2006 Volkswagen GTI 2.0 turbo from North America

Summary:

Wannabe Honda Civic without the reliability

Faults:

Rattles galore.

Cheap interior.

Headlights stopped working and were stuck pointing at the ground, and I could not see driving, and I almost hit someone walking.

Check engine light came on at least 3 times so far. Just not happy with the build quality.

I am not one to complain, but for $25,000 and under 10,000 miles it should be better than this.

General Comments:

At first I thought it was ugly. Then I thought it would grow on me as it does all the time to everyone. The front end is nice looking, but the rear end is very ugly. I get comments all the time that it is a wanna be Civic hatch. Now that I look at it more it really does look like a Civic hatch. But without the Civic reliability.

I have owned this car for 6 months now and have had issues with it. I bought a new car just so I would not have problems. I use to like it a lot, but I am nervous that it will have problems with it in the future when my kid is in the car. I am trading it in for a 04 R32 which is what I should have got in the beginning. My girlfriend even said I should not buy the new GTI cause it looked like a girls car. Now VW only wants to give me $13,000 for trade in on this car. Now I am just not going with a VW at all.. I am done! I am selling the GTI private sale and I am buying a used BMW 7 series.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 8th November, 2006

9th Nov 2006, 12:54

You do realize that the 7 series will likely be even less reliable, right?

11th Jul 2007, 10:02

A girls car? rofl.

23rd Jul 2007, 20:43

Give me a break. Dealer will only give you 13k?? What did YOU do to the car?

1st Aug 2007, 22:51

You said many things that lead me to believe that you don't even own the car. First and foremost you said the car had a cheap interior meanwhile the entire automotive press praises it's interior as the best in it's class and even the next class up. And german cars in general do not develop rattles that's a Japanese car thing. My 210k mile 1974 VW Beetle doesn't squeak or rattle, but my uncles 2004 Corolla sure does.

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2006 Volkswagen GTI 2.0 T from North America

Summary:

High speed thrills with a refined ride

Faults:

Passenger Airbag sensor faulted at 3000 miles. Replaced by dealer.

General Comments:

What a wonderful little hatch. I love the get up and go this new engine for the GTI provides. Great low end torque that melds seamlessly into the high end gains from the turbo gives this car a great sense of pull through out the entire RPM range. I feel no 'dead space' or turbo lag when driving.

I am a little disappointed in the handling/feel of the car. Earlier GTIs gave an awesome go-kart like feeling when zipping around town. This newest model seems a lot more refined/smoother ride, which I can appreciate when I'm on long road trips and just cruising around town, but I truly miss the sharp, nimble feeling usually connected to GTIs when I really step on the gas and take a turn at high speeds.

The comfort in this car is amazing. Even for being a 2 door, my rear seat has more legroom then my buddies 4 door Golf. The seats are perfect and fit any one persons seating style with its many adjustments. My only complaint is I wish they used a slightly softer fabric for the seat as it starts to get a little rough on those long winded road trips.

Overall a great car to have. I whole heartedly enjoy this car every time I step into it. I look forward to seeing what other great cars are coming to VW as I will most certainly be buying another when I decide to get rid of my GTI.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th August, 2006

30th Aug 2006, 11:55

It's good to see a review from someone who actually likes his VW.

Please give us an update as you put more miles on it.

27th Nov 2006, 16:51

Original Poster here. Just an update!

Rear brake pads went bad at about 15,000 miles. Took it to the dealer, and they said it was due to some bad batch of pads that were produced, and replaced the rear pads and rotors for free.

Radio also needed a flash software upgrade, to keep the bass from cutting out at higher volumes. Also no charge.

Currently a few rattles and such throughout the cabin. I have identified them all, just haven't had the time in this bad weather to really get into the car's inner workings to stop them. So far they are:

1. VIN plate on dash is not properly seated. Is a problem with other MKV owners I've talked to. Simple fix with a little clear silicon and a toothpick.

2. Overhead lights rattle. There's a DIY fix it on VWvortex.com, easily done with some time and a little glue.

3. Screw rattles in between glove box and passenger door. Also a DIY fix it on VWvortex. Just get in there with a screwdriver and lock tight to get that guy nice and seated.

That's it for now. Will keep updating as the miles rack up.