About the VW Golf 7

At our home, we have a Volkswagen Golf 7 (early model). It’s a final special edition called the ‘ALL STAR,’ limited to 300 units, equipped with a 1.2-liter turbo engine and a 7-speed DSG transmission. The body color is a special shade called Carbon Steel Gray Metallic. When purchased new, the price was about 3 million yen.

The Golf arrived at our home in August 2016, so it’s been about two and a half years since delivery. By the way, the current mileage is 26,500 km.

Last autumn, after test-driving the new Cayenne, the Cayenne was so impressive that every time I got into the Golf, I started to wonder, “Wait, was the Golf’s ride really this uncomfortable?”

ポルシェ 新型カイエン 試乗レビュー

However, time has passed, and recently I haven’t been recalling the new Cayenne’s ride so much. The other day, after a long time, I drove the Golf for about 150 km round trip and once again realized, “The Golf is truly a wonderful car.” I just had to share that on the blog (laughs).

The Excellence of the Golf 7

Ride comfort, handling, high-speed stability, sufficient power, maneuverability, fuel efficiency… in every aspect, the Golf 7 is a well-balanced car. I have no complaints at all, and I even think every family should have a Golf. So, what exactly makes the Golf so good?

Smooth Ride Comfort

The Golf 7’s ride feels like a smoothed-out Porsche… It’s relatively firm but with a genuine smoothness that makes the ride feel very comfortable. Although you can feel some larger vertical jolts on rough roads or when crossing train tracks, any vibration settles immediately without lingering. I think that’s truly amazing. Also, not only the driver and front passenger seats but the rear seats are very comfortable too, making long trips easy.

High-Quality Interior and Seats

The Golf 7’s interior has a premium feel. The seat stitching is stylish, and there’s no cheap plastic feel on the touch panels or steering wheel.

The seats aren’t too soft and don’t cause fatigue even after long drives. The rear seats are quite spacious, and my husband, who is 178 cm tall, can sit comfortably.

Comfortable for City Driving

Hearing “1200cc, 105 horsepower” might make you wonder, “Is that really enough power?” Honestly, I thought so too. But when actually driving, it doesn’t feel that way at all—in fact, it feels like a more powerful car. There’s no “weak initial acceleration,” and even in stop-and-go traffic or at red lights, it drives smoothly without any awkwardness.

When climbing the steep hill right in front of our house, the engine revs up and the sound gets loud with a “vroom!” but it never feels like it’s struggling despite the engine noise; it climbs steadily. There’s no feeling of lacking power or having too much power—it’s just the perfect balance.

Excellent High-Speed Stability

The Golf’s high-speed stability is impressive. The other day, I drove on the Chugoku Expressway on a weekday with light traffic, and even at higher speeds, the steering and body didn’t wobble at all. In fact, the faster you go, the more firmly stable it feels. The ride is truly flat with minimal vertical movement of the line of sight. Even when changing lanes, there’s no wobble, so you can switch lanes with confidence.

Maneuverable and Practical

With a width of about 1,800 mm and a length of about 4,500 mm, the Golf is very maneuverable. It can easily handle roads that I would avoid with the Panamera, and parking is never a concern. Plus, it seats five people, making it very practical.

Convenient ACC

The Golf’s ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) is quite smart. I always use it on busy highways. The lane-keeping assist maintains the lane through moderate curves.

That said, unlike the Panamera, which has radars on both sides, the Golf has only one radar in the center, so you need to be cautious about sudden cut-ins.

Reliable / Low Maintenance Costs

In these two and a half years and 26,500 km of heavy use, it has never broken down once. Also, a 1-liter oil can was included from delivery so we could top up oil anytime the warning appeared, but I’ve never had to add oil myself (oil changes are done during annual inspections). Fuel efficiency is good too—when my husband uses it for commuting (on general roads and congested highways), it usually gets around 13–15 km/l.

Also, the total cost for the annual inspection, including a thorough check, was just 30,000 yen. Whether you consider that expensive or cheap is subjective, but since the Panamera’s oil change alone cost over 40,000 yen, this feels like excellent value.

Overall Impression of the Golf 7

I once asked my husband, “If you had to keep only one Porsche from our collection, which would it be?” Adding the Golf to the options, he said, “Keeping the Golf is definitely the smartest choice.” It feels like it could be driven normally without any issues for another 10 years. About the Golf, he says:

The cost performance is incredible. At this price, the ride comfort, handling, brakes, and quality are unmatched. Sometimes I drive SUVs or sedans in the 5 to 8 million yen range, but honestly, I often think, ‘Wait, isn’t the Golf better?’
Also, I always feel it’s very safe. Not just in terms of crash safety, but the brake feel and effectiveness, controllability, solid handling, and road-holding ability—all the basic driving performance that helps avoid collisions are really solid.
Some cars emphasize crash safety after impact but have soft, mushy suspensions. The ability to ‘not crash’ based on fundamental driving performance—accelerating, cornering, and braking—is just as important. The Golf doesn’t cut corners there, and I really appreciate that.

This is a completely personal story, but my parents have always loved domestic manufacturer T’s cars and never switched brands. However, since they’re getting older, I’ve been thinking, “I’d feel more at ease if they switched to a Golf that’s solid to drive, rigid, and safe.” That’s how I feel these days.