Volkswagen e-Golf
OUR PICK Volkswagen e-Golf 5dr (2015/15, 21k miles, £14,950)
“The e-Golf is smooth, silent and very easy to drive; it’s so much more relaxing than a combustion car”
MANUFACTURERS have taken one of two approaches when pitching their new EVs. Some have chosen to go radical – to produce something that looks and feels like nothing else, in order to sell the technology in a new and exciting light. And some brands choose to offer buyers something that seems familiar, in order to reassure buyers that even though the fuel comes from a plug rather than a pump, it’ll still slip into everyday life. VW has gone for the latter – it doesn’t want to alienate customers new to electrification.
This approach has worked brilliantly with the e-Golf. Here’s an electric car that doesn’t shout about its zero-emission tech – only the most eagle-eyed VW fans will notice the blue highlights and aerodynamic alloys that set it apart from the standard petrols and diesels.
At launch, the e-Golf had a 113bhp electric motor driving the front wheels, and energy came from a 24.2kWh battery. Early models have a 118-mile official range, although in the real world 100 miles is more realistic. That’s more than enough to function as a second car in a household, or as a daily commuter – exactly the conditions under which it excels. Updates in 2017 pushed these numbers to 134bhp and 35.8kWh respectively. This brought slightly improved acceleration and, crucially, a 185-mile official range.
The e-Golf is smooth, silent and very easy to drive; in congestion it’s so much more relaxing than a combustion car. Yet it keeps the usual Golf Mk8 perks of a spacious cabin, well built dashboard and slick infotainment.
Earlier models start from around £14,000, and because of the type of journeys they do, mileages tend to be low. We found a 2015 e-Golf with just 21,000 miles on the clock for a smidge under £15,000.