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Volkswagen Golf depreciation in the UK (2026)
How much value does a used Volkswagen Golf lose? We analysed 362 Volkswagen Golf cars advertised by UK dealers in October 2026 to measure how the asking price falls with age and with mileage.
By Juan Pedro Nguema · Updated
- Cars analysed
- 362
- Median asking price
- £20,074
- Middle 80% of prices
- £13,404 – £26,449
- Model years
- 2017–2026
- Value lost per year
- 3.9%
- Value lost per 10,000 miles
- 5.9%
- Automatic premium
- +20.2%
- Automatic share
- 64%
Fuel mix: petrol 78%, plug-in hybrid 11%, diesel 9% and electric 1%.
How the Volkswagen Golf compares with the market
Holding mileage, fuel and gearbox constant, each extra year of age takes about 3.9% off the asking price of a used Volkswagen Golf. That is better than the market, which loses about 5–6% a year, and ranks 2nd of the 15 most-listed models in our study (1st loses the least).
Each extra 10,000 miles takes about 5.9% off, which is more sensitive to mileage than the market (about 5% per 10,000 miles); that ranks 14th of 15 for mileage. Overall, the Volkswagen Golf sits close to the typical used car, with mileage doing slightly more of the damage.
Volkswagen Golf asking prices by year
The oldest model year in the table, 2017 (5 cars), has a median asking price of £13,599 with 46,000 miles. The newest, 2026, sits at £25,999 with 3,758 miles. The biggest jump between consecutive years is from 2025 (£22,699) to 2026 (£25,999), partly because the newer cars have fewer miles (3,758 against 12,481).
| Year | Cars | Median price | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 5 | £13,599 | 46,000 |
| 2018 | 19 | £13,099 | 61,013 |
| 2019 | 28 | £13,649 | 47,892 |
| 2020 | 30 | £15,449 | 42,087 |
| 2021 | 25 | £17,299 | 32,771 |
| 2022 | 44 | £16,299 | 34,175 |
| 2023 | 54 | £19,274 | 25,024 |
| 2024 | 32 | £21,174 | 15,369 |
| 2025 | 48 | £22,699 | 12,481 |
| 2026 | 77 | £25,999 | 3,758 |
Medians mix trims, engines and fuel types, so a single year's figure can move up or down with the mix of cars on sale. The per-year and per-mile rates above come from a regression that controls for fuel and gearbox.
What this means if you're selling your Volkswagen Golf
The Golf holds its value well with age (3.9% a year, 2nd best of 15) but is unusually sensitive to mileage: 5.9% per 10,000 miles, among the highest in the study. If your Golf has covered fewer miles than average for its year, lead with it.
Automatics are 64% of listings and carry a premium of about 20.2%, one of the largest gearbox premiums we measured. Petrol is 78% of cars, with plug-in hybrids (11%) and diesel (9%) well behind.
What this means if you're buying a used Volkswagen Golf
High-mileage Golfs are where the bargains are: because each 10,000 miles knocks off around 5.9%, a well-maintained car with above-average miles can cost noticeably less than a low-mileage one of the same year.
The newest cars are the most numerous (77 from 2026, median £25,999), while 2023 offers 54 cars at a median £19,274.
Worked example
A 2023 Volkswagen Golf with 25,024 miles is advertised at about £19,274. One more year of age takes off roughly £750; 10,000 more miles takes off roughly £1,140. A year in which you also drive 10,000 miles would cost around £1,890 in lost value, before fuel, tax, insurance and servicing.
Buying a used Volkswagen Golf? Check its history first
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