The King of the 'hot hatches'
ted gathe, 01/07/2016
2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
22 of 22 people found this review helpful
I don't know who wrote the Edmunds review of the 2008 GTI but they are badly mistaken in describing the Honda Civic Si and- good gracious- the Mini Cooper S as better driving cars than the GTI. I test drove both those cars on multiple occasions along with a number of others and the GTI was by far the best vehicle in every category. The Mini Cooper in particular was disappointing- noisy, tinny sounding and rough riding. The Si has nowhere near the smooth acceleration and shifting of the GTI. It's by far the 'King of the hot hatches.' I have had the car for over 4 years now and my only significant repair was replacing the pcv valve. Pretty impressive.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
08 GTI
Mark, 01/05/2010
2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
13 of 15 people found this review helpful
I purchased my 2008 GTI rather than a Mustang. I wanted a sporty, fast car. My decision was made primarily due to increasing gas prices. This wasn't solved since the car runs best using premium fuel anyway. While the car was extremely fun to drive, the ride is stiff but should be expected. Maintenance costs are high as are costs for replacement items such as tires. At 10k miles it needed a 4 wheel alignment. I always drove the car easy, no curb hopping. Sold car at 22k miles due to notification from VW USA of possible problems with the DSG transmissions. Buy the car if you have money to burn on upkeep and maintenance. I went back to Toyotas, no more headaches.
One of the best
Todd, 05/07/2010
4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
13 of 15 people found this review helpful
I have not driven a car that gives you so much for the price. It's fantastic the way the motor and transmission work together. The DSG is the best auto-manual there is. The car feels very refined and stays relatively quiet on the road. The seats are awesome and I love the steering wheel. Loaded with features that are usually offered on luxury cars. Turbo lag is there low in the RPM range, but after driving a couple of weeks it is easy to get used to. The 4-door version has all the room I need. Carries 4 people comfortably, and my kid's car seat fits great. Have had no reliability issues. All around this is one of the best cars money can buy. Could not be happier with my purchase.
Maybe the greatest car for your money...
Chris Moore, 01/29/2009
4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
This is a car that can truly do it all. I was looking for a car that could fulfill my demands for having a fun, performance oriented vehicle that could simultaneously deliver respectable gas mileage, have four doors, a great warranty and not break the bank, including full coverage insurance. Oh, did I mention my non-manual transmission driving wife had to be able to drive it too? Under these strict stipulations, the GTI is absolutely sublime. I bought mine for $20.5K and spend $100 a month on full coverage insurance. I regularly get over 30 mpg on the highway and 23 mpg in town. Because of its sleeper status, I can drive it like I sat on a wasp, and a cop would be none the wiser.
Possibly the best sub $30k car you can buy
robcarter3, 01/25/2013
4dr Hatchback w/Prod. End 05/08 (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
This car is a blast. It puts a huge smile on my face every single time I drive it. The power delivery is smooth and effortless and the engine makes a satisfying growl. The DSG is fantastic. The ride strikes a great compromise between sportiness and comfort. This car does everything. I can drive aggressively and have a fantastic time. I can haul 5 people, or 4 comfortably. I can haul a ton of stuff. I get great gas mileage. The interior of this car is far more refined than any of its competitors. The materials look and feel upscale. It's just a nice place to be. For the money, this car is darn near unbeatable. It is equally good as a daily driver and a weekend toy.
Great performance. Poor reliabilty
David Lynch, 06/24/2016
4dr Hatchback w/Prod. End 05/08 (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
16 of 21 people found this review helpful
This car has phenomenal performance, but man does it have things go wrong with it. A few things you should know of you buy this car. You're going to replace the coil packs on this car every 30-40K miles and when the first one goes, replace them all. In fact, carry a spare in your car at all times along with a code reader. When you get a misfire, read the code, find out which cylinder it is and replace it yourself. Here is a list of all the things I've had to replace since I bought the car with 21K miles on it (it has 54K now): 4 coil packs, 4 spark plugs, 1 thermostat, 1 vacuum pump, 1 intake line, 1 headlight bulb and both headlight auto-leveling motors. I haven't even had to replace the brakes yet... Think about that. All in, I've spent about $4,000 in repairs on this car. No one should go through this many repairs for a car that has less than 55K miles. In the last 9 months I've spent half of those dollars on repairs for parts that just brake. I love this car, but if/when I get another, I'm leasing it. I'll never buy a Volkswagen again. A real shame too, because the fun factor is a 10. Reliability factor is a 3.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Best Car I've owned
Dan, 04/01/2010
4dr Hatchback w/Prod. End 05/08 (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I give this car 2 thumbs up for being the most fun and comfortable car I've owned..I've owned 2 dozen or more. Even with reliability issues, it is still worth having if under warranty. I've owned it a month now...bought it used with 16k miles. It has FSI engine which i learned is the older version, but still very good, though. Great handling, comfortable ride even with 18" wheels. Gas mileage is awesome 26- 30mpg mixed mostly highway commuting. Premium gas is a must if you want good gas mileage. First tank from dealer got 26mpg with regular then after that I got close to 30mpg with premium. VW combines fun and practicality all in one package. Back seat is rather large, too.
Still happy with my GTI
Eric, 04/18/2010
2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Leased it two years ago this month. Now has almost 25K on it. The only problem so far was a fuel sending unit which kept indicating car was out of fuel. Dealer fixed it and no further problems. Car drives great, I average 27-28 MPG in a commute that is equal parts highway and city driving. I have owned MANY MANY VWs over the years, and some have been very problematic. Not this one. I plan to buy it at the end of the lease due to its reliability, economy and performance. Once it's mine I will chip it and replace the OEM wheels & tires to improve the performance ever more.
A Fun, Solid, Useful Little Package
PASNBYU, 09/07/2010
4dr Hatchback w/Prod. End 05/08 (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I'm coming up on my 3 yr ann. with my GTI and have only very few / minor complaints (see below) to go with my many miles of spirited driving. Even though torque steer is non-existent, I've decided I just don't like FWD cars - the balance is just not there, especially at turn-in. Luckily for VW (and me!), from what I've read, my wants / needs are all met with the 2012 GTI-R / Golf-R / R20.
Bought it yesterday
bbramely, 04/15/2008
2dr Hatchback w/Prod. End 05/08 (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I have been researching cars for about 7 months. I was looking at this, an accord coupe, a g6 gt, and mini cooper s, and so on. I knew that whatever car I got into I would be happy with and I feel content with my lease. I am about to graduate from college and got a great job, so this is my first car in my name. Big experience for me. I am such a car guy so I put a lot of time into this and found that rating for rating, pound for pound, dollar for dollar, i made the right choice.