Used Volkswagen Golf GTE review and buying guide (2015 to 2020): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Volkswagen Golf GTE should you buy?

This guide covers the Mk7 Golf GTE, sold from 2015 to 2020; the later Mk8 GTE is a different car. The serious known faults cover most of the Mk7's run, so you're choosing a car rather than a year. The two that matter most are the adaptive cruise control braking hard for no reason (2013 to 2019 cars) and the electric parking brake refusing to release or hold (2014 to 2018 cars). Buy the one where both work properly on a long test drive.

Think hard about how you'll use it before choosing any GTE. The battery range is short, and once it's flat it drinks more petrol than an ordinary non-hybrid car would. It's a good fit if you can plug in often and most of your journeys are short; it's a poor one if you mostly do long motorway runs.

Don't assume a later car has the faults sorted. There's no date when the cruise or infotainment problems are known to stop, and the infotainment fault runs right to 2020, so a 2019 or 2020 car needs the same checks on the day as a 2015 one.

Which Golf GTE engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

Every Golf GTE has the same powertrain, a 1.4 TSI petrol engine paired with an electric motor, so you're not choosing an engine, you're checking one. The hybrid system's refined, and the bigger question is whether its short battery range suits your driving.

The petrol engine's weak spot is cooling. The plastic water pump and thermostat housing can warp or crack and leak, typically between 40,000 and 80,000 miles. Watch for coolant slowly going missing, a sweet smell under the bonnet or a low coolant warning, and ask whether either part's already been replaced.

Don't buy one expecting a hot hatch. It's no match for a petrol-powered one for pace, and the handling feels stodgy in corners. There's no known gearbox fault to steer you either way, so judge the one in front of you on a long drive rather than on its reputation.

What should you check when viewing a used Golf GTE?

Get the adaptive cruise control working on a fast road and watch for sudden, unprompted braking or a 'no forward view' or 'ACC failed' message. It's a serious fault that can show up any time from new to 60,000 miles, put down to sensor calibration, knocks to the sensor or software. Ask whether the sensor's been recalibrated or replaced and get the paperwork if so.

Apply and release the electric parking brake several times, on a slope too, and try the auto-hold pulling away from a stop. On 2014 to 2018 cars it can play up any time up to 50,000 miles: refusing to let go, failing to hold the car, or hanging on when you drive off. Ask for proof of recall work too: 2019 and 2020 cars had a high-voltage fuse that could catch fire, and some mid-2016 cars had airbags and seat belt pretensioners that could fail to fire in a crash.

Spend a few minutes with the infotainment screen, pairing your phone and using the radio and sat nav. A blank or dead screen is a known fault, and one owner whose 2015 car's screen kept going blank at 57,000 miles was quoted £2,612.12 by the dealer for a new control unit, and that's after a goodwill contribution.

If it has a panoramic roof, feel the driver's footwell carpet and the A-pillar trim for damp, and look for misting inside the windows. Blocked drains or failed seals can let water in between 30,000 and 70,000 miles. Try every electric window switch too; one owner of a 2020 car had the driver's switch snap.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Volkswagen Golf GTE cost to run?

What do Golf GTE owners like about them?

The hybrid set-up's the highlight: the petrol engine and electric motor work together in a refined way, which makes it an easy car to live with on the daily run. Pulling away and settling into traffic happens quietly and without fuss, and that's the part of ownership you notice every single day.

Inside, it's a Golf, so the cabin's comfortable and practical. The plug-in hardware doesn't get in the way of everyday use, so there's no real compromise when you're carrying passengers or loading up the weekly shop, and it doesn't feel any less roomy than the ordinary Golf it's based on.

• The Golf GTE features a refined hybrid setup, providing a smooth and efficient driving experience.
• The interior of the Golf GTE is both comfortable and practical, offering a pleasant cabin environment.
• The Volkswagen Golf GTE is exempt from the London Congestion Charge, offering cost savings for urban drivers.
• This model of the Golf GTE has a towing capacity of 1,400kg, making it suitable for various hauling needs.