- Golf chosen in a poll of more than 200,000 UK car owners
- Performance, quality, reliability and ‘smile factor’ highlighted as winning characteristics
- The Golf’s ongoing popularity and versatility spans more than half a century
Milton Keynes – The Volkswagen Golf has picked up its second award in the UK this year, after being named the Best Car for New Drivers at the annual Autotrader Drivers’ Choice Awards.
The Golf was chosen in a poll of more than 200,000 UK car owners by Autotrader, the UK’s largest automotive marketplace for buying and selling new and used cars.
Commenting on the award, Erin Baker, Autotrader’s Editorial Director, said: “The Golf continues to prove its timeless versatility, being the car of choice for new drivers looking for a fun, dependable set of first-time wheels that won’t break the budget. It scored very highly for its looks and driving experience among owners, with one stating: ‘It puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. It feels like a well put together car that offers performance, quality and reliability in one neat package.’ I couldn’t have put it better myself.”
The Autotrader Drivers’ Choice Awards are different from other accolades in that most of the winners are chosen by the car-buying public. This year, more than 200,000 UK car owners completed an online survey to determine the winners in 20 out of 25 award categories.
The Autotrader award comes hot on the heels of the Golf being named the Best Fleet Medium Car at the Great British Fleet Awards 2025 – further proof of the car’s wide appeal and versatility for all types of drivers, and its ongoing appeal over the course of more than half a century.
The Golf range in the UK currently comprises 10 trims, from the Life to the top-of-the-range R Black Edition. Everything from first cars to daily family runabouts such as the Match, currently the top-selling Golf in the UK, and white-knuckle performance models, such as the legendary GTI, mean there is something for everyone in the Golf line-up. Prices range from £28,150 to £47,050 (on-the-road recommended retail prices including VAT).
The Golf is one of two Volkswagen models – along with the Tiguan – among the top-10 best-selling cars in the UK so far this year (source: Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders). Volkswagen itself is currently the biggest-selling manufacturer of new cars in the UK – a position it has held for the past four years.