Volkswagen Golf GTI – MPG and running costs
On-paper MPG figures are good, and you’ll easily match them on longer runs
Another positive spin on VW’s EA888 engine is how shockingly efficient it can be in gentle running. As a matter of comparison, the Hyundai i30 N and Focus ST aren’t able to get their MPG much higher than the very low 30s, even when driven extremely sensibly. Drive with more abandon and they’ll be 20mpg-something cars.
The Golf GTI, on the other hand, will easily sit in the high 30s and even low 40s in motorway driving. On paper, VW quotes 38.7mpg, and experience tells us that these numbers are quite easy to achieve.
Somehow, VW has mirrored these figures with the GTI Clubsport, which also achieves 38.7mpg. A caveat to this, of course, are the tyres, which on both models are relatively un-sticky Bridgestones. Grippier Pirelli P Zero rubber is fitted to its rivals from Ford and Hyundai, but alone only explain a small variance in efficiency.
The turbo-four has proven to be a very resilient engine over the years, and the same can be said about a majority of the GTI’s fundamental mechanicals – apart from the DSG ’box. It can be a source of pain, especially if driven hard. While not as fragile as the early units, which frequently need fresh (and expensive) clutches, actuators can also go pop.
