How much is my Volkswagen Golf worth?

Determining the value of your used car before you sell it will help you get the most out of the transaction. Find out how you can get an accurate valuation on a Volkswagen Golf and what factors influence its value.

How do I find out how much my used car is worth?

Getting an accurate evaluation of your current car is essential if you’re concerned with getting the best value when it comes time to sell. Knowing what your car is worth on the used car market will help you sell your car quickly and ensure that you get the amount that is fair.

How to find out how much my Volkswagen Golf is worth

Determining the value of your used Volkswagen Golf can be done in a few ways, each way offering a varying degree of accuracy. Before you start, it’s worth ensuring that you have some information on the car on hand. You will need to know the following:

Make and model
Year of manufacture
Trim level
Mileage
Its current service history

Heading over to the Buy a Car section of the AutoTrader site will allow you to search for a similar make and model with a similar spec level and mileage to gauge what your car is worth. The AutoTrader Price Ratings will help you gauge what is a fair price.

You’ll also be able to call up your insurance company and enquire about what they have your car listed at. Their replacement value will tell you where to aim before advertising your Volkswagen Golf for sale. Remember that this will not factor in the overall condition of your Golf.

The easiest, though, is clicking on the Value My Car section of the AutoTrader website and entering a few details about your Golf to get a free, no-obligation assessment of your car in no time at all.

What affects the value of your Volkswagen Golf?

The value of your Volkswagen Golf can be affected by several factors. It goes without saying that a TSI will not fetch the same money as a GTI, and neither will a 300 000 km car fetch the same as a Golf with less than 100 000 km on the clocks. The points listed above (Make, Model, Mileage, Trim Level, and Service History) are the key determining factors.

From there, a lot of the vehicle’s value will come down to the condition of the car. Scratches, dents, and worn components will all detract from the final amount you can expect to receive when selling your car.

While many will think that an extensive options list or modifications will command a premium, this is not true. You will seldom see any added value; the most you can hope for is increased interest in your advert. This doesn’t always translate into a sale, though.

Do Volkswagen Golfs hold their value?

The facelifted seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf was released in May of 2017, making these prime for financing. When these models were released, prices started from R289 900 for the 1.0TSI Trendline Manual, and you would pay R545 800 for a base-spec 2.0 Golf GTI. These prices do illustrate how car prices have increased over the last few years but also show how the Volkswagen Golf has managed to stave off the worst of inflation.

Used, 2017 Volkswagen Golfs range in price depending on the derivative and mileage. A used Volkswagen Golf 1.0TSI Trendline manual ranges from R195 000 to R250 000 in price while the 2.0TSI GTI DSG sees prices range from R330 000 to R420 000, showing that the Volkswagen Golf holds its value rather well over the years.

How to increase the value of a Volkswagen Golf

To help ensure that you get the most money for your Golf, you can tackle a few issues that will help increase its value. Some will require that you spend a small amount of money first in order to get that amount and more back when you sell, while others will simply require a little effort and elbow grease.

It’s a wise idea to ensure that your paperwork is up-to-date and well-presented. The same goes for the vehicle itself; a good detail or, at a minimum, a valet will help present the car in the best way possible. Prospective buyers will want to see if the vehicle has been taken care of, and a dirty car screams neglect.

Spending a few Rands addressing small issues will also help increase the value exponentially. Taking care of small scratches, windscreen chips or cracks, worn tyres or shock absorbers will all hurt teh value more than what it will cost to replace so counter this by repairing or replacing these first.