Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
This may be the version that sells over there as a family friendly GTI. The German version sits a little higher = sacrifice in handling.
This may be the version that sells over there as a family friendly GTI. The German version sits a little higher = sacrifice in handling
What are you talking about? There is no such version in Europe, and there is no difference in ride height or anything else between the 3-door and 5-door GTIs.
There is, however, a difference in ride height between the US height and the rest of the world - thanks to the prevalence of SUVs on US roads, and according safety requirements.
From what is known at this point, this does not affect the stiffness of the ride, and only has a minor impact on body roll. For those who want a lower and/or sportier ride in the US, there are always after market/ European OEM springs, and after market shocks and sway bars.
At any rate, there are no plans at this time to introduce the Golf Plus into the US. The Golf and GTI will be the regular versions, albeit their ride height is a bit higher than in Europe. Reason? Safety tests are standardized to typical ride heights - which in the US are SUVs. Thus, to shine in the safety tests (and also to truly provide the proper safety), several US spec VWs ride a bit higher than their European brethren.
Other cars VW has mentioned for the US future are the Jetta Sportswagon, and a small SUV based on the Golf/Jetta platform.
Anyway my understanding on the ride height is that the American GTI will have European base-Golf ride height to get a 5 star safety rating instead of 4. Thank gods for the aftermarket.
Other forums are worried about whether or not we'll get the fully bolstered seats... any word?
Thankfully, VW appears to realize you can't sell many GTIs if they're priced in the 30s.
All total, it ran to about $20,500 before taxes, tag, and title. I was buying it while overseas in South Korea, so I would have it ready for pickup as I walked off the plane.
Of course, you could customize a GTI at the Edmunds site, print out the TMP price and negotiate with the dealer from that price point.
:P
The GTI's a good bargain. 25-26k with package 2, so figure 24k after negotiating. Not too shabby.
You took my GTI!
:-)
No, in all seriousness, you just bought a GTI that is identical to mine.
I have a 2005, indigo blue, automatic GTI with ESP, sunroof, and monsoon.
:P
First, I am assuming you are truly on private property and not on public roads when unbuckled.
If this really is a problem for you (25 seconds sounds like a long time...), you can ask your dealer, or a friend with a VAG-COM to disable the chime. Or, you can buy the VAG-COM software and cable and do the mod (and tens of others) yourself. :shades:
Bummer. I wanted to like it as it was last hope.
On a side note:
I really wish that Volkswagen would get rid of it's current 'Package 1, Package 2' option choices. They're bundling too much extraneous 'cr@p' for my taste. All I'd really want as an option is heated leather seats, but I can't get it as a stand alone.
Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. I have to say that some amount of dive and leaning is part of the GTI's character - it may scare you if you are not used to it, but in itself does not hurt handling much. The US suspension probably doesn't help much with that, either. At any rate, several GTI reviews I have seen commented on it just as above - part of its character. As to pulling out of corners, you would have to spin the inner front tire a lot before FWD and the missing front LSD come into play. Did you have ESP switched off? Were the tires brand new or all-seasons? Perhaps you should also try the 17" wheels and check the tire pressure before you go (somewhere around 37psi).
Hopefully the Euro suspension will eventually become available as a dealer upgrade. I prefer no front LSD, because it can be a hazard at the limit. I don't know if we will ever see AWD with this engine... that would be my first choice.
It doesn't scare me. lol I don't get scared by cars. It just points to a soft suspension. That's not character: it's tuning to make the typical american happy.
Perhaps you should also try the 17" wheels and check the tire pressure before you go (somewhere around 37psi).
18s - summer performance tires. The American suspension raises the car too much, IMHO. And the longer springs/shocks don't help much either.
I think I just needed a full reminder I'll never be happy driving a FWD car. They're just not enough fun. Oh well.
anyway. I'd like to know what's included in the
packages. Thanks.
Sunroof and XM or Sirius satellite radio
Package 2:
Package 1 plus more aggresively bolstered sports seats in leather (heated) and Climatronic
Also, any info on reliability/maintenance would be great. Thanks!
Here's a simple test. Since all of the brake lights aren't working, the yellow triangle is displayed on your instrument panel and your cruise control stops working all of a sudden - the culprit is the brake light switch. These systems are integrated by design to let you know when one or all of these systems stop working.
I did see a reference to a posting on the web about the seal where the pollen filter penetrates the cabin might be a problem, but I'd expect to see water on the right side of the cabin for this unless I'm mistaken. Ideas anybody?
It's a mutated rabbit that all of the 06 gti owners are getting. Very cool!
DL
:P :surprise:
0-60 7.1 How is it that the heavier 5 door A3 beat's that by a full second ?
DL
Car & Driver published 6.0 even for the new GTI (Euro-spec with DSG, which means they may have used launch control). EVO magazine just published 6.7 on a manual. DSG is faster, but not typically by that margin...
I thought I'd get relatively the most neutral answers here instead of from brand specific enthusiast forums. I've narrowed my purchase down to an 06 RSX-S or a new GTI, I test drove the Si but decided it's not for me and I'd gladly take either car mentioned above over it. Now I've test driven the RSX-S 4 times and the new GTI twice.
I like the RSX-S very much, in fact, in the past couple of weeks that I've been researching I've thoroughly considered cars from Scion tC to a base model 350Z or RX-8, there were good thing about each and every one of them but I find myself coming back to RSX every time, I've even crossed it off the list after test driving the WRX but somehow it came back after a few days, that's how much I like it.
But after test driving the new GTI I just think that it offers everything that the RSX offers but does them a little bit better. More interior and exterior features, a little more variation in styling, steering wheel is a bit better, brakes are a bit better, ride is a bit better, space is a bit better etc etc etc. It's just an overall more complete car, I liked the car a little bit better in every aspect, well, maybe not EVERY aspect, because it's still better to have the 8100rpm redline of the K20 engine, it's just completely insane when you get up there in the revs, feels like a little serious racer.
What's stopping me from buying a GTI, however, is the concern with overall reliability and dealership customer service. My projected time frame of ownership is AT THE MINIMUM 5 years and really planning to keep it for about 8 years, roughly in the 100~130k miles range. Now with the Acura I'm pretty certain it will offer me relatively cheap and trouble-free motoring for the time that I plan on keeping it, but with the GTI, I'm not so sure. I'm not so sure it will properly get me to my finals on time, I'm not so sure it's not gonna leave me stranded half way to my first job's interview, I'm not so sure it's not gonna make me call a tow truck when I'm on a road trip. Due to Volkswagen's recent history I just simply CAN'T be sure, this will be my only car so I NEED it to work all the time and every time. And the dealership service as well, als from recent history and reports, apparently VW service is among some of the worst in the auto industry, well at least here in the US. Having problems or the need for maintenance is one thing, having problems while dealing with a dealership's service apartment that just doesn't give a damn about your stupid little car is just double the frustration. That is the other major concern I have over the future ownership of a GTI if I choose to purchase it.
I liked the GTI quite a lot, it offered the perfect blend of performance, luxury, sophistication and styling and just enough spunk to set it apart from the crowd. But that's the impression I got from driving two brand spanking new vehicles with less than 20 miles on the odometer, what about when that reaches 2,000 miles? what about 20,000? What about 120,000? I can't help but wonder.
What do you guys think?
Now of course I bought a 2004... which is basically the last ones VW made before the new MKV. That means that most of the issues (and there was a lot of issues) with the older 2000-2003 had been resolved in the 2004. I think your fears are not unfounded. This is a first generation VW and I wouldnt doubt that it will have some issues.
It's been out in Europe since 2003, and the US spec vehicle is made at the same Wolfsburg plant that makes the European spec GTI's.
So the same factory crew is making both the US and Euro spec GTI's in the same factory.
I'd imagine that if it does have problems, it'd be more along the lines of the problems found on the third year of a production.
To confuse things more, the Acura is about 100 Times more likey to be Stolen/theft than the V dub. How that equates to your insurance rates im not sure.
Good luck,
DL
As for long-term reliability, I would take a well-maintained VW any day over a Honda or Toyota. For vehicles driven normal mileage (around 15K miles/year, or so), all well-maintained VWs I have encountered have had a better record and cheaper cost-of-ownership after 100,000 miles or so than the Hondas and Toyotas my friend and family have had. Anectdotal, for sure. But among enthusiast VW drivers (who actually have oil changes and timing belts etc. done), you will find many with cars in the 150,000 to >200,000 range that are still going strong.
Last but not least, the MkV has been out for a while now, in Europe, and is by far Europe's best selling car. VW has been trying to improve their reliability, and in my opinion, they are definitely on their way up.
DL
Hopefully I can talk the wife into parting her protégé 5 for a new GTI. Is it true we are getting a 4 door version?