2016 Toyota Prius v vs 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI
The Volkswagen Golf / GTI edges it, 71.6 to 67, on fuel & range, performance. The Toyota Prius v is ahead on safety. Raise the safety weight from 4 to 4.8 and it flips.
2016 Toyota Prius v
The 2016 Toyota Prius v is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid midsize hatchback. The most efficient version, the Prius v, is EPA-rated at 41 mpg combined. NHTSA lists…
2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI
The 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI is sold in the U.S. as an electric and gas midsize hatchback with 9 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the e-Go…
2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI
Slight edgeThe Volkswagen Golf / GTI edges it, 71.6 to 67, on fuel & range, performance. The Toyota Prius v is ahead on safety. Raise the safety weight from 4 to 4.8 and it flips.
| Category · weight | 2016 Toyota Prius voverall 67 | 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTIoverall 71.6 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricenot compared | Specs not available | Specs not available | |||||||||
| Fuel & rangew 3 | 38 | 100 | |||||||||
EPA annual fuel cost and combined mpg / MPGe; EV range when both are electric. | |||||||||||
| Safetyw 4 | 94 | 36.2 | |||||||||
NHTSA 5-Star rating, WhichTrim Safety Signal (open recalls by severity), owner complaints, standard driver-assist features (from the press kit, or from what the manufacturer filed with NHTSA where there is none). Open park-outside / do-not-drive advisories cost 25 points. | |||||||||||
| Space & cargonot compared | Specs not available | Specs not available | |||||||||
| Performancew 2 | 56.5 | 100 | |||||||||
Horsepower, torque and horsepower per ton. | |||||||||||
| Tech & comfortnot compared | Specs not available | Specs not available | |||||||||
| Warrantynot compared | Specs not available | Specs not available | |||||||||
| Overall | 67 | 71.6 | |||||||||
Safety-only comparison · 3 of 7 categories compared · specs not available for Toyota Prius v and Volkswagen Golf / GTI
Toyota Prius v: safety only (EPA and NHTSA record; specs not available) · Volkswagen Golf / GTI: safety only (EPA and NHTSA record; specs not available). Pick a trim in the tool to compare any other trim.
Raise the safety weight from 4 to 4.8 and the answer flips.
Where the gap is
the biggest differences, from the scorecard's own numbersWhere the 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI wins
- It is rated 116 combined against 41 (EPA mpg or MPGe).
- It costs $1,000 a year less to fuel on the EPA's estimate ($650 against $1,650).
- It makes 170 hp against 96.
Where the 2016 Toyota Prius v answers
- It has drawn fewer owner complaints (16 against 238 filed with NHTSA).
- It has the cleaner recall record (Safety Signal 92 against 46).
Ranked by how far apart the two score on each measure, so a price gap and a horsepower gap are compared on the same scale. Every figure is on this page.
Specifications side by side
specs not availableSafety record
NHTSA recalls, complaints, NCAPToyota Prius v
Top recalls
- high Hybrid Propulsion System 20V369000 · 266,638 vehicles
Volkswagen Golf / GTI
Top recalls
- critical Air Bags 22V543000 · 1,216 vehicles
- high Fuel System, Gasoline 24V110000 · 261,257 vehicles
- high Visibility/Wiper 22V831000 · 5 vehicles
- high Steering 19V615000 · 679,027 vehicles
- high Suspension 19V188000 · 56,173 vehicles
- high Steering 18V464000 · 33,168 vehicles
Ownership
EPA, manufacturer warranty| Toyota Prius v | Volkswagen Golf / GTI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | — |
| Price range across trims | — | — |
| Powertrains | HEV | BEV, GAS |
| EPA configuration compared | Prius v | e-Golf |
| Combined mpg / MPGe | 41 | 116 |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $1,650 | $650 |
| EV range | — | 83 mi |
| Basic warranty | — | — |
| Powertrain warranty | — | — |
| Roadside assistance | — | — |
Common questions
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich is better, the 2016 Toyota Prius v or the 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI?
The Volkswagen Golf / GTI edges it, 71.6 to 67, on fuel & range, performance. The Toyota Prius v is ahead on safety. Raise the safety weight from 4 to 4.8 and it flips. On WhichTrim's default weights the 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI scores 71.6 and the 2016 Toyota Prius v 67. The weights are yours to change — move what you care about and the verdict recalculates on the page.
Which has the better safety record, the 2016 Toyota Prius v or the 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI?
2016 Toyota Prius v: no NHTSA rating yet, grade A, 1 recall. 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI: 5 NHTSA stars, grade F, 14 recalls. Crash ratings come from NHTSA's own tests; the grade is WhichTrim's read of the recall record, and the two can disagree.
What are the biggest differences between the 2016 Toyota Prius v and the 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI?
Where the 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI wins: it is rated 116 combined against 41 (EPA mpg or MPGe), costs $1,000 a year less to fuel on the EPA's estimate ($650 against $1,650), and makes 170 hp against 96. Where the 2016 Toyota Prius v answers: it has drawn fewer owner complaints (16 against 238 filed with NHTSA) and has the cleaner recall record (Safety Signal 92 against 46).