Zippy little car... lots of room when the rear seats are folded down. Nice sound system.

Oil Pan, cracks on anything... even snow.

Have a 1999 GTI 2.0, 4 cylinder with 160,000 miles... major problem with this car is that the cheap aluminum oil pan cracks very easily... i have had to replace it 3 maybe 4 times at $400 a whack... being a low to the road car the undercarriage hits almost anything in the road, the 1st time i cracked the oil pan was in the winter of 2000 on a chunk of hard snow in the road in Wolfboro, NH, $400 gone... the last time (4th), and final (seized motor), was 9/20/04 in Leominster, MA on a softball size rock lying in the middle of the perfectly paved road that punched a hole in the cheap aluminun oil pan and drained out the oil before i realize what happened, thus the seized motor... $2,000 to replace. The car came with an even cheaper plastic skid plate, but the first chunk of snow i hit ripped that off... A steel oil pan would be better, it would most likely dent instead of cracking or breaking wide open like on the rock i hit. Also an OEM steel skid plate instead of a paper thin plastic skid plate would be a plus... i have found an after market steel skid plate system for $400+ but too late for the broken oil pan and fried motor. Other problems include a failed factory sunroof, won't open (50,000+/- miles). Failed cruise control, won't work. Failed engine air flow gaget. Cheap button for remote sideview mirrors broke off in my hand. Another pet peeve is the door latch post afixed to the car body for the door to close and latch onto, this is covered with a fine black grease, everytime i raise the seat and lean into the back seat area to retrieve something my pant leg rubs against the latch post placing a 1" spot of black grease on the pant leg, it's ok as long as the pants are black, otherwise toss out the pants, Dockers aren't cheap... Better design would prevent these problems... So much for German Engineering, I should have stuck to toyota, 250,000 miles on a '84 celica gt, and 350,000 on a '89 camry... next car will be a toyota... real engineering at work at toyota... bd

Similar Products Used:

N/A

engine power and good interior layout, miunus the stereo location, which is right below the cupholders. folgind seats, lets me get my moutain bike in there.good gas mileage .

faulty quality controls on parts, interior creaks from windows, coil packs fail like they are going out of style, consumes oil like a semi, dealer repairs are actuallt a pain to go through after the 25 th time in the garage in less than 2 years, belive it.

Well i was a real vw enthusiast with my generation 3 gti. It had a 2.0lt 8 valve engine with only 115 hp stock. So i spent about 8'000 on various engine and exterior mods. That car got me addicted to vw. with no real problems and relativly good reliability for 3 years of ownership. Alon gcame the new generation of vw the mk4. This has the new 1.8 turbo , a modifiers dream with the ability to gain 80 hp wioth only a chip and full exhaust replacement. i loved it when i bought i brand new. Well i slowly found out it has alot of production problems to say the least. doors started falling, bad design. the air bag light came on and after 6 visits and about 2000km's travelled to fuinally get it fixed. i then had various creaks and groans that never have been solved. the worst thing is it still consumes oil like a burnt out old semi thats seen better days. it has just got the best of me , i can;t stand it anymore. there have been coil packs replaced and mass air sensor recalls, just to mention the problems, if have had. it only has about 20'000 miles on it and i simply can't belive vw would have so many problems with it. i would stay away and research other cars before you buy it. the only good point is that your car salesman probably won't know about the various problems so you can get a good resale price for it so you can get rid of it when you wake up like me. the dealers are almost as bad as the car itself. fo rpaying top dollar for a compact you get treated like a second rate person, like you should have bought a bmw . they have more atitude than any other dealer you will find out there. it is almaost an inconvienece to make an appoointment or answers when you get it fixed. and now the going rate for some dealers are as high as 86.00 per hour. vw will have lost a previuosly loyal customer that spent thousands on mods to my old 94 gti. and tey need to learn how to control thier quality befoer they loose out on more customers.i warned you , steer clear, these things are garbage for the price , i could have expected it from say a chevy cavalier for 15.000 less.

Similar Products Used:

94 vw gti

1.8t ROCKS! I have killed V8's with this car! Amazing handling, beautiful luxury interior with the leather option, easy to clean, great car.

The only 2 things I could complain about would be the creek noise in the door hinge, and the stupid cup holders.

I have just passed the 20000 mile mark on my 2003 GTI with no complaints. I loved this car the second I drove off of the lot with it, and I love it even more now!

The Car

I want more aftermarket companies to supply VW parts!

Many others who have written reviews expressed extreme dissappointment with VW's products. I have had none of the problems soem reviewers have noted. I have been very satisfied with ever aspect of this vehicle: value, performance, reliability, etc. I would never compare this company to Hyundai. German cars are quirky (by Detroit Standards) but I believe these are some of the best cars made. Best of all I get Japanese reliability without the bland, "non-offensive" styling which most asian cars boast

Similar Products Used:

VW Jetta, VW passat, VW rabbit, Honda Civic, Honda Prelude,

-accleration -interior styling -reliability -handles well -durable

-sunroof leaks -loud wind noise comes thru sunroof -clock -turning radius -NO CUPHOLDERS

Bought this car a year and a half ago. Ended up dropping 1500 into it to get a sticker for exhaust, brakes, ball joints, etc.. Since then its been a dream, no problems through 17,000 miles. One thing that is weird, is the clock turns on and off when it feels like it, but i guess this is common among 89-94 maximas. Strong engine that NEVER quits, and i beat it to death. Handles all out acceleration after accelleration. Sounds awesome with magnaflow exhaust, and its a TANK in the snow. Trying to sell it now for a newer max, luckily they hold their value quite well. Great car for the money, but HAVE IT CHECKED BEFORE YOU BUY.

Similar Products Used:

93 taurs, 95 taurus

Very fun to drive. It was a blast. Looked good

everything else

I thought I was making a good decision when I started looking for a VW a couple years ago. My first instinct was to look for a japanese car (honda or toyota) but my brother had just bought a Jetta and I really liked it. I bought my GTI and it was a terrible mistake. The car had problems with parts that never got any wear or tear (mass air flow meter, someone please explain to me how that part breaks or gets worn out) a broken seat, and too many other issues to mention. Shortly after I got my GTI, my brother made a smart decision to get rid of his Jetta because he had so many problems with it and VW after purchase service is terrible. I have gotten rid of the car and gone back to driving a japanese car that I can trust.

Quick. Interior fit-and-finish. Soundsystem. Handling. Price.

Hard ride. Creaky doors. Factory tires / snow driving.

This car continues to please me. It's quick, it handles well and the 1.8 Turbo begs for lots of driver participation. I've had fast cars before (GM), and this is my third VW, and the GTI is by far the most fun-to-drive car I've owned. The dealers have been friendly and mostly efficient. In this price range, the interior fit-and-finish is superior (compare it to any other $20K car), and the body integrity is reasonable. I find the handling predictable at the limit. The tires are excellent on dry pavement and in light rain, but are poor in heavy rain and unsafe in the snow, despite the traction control. The engine makes great noise and the shifting is precise. If you shift with enough revs, and in teh middle of the power band, this thing will get wheels between gears, amazing for a blown 4 cylinder. As with most VWs, the clutch is a no-brainer. As I've read the reviews, I can't help but feel I have an altogether different car. I drive it hard, but I don't punish it and I take as good care of it as I can without being neurotic, and it works very well for me. Did I mention that the Monsoon sound system kicks?

Economical (if no repairs), practical, fast, comfortable, enjoyable to drive.

Front bumper strip came off, engine light came on, cold crank difficulty, worn floor mats, torn leather seats, clearcoat peeling off rims, seat pull pulled off, radio died, window (passenger) fell out, leaking head gasket, radiator hose leaking, heated seats malfunction, radio malfunction when operable, wipers not work when got car.

Wonderful car to drive. It's economical, practical, fast, and comfortable. The car has all but fallen apart. The list of problems is horrendous,and seem without end. It's currently in the dealership getting a recall done on the coil packs and replacing the outlet radiator hose that ruptured and poured orange radiator fluid on my garage. Hence, I was finally stranded by this piec of crap. It's on sale next week.

Similar Products Used:

Mazda, anything Japanese. Much better vehicles.

Very fast and handles good. Looks nice and love the dash. Very nice stereo with tons of stock bass. Okay on gas if you don't drive like me (fast).

Doors creek and dealer can't fix them after 5 tries, now doors leak rain and don't close correctly. Dash rattles like crazy. Sunroof sometimes doesn't want to function. Rear brake pads wear fast (within 22,000 miles). Transmission makes grinding noise when shifting. Window have fallen into the doors (once drivers, twice passengers). Engine coils need replacing. Disc changer intermittent issues sometimes. Interior wears fast and plastic, which looks and feels nice new, peels some weird rubber covering. Horrible VW and dealer service, 1 1/2 month waits sometimes and jerks working there who don't want to help.

To save you a lot of reading, don't buy this car or any other newer VW product. If you want to learn more, read on. I have no idea how this site even gives this car a rating over 4. Maybe people haven't rewriten much after having their car over a few months. I can't go into detail here, but this car has had continuous integrity issues, mostly with the doors and dash, and left me stranded in South Dakota for 4 days because and engine coil went out. It's had 3 recalls, one with the brakes and now one with the engine coils.....I wonder why? Being that german cars are notorious for have great mechanical parts and notorious for having bad electrical, I am amazed that 7 of my problems have been mechanical and 2 electrical. This car is horrible and when I talk to other VW owners with cars on this same platform, they have the same horrible stories. Cars on this platform are the Jetta, Golf, New Bettle, and Audi TT. In case you don't know Audi is the same company as VW, kinda like Lexus is a Toyota. I have written to VW numerous times, tried to claim my car as a lemon and all I want is a new car. All they do is tell me that this is normal. Well, maybe it is for a VW, but not for any other brand except maybe a Dodge Neon or Ford Focus. I researched this car a lot before I bought it in 2001 and I thought VW made good cars. Not only am I strongly disappointed in the VW product, their service and warranty is the worst out there. I used to dislike American made cars, but now German cars are on my dislike list too, except maybe BMW, and I am reduced to have Japanese cars in the future. Heck, even Hyundai (Korean) makes better cars than VW now. Like I said, save yourself the hassles and don't buy a VW or Audi. I will back this with a lot of paperwork if you don't believe me.

Similar Products Used:

1999 Saturn SL2

The futura yellow color

SEE ABOVE

I got my GTI brand new in August 1999 at ERNIE VON SCHLEDORN MOTORS.I had a 1993 Corrado SLC(nicknamed Jack) and couldn't afford the repairs anymore(infamous for problems).I gave the Corrado which I had a love/hate relationship with, to my older brother. I decided since VW had grown so much since the sluggish early 90's that the quality HAD to be improved and took a chance on the GTI. After about 6 months, I started having issues with the oxygen sensors which they fixed twice.My six disc CD changer was and is a hassle because it always freaks out and says "DISK ERROR" .Then the poorly manufactured interior was a problem. My glovebox right hinge broke, right seat lift lever broke off, right rear pull tab (for folding down rear seat) broke off and leather has permanent indentations from putting rear seats down. Then I started hydroplaining on a constant basis in the rain in the worst (Goodyear) tires I've ever had.The steering was and is only tight when it want's to be.This car has always wandered and never had a go-cart feel to it which at least I can say the Corrado did and still does . My rear brakes needed to be replaced in Aug. 02., as did those crappy tires.The shifting is extremely notchy(especially from first to second) and the car stalls alot. My friends get really stressed out driving it because it's soooo touchy.When I purchased the car it was so quiet I could hardly tell if it was started. As of last year it idles quite rough and often spits and smokes like a diesel.My check coolant light has come on twice and I've has numerous new hoses and parts replaced as a result.All of my exterior lights keep blowing out one after another which can get quite annoying when it comes to police pulling you over all the time.The car has always had too much body flex and is a squeaker. The doors are always creaking and the shocks and brakes (especially in reverse???)are down right embarassing for a fairly newer car. The worst was in April 03' .We had a freak snowstorm and I approached a curve(in my new Hakkapilita tires) going BELOW the speed limit, lost control, regained control, spun, and then weny rally racing in a nice ditch.But wait there's more.......In the process of trying not to die, I squeezed in between a telephone and a tree and headed into a large metal sign post.Finally, after my adventue I managed to pull it back onto the side of the road and sit there in shock. I knocked off both mirrors, my rear right window blew out and the metal post put quite a deep(about 6 inches) indentation into my bumper on the right side. So considering that the guy's at the nearest dealership(CONCOURS MOTORS) charged my insurace Co.(CHUBB-excellent)around $6000 to repair you would think the airbags would have come to my rescue.Nope, nothing and I had quite the nasty case of bodylash after.Now my car looks great but has given me so many problems to add to my list...........Scary riding suspension, car suffers vertigo and feels VERY unsteady, heat doesn't kick in till set at about 78 degrees,makes crunching and rubbing noises at whim on tight turns.Replaced the cracked serpentine belt after I was called to say it had no problems and told them sternly I could tell them exactly which belt it was.They later called back to say "you were right" and further raised the price of my repair bills.DO NOT BUY A VW ANYTIME SOON!!!!!!!!!!! They are having some major issues right now and need to figure out how to correct their mistakes instead of avoiding them to make a buck.You may have a new VW and love it but all I can say to that is......just wait.I know of two other people I know who have had their cars bought back by VW and they didn't make it easy.With VW there's alot of hassle, paperwork and phone calls.I just don't wan't to have the stress anymore.I'm selling my car within the next six months.I relly like the idea of the new R34 but I know it's gonna be a fast, AWD with a nicely appointed looking interior and ultimately a piece of crapola!

Similar Products Used:

1993 VW CORRADO SLC