Volkswagen Golf GTI (2006 - 2014) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I loved my MkV GTI. It was my first car and I bought it because I'm a fan of the styling, I like hatchbacks, and it's a very fun but refined car to drive. For someone without kids it has all the storage space you'll need (except if you need to move a mattress or something big like that). The short wheelbase and turbo 4 cylinder engine are a good combination, making the GTI very fun to drive and incredibly responsive to driver inputs. It also gets decent real world fuel economy, with my chipped car getting 28mpg city and 35 highway. It's reasonably easy to work on as well if you like to do your own maintenance, but you will need triple-square sockets if you want to do anything other than changing the oil or replacing the intake. Overall the interior is very nice and spacious with a good build quality. I had previously driven my parents' Honda Odyssey and Toyota Matrix, and the interior quality of the GTI far surpasses anything I could have expected. German cars are known for their fit and finish and the GTI doesn't disappoint. Visibility is also very good, with the c-pillars being the only real blind-spots. Keep in mind my car is the coupe version, so there will be different blind-spots with the four-door version. Styling of the car is good as well, with a semi-timeless look. The car is 8 years old at the time of this writing, but it still looks modern and classy. I can't say the same about the rest of the VW lineup from this year though, if that gives some perspective of my preferences. For instance, I would never own a MkV Jetta because I think the rear styling of the car is horrendous. I don't have any huge complaints about the car, with my only issues being the high pressure fuel pump cam follower and changing the oil. The HPFP follower is a metal cup essentially that follows a three lobe cam connected to the engine's cam shaft. It is part of the pump that pressurizes the fuel rails for direct injection. The follower's design is flawed, in that if it isn't routinely checked and replaced when wear is noticed it can blow up and destroy the camshaft in the process. This is obviously not good and costs about $2000 for parts and labor at a dealer. It is an easy thing to check, however, as I did at each oil change and never had any issues. This brings me to the next point of the manual stating oil changes only need to happen every 10k miles. This will decrease the life of the engine. Because it's direct injected it will burn some oil by nature of it's design, and the turbo itself uses engine oil to lubricate its bearings. By the time 10k miles roll around the oil will be in inadequate shape to properly lubricate the turbo, and the engine will be running very low on oil because of the natural direct injection burning process. That is why you need to change oil every 3k miles with full synthetic. This isn't cheap (about $50 if you do it yourself) but well worth it in the long run. Overall, if you're looking for a fun, quick, small, but practical car and don't have kids, then this car fits the bill. It gets good gas mileage, is well styled and designed inside and out, and will make you not want to leave the driver seat. Unless of course you test drive a MkIV R32, fall in love, and sell your MkV GTI and buy one of those.Mar 19, 2015

I love most everything on this car except for one thing and that's the tail lights. I think Volkswagen could have done better with the tail lights. I just didn't like the crystal red tails that they put on them from factory. In 7 years of ownership I did not have any issues with car and never made any weird noises or anything out of the ordinary. Car gets great gas mileage, I averaged about 26 mpg combined. No maintenance costs here, except for cabin air filter that was changed by Volkswagen. Car is plenty powerful it has torque in pretty much every gear, and that feels good. I never felt more in control then with this hatchback, take turns fast, lots of grip in and out of corners and braking power is great as well. If you want to get the hatchback feeling back into your life then this car is for you.Feb 09, 2015

I may be biased, because I love Euro cars, and German hatches and sports cars, but there's no denying that the GTI has always had a dedicated following....and that its just a great all-around car even if you're not an enthusiast. The original MKI, the MKII, and the MKV are arguably the best of them all, (although the latest is also getting great reviews.) Its just the full package. Its not a $60k+ luxury car, or a $200k+ supercar, but a great, quick, practical and sporty compact that does everything you need it to unless you have a family of 8 or need to go off-roading. The interior is great, it doesn't feel cheap, (radio needs an upgrade though...), the handling is great even for a FWD car, and its got enough punch from a 2.0 Turbo engine. its not a gas-guzzler either. What more do I need to say?Dec 10, 2014

*Performance is fairly good. Acceleration with the DSG transmission is pretty good, and the brakes do a decent job of bring the car to a halt. Handling is very good, given the high ride height and stance on the car. *The build quality is... typical Volkswagen. You'll have plenty of rattles [as I did], though some of them seemed to have worked or worn themselves out. The dealership I bought the car from "cannot find" the TSB for the subframe bolt issue. The subframe bolts stretch over time and cause a loud CREAK when changing directions. Sure doesn't inspire confidence. *The appearance of the GTI looks much better now that I ditched the ugly honeycomb grilles & red grille stripe for a Golf GT conversion [painted gloss black]. That german paint isn't as 'high quality' as some lead you to believe. *Cost is a tad high. It's a Volkswagen, not a BMW or Mercedes. Fuel economy is so-so, high 20s/low 30s. The leather interior [which mine does not have] is nice, but pricey. Most people I speak with prefer the Interlagos plaid. * I think the car is fun to drive... as in just drive one, don't own one. If you're an enthusiast that doesn't mind his car making noises or having little issues that would drive any sane person nuts, you've found your new car. If you're a person who views their car as another appliance in your life, go look at a Mini Cooper.Aug 27, 2008

The GTI delivers smooth, predictable power throughout the entire RPM range using a 6-speed manual gearbox. Turbo lag is non-existent, and torque steer is more than mitigated with an electronic steering rack that compensates. The interior is appropriate for the likes of a much more expensive vehicle--you won't be disappointed. This little front-drive "economy" car shows its prowess in the sports arena, but also pays special attention to taking care of the driver during a long trip (well insulated interior, supportive adjustable seats) during a long commute (car is a pleasure to drive) or for a quick bang through the gears on a twisty road (enter all of the GTI's best German-engineered dynamics). If VW made a husband or housewife, you'd want to buy one of those, too.Mar 04, 2008