Used 2011 Volkswagen GTI Consumer Reviews
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German Greatness, No German Drawbacks
Otto, 11/08/2010
2011 Volkswagen GTI 4dr Hatchback w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This car is an absolute blast to drive! It's responsive, comfortable, and perfect for both daily driving and weekend flogging. I got it to replace my college car (2000 Mazda Protege) and it has done nothing but exceed my expectations. The flat torque band makes it both fun and easy to drive, the interior is a wonderful man-machine interface, and the exterior is beautifully sporty without drawing undesirable attention. I have even been fortunate enough to avoid the quality issues associated with VWs. The performance is great but there are definitely faster cars out there like the '07 STI Limited and '10 Mazdaspeed3 I tested back to back with the GTI. Bottom line: test drive one! You'll see ;)
A reliable, quick, comfortable and efficient car
lucerne667, 11/12/2023
2011 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Most people are concerned with reliability when researching this car, so I wanted to add my experience to possibly help folks out. I bought this car used with 150,000 km (97,000 miles) with the Autobahn package. It has every possible option for the model year. It just recently had the turbo replaced when I picked it up. Then I'll get to the finer details of living with the 2011 GTI. So far I've added around 30,000 trouble-free kilometers to this car. No check engine lights yet. Work that I've done: rear brake calipers (~$500), timing chain ($1600). This is all work I knew the car needed and did it pre-emptively, it never broke down or anything. I could have went without the work for another year or so, probably, but I'm super paranoid when it comes to stuff like that (perfect match for German cars lol) but The car has never let me down once. I only run synthetic oil and change it every 6,000 km. That aside, I wanted to talk about the interior. The Autobahn package really makes this car special with the hand-stitched racing wheel and the seats - the seats are fantastic. They feel very supportive when cornering hard but don't punish you during everyday driving. Audio system sounds amazing. Controls are laid out super well. Head unit is laggy/glitchy but that's pretty standard for a 2011. It does what it needs to. Exterior stuff: The headlights in this car are amazing. They're very bright but don't blind oncoming drivers. The fog lights actually point outwards slightly and light the ditch, which is nice on dark country roads. Paint is solid, especially coming from a Mazda 3 that had some bs Mickey Mouse paint. To drive, it's hard to explain, but tt just feels sturdy as hell on the road. It feels bigger than it is. Again, coming from a Mazda 3, this car just cruises better. The wind seems to affect it much less. It could be its' weight - this car is much heavier than its competitors, and many online reviews chastise its weight (understandable from a performance standpoint), but to me, I'd rather have the solid feeling it has than a slightly quicker 0-60. It has felt nothing but nimble to me. I've been in a few tight situations where I had to swerve to avoid another car and I felt very safe and confident in the car - it will go where you point it and the brakes are fantastic. Speaking of quick, this car is that. It's definitely lagging behind other 2011 options like the Mazdaspeed, but it's quick enough for me. Some might be disappointed in this aspect though, as it's not a rabid animal when it comes to spirited driving. Mileage is great. Around the city I usually get 7-8 L/100km but I tend to drive pretty conservatively. I've managed to get < 6 L/100km highway one time which is honestly insane for a car that feels as sporty as this does. That's Prius territory. I'd say overall average around 9.2 L/100km. Wanted to talk about some cons: this thing struggles for traction. Maybe it's the performance diff in my Autobahn package. This is the main reason why I wouldn't want any more power or torque than stock. When driving aggressively in good conditions, you can definitely work around it, but when it's slippery, you have to be very gentle to get traction. I get by 95% of the time with good winter tires but sometimes it's a challenge to get going on ice without spinning. Predictably, it rides a bit rough. You're gonna want to dodge every pothole you can. Every time I forget and hit a pothole dead centre, I always tell myself that this is the price I pay to be able to rail corners on twisty mountain roads. Hope this painted a good balanced picture from a real owner standpoint! God bless
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2011 Volkswagen GTI for sale near you
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- Autobahn 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $7,99929 mi away
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Two cars one month and now water?
syopspwnz, 09/09/2011
2011 Volkswagen GTI 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I got my car in May and after 300 miles the engine had to be replaced due to a hole in the upper oil pan (isn't that the crank case?). Fast forward a month of hell and I ended up getting another new car. Shortly after getting my second car it I had water issues and a funky smell slowly developed. It wasn't till I took it in that I ascertained it was due to water leak in a body seam. It spent two weeks in the shop at the dealer before being fixed. Mean while in both warranty situations I've driven a crapy toyta camry. Can you say numb? If this is average reliability I want out NOW. I'd gladly have paid the premium and eaten the gas mileage difference for a subaru wrx at this point
Great, fun, reliable car
bodhizuffa, 02/23/2012
2011 Volkswagen GTI 4dr Hatchback w/Sunroof (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I traded a Nissan Titan for this about a year ago when gas prices began to rise. I was worried about not having a large, practical vehicle with plenty of storage. I can say, with a bike rack installed, I haven't had any issues with space or being able to haul stuff home from Target or Lowe's. There is lots of room with the rear seats folded down. I live in NC so no experience with snow yet. The car is fun to drive (especially around town), gets very good gas mileage even with premium gas, the DSG transmission is great, and the interior is at least one price point above the GTI. I have almost 10,000 miles on it, drive it pretty hard, and haven't had one quality/reliability issue.
Love it. Did my homework and am happy!
jazzbank, 10/26/2010
2011 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
For starters, I'm not a racerboy nor a true sports car fan. I wanted a great balance of features, fun, and practicality. I did a ton a research before landing on the GTI (3 months worth!). Fit and finish are above the competition it really feels like an Audi or other premium brand. I can haul people or cargo and still accelerate quickly into any pocket on the freeway or sneak a parking space on a crowded street. It handles really well and is silky smooth if you use a light touch. It can feel a little jerky depending on the road, but overall a great ride. I don't know if I can ever go back to a regular sedan or compact. I decided on this after a lifetime of Toyotas and Hondas, but this is fun