to climb when the NHTSA tests them.
2024 Volkswagen Golf Features
The 2024 VW GTI and Golf R are priced right for zippy hot hatches.
The lineup starts at $32,915 for a base GTI S. With cloth seats, heated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, and an 8.3-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, it’s pretty well equipped for such a powerful hatchback. The dual-clutch automatic runs about $800 more.
VW also includes an impressive 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with two years of scheduled maintenance.
Overall, the GTI range is a 9 for value thanks to its good standard fare, big touchscreen, safety tech, and warranty.
If we have any concerns, it’s with some hiccups in the infotainment interface. VW’s is not one of our favorites.
Which Volkswagen Golf GTI should I buy?
We like the base Golf GTI S well enough to consider skipping the $4,500-or-so upcharge for the SE, which adds a sunroof, a 10.0-inch touchscreen, and Harman/Kardon audio.
How much is a fully loaded Volkswagen Golf GTI?
The Golf GTI Autobahn runs about $40,000. That money buys leather trim, a head-up display, memory for the driver’s seat, and 19-inch wheels paired with adaptive dampers.
Meanwhile, the Golf R comes outfitted with similar convenience features (albeit more power and drive wheels) for $46,605 to start.
2024 Volkswagen Golf Fuel Economy
Driven gently, the 2024 VW GTI and Golf R return decent fuel economy.
Is the Volkswagen Golf GTI good on gas?
They’re pretty fuel efficient if you consider just how quick they are. Opt for the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic and fuel economy is estimated at a reasonable 24 mpg city, 34 highway, 28 combined. Manual transmission models slide to 23/32/27 mpg.
The Golf R is rated at 26 mpg combined with the dual-clutch and just 23 mpg combined with the manual.
