Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion

The Golf BlueMotion has been winning road tests for years, and it took two excellent rivals to finally push it off the top. It’s comfortable, refined and the cheapest car here to run, but finished third due to its blunted performance and poor level of standard equipment.

The Volkswagen Golf MkVI has been a firm Auto Express favourite since making its debut in 2008. And one of the range’s stand-out models is the eco-friendly BlueMotion. With its low running costs and practicality, it’s won road test after road test in these pages – against everything from traditional rivals like the Ford Focus to range-extending electric cars and petrol-electric hybrids. Simply put, it’s set the class benchmark for a long time.

Yet without the strong badge appeal of the 1 Series or the chic design flair of the V40, the efficient VW starts off at a distinct disadvantage in this encounter. With its unique aerodynamic grille and lowered suspension, the BlueMotion actually looks smarter than the standard Golf, but the conservative exterior won’t hold much appeal for upmarket buyers. Unlike on the Volvo, the VW’s small 15-inch standard alloy wheels can’t be swapped for bigger ones. So it’s clear this car is about functional transport rather than making a statement.

The same no-nonsense approach has been applied to the interior, but although the Golf is simpler inside than its rivals, the logical dash layout and superb build quality mean it still feels like an upmarket product. Yet surprisingly, the Volkswagen has the least equipment as standard: essentials like electric rear windows, Bluetooth and a leather steering wheel are all conspicuous by their absence.

If you want to give your Golf the same high spec as the Volvo we tested, you’ll have to raid the options list – and this will take the price to £730 more than the V40’s.

However, the BlueMotion makes up for this in other areas – especially everyday practicality. Even though it has a shorter wheelbase than both its rivals, the Golf is the best car here for carrying passengers, as there’s more than enough head and legroom to comfortably accommodate tall adults.

The boot has a low and wide load lip and, with the rear seats folded, it can swallow a maximum of 1,305 litres of luggage – that’s over 100 litres more than the BMW.

On the road, the BlueMotion displays the same solid performance and composed dynamics as the standard Golf. Yet while the 104bhp 1.6-litre TDI engine provides decent pace in isolation, when compared with the more powerful and flexible V40 and 1 Series, the VW is comfortably outclassed. It covered the 0-60mph sprint in 10.7 seconds – that’s almost a full second slower than the BMW.

The car is partly hampered by its five-speed gearbox, which has widely spaced ratios to improve fuel economy. But during its time on test, the Golf was the furthest from matching its official efficiency figures – it returned 42.4mpg. As with the other cars, though, sub-100g/km emissions mean it’s exempt from road tax, and it’s still the cheapest company car option.

Factor in strong residuals and the Golf remains an excellent all-rounder. But there’s no doubt it’s now starting to show its age.