1990 Volkswagen Golf GTI Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Not many of these around now, i'd put it down to build quality, which volkswagens are predominantly renowned for - no squeaks or rattles - the car just does what its supposed to, and more. An iconic car beautifully put together, good acceleration through the gears although 1st and 2nd could be better, got loadsa torque too especially when you put your foot down... Handling is exceptional, particularly on roundabouts and twisty country roads, it leaves others behind.Aug 15, 2009

I have a 1990 mk2 golf gti 16v 3 dr in oak green & a 2006 mk5 golf gti 3 dr in silver. Both are in my opinion are very fun cars to drive. I would say although nearly being 20yrs old my mk2 still has the fun factor of an old skool hot hatch & can embrass a lot of modern "hot hatches" that are produced today. Its got character!! In my eyes mk2 Golf GTI's are perhaps 1 of the best hot hatches that was produced at that time that have stood the test of time. I dont see many R5 GT turbos,Pug 205's,Uno Turbos,Astra GTE's,XR3i's/RS Turbos running about these days. Dont get me wrong i do hold respect for these cars as i grew up seeing them appear fresh on the streets in the 80's.. but i just honestly dont see them about today on the roads. Its a shame. As for the Mk 5 Gti.. thats a history maker with good power & out the box handling that to be honest just really digs in!!...lol. Mk2 & Mk5 have gotta be the best Golf GTI's VW have made to date..thats my honest opinion!! Ive had 5 mk2 Golf GTI's 2 of them 8valves & 3 16v's all of them have amazed me & others!!Apr 16, 2009

I LOVE THIS CAR. Bought it used and put some money into it so it would be reliable and boy has it been a faithful workhorse. It is so much fun to drive, even with what it now older technology. Mine is an 8v GTi and one thing that bugs me? ALL GTi's are HATCHBACKS. Who named this group on the forum anyway? You find me a Golf that is not a hatchback and I will eat my words! Anyway my car gets great gas mileage (26 around town, up to 36 on the highway) and is reliable enough I would drive it anywhere. The Recaro seats are very comfy with lots of support. I made my suspension stiffer with the addition of Boge Pro Gas shocks and struts. I also beefed up the exhaust with a header plus manifold. I love the boxy styling, even more so than the Mk5 Golfs now. My car had a/c issues when I bought it but after rebuilding the system (something that is necessary when you let the system run dry) it has been trouble-free for more than 10 years. Maybe this car's only fault would be the airbox: it seems to go out on a regular basis and is expensive to fix. (Update: after replacing 3 of them over the years, the MAF sensor has been fine) This could be related to the Digifant fuel injection system on my particular car, and there were two FI systems available. I think Motronic is the other one. Anyway, with some research you could probably figure out which one is best. The brakes are more than adequate. Back seat is tight, but works for small kids although the safety is probably not the best due its lack of a rear end. For sheer Fun Factor vs. Cost of Ownership? MY MONEY WAS MORE THAN WELL SPENT.Apr 14, 2009

The Golf Mk2 GTI G60 was an excelent Car, with a really good Performance, Top handling, Brakes,Powerfull Engine. Quality: This Volkswagen have best Quallity and lowest repair costs. Interior: Recaro Seats was the best was Market brings in a Car. Exterior: Sporty Body with Understatment Fenderflares, Foglights,Roofspoiler, big Bumpers from 89-91 Cost: New Car Cost was ok, but a good used Car have very high prices. Fun Factor: was absolutly great! for Street and Racetrack Jan 18, 2009

Good performance from an old hatchback, great fun to drive with excellent handling. Cool styling from GTi models. Ultra reliable, will easily cruise into 150k miles with minor maintenance, I get 40mpg on the motorway. I swapped a 1.6 golf driver for this car and I have never looked back. This has power steering, onboard computer (which all works), it's cool getting miles per gallon readings from a 1990 car. If you want a classy piece of motoring history, get one.Aug 10, 2008

When I traded in my used 1979 GTI in favour of a brand new 1990 model GTI, I was pretty stoked. I loved the older one but it had older car problems and this was my first brand new car. It was between this and a slightly used supercharged Toyota MR2 and a Mk1 Mazda Miata. It's fair to say I had pretty good taste in cars as they all became iconic cars. While the Miata was a soft top and was very sexy and the MR2 went like stink, I was having a love-affair with VWs so I went with a blend of good-looking, practicality and fun. VWs have always been brilliantly-made cars, and ever since then I've always done the "VW door test" with new cars as the vacuum-seal and satisfyingly muted "whump" sound of a VW door closing indicated pure quality to me (compared to, for eg, a Honda Civic of its time which sounded decidedly plasticy and cheap). If I could've afforded it, I would've gone for the 16-valver (which also had a nicer grill/headlights) but I loved driving the Golf nonetheless. Great handling, good stereo, excellent brakes and a peppy 1.8L engine. I would highly recommend a Golf, though in recent years they've become a bit expensive and aren't breaking new ground as much.Mar 23, 2008

My first car that I ever bought and boy was it a wonderful machine. This car has the heart of a porsche at a much more reasonable price. I think I paid around $22k for the car and it was well worth it. Mine was a 6 speed, 16V version. Very peppy pickup and great handling. the only downside was it did not have all wheel drive so in the snow it was a bit of an adventure. I understand the new higher end GTIs have all wheel drive which would make this a wonderful all season car. overall, I loved this car and would highly recommend.Oct 10, 2006