Used 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf for sale 

The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf is offered in two trims, which are the base SE and the premium SEL. Surprisingly there’s a substantial price difference between the two variants, while the premium trim offers some useful features that come extremely handy in daily driving conditions. For the extra price, Volkswagen offers the much-desired Driver Assistance package along with Electrochromatic inside rearview mirror and parking sensors.

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We would strongly suggest you go for the premium SEL trim since it will provide you with the Driver Assistance package and a few other convenience features that will justify the extra premium charged by the German brand.

Under the hood of the e-Golf lies a 100kW motor that pushes out a decent 134 horsepower and 214lb-ft of torque. The electric motor draws its power from a 36kWh battery pack. The motor feels peppy and provides a strong initial surge that helps the hatchback tackle city traffic without breaking a sweat.

The motor is mated to a single-speed transmission that keeps the electric motor and the drivetrain perfectly in sync.

Disappointingly, the e-Golf is the least powered vehicle among the rivals considering its price point. The Chevrolet Bolt EV is the most powerful electric hatchback in the rival list with an immense 200 horsepower and a sheer 266lb-ft of torque. It offers the best performance for the price that puts the Nissan Leaf in the middle with a decent 147 horsepower and 236lb-ft of torque.

Acceleration

Electric vehicles have gained enough fame for instant acceleration that puts their traditional fossil-fuel-powered counterparts to shame. The Volkswagen e-Golf is no different from the trend, with a strong initial surge of power for its direct-drive motor. However, the power quickly tapers off at higher speeds.

The electric hatchback completes the 0-60mph run at 9.6 seconds and completes the standing quarter-mile run at 16.6 seconds. The top speed is limited to 93mph that is achieved rather quickly.

The Chevy Bolt is the quickest one to complete the quarter-mile run as well as the 0-60mph dash since it is the most powerful one on the list. The Nissan Leaf has decent performance on offer considering its price point, and again holds the second position on the table.

Ride and Handling

The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf has excellent driving dynamics that have been carried forward from the standard Golf hatchback. The ride quality is perfectly balanced and is neither too soft nor too firm. It handles brilliantly over most of the road conditions and delivers a pleasant ride quality.

The steering is accurate and very responsive to the inputs. It feels eager at turns but lacks the engaging factor. The e-Golf feels quite agile and eager around the corners that will remind you of the GTI hot-hatch. Owing to its low mounted battery pack, the hatchback leans a bit more than the standard Golf while taking a turn. 

Braking

Braking is the department where the carmakers focus the most when it comes to making an EV since regenerative braking helps to conserve battery charge to a great extent. The Volkswagen e-Golf comes with four levels of regenerative braking, while the fourth level lacks to enable true one-pedal driving characteristics. Overall, the brake pedal feels firm and responsive with good feedback. The hatchback takes a decent 125 feet to come to a complete stop from 60mph.

Though the 60-0 mph figures are not available for the e-Golf’s rivals. But from their curb weight and the brake rotor dimensions, we can assume that their stopping distance would be more or less similar to the e-Golf, if not better.

Electric vehicles are designed and created for one sole purpose, to relieve their buyers from mounting fuel bills and make the environment greener. That being said, the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf offers a decent electric driving range of 126 miles in the city and 111 miles out on the highway. The combined mpg-e stands at 119 miles. The figures are nothing extraordinary though and are just at par with the competition. 

The Chevrolet Bolt EV offers exactly the same combined range as the e-Golf despite being way more powerful than the latter. The Nissan Leaf has the least overall driving range as compared to the competition at 112 mpg-e.

The interior is considerably plush and premium considering the price the e-Golf is offered at. A lot of high-quality materials are used throughout the cabin and gives an overall upscale appeal at all times. The boxy chassis results in an abundance of interior space with enough headroom and legroom for both the front and rear passengers.

The upholstery comes in cloth material as standard with an option of faux leather material. The front seats offer a heating function starting from the base trim alongside a power-adjustable function to find the right driving position. Getting in and out of the vehicle is a breeze and the cabin offers excellent all-round visibility.

The Nissan Leaf has the best headroom for front passengers among the competition, while the rear seat dimensions are at par with the rest. The Bolt EV has a decent and airy cabin with adequate interior dimensions when compared to the e-Golf.

Infotainment

The infotainment system offered in the 2018 e-Golf features an 8-inch display with touchscreen functionality with an option to upgrade to a 9.25-inch screen in the premium SEL variant for a better display. The user interface is relatively smooth and user friendly and incorporates almost all the necessary connectivity options to make your life easier.

Here's the list of infotainment features that you can enjoy with the e-Golf: -

• Bluetooth
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
•  VW Car-Net App-Connect
• eight-speaker sound system 
• AM/FM/CD/MP3 playback 
• SiriusXM

Cargo volume

The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf has a generous boot capacity despite being an EV. It offers a sizable 22.8 cu-ft of space behind the rear seats. The rear seats can be folded into a 60/40 split to further increase the space to 52.7 cu-ft, which is very identical to the standard Golf. This feature alone makes it one of the most practical electric hatchbacks in the rivals list.

The Nissan Leaf impresses with its 23.6 cu-ft of space that is bigger than that of the e-Golf’s by a slight margin. The Chevy Bolt, on the other hand, features a rather disappointing 16.9 cu-ft of boot space.

The 2018 e-Golf appeals to the buyers with its sharp styling that has been carried forward from the standard Golf hatchback. The aerodynamically designed wheels and a differently designed front grille makes it distinguishable from the standard Golf.

The design offers a quite aerodynamically efficient approach that is more important for an EV. The hatchback also offers a 5.0-inch ground clearance that is fairly adequate for all driving purposes.

The Chevy Bolt looks like a typical hatchback with a simple design language. The Nissan Leaf carries a sporty design with an aggressive-looking front grille and big headlights. The Leaf’s overall design language gives you the feel of owning a premium hatchback. Nissan Leaf offers better ground clearance in comparison to e-Golf in the segment.

Volkswagen has never disappointed when it comes to the safety of its vehicles, and the e-Golf isn’t left out either. Even though the electric hatchback hasn’t been rated by the NHTSA or the IIHS, its fossil-fuel burning sibling bagged a perfect 5-star rating from the NHTSA and an overall “Good” rating from the IIHS, and we can expect the same to be carried forward to this hatchback since all the safety features have been retained from the standard Golf. Few key features include-

•  Anti-Lock Braking System
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
• stability control
• traction control
• an electronic differential lock 
• a rearview camera and 
• six airbags
• parking assist 
• rear cross-traffic alert
• blind-spot alert
• lane-keeping assist 
• forward collision warning 
• automatic emergency braking

Chevrolet Bolt Vs e-Golf Hatchback

The Chevrolet Bolt of 2018 has a similar driving range as the e-Golf, and it features a less premium interior too. The Bolt comes equipped with plenty of safety features and advanced tech. It impresses you with its nimble handling and is easy to drive around cities.

The Bolt beats the e-Golf single-handedly when it comes to power figures, and if you don’t mind a bit less premium interiors, then the Chevy Bolt is always the better option.

Nissan Leaf Vs e-Golf Hatchback

The most attractive feature of the Nissan Leaf is its big boot capacity despite being an EV though it evenly matches with the e-Golf. The Nissan Leaf has a decently luxurious interior and is priced very competitively too and offers more power output than the e-Golf.

With quite a bit of optional features to make it even more exciting, the Leaf stands strong as a worthy opponent of the e-Golf. 

The e-Golf is for those who want to indulge in a premium and high-quality cabin with the superb build quality and great driving dynamics. The electric hatchback truly disappoints in the power and performance aspect and makes its rivals more attractive despite being a car with a lot of potential. So considering the price and the performance on offer, the Chevy Bolt would be the best option to go for rather than the e-Golf.