2023 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI Life hatch review

It’s no secret we’re big fans of the 2023 Volkswagen Golf at Drive. Not least for taking out our Drive Car of the Year Best Small Car award two years running, but it continues to score highly every time we have one through the office for evaluation.

It’s long stood for being affordable, comfortable transport with an added layer of refinement its rivals can’t quite seem to ever match. Just like every other car on the market, its price has risen in recent years, so it’s in this lens that we’re behind the wheel of a mid-range specification 110TSI Life to see whether it still stands out among its peers at a loftier price point.

Speaking in rough terms, the 2023 VW Golf range now begins at about what you’d pay for a high-spec variant of its predecessor. At the time of writing, the 2023 Volkswagen Golf hatch range kicks off from $35,190 (before on-road costs) and extends to the $66,990 (plus ORCs) Golf R high-performance variant.

We’re behind the wheel of the $37,490 (plus ORCs) Golf 110TSI Life that sits between the eponymous Golf and Golf R-Line. While that price is current as of the time of testing, Volkswagen has announced a price rise effective July 2023 which will see the Golf Life move up to $38,590, as part of range-wide increases (find out more here).

Over and above the base model Golf, the Life adds bits and pieces such as larger 17-inch alloy wheels, a bigger 10-inch touchscreen, more comfortable seats with lumbar adjustment, a seven-speaker sound system, and convenience functions like keyless entry and wireless smartphone charging.

It keeps the same 1.4-litre engine with 110kW and 250Nm outputs, which sends power to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. To get a more powerful engine, buyers will have to stump up for the performance-oriented Golf GTI.

Compared to the last time we reviewed the VW Golf, little has changed with the model. It now gets a redesigned centre steering wheel hub, a new centre airbag between the front seats for maintaining a high level of safety, and new door trim inserts.

It’s a familiar package, but one well worth revisiting in the current model year to ensure our coveted 2023 Drive Car of the Year ruling stands up.

The Volkswagen Golf’s cabin is an austere place devoid of buttons, dials, and controls you might expect. Instead, it features a minimalist cabin that places emphasis on quality materials and screen real estate.

Its presentation doesn’t wow to the same level as the Peugeot 308, which arguably sets the segment benchmark for interior style, but I think it’s a nicer place to be than a Toyota Corolla. At least, the Golf does get cool ambient lighting inside that lights up really nicely in the dark.

Despite being a small car, there’s a comfortable amount of space inside the Golf’s front row and a good deal of adjustability to get that right driving position. Though the seat fabric and pattern feel a bit low-rent for a mid-spec model grade, it’s a plush cushion to sit on over long drives.

Elements such as the steering wheel rim are covered in a nice leather trim, while the front door cards receive a soft-touch finish and a padded armrest for comfort. The overall fit and finish of the cabin is done to a very high standard thanks to minimal flex from panels, no plastic creaking, and solid, reassuring thunks as you interact with the space. This is the kind of build quality you expect from a European-sourced vehicle and the Golf delivers.

In terms of storage, there’s a small centre console bin to hide away valuables, two cupholders, a nifty slot for storing keys and such, a wireless phone charger tray underneath the dash, and big door bins lined with felt to keep bottles from rattling. Of course, there’s still a glovebox for storing the owner’s manual.

Space in the back seat is limited behind my own driving position. However, despite a lack of leg room for taller occupants, there’s room for your head. Volkswagen has provided map pockets, a fold-down armrest with cupholders, USB ports, air vents with second-row climate control, and wide door bins – again, felt-lined.

This Golf doesn’t get a powered boot release like its Golf Wagon stablemate, but it still opens up to a decent-sized 374L space. There’s a cargo blind and storage hooks for organising your luggage, while the seats can be folded in 60:40 format to afford extra room.

Despite the rest of the VW Golf being a simple user experience, the 10-inch infotainment unit is a bit trickier to get your head around.

It contains simple icons to select varying functions, though it places too much emphasis on using the system for simple controls like changing the airflow or turning off the start/stop system. I think about my parents, who would typically shop for something like a Volkswagen Golf, and can’t imagine them having any idea how to change something as simple as the temperature.

The Golf Life would be a lot simpler if these controls remained physical buttons. There are shortcut buttons below the main display for to take you to climate, self-parking, and driver assist, though these still require further on-screen prodding to make changes.

In any case, the displays are bright and show vibrant colours, while you can even configure the background to suit your preferences. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is on hand for those who prefer a familiar system. Sound is played through a nine-speaker, 480-watt Harman Kardon system that is part of a $1650 Sound and Vision Package (which also adds a head-up display).

To my ears it sounds good, but not amazing enough to be ticking the $1600 option box. In regard to the head-up display, the big digital instrument cluster shows pertinent information right in front of your face anyway.

The Volkswagen Golf was last crash-tested by ANCAP in 2021, where it scored a full five-star rating. Since then, it’s only become safer with the inclusion of a centre-mount airbag, which has become a big-ticket item to have when it comes to safety ratings.

The Mark 8 Golf was awarded 95 per cent for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child protection, 76 per cent for pedestrian protection, and scored 80 per cent for included safety assistance systems.

Active safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking with intersection support, Travel Assist semi-autonomous adaptive cruise control with lane centring, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a proactive passenger protection system, reverse camera, and automatic parking. The Golf Life grade specifically gets a safe exit warning system that can alert when it’s unsafe to exit the vehicle.

All safety systems seemed to work well when we had the car on test, though the Travel Assist adaptive cruise-control system (with lane-centring function) does exhibit some annoying traits. Specifically, the system is not sensitive enough to a steering wheel movement, because it told me multiple times to place my hands back on the wheel when they were already gripping the thing.

All Volkswagens are offered with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. It also comes with a year’s worth of roadside assistance, though this is expandable up to nine years if you continually service the car at Volkswagen service centres.

In terms of servicing, the Golf 110TSI Life costs $2650 over five years (which includes a free first service). Over three years, the car will cost $1550. These quoted prices are part of Volkswagen’s Care Plan, which saves Golf buyers $659 and $173, respectively, over the pay-as-you-go Assured Service Pricing. This is comparatively expensive against its Peugeot 308 rival, which costs $1800 over five years.

The VW Golf 110TSI will cost $1157 to insure per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Whereas Volkswagen claims the Golf 110TSI will use 5.8 litres per 100km on a combined cycle, our testing found the Golf returns 5.4L/100km. Granted, our use case favoured an extra-urban setting where Volkswagen estimates the Golf uses 5.0L/100km. It does recommend pricier 95-octane fuel as a minimum, which is more expensive at the pump.

Volkswagen is known for its high levels of refinement, especially with the Golf, and it’s clear the Mark 8 generation in 2023 still hits the high notes of compliant ride control, minimal noise, and a smooth power delivery.

Outputs from the 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine aren’t much to get excited about, but the 1379kg hatchback gets up to speed without fuss and remains quiet while doing so.

Volkswagen has made the change to a torque converter gearbox, and it doesn’t exhibit the same hesitations and slip you’d expect from previous Golfs’ older dual-clutch transmission. It obediently serves up the right ratio based on speed and throttle position, and it’s quick to change too.

Noise and vibration through to the cabin are kept to an absolute minimum – you can’t hear any plastics squeaking as you roll over potholes and road noise doesn’t find its way through to the interior.

Comfort from the front row is great, with a compliant and absorbent ride quality that softens over potholes and smooths imperfections. There’s also a nice, light steering weight that makes the Golf easy to manoeuvre around town. Even when driving the Golf further afield, it has a nice and agile handling quality that is predictable.

Even though it’s a wallop more expensive than the last time I drove a VW Golf, the 2023 Volkswagen Golf still represents the best buying you can do in the small hatchback space, and it’s why we keep crowning it our Drive Car of the Year Best Small Car.

Though it’s still an ‘entry-level’ product, the Golf features the kind of refinement you’d expect from cars twice its price. The eight-speed transmission is slick, it traverses imperfect roads with supple ability, and the engine is quiet.

Not everything is perfect – I can’t wait until VW returns to traditional button instrumentation, and its lane-centring function needs some tweaks – but the overall quality experience with a Volkswagen Golf will have buyers feeling justified in their purchase.