If you’re thinking of buying a VW Golf, you’re in good company. Since launching in 1974, the Golf has been a top choice for drivers and is one of the best-selling cars on the road.

The ultimate hatchback

Considered by many to be the ultimate hatchback, the Golf boasts the quality engineering and reliability you’d expect from a VW. They also come in a head-spinning variety of models and specs, so there’s a Golf to suit most budgets and tastes.

The cost of insuring a Golf can vary wildly, too – from cheerfully cheap to eye-wateringly expensive. If you want to insure a sporty Golf GTI, you could end up paying as much as would with an Audi TT Coupe or a BMW Z3 Sport Convertible.

But many Golfs are affordable to insure. On the low end, you’ll find models like the 1.4 litre Golf Plus Luna (2006-2009) or the three-door Golf S (2004-2007). Thatchams puts these Golfs in insurance group 6 out of 50. (Generally speaking, the lower the insurance group, the cheaper the insurance.)

Cheapest and most expensive Golfs to insure

First, here's a quick insurance groups explainer:

Five of the cheapest Golfs to insure

• Golf Plus Luna (75) 1.4 litre 5-door (2006-2009) - Group 6
• Golf S (75) 1.4 litre 3-door (2004-2007) - Group 6
• Golf S FSI 1.4 litre 5-door (2009-2013) - Group 8
• Golf Twist 1.4 litre 3-door (2009-2012) - Group 8
• Golf Plus Luna FSI 1.4 litre 5-door (2005-2008) - Group 9

Five of the most expensive Golfs to insure

• Golf R Hatchback 2.0 TSI 4Motion 3-door (2013-2020) - Group 37
• Golf GTI Clubsport 2.0 TSI 3-door (2013-2017) - Group 38
• Golf R Cabriolet 2.0 TSI R 2-door (2013-2014) - Group 39
• Golf R Hatchback 2.0 TSI 4Motion 3-door (2013-2020) - Group 39
• Golf R Estate 2.0 TSI 4Motion 5-door (2013-2020) - Group 39

Other factors also impact the price you pay, from the age of the driver and where the car is parked to how much it’s driven. If the car’s been improved with add-ons to the engine or body, or you’ve added modifications, that will push up the cost too.

Breaking down the costs

Let’s use a real-world example: a married 35-year-old woman who drives to work, parks in a driveway overnight, puts about 7,400 miles on the clock every year, and has a voluntary excess of £500 could pay as little as £500 to insure a Golf.

A Golf S 1.4 litre 3-door (2006) would cost her under £1,000 to buy, with insurance starting from £520 per year. A Golf Plus Luna 1.4 litre 5-door (2007) would set her back about £1475 to buy and is the cheapest to insure at £502.

On the other hand, a Golf R 2.0 litre TSI 4Motion 3-door (2015) could cost £21,000 second-hand, with insurance starting from as much as £754 per year. A powerful Golf GTI Clubsport 2.0 litre TSI 3-door (2017) is even more expensive, at over £28,000, with insurance starting from £801.

Straight off the showroom floor

If you have your heart set on driving a brand-new Volkswagen off the showroom floor, there’s more to think about than the cost of insurance, or the price tag. Like any new car, the value drops the minute you buy it. The latest Golf 8 will set you back over £22,000 and they start from insurance group 14 and up, depending on engine type and add-ons. This means the average driver can expect to pay around £800 a year for insurance.

The new Golf will lose nearly half its value in five years, and by 10 years old will be worth around £4,389. At 15 years, you can expect a trade-in value of just £1,474, so it’s always a good idea to shop around for an insurance deal that matches the value of your car as it gets older.

While it’s not the one of the cheapest cars to insure, the Golf 8 does cost less to run than other Golfs. Some of the models have VW’s new e-TSI engine, which is kinder to the environment and more fuel efficient. This makes it a good everyday car for families.

Younger drivers and students

Younger drivers or students might want to look at older Golfs if they’re looking for cheap insurance.

And – if a Golf feels a little out of reach for your pocket – there are other VWs worth looking into, like the Polo, Up or Fox. Some of these can be found in insurance group one, which are the cheapest cars in the UK to insure.

Bottom line? You can’t really go wrong with a VW Golf, but always check the cost of insurance before you part with cash for any new or used car. You can check the insurance group of any car by typing its vehicle registration number into our free car insurance group checker.

Just don't forget to insure your new ride. Cuvva has temporary car insurance policies from 1 hour to 28 days - with no nasty fees, interest or tie-ins.

Whatever you're after, it only takes a few minutes to get a quote.