Volkswagen T-Cross Review 2024

Volkswagen T-Cross At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
The Volkswagen T-Cross is comfortable and good to drive, as well as being fairly affordable by VW standards.

+Comfortable and easy to drive. Surprisingly practical and spacious. Excellent 1.0-litre petrol.

-More hard plastics inside than we'd like, diesel is noisy and unrefined.

New prices start from £23,070
On average it achieves 84% of the official MPG figure

Given the breadth of Volkswagen’s range, the T-Cross was a late arrival into the small SUV sector in 2018. Up against the likes of the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur, the T-Cross mixes style with practicality in a package based on the Polo’s mechanical bits. Running costs are gentle on the bank balance and the T-Cross can save you further by acting as a family’s sole transport, which not many compact crossovers could claim to manage.

The T-Cross is Volkswagen's answer to the likes of the Nissan Juke and Peugeot 2008 - a small SUV that's designed to be practical, good to drive and have a dash of style too. 

Of course there's no shortage of small crossovers on the market, but the VW T-Cross makes a strong case for itself as the best around with a practical interior, excellent refinement and a great 1.0-litre engine. It's even reasonably priced against the competition, with prices starting at around £17,000.

Think of the VW T-Cross as a crossover version of the Polo and you get the idea of its size. Its compact dimensions (it measures 4235mm long and 1782mm wide) disguise a surprisingly spacious interior though. While its small size makes it great in supermarket car parks, it's big enough inside to make this a viable family car with space for kids in the back and a decent sized boot too - larger than a Ford Focus in fact.

While the interior is solid and well built, there's quite a lot of hard plastic which is a little disappointing given the 'premium' image. There are a few other small things like the exposed bolts for the base of the back seats.

Thankfully, driving the Volkswagen T-Cross is an easy experience. It's safe and feels very reassuring at motorway speeds where it happily cruises along with little road or wind noise. But what makes the T-Cross stand out is the excellent 1.0 TSI engine - available in two versions. 

The three-cylinder unit gives the VW T-Cross some much needed character and has a surprising turn of pace for such a small engine. That combined with a slick manual gearbox means the Volkswagen T-Cross can actually good fun if you go for the more powerful engine. There is also a 1.6 TDI but unless you're doing mammoth mileages, but it's not particularly refined with lots of noise and vibration making its way into the cabin. We'd recommend sticking with the petrol, as the diesel feels like an afterthought. 

Thanks to the entry-level S model, the Volkswagen T-Cross has a competitive starting price against its rivals. Indeed, the T-Cross will tick a lot of boxes for buyers who want a vehicle that is comfortable, practical and enjoyable to drive but still compact in size. It makes an ideal family motor and is cheap to run too. We think one of it's the best small crossovers on the market right now.  

Looking for a second opinon? Why not read heycar's Volkswagen T-Cross review

Ask Honest John

What small SUV do you suggest to replace my Nissan Juke?

"I’m a 75 year old lady who wants a new small suv to replace my 10 year old Nissan Juke. I'm after something similar in size, preferably petrol, comfortable and not to sporty."
Would you consider a hybrid model? The Toyota Yaris Cross is one of our favourite small SUVs at the moment. It's very comfortable, reliable and will be cheap to run. If you'd prefer a conventional petrol, take a look at the Skoda Kamiq or Volkswagen T-Cross.
Answered by Andrew Brady

What affordable alternatives are there to tyre repair kit?

"I am thinking of buying a Volkswagen T-Cross, which comes with tyre repair kit. The dealer doesn't seem keen on a spare tyre kit and quoted about £400 plus to supply one. Are there any other options as I would prefer a proper tyre."
It's a common feature of modern cars to carry a tyre repair kit rather than a spare wheel of any kind, but Volkswagen do offer the option of adding a space saver spare wheel when buying new, quoting a price of £125. You do need to add a jack and wheelbrace to this, and unfortunately Volkswagen don't quote a price for this. However, to save money manufacturers will usually use one size of spare wheel across the range. A quick internet search revealed plenty of places selling a compatible wheel and jack set for only a few pounds more than the official Volkswagen price for the wheel alone. We would suggest skipping the dealer's offer, taking the standard tyre repair kit and sourcing your own spare wheel and jack elsewhere at a reduced cost.
Answered by David Ross

Sat-nav error - will it have to be fixed by main dealer?

"The sat-nav on my 2019 Volkswagen T-Cross has 'lost' the car. It puts us driving across fields etc. Is there an easy fix? Or a trip to the main dealer? The warranty has just run out!"
This is very likely due to a failed or faulty GPS antenna for the sat-nav. It may have become disconnected which could be a simple fix, but it could be from water ingress which is more serious. A visit to the dealer (or a cheaper VW specialist) is the best bet.
Answered by Lawrence Allan

Can you recommend a Skoda Yeti replacement?

"What should I buy (new) to replace our wonderful Skoda Yeti? We want a similar, small SUV (4WD not necessary), a high seat (like the Yeti), comfortable and reliable, with a good performance and fuel consumption. It should be petrol/automatic, and we do about 6,000-7,000miles per year. We are considering the Skoda Kamiq, Ford Puma and VW T-Cross. What would your choice be, and are there are others we should also consider? "
You've identified three of the best small SUVs on sale... you won't go wrong with the Kamiq, Puma or T-Cross. The Kamiq probably represents the best value for money, while the Puma is a bit sportier. This guide might be of interest: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/guides/best-small-suv/
Answered by Andrew Brady
More Questions

What does a Volkswagen T-Cross cost?