Volkswagen Sharan Review (2010-2022)
Volkswagen Sharan cars for sale
4.0
Expert review
Pros
Massively practical seven seater
Sliding rear doors for easy access
Huge boot
Cons
Not at all trendy
Models on sports suspension have a firmer ride
Reliability can be an issue in older models
The CarGurus verdict
Some owners report reliability problems with the Sharan, but find a good one with a full service history and it makes a solid buy.
As a practical family car, the VW Sharan excels. There's loads of space inside, and the EasyFold seating system has seemingly endless permutations. Sliding doors are a plus, and the Sharan has more luggage room than most rivals, even with all seven seats in place.
It may not drive with the verve of a Ford S-Max, but the Sharan is a capable and comfortable car that should please the driver and passengers alike.
Best of all, by choosing an MPV rather than an SUV you are bucking market trends. A Sharan on the drive may not make your neighbours jealous, but it's a very keenly priced used seven-seater. And if you are thinking of the Sharan as a new car, it remains an extremely practical car more than 10 years after first going on sale.
What is the Volkswagen Sharan?
The Sharan is a sensible car for sensible people. There's nothing eye-popping about the styling, and it won't appeal to driving enthusiasts the way a Ford S-Max does. But if practicality is what you value above all else, the VW Sharan should be close to the top of your shopping list.
When it arrived in 2010, the Sharan mk2 marked a significant step forward from the original. Significantly longer, wider and taller than the first-gen Sharan, the new model was much roomier inside. It also switched from removable seats to ones which simply fold into the floor. Car reviews at the time welcomed the ingenuity and flexibility of the VW's interior.
The Sharan was discontinued in 2022 with no direct replacement, as SUVs had become much more popular than MPVs.
How practical is it?
One of the most common complaints about seven-seat MPVs is poor boot space when the third row of seats is upright. Volkswagen put the second Sharan's greater length to good use to improve the luggage capacity to 300 litres. That's considerably more room for bags than most rivals offer; the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso has just 165 litres, for example.
With the third row in the floor, the Sharan has a huge boot. The three individual seats in the middle row can slide forwards if even more luggage space is needed, or folded away completely to make the Sharan a cavernous two-seater.
The optional integrated child seats were another clever feature. As you'd expect, Isofix mounting points take care of fitting a conventional child seat if the integrated chairs aren't fitted.
What's it like to drive?
From launch, buyers had the choice of two TSI petrols and a pair of TDI diesel engines. The entry-level petrol was a 148bhp 1.4 TSI. This engine is strong enough for reasonable performance, but needs to be worked hard if the car is chock-full of people and luggage.
For quicker acceleration, buyers could opt for the 197bhp 2.0 TSI, which was attached to a DSG automatic gearbox. However, this was much thirstier than the entry-level petrol.
To combine brisk performance with a modest thirst for fuel, Sharan buyers have been better off with diesel power. The launch engines were a 138bhp 2.0 TDI and a 168bhp 2.0 TDI.
Fast forward to 2015, and Volkswagen gave the Sharan a facelift. The EasyFold seating system and sliding rear doors were retained, but spec levels were improved and the engine line-up was updated with cleaner and more efficient petrols and diesels.
The least punchy petrol was still a 148bhp 1.4 TSI, but with improved economy and emissions. Three diesels were available, with outputs ranging from 113bhp to 148bhp and 181bhp. The entry-level diesel was only available with a manual gearbox, while the other engines could be chosen with either a manual or a DSG auto.
The 113bhp and 181bhp diesel engines are no longer available if you are looking for a brand new VW Sharan. The range-topping diesel is now a 175bhp 2.0-litre TDI.
Technology, equipment & infotainment
If you want more kit and more tech, the post-facelift cars are the ones to choose. Volkswagen uprated the infotainment systems as part of the facelift, with improved colour touchscreens and a more advanced operating system.
Cars with the App-Connect option fitted are compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Safety kit also increased, with Automatic Post-Collision Braking becoming standard across the range.
All models from the 2015 revisions onwards came with Bluetooth connectivity and three-zone Climatronic air conditioning. S, SE, and SE L trim levels all gained more equipment, and the SE Nav spec joined the range, adding sat nav to the SE's kit list.
Volkswagen Sharan running costs
One of the advantages of choosing a people carrier like the Sharan rather than an SUV is that you generally enjoy lower running costs. And because MPVs aren't in fashion like SUVs are, they tend to make cheaper used buys, too.
Go for a post-facelift car, and there's nothing to choose between the 113bhp and 148bhp 2.0-litre diesels for fuel economy. Both achieve 56.5mpg on the combined cycle, according to the old NEDC test. These NEDC figures tend to make cars seem more economical than they really are. The 148bhp engine has been tested to the more accurate WLTP standard, and has achieved 42.8-43.5mpg. That sort of economy is much closer to what you can expect from either engine in day-to-day driving.
The more powerful 181bhp diesel achieves 54.3mpg, according to the NEDC test. Reckon on low 40s mpg if you drive gently. The current 175bhp engine should achieve something similar.
The 1.4 TSI is a thirstier choice than any of the diesels, but the post-facelift car should achieve mid 30s mpg.
Cars with a DSG rather than a manual gearbox will be slightly thirstier, as will pre-facelift cars. But the early diesels should still achieve 40mpg or thereabouts.
Vehicle Excise Duty bills will vary depending on whether the car was registered before or after April 2017. Annual payments can be as low as £125 for Sharan diesels registered before April 2017. Owning a later car puts the yearly VED bill up to £150.
Insurance groups start from 14 for the entry-level diesel, the 113bhp 2.0 TDI S. The most affordable premiums for a petrol Sharan are for the 1.4 TSI S, which sits in group 16. That compares well with the Ford Galaxy diesel of the same age, which starts from group 16 for a diesel and group 17 for a petrol.
Volkswagen Sharan reliability
A used VW Sharan isn't the most reliable MPV. We wouldn't necessarily be dissuaded from buying one, but we would think very carefully about buying one with a warranty. VW's Approved Used scheme sells cars with at least a 12-month warranty, and most independent dealers will include a warranty, either within the price or at extra cost.
Problems to look out for include DSG autos refusing to select drive or reverse. The fault can be intermittent to begin with, but the gearbox will fail completely if the problem is ignored.
As with any diesel fitted with a diesel particulate filter (DPF), the filter can become clogged if used for short journeys too often. Look for a warning light when you take a test drive. If you don't expect to drive far each day, the smart choice is to choose a petrol rather than one of the diesels.
Other problems tend to relate to electrics, so be very sure that everything is working as it should. Check the electric windows, parking sensors, the remote central locking and the electric sliding rear doors (if fitted).
Lots of Sharans are used for the daily grind of family life, with school runs and frequent shopping trips. So look closely for any parking bumps or damage to the alloy wheels, which can easily occur outside the school gates.
There have been a number of safety recalls during the Sharan's decade on sale. Go to the recall checker on the gov.uk website, armed with the registration plate of any car you are thinking of buying, to see if any recall work is outstanding.
- One notable improvement over the original Sharan was the switch to sliding doors at the rear, which make it much easier for passengers to get in and out in a narrow car park space. Electrical opening and closing of the sliding doors and tailgate was available on some trim levels.
- The Sharan has twice been tested by the safety boffins at Euro NCAP. Back in 2010 it scored the maximum five stars, thanks in part to its front, side, chest, and knee airbags. Under the tougher test protocols used in 2019, it scored four out of five. Adult and child occupants are well taken care of in a collision, but Euro NCAP was less impressed with the Sharan's pedestrian protection, warning of poor performance along the base of the windscreen and the stiff windscreen pillars. The Sharan's score of 62% in Euro NCAP's Safety Assist category also held the VW back from securing another five-star rating.
- There are three different suspension set ups to be aware of. The standard suspension does a fine job, with accurate handling and decent comfort. Sports suspension lowers the Sharan by 15mm and firms things up for a more responsive drive, but it's less forgiving of bad surfaces. The best – but priciest – suspension is the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), with its adaptive dampers, which have three modes to switch between. In 'comfort', the car rides more smoothly than the standard car, while 'sport' should keep keen drivers happy. 'Normal' strikes a well-chosen balance between the two.
- If you must have a petrol: Pick the 1.4 TSI, ideally one of the cleaner, greener engines used from 2015 onwards. It's a much better bet than the thirsty 2.0 TSI, which may accelerate harder but gets through too much fuel to recommend. The 1.4 TSI is a smooth and refined engine, and noticeably quieter than the diesels.
- If you want the best all-round buy: Go for the 148bhp 2.0 TDI. Again, one of the post-2015 cars would be our choice if the budget stretches far enough. These are slightly more economical and come better equipped than the earlier models. This engine strikes the best balance between performance and fuel economy.
- If you need to tow a caravan or trailer: Choose the 181bhp 2.0 TDI. Most drivers will be just fine with the 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel, but if you tow a boat, trailer or caravan, the extra brawn of the 181bhp diesel is worth the extra you pay. It will cost a little more to buy and to fuel though, and emissions are slightly higher.
- If you want lots of standard equipment: Pick the SEL rather than the S or SE. Post-facelift SEL cars have adaptive cruise control (to hold a set distance from the car in front), a panoramic sunroof, Alcantara upholstery and Discover Navigation, as well as front- and rear parking sensors and chrome roof rails.
