What fuel economy should I expect from my petrol Volkswagen Golf?

I have just bought a Volkswagen Golf 1.5-litre petrol in exchange for my wonderful Golf TDI. I live in London otherwise I would not have sold such an excellent car with only 37,000 miles on the clock.

The brakes on the new car make a real clunking sound. It feels sluggish and noisy on hills, especially going up, and although automatic, I am very conscious of changes in engine sound both up and down hill. It is harder to cruise at 70 on motorways and the car used half a tank of unleaded on a 120 mile journey. Is this what I should expect?

Asked on 4 January 2022 by Heather Farmbrough

Answered by Russell Campbell
There shouldn't be any clunking noises when braking, the car should have plenty of power for hills and you should be getting more than 400 miles from a tank of petrol – it does sound like something is wrong, I would take it to a garage.
Similar questions
I need a used car for £2,000 or less. Can you please tell me which petrol and diesel models have the best reliability within this type of budget?
I am on a tight budget and am looking for a diesel car which is reliable and economical for under £5,000. My yearly average mileage is around 28,000. What would you recommend?
I am looking at the SEAT Ateca - either the 1.5 TSI DSG Or 1.6 TDI DSG. I have been doing up to 15,000 miles a year of mixed motoring. What would be the break even mileage to make the petrol version more...
Related models
Very comfortable and refined. Range of strong, quiet and efficient engines. Classy image.
 

Value my car

Save £75 on Warranty using code HJ75

with MotorEasy

Get a warranty quote

Save 12% on GAP Insurance

Use HJ21 to save on an ALA policy

See offer