Where to begin? Solid Ride, Heated Leather Seats, ABS Braking, Traction control, Dial in Sun Roof, A lot of Overtaking Power, Dual Fully Automatic Windows, a Clear but powerful monsoon radio system, Very Low Maintenance Price, Powerful and balanced Engine, Memory seats with Quick Release, Ice Cold AC (In Florida in the summertime, on full blast the AC will start to drip) Really an awesome car

I wasted my money buying extended warranty. Warranty just expired and AC is broken

Coming from a 97 Honda Civic EX, this car is night and day. With the Factory Low Profile Tires, Black Interior with the Red on the Outside, and the VR6 engine screaming with a Drive-by-wire system, this car is a blast to own.

I think I'm going to go wash my car right now.

Torque; speed; agility; overall balance of small luxury sedan and quickness; gorgeous quality interior; FWD in snow; gorgeous 24V VR6 engine 'note' when accelerating; reliability thus far.

Not as aggressive looking as a GTI should be for this model year; pricey; not as lowered as body should be.

This is my 3rd VW since 1983, having previously owned GTI's and plain Golf's. I purchased my 24V VR6 GTI fully loaded, with black leather interior, and it has been a dream to own! I've had the car since October 2002 (as a daily driver), and have had NO problems with it whatsoever. NONE! The 24V VR6 engine pulls like the dickens, with gobs of usable torque, and it drives as smoothly as a more expensive German sedan. I truly feel like I have 'the best of both worlds' with this car (luxury and sports), given it's quickness, agility, and luxurious, well-appointed interior. I change the oil only once a year with full synthetic. The interior is expensive looking and gorgeous, with fit and finish that rivals Audi, BMW, and Benz. The red on blue instrumentation comes alive at night, looking like a jet fighter cockpit. Without question, the 24V VR6 incarnation of the legendary GTI was one of the best ever, if you value quality, and a good balance of luxury and speed. The car itself will hit 60 MPH from a standstill in 6.5 seconds. It will also pull hard in most gears, requiring less overall shifting, and better gear useability, given it's excellent torque characteristics. Overall, this is one of the best cars I, or my family has ever owned. It is as reliable as a Japanese car, and even more fun to drive. It puts a grin on my face every time I turn the ignition key, given it's 'fun factor' and reliability. I realize that certain model year GTI's have been plagued with problems, but my 24V has been bulletproof. 'Knock on wood', as they say. I plan on keeping this car well past 100K miles. All in all, a GREAT car and car owning experience!

fast

The entire car...DON'T BUY ONE!!!!!!!!

We bought ours used from a VW dealer, drove it for a few months and then the transmission went paid over $3500 to fix it then the hose system went along with a bunch of interior electrical components, stero stopped working for awhile, always needs new brakes, pieces of interior chipping and falling off around the back seat, then the transmission is now going again and were too afraid to take it in again, trying to sell it in time

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1999 Chevrolet Cavalier, 2007 Ford Escape

it's fast, it handles really well, great options, nice interior.

performance, reliability.

i've had nothing but problems. in the last two years, i've sank $5,000 into repairs. i've replaced the O2 sensor twice, the throttle body, the belts, the spark plugs, the fuel injectors, the catalytic converter, the wiring, and more. the interior parts are cheap plastic that break. my mirror knobs snapped off, my glove box is broken, my cup holder broke, my backseat ashtray came apart. when the car does drive properly, which isn't often, it's great, but those times are few and far between. parts are expensive, few people are willing to work on GTI's because they are a pain under the hood, and if you use anything less than premium gas, there is a noticeable difference in the performance of your car. i have less than 85,000 miles on my car, and i'm ready to get rid of it.

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my old car was an 86 jetta, and it was more reliable than the 99 gti.

Power ,handling ,style,fun

Suspension may be a hair too soft. Maybe a little more turbo boost.

This is my third VW I starterd out with a Scirocco in 1983 and bought the 16v GTI when it came out in 1988. After a few years of bouncing around in Japanese cars with no soul ,I stumbled across my MkIV at the dealership and did a test drive . WOW! I remembered my old 16v with fondness , but this one had way more power and the interior was set up just right .In short someone at VW got all of the shortcomings of the older versions fixed. I love this body style so I will be in no hurry to go after the new MkV which in my opinion is too round , but I guess we will get used to it. So far only one mechanical problem , a squeaky rear shock that was replaced under warranty .

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88 GTI, 82 Scirocco

The heated leather is a treat, everything about the interior always gets positive comments, digital climatronic is a must have. Hiway power and responsiveness from 30km -130km is awesome. Body colored front and rear valances are a huge bonus, nothing worse then that black plastic everywhere.

Although shifts smoothly when driving and downshifting, the clutch is a tough one to get used to, and as great as the interior looks and feels, some parts just seem to fall off in your hand( console lid and back cup holder parts)Leather is easy to maintain but the carpet is a pain to clean. Would like to see the back end sit lower with this model and the 2006 model. Also the insurance as I said is a disaster, too much money, and the final purchase price that I paid, even though it was only 18 months old, was pretty pricey, totally worth it for sure, and I am not sure what you would get cheaper that offers quality and performance the way teh GTI does.

After reading the first few reviews I am realizing the love for the VR6 and the annoyance with the 1.8T. I have had my 2000 VR6 for almost 3 years and have absolutly nothing negative to say. It is pretty much stock, just aftermarket cd player and tinted windows, Its burnt orange so its a hot little summer car. I love the appearance, performance, and reliablity, so far its just been brakes and a battery. It has been in and out of a body shop a couple times but came out good as new. It is such a torquey car so on the hiway there is never a power shortage, but off the line I am sure they made some improvments with the new MK5. My sister has a 2000 Jetta with a GLX trim and from inside and out, power to quality, the GTI has better leather, handling, and obviosly power, the interior just feels classier, especially with the digital trip options(distance, avg speed, fuel consumption, & time). The jetta is great and great for her but it just seems to make my car a step up and into the class of my friends A4, not up to S4 level obviously. I recommend the GTI to someone thats working full time and can afford to insure the thing! the 2 door isnt much of an issue cause you can climb into the back pretty well so young families and couples dont worry about that. the hatchback is great for camping or a weekend snowboarding trip, but it will only accomodate 2 people +2 pairs of skis or boards. I have over 120km on it now, and as a realtor its climbing. I think this car is the only 2 door in history that a realtor can use as an everyday driver. My co-workers do make fun of me but then when they get into the car they are satisfied. So I am ready to move on and spring fora 4 door and I think it will be a 02 Lexus IS 300, comparable performance and style, but i hear rumors that the lexus is boring. I will miss my GTI for the sheer pleasure it is to drive and no mechanical problems! All in all a sporty, fun fast car that gets great compliments.

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2000 Jetta, 2002 Audi A4 1.8T 2000Auidi S4. Honda civic Si. 02 lexus is300

Performance,Interior,Fuel Economy,Sound System,Ease of Modification(after market chipping cheap and effective), front seats(heated Recaros are the best I've had on any car).

Sensitive Engine warning system(check engine light turns on and off alot when no problem present),Seat fabric not very durable( driver seat bolster worn)

I'm reading these reviews and am stunned.My experience has been totally positive with the car and the dealership.I've owned this car for four years and 67,000 miles.The only problem I've had was with the coil packs which were replaced once under warranty and the electric window lifts also repaired under warranty. The car has been extremely reliable. I get around 27 mpg in the city in spite of modifications I've done at 50,000 miles to the engine. I've added an APR chip, Neuspeed P-flow induction exhaust,and shift kit which has transformed the car.I also find criticism of the Moonsoon sound system unwarranted. It is one of the best I've heard in a car in this price range.I had looked at and drove a Suburu WRX but found the interior cheap, exterior paint poor and turbo lag annoying. I also wasn't keen on the styling. I thopught The GTI was much more refined, more adult. The only thing thing the Suburu had was a little better performance and awd. I found the traction control on the GTI almost made up for the lack of awd.I also liked all the standard safety features on the GTI.The only thing I'd reccomend to 1.8T owners is to use Castrol 5w40 syntec or some other similar full synthetic oil as well as Fram Wearguard oil filters made for use in trucks. They are made for extreme conditions ans have a finer filtering agent and valving that prevents all from draining from the filter when the engine is turned off.I also advise that you allow the turbo to cool down a minute or so if you've driven the car hard just prior to shutdown.You can buy and install aturbo timer for around $100 if you can't discipline yourself in to doing this on your own.My wife bought a Scion tC last year and we have had far more problems with that car than the GTI.I would highly reccomend the Golf IV 1.8T GTi to anyone looking for a refined, high performance Audi like car for a relatively low price. The series V GTIs don't look as good as the series IV.When this car dies I'll be in a real quandry as to what to replace it with.

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Transmission. The 6 spd. is to die for. Drive one with, then one without and you'll have made up your mind. It is nearly flawless and if I had to pick one issue, it would be a slightly (and this is really nitpicking) unusual clutch release. The actuation is quite a bit lower on the pedal that what you may be used to (at least initially). Usable performance. The car delivers when power is needed and can be entertainingly quick when called upon. It pulls well from all gears and actually has quite usable brakes as well. Quite a bit more body-roll than I'd like, but the ride is pleasant, and that's going to be a trade-off. Shod with thin-profile Michelin Pilots, even with the 17" rims the car does very well in every department and is a nice compromise. Styling. Understated and quite pure. I am really disappointed in the exterior styling of the new gen vehicles. The Jetta is disgusting and from what I have seen, the new Golf/GTI isn't much better. With factory 17" rims and dual exhaust tips, the Mk4 car has the appearance of a fantastic little street machine. I can't help but wonder what it would look like with mild, integrated fender flares... but that's just my Porsche affinity coming out. Nobody does flares like Porsche. Resale. GTIs seem to do quite well in the used vehicle market. Even today, Gen III VR6 GTIs command quite a premium. That's at least a little reassuring. Accessories and layout. Little details, the rain-sensing wipers for example, that work very well (the wipers themselves are also extremely effective). The control layout is very practical and the seams of various materials throughout the interior mate quite well. Seats. Supportive and effective with fairly nice leather. I was surprised that the leather was equal in quality to that of every BMW I've ever sampled. That was pretty impressive. The front seats also feature easy (and clever) manual adjustments and provide easy access to the rear seats.

Insurance. Quite expensive, even through one of the best companies in the industry - USAA. Believe it or not, more expensive than the 330 we almost went after. Occasional rattles. Again, a minor annoyance and not serious. Monsoon Stereo. I am certain that enough people have complained about this one already and my remarks would be redundant. Certainly not a fitting system for this vehicle on many different levels. Cruise control. Can be finicky and takes a little while to adjust to at first. Cup-holders. Being really anal now - but the holders significantly block access to the stereo controls. This is really reaching, however.

My wife and I bought our GTI after a prolonged debate between it and a 2002 BMW 330CI. In the end, the GTI offered a very similar feel and performance for 10k less. The choice made itself. We've put roughly 10k miles on the car, and it has been an enjoyable little machine. We considered buying new, but with the advent of the MK V vehicles coming out next year, decided to hedge our bet and go with a certified pre-owned. As it turned out, we also got the balance of the factory warranty (car had ~27k) and so wound up with quite a bit of service coverage. We were lucky in that we found exactly the car we wanted with every available option. This brings up a few important points. Most notably, the behavior of each of these vehicles changes drastically with different options. The 6 spd/VR6 arrangement with optional wheels, climate control, full leather and seat-warmers is an entirely different beast than, say a 1.8T with a 5spd, basic climate control and few options. It is, quite literally, night and day between differently optioned cars so remember this and act accordingly in your search. You'd be better off driving one of each and deciding which one fits you (and your budget if that's the case). This having been said, I would not have settled for anything less than the 6 spd./VR6 package. This is probably the most potent combo that VW has ever offered on any model (limited and SE models, i.e. the R32 excluded). The current 2.8L iteration of the VR6 is a wonderful engine, capable of lugging down in any gear and accelerating away smartly. It produces a wonderful, dare I say it - exotic tone at high RPMs, and it revs willingly. The true strength of the vehicle however, is the 6spd. I was worried it would be toy-like (Miata, S2K, etc..) but in reality the shifting mechanism itself is nearly flawless. Some will complain about the length of the throws; they are perfect for me. When I am performance driving, the shifting action had better not feel like a fisher-price playset and this car delivers. This includes shifting in -20 deg. temps - absolutely effortless. VW really has the 6 spd. nailed down. As for performance, the car is "nice." It is not, say, a 944 Turbo or a WS6. Too many kids today with Hyundai Tiburons and Civic SIs think that a 7 second 0-60 makes a car quick; this vehicle is entertaining, but a performance car it is not. That goes for the 1.8Ts as well. While I'm talking about the 1.8Ts, it is important to note that we avoided them on purpose. This is not an easy thing to do - they are literally everywhere. That having been said, our Porsche mechanic (with 35 years experience) warned me against buying a 1.8T based on the experiences of his friend, a shop-chief at a dealer in Chicago. I would avoid them like the plague... and besides, the VR6, despite its premium in price, is the engine to have as a daily-driver. It's 20 HP up on the 1.8 and delivers gobs more TQ when it counts. If you're modifying the car, then I suppose the 1.8T is the better choice, but we bought this car as a daily-driver and I am reviewing it accordingly. But, I digress. The fact remains - NA power is the heritage of the GTI and the VR6 is a worthy successor to the 16V fours of the heady GTI days of old. As far as mait. issues, roughly a month after buying the car I noticed a drop of coolant on some freshly fallen snow. When I took the vehicle into the dealership (White-Allen in Dayton) they determined that the radiator was defective. During the inspection, they also noticed a weaping seal. Long story short, I received a new radiator, new headgasket and a 30k service, completely free. I wasn't complaining. I've since put another 5k on the vehicle over several months and have not had any more issues. I can tell you, initially I was rather upset - but, I was supplied with a free loaner (A base-model Jetta - like flying a Cessna 172 after piloting a Learjet) and the job was finished in LESS than 24 hours. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly concerned after the ordeal was complete. Thus far, I am the only person I know of to have had these issues. The craftsmanship of the vehicle is very nice. I've been really happy that VW has avoided the tacky faux-wood/carbon-fiber trend that has infected the mainstream automobile industry. The fit and finish is very nice, nearly on par with BMW (but not quite) and the vehicle is extremely solid (your ears will pop when rolling down the windows). We've been particularly pleased with these aspects of the car.

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924/944/968 series cars - the most balanced series of sports cars ever produced. E36/46 BMWs - Will probably replace this GTI with a new gen M3 when they come out. Very nice cars. A2 VWs - fun little cars, getting to the point now where they will nickel and dime you to death. Other performance-oriented cars - Miatas, Mustangs, etc.

Good low-end torque Fun to drive Fairly good gas mileage

POOR reliability POOR electrical system EXPENSIVE to repair turbo or turbo-related problems

I now have 114,000 km (71,000 miles) on this car and have had nothing but major problems. The car is fun to drive and quick, but reliability is very poor. I've had the turbocharger worked on 3 times and the ignition coils changed once. All work was done at the VW service garage, where they had to replace the entire turbocharger each time. The coils were also replaced which left me stranded and unable to make it to work. The turbocharger recently went on me again, and this time I brought it to a trusted mechanic, who was surprised at the stripped bolts in the engine compartment. Basically, it seems the authorized VW mechanics did poor work on the car. For those who want to know what repairs cost on a turbo, prices can easily exceed $3,000!Additionally, the exterior lights bulbs keep burning out. I strongly recommend against purchasing a VW product. Just from talking to several others who have owned a VW, once the troubles start, they become never-ending.

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strong VR6, handling, small size for city driving and parking

fuel economy when driving hard

I just bought this recently to use as a daily driver/commuter. I have another vehicle to use on weekends. I've been very satisfied with the car so far. I bought it with somewhat high miles, but 1st owner commuted 100+ miles daily round trip. Car came with adjustable Koni coilover suspension, braided brake lines, Neuspeed adjustable sway bars, and K&N intake. Car still pulls hard, and handling is incredible with the suspension on it. I can see myself kepping this car for a long time. I tend to go through cars about every 2 to 3 years. I'm really enjoying this one. I already have mods in mind, and can't wait to get started. This is my 5th VW, all have been watercooled, and I have never had a problem with any of them. All have been dependable and fun to drive. I do take very good care of my vehicles though. Don't drive too hard, I don't drive like an old man either, and am pretty meticulous with maintenance.

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