4th Sep 2007, 14:06
German cars do not develop rattles?
It seems you have never owned a VW.
VW cars are famous for developing noises in the first weeks. At least it is true in North America regardless of the country of manufacture of the car (either Germany, Mexico, Brazil, or USA).
13th Sep 2007, 00:32
I own a 2003 VW GTI. It is a total piece of crap. I started having major problems with it after six months of ownership. The many VW service departments I've taken it in to have all been helpless. The car creaks and rattles like crazy, and plastic pieces break off in my hands almost every week. Volkswagen interiors look nice in the showroom, but they are assembled out of flimsy, brittle plastic. I will soon rid myself of that hateful little car and never consider driving another Volkswagen again.
19th Jan 2008, 22:23
The current BMW 7 series (2002-current) will be considerably worse for reliability - just google 'BMW 7 reliability' and you'll see.
19th May 2008, 13:49
I just got rid of 2007 Civic SI Sedan for this car. The Civic came from the dealer out of alignment, had many rattles, the rear bumper had been repainted, the transmission messed up 3rd gear shifts all the time, the front end made bonking noises regularly, the plastic door panels were cheap, the car had NO sound insulation, the steering wheel jerked to right on light and moderate take-offs, it rode terrible compared to the GTI, and had the worst build quality I've ever seen in a Japanese car.
Please don't compare the GTI with a Civic. There is no comparison.
22nd May 2008, 20:02
You do realize that GTI is the original hot hatch. Civic Si or whatever is just a very bad copy of it right? What grade gasoline and what brand are you running in it? If you use anything less than decent brand premium, your engine light will come on.
9th Sep 2008, 13:33
Wow... the comment about getting a 7-series BMW. I can't think of a worse money pit with a free falling resale value... don't do it!
I am seriously thinking about a mk5 GTI, but I personally know people with mk4's that have been an absolute nightmare... unexplained CELs, little annoying electrical gremlins (eg. doors lock and unlock on their own) trim breaking or falling off, mystery rattles in the dash... it goes on and on. but the reviews and reports on the mk5 all seem to paint a better picture.
Both Car and Driver and Automobile Magazine had long-term testers that have held up well, with a few minor issues (relatively speaking). I know Honda Civics are more reliable, but I didn't find it as fun to drive, and being a "mature" owner, I don't want to run with the younger ricer crowds and car thieves that Civics unfortunately seem to attract.
2nd Nov 2008, 16:13
Reply to:
"The Citroën Traction Avant Commerciale, was the first. Go wiki hatchback."
I'm talking about a "hot hatch", Citroën Traction was the first "hatchback".
25th Jan 2009, 21:30
My MK4 is great, a few rattles but that's only been during the winter. Usually the rattle is coming from my cd cases. MK5's have been kicking ass, especially the 2007+ models.
I'm also the proud owner of a VW in an all Honda family. Once my father drove my GTI, he is now considering going VW for any future purchases. Fun cars to drive without the rice falling out of the exhaust.
5th Feb 2009, 03:15
Ummm NO, Lexus, Honda, Toyota, cars that run perfect, you have got to be kidding, none of these cars will run perfect.
No car will ever run perfect, some cars just may have less problems than others. You cannot make a fact on one personal experience and then assume all of that car manufacturer's cars are crap.
9th May 2009, 17:41
Oh man! LOL! I'm sorry that you're having problems with your GTI. Maybe it was built on a Friday, LOL.
I have owned 5 GTI's total. Two I still have. An 89 GTI 16v and a 2001 VR6 GTI. The only one that gave me a huge problem was my 1st GTI, an 87 GTI, and that was because I bought a shinny rat of a car.
Do my VW's rattle? Yes, 5% of the time, usually when I go over a pothole, and the rattle is to be expected from any car going over a pothole or severe rough surface.
I wouldn't recommend a 3rd generation GTI because of electrical problems, moldings and plastic pieces coming apart.
I don't think the GTI looks like a Civic at all. It sure doesn't drive like a Civic.
What doesn't make sense is that you want to get rid of it to buy a R32? Thought you didn't want to deal with VW? You hate the new GTI but want an older one?
A 7 series is your next choice for reliability? It seems to me that you don't like the car because of what other people say, and you're trying to impress them by getting a R32 or a 7 series.
Cheap interior? You must be the only person in the world that thinks that.
Just drive the GTI and enjoy!
4th Sep 2010, 20:03
I really have a problem with people who make "ricer" comments about Japanese cars. It sounds racist, and I'm a bit surprised the website admin let it go.
In my opinion, German cars are more expensive to maintain after the warranty and many, many owner complaints on this site and others confirm that. So does JD Power and Associates. What's the most dependable nameplate in Germany, according to German consumers? Honda. Think about that for a moment.
26th Sep 2010, 01:03
Ricer means a car that looks cool, but doesn't perform like it looks. It has nothing to do with nationality.
27th Sep 2010, 16:44
Why would the Golf GTI want to be a Civic Type R? It's a much better car, and faster as it is. The Golf GTI was where the hot hatch era began; the original and best.
29th Jul 2011, 12:36
Mk5 GTI = fast car, especially with the turbo, but lacks complete personality; fat wheels/tires compensate for what would be mediocre handling.
10th Mar 2012, 12:58
I owned a 2006 Mk5 GTI from new for around two years, and was glad to see the back of it. There were dashboard rattles, a leaking sunroof, a boot that would sometimes open and sometimes not, and broken front seat slide tilt cables, leaving both seats stuck in the forward position. Then there was water in both rear lamp clusters, broken bulb holders, badly worn upholstery, creaky steering, poor quality paintwork etc.
I now own a Volvo C30 T5, and I absolutely love it - no problems whatsoever, not a single squeak or rattle.
2nd Aug 2007, 03:13
Everyone I've talked to and every review I've read has been great making me want one. Was this already pre-owned? If so then maybe that's why they sold the 2006 with under 10,000 miles. Get it looked at first.