Volkswagen Golf tire size
Original tire sizes for the Volkswagen Golf, model years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Trim levels and wheel packages change the size within the same year, so confirm on the door-jamb sticker before ordering.
Check before you order. The surest answer is the tires on the car right now: the size is molded into the sidewall. The placard inside the driver's door tells you what the factory fitted, which can differ from what a previous owner put on. Our guide on reading a tire size shows exactly where to look.
Size by year and trim
| Model years | Trim or package | Tire size | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-2021 | SE/SEL | 225/45R17 | $82 |
| 2010-2019 | Standard | 205/55R16 | $55 |
Tire size by model year
| Model year | Tire size | Trim or package | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Volkswagen Golf | 225/45R17 | SE/SEL | $82 |
| 2020 Volkswagen Golf | 225/45R17 | SE/SEL | $82 |
| 2019 Volkswagen Golf | 225/45R17, 205/55R16 | SE/SEL or Standard | $55 |
| 2018 Volkswagen Golf | 225/45R17, 205/55R16 | SE/SEL or Standard | $55 |
| 2017 Volkswagen Golf | 225/45R17, 205/55R16 | SE/SEL or Standard | $55 |
| 2016 Volkswagen Golf | 225/45R17, 205/55R16 | SE/SEL or Standard | $55 |
| 2015 Volkswagen Golf | 225/45R17, 205/55R16 | SE/SEL or Standard | $55 |
| 2014 Volkswagen Golf | 205/55R16 | Standard | $55 |
| 2013 Volkswagen Golf | 205/55R16 | Standard | $55 |
| 2012 Volkswagen Golf | 205/55R16 | Standard | $55 |
| 2011 Volkswagen Golf | 205/55R16 | Standard | $55 |
| 2010 Volkswagen Golf | 205/55R16 | Standard | $55 |
Which brand should you pick?
Volkswagen does not stamp its own approval code on tires the way Porsche or BMW do. Any tire in the right size that meets or exceeds the load index and speed rating on your door placard is a legitimate replacement, so pick on wet braking, tread life and price. Our picks for each size are on the size pages below.
The drawing carries the sizes we list for this car, so you know what you are looking for. The placard on the car is still the final word, and it is the only place that gives the cold pressures: the number molded into the sidewall is the maximum the tire can hold, not what your car wants.
What those tires cost
About the Volkswagen Golf
The Golf is Volkswagen's compact hatchback, sold in America on and off since 1975, latterly as the base Golf and as the performance GTI and Golf R. It is a small front-wheel-drive car with sizes to match, except for the Golf R, which is all-wheel drive and runs 19-inch summer tires. Most US shoppers arriving here are on a Mk7 Golf or a Golf R.
Launched in 1974. Launched in 1974, the Golf replaced the Beetle as Volkswagen's core product, moving the company to a front-engine, front-wheel-drive, water-cooled layout and arriving in America the following year badged as the Rabbit.
How to tell the model years apart
Wheel and tire sizes follow the generation, not the badge, so identifying yours matters before you order.
2010-2019
Sixth and seventh generation (Mk6/Mk7)
The Mk6 and Mk7 look closely related; the Mk7 from 2015 is lower and wider with a sharper crease running from the headlight along the flank, a broader grille and thinner tail lights. Base Golf and Golf SportWagen ran 15- or 16-inch wheels with 205/55R16 tires, while SE and SEL moved to 225/45R17. The GTI carries a red grille stripe and plaid seats.
2015-2019
Golf R (Mk7)
The Golf R is the four-wheel-drive Golf with a quad exhaust, blue R badges, a body-color lower grille surround and 19-inch wheels wearing 235/35R19 summer tires. It sits about half an inch lower than a GTI and has larger brakes visible through the spokes. Nothing about the tire fitment is shared with an ordinary Golf.
Tire sizes: 235/35R19
2022-2024
Golf R (Mk8)
The Mk8 Golf R is the only Golf-bodied car still sold in America besides the GTI. It has a full-width light bar in the grille, illuminated VW badge, a wide black lower splitter and a roof spoiler, and the 19-inch wheels again run 235/35R19 summer rubber. Inside, the physical climate controls were replaced by touch sliders, a change reviewers disliked.
Tire sizes: 235/35R19
What the press said
The Golf is one of the most decorated cars in the business: the Mk3 won European Car of the Year in 1992, the Mk7 took both European and World Car of the Year for 2013, and the entire Mk7 lineup was named 2015 Motor Trend Car of the Year. Reviewers praise ride and handling balance, cargo space and build quality, and criticize the base engine's passing power and the fact that the plain Golf lives in the GTI's shadow. The Mk8's move to touch-based controls has been the biggest source of complaint in recent years.
The Golf is a great compact hatchback, but it lives in the shadow of the hot-hatch GTI.
Car and Driver, 2021
| Model year | Units sold in the US |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 40,885 |
| 2013 | 30,931 |
| 2014 | 33,675 |
| 2015 | 65,308 |
| 2016 | 61,687 |
| 2017 | 68,978 |
| 2018 | 42,271 |
| 2019 | 37,393 |
| 2020 | 25,693 |
| 2021 | 9,253 |
US Golf sales peaked at 191,166 in 1980 under the Rabbit name and reached a modern high of 68,978 in 2017 before the base Golf was withdrawn from the American lineup.
Was it a success?
Globally the Golf is one of the great commercial successes in automotive history; in America it has always been a niche product, and Volkswagen eventually dropped everything but the GTI and Golf R. Resale on ordinary Golfs is soft, while GTI and especially Golf R values hold up well. Reliability reputation is average, with the Mk7 generally regarded as the strongest of the modern cars and water pumps, carbon buildup and infotainment being the usual complaints.
Did you know?
- With more than 37 million built, the Golf is the third best-selling automobile nameplate of all time.
- Volkswagen sold the Golf in America as the Rabbit for two separate eras, the Mk1 in the 1970s and 1980s and again for the Mk5 in 2006-2009.
- Motor Trend gave its 2015 Car of the Year award to the entire Golf Mk7 range at once, including the 1.8T, the TDI, the GTI and the electric e-Golf.
Tire options on the Volkswagen Golf
Sizes split sharply by model. An ordinary Golf runs 195/65R15, 205/55R16 or 225/45R17, all square, all front-wheel drive, and all cheap; a GTI uses 225/45R18 summer or all-season tires; and the Golf R runs 235/35R19 summer tires on both axles. Nothing is staggered, none of the US cars came with run-flats, and the spare is a compact steel wheel or, on later cars, a repair kit only. Original equipment was Continental, Bridgestone, Hankook and Pirelli depending on model, with the R specified on Continental SportContact or Bridgestone Potenza summer tires that are useless below about 45 degrees. Because the Golf R is all-wheel drive through a Haldex coupling, keep the four tires matched; the front-drive cars are far more forgiving. Winter availability is excellent in 16- and 17-inch and thinner in 235/35R19, so nearly every northern Golf R owner runs a separate 18-inch winter wheel and tire set, which also protects the expensive summer tires from potholes.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, caranddriver.com.
Volkswagen Golf tires: common questions
What size tires does a Volkswagen Golf take?
The most common original size is 225/45R17. Other model years and trims use different sizes, so check the list on this page and confirm against the sticker inside your driver's door.
Can I fit a different size on my Volkswagen Golf?
You can, within limits: the overall diameter should stay within about 3 percent of the original, and the load index and speed rating must meet or exceed the door placard. Anything further changes your speedometer reading and can rub at full lock.
Where is the tire size on a Volkswagen Golf?
Open the driver's door and look at the white and yellow placard on the door jamb or the B-pillar. The same size is also molded into the sidewall of the tires currently on the car, unless someone changed them.
What size tires does a 2021 Volkswagen Golf take?
The 2021 Volkswagen Golf came from the factory on 225/45R17. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.
What size tires does a 2020 Volkswagen Golf take?
The 2020 Volkswagen Golf came from the factory on 225/45R17. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.
What size tires does a 2019 Volkswagen Golf take?
The 2019 Volkswagen Golf came from the factory on 225/45R17 and 205/55R16. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.