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Used 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf Consumer Reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
27 reviews

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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2017 e-Golf, so we've included reviews for other years of the e-Golf since its last redesign.

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Pros
Cons
4 out of 5 stars

Fun electric commuter car

John Heyer, 01/19/2017
2016 Volkswagen e-Golf SE 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
36 of 36 people found this review helpful

I wanted to get a second car for electric commuting to supplement my old Subaru. After looking extensively at the Volt, Soul, Focus, i3, and 500e, I felt the e-Golf was the best option to handle my twisty Highway 17 commute and it was the right decision. The design is solid, the ride is quiet and comfortable, and handling is good, although front tires will spin if the accelerator is hit hard. Range is generally 80 miles, even with mostly highway driving using the A/C. I generally charge at home on a standard outlet and recover the 60 miles used in about 15 hours (fortunately I only drive it every other day). Updated infotainment system on the 2016 models is really nice and does CarPlay, although I was disappointed to realize the base SE has no steering wheel button to activate Siri. The SE also lacks cruise control.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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3 out of 5 stars

Love-Hate Relationship

Jay, 04/27/2020
2016 Volkswagen e-Golf SE 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
20 of 20 people found this review helpful

I bought (leased) it new, drove it for 3 years and put about 36,000 miles on it. Pros: The car looks, feels, drives and functions amazingly. It has the pluses of the Golf, which include excellent handling, comfortable seating front and back, a great view of the road, and a surprising amount of room for people and cargo. You take for granted how well balanced this car is until you step into almost any other car. The electric charging saved serious $$. It was very reliable. Cons. Range was a little over 80 miles in the summer and under 60 miles in the winter... with heater frequently off! As this was my only car, range was an enormous, life-style altering problem. Fast chargers began popping up in Portland during my ownership, which made life a bit easier. The charge chord melted, and took several days to replace under warranty. And it was annoying having to take the car for maintenance every 10K miles and get charged dealership fees for a simple electric check. About 2 years in, I tried selling it, but the leasing agreement made the process extremely difficult and I gave up. VW Credit was a pain from beginning to end. At the end of the lease, they charged me $350 fee for returning the vehicle!! It felt like they had me by the neck from the time I signed, were going to screw me over and didn't give a damn if I would be a returning customer. I highly recommend the car IF: It is the second car in your household, you avoid VW Credit, you install a Level 2 Charger at your home, and live in an area friendly towards electric vehicles. If you meet these conditions, i think you will LOVE this car!

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Definitely 5 stars overall

Richard Zimmer, 05/20/2018
2016 Volkswagen e-Golf SEL Premium 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
43 of 45 people found this review helpful

A comment about each of the two single-star reviews from other owners: 1. If the software to time the charging is spotty, then simply make it a pattern to check on the car once during the night to ensure it is charging. Make it a routine, just like taking the dog or cat outside. While having to drive the car without heat in 45F is chilly, it is definitely not "freezing". Have you noticed the many electric car reviews (of any make) in the winter, the driver is bundled up? 2. For the owner who moved from California to Georgia: Yes, the dealer should have mentioned that VW dealers in GA cannot service the car, but that should be a negative rating on the dealer and not on the car itself. Anyway, the maintenance on E-Golf is pretty much limited to tire rotations, 12-volt battery check, windshield wash fluid fill, and other things which you or your local mechanic can do, and don't worry about violating warranty. I really think VW dealers' service of E-Golfs are just money makers to pad their own pockets - - there's no oil to change, no spark plugs, no radiator. Brakes last twice as long. And yet they charge more than they would charge for regular Golf maintenance.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Love This Car

Loves This Car, 02/19/2016
updated 02/22/2018
2016 Volkswagen e-Golf SE 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
27 of 28 people found this review helpful

Using the heater will take away from the battery. I will get a good 60 miles with the heater running. When I want to see that i'm doing better on mileage, i turn off the heater. I use regeneration stage 1 and gain some mileage. When i am in traffic and is not accelerating, i use no battery power. The only other things using the high voltage battery are the AC and heater. If i think that i need more time on the battery as i drive around town, i slow down. That's why this car give more miles in the city than on the highway. My only issue at this time is the capacity of the battery. I will buy a car with better battery capacity soon.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic solid made in Germany car.

thierry nedellec, 07/28/2017
2016 Volkswagen e-Golf SEL Premium 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
15 of 15 people found this review helpful

Great value. Comfort, economical, feels very solid. Incredible acceleration. Great visibility. Nice sound system.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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