Handling, power, comfort, unique look

repair costs, repair frequency, repair difficulty, ummm.. (did I mention repairs?)

I fell in love with this car the first time I drove it. Nothing came close to it for anything like the price ($22K in '93). Little did I know what the car would eventually end up costing...

When the Corrado works, it's a blast to drive. The steering is precise, it's very grippy, the engine has amazing torque over a wide range and the braking is awesome. The only handling problem I've ever noticed with it is that the rear end tends to skip a bit on tight, rough turns. All this and it's even got incredible cargo space for a car this size.

When the Corrado doesn't work, it's incredibly frustrating. I've had problem ranging from fog lights that frequently crack and burn out to coolant dumped all over the interior by a ruptured heater core to a total meltdown of the wiring system. It's an odd year that this car doesn't have to be towed at least once or that repairs for the year
run less than $1000. Some years the bills are *much* higher. Unfortunately, VW doesn't stand behind the car and the dealer service is more aggravating than helpful.

While I love driving this car, I doubt I'll buy another VW product. It's just not worth the pain.

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VW GTI

Power, Handling, Interior, Exterior

Expensive maintainence

I have now owned my Corrado for four years and have no intensions of selling, even though it has cost me over $1000 in repairs. The 15 degree VR6 provides ample power throughout the rpm band unlike its Japanese competitors. Features such as heated leather interior, motorized rear wing, and a motorized sunroof make this car very attractive. It is not for the humble nor the thrifty though.

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Accura Integra

Power, handling, comfort, uniqueness

VW quality problems, exorbitant repair costs

I've had this car since April '93, and have enjoyed it ever since. It's fast, handles great, has really great looks that haven't aged, and is really rare. To this day, it still gets looks of admiration, and I'll get the occasional inquiring stranger.

BUT, and it's a big one, way too many parts have busted on me. I take super good care of this car, regular waxing, self oil changes and coolant flushes, etc.. but it still let's me down sometimes. Hoses, gaskets, coolant pumps, ignition coils, circuit board, heater core, and a few more. The worst part is, repairs on this car are quite pricey. I've put thousands into it, even with the extended warranty I had.

Ahhh... but when it runs.. IT RUNS! Even with the problems, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I've never regretted owning it. The Corrado has a cult following out there, regardless of it's pervasive quality problems. There're not many cars out there that can achieve that.

Seamless package, excellent handling, flexible engine, timeless good looks, automotive nirvana

they stopped making them, their rarity made them expensive to fix

I was a Honda guy, still am insofar as I can still recommend them as an excellent car. The time had come for me to upgrade from my aging prelude and I set out to get a newer one. I had driven several on a particular day, including one with the 4-wheel steering option (very nice at speed). I had almost come to a decision when a Corrado caught my eye. The 3 yr. old had jogged my memory on an article I had read about the car about as long ago, so I took her out. The years of fond memories of reliable service and fun driving in the Prelude were eclipsed by a giddy buzz that enveloped me within the first mile of driving. I was so completely seduced that I bought the car (verbally) before returning to the lot. To this day I regret ever selling that car and assute you that I will be among the first in line to sample the next generation Corrado II when it arrives.

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Honda Prelude, Renault Fuego, Honda CRX, Acura Integra GS, VW Golf GL

Reliable and fun to drive.RELIABILITY: 4.5
SEAT COMFORT: 4.5
QUALITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP: 3.5
HANDLING AND CONTROL: 4.0
(out of 5)
Good on gas, too!

Not a family car.
Small cargo space.
5-speed

Good car for the money if you can get the right price.

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None

Peppy sex-appeal, incredible handling, awesome design adn execution, rarity

the notorious windshield wiper and headlight numbness, exorbitant repair bills, lack of skilled mechanics who can maintain the car.

I bought the car in immaculate condition for a ridiculously low amount of money ($3200), since I took it as a trade-in at the auto dealership where I worked. I put 21000 miles in the first year and enjoyed the heck out of every mile! However, I have to agree with the annoyance of the repair bills when they did come (and still do). The best solution is to get a girlfriend whose father owns a VW repair shop (still working on that one myself:):))
Hey, this is a fabulous car in any event, so like a capricious lover she needs some TLC. Enjoy it while it lasts!
Cheers

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Honda Prelude, Audi coupe, Lotus Esprit (wishful thinking :):))

Great fun to drive.
Great looks.
Fairly rare, gets plenty of comments.
Surprising practical for a sports car.
A rear spoiler that goes up and down - of limited use in the US but great for the 'fun value'.

Lots of niggling problems (as just about everyone else has pointed out).
The parts that it doesn't share with the Jettas are very expensive.
Only 4 seats (ie. even for a short trip you can't get 5 in , but hey, this isn't an SUV...)
US headlights are utter junk, $500 to put proper European ones in.
US models have the infuriating 'automatic' seat belts.

I bought my Corrado as a piece of junk with just 3 wheels, front end collision damage, blown supercharger, and brakes that didn't work. $4000 invested in it has returned it to what is by far my favourite car that I have ever owned. You should probably always add $700 to the purchase price for the G60 to cover an overhaul of the supercharger.

If you can't fix cars yourself this will be very expensive to own. If you can do it yourself it is not so bad. It shares lots of parts with the Jettas which, whilst not cheap, are OK. Corrado specific bits are very expensive though. If you knock off the purchase price and the amount to fix all the stuff I knew was broken when I bought it, it has cost me about $1500 over 1.5 years in parts (I've driven 30K miles, the car has 170K miles).

Also, other than the supercharger (which I sent to HS motorsports in Canada to get fixed) the engine has been virtually trouble free. The maintanance problems are with all the other stuff. In a way this isn't too surprising since I think many of these cars have been thrashed (mine certainly has) so viewed from that perspective they've done pretty well.

Several other reviews mentioned that it was not a family car and that there was no space in it. I disagree entirely. It was our only car for over a year and the rear seats are perfect for baby seats. The boot has masses of space for a sports car (even more if you fold down the rear seats).

If you have the money, I would highly recomend this car.

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-don't see your car on every street corner
-join the in-crowd
-a classic

Volkswagen service is overpriced and awful.
Small. You'll never haul much with it.

One of the most fun-to-own cars, once I got it on the road to stay. I bought it used (and partly wrecked), but once I got it fixed it's been reliable and VERY fun.

I actually didn't buy one when they were new because I had VW electronics fear: Sciroccos and Golfs and Jettas seem to devour their electronic gizmos so fast they make you pine for British vehicles. But I've had nary a problem with the Corrado. And the VR6 has been >>strong<<.

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Scirocco (Corrado eats for breakfast)
Sprite (Corrado not as cool as, but then, it starts EVERY day).

Perfomance,comfort,not many on roads,practical good boot can carry mountainbikes etc with rear seats down.

Can be thirsty when driven hard (petrol very expensive in uk)
Parts from main VW dealers
cooling system
Insurance now dear in UK

Having owned a Mk1 scirocco and 2 mk2 sciriccos I had been interested in the Corrado for many years and could not wait for used prices to fall.
Having owned a modified Golf 16v (175 bhp)I just had to have a VR6,I did consider other cars such as the impreza but with the solid build quality and strengh of the VW it was no contest.
The perfomance is superb as is the engine note. The europe version has the 190 bhp 2.9 engine,car is standard exept for magnex s/s exhaust and Koni/eibach suspension which is quite hard.
If you are considering purchasing Go for It.But look out for a good service history and no crash damage.

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Golf 16v, jetta

speed, Handling, speed, Looks, Speed,

None

put a new exhaust on your G60, replace the stock chip, put a new pulley in, and get ready to beat the sh*t out of any Acura Integra (the local ones quit racing me) or any Honda Prelude, Any Mustang, any Bimmer, any car that decides to race you. I have left all these cars in the dust. Its not too reliable though. Buy a low mileage one if you can - and VR6s are less reliable than G60s. And slower if you get a few mods on your G60

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Any car that can still pull at 150mph - and get there fast too