VW GTI (All styles)

seminole_kev

Not sure if this was already posted or not, but looks like Autombile magazine has named the 2007 VW GTI its "car of the year" MSNBC link

bluejays

Hi gputz-

That was a great and well-reasoned post you made earlier. This is exactly what I'm facing...my irrational desire for a Volkswagen GTI / Audi A3 despite the fact my rational mind is telling me to purchase an Acura TSX or similar. The concern that I'm batting around in my head right now is whether the turbocharged GTI powerplant will remain reliable five or six years down the road. I'd love to hear your insights and opinion.

~ Blue Jays ~

muser

Depends on conditions. the 330ci is rwd, so forget it if you live in a region with long snowy winters or frequently wet roads. In regions with dry tarmac, most drivers would prefer the agility of the lighter 2wd. Either one is an excellent driver's car.

Better bargain: R32 by a wide margin

If you can't wait for the R32, consider the Audi A3 Sport (unfortunately 5-door only in the USA). The VW & Audi are more economical than the BMW, more useable space, more practical, Bangle-free.

ashulman727

My 2006 GTI (5,800 miles) recently started making a loud ticking noise when idle. It goes away as soon as I give the car gas.

This happened immediately after (30 miles) I got the first oil change.

I took the car right back to the dealer and he said that the noise is normal - it's just the fuel injectors and that I'm only hearing it now because the car was just serviced.

I would have heard this noise if it existed before! It's loud and annoying! It comes from the passenger side of the car, under the hood.

He said it could get worse in cold weather and it is 30 degrees in NYC.

Has anyone experienced this? The noise is driving me nuts.

jitteryjoe_246

I've noticed a ticking too in my car, but it seems to come from the rear passenger side (near the gas cap). I've always assumed it was some component in the fuel or exhaust system warming up and expanding.

Looking on www.vwvortex.com I found a couple messages posted regarding ticking fuel lines. Apparently there is a technical service bulletin on the subject, so your dealer/mechanic should be aware of the problem. I haven't seen a solution though.

I glanced through some of the more recent VW tsb's and didn't explicitely see one related to 'ticking'. You can check them out here:

http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Volkswagen/index-issue.html

(not all are for the gti)

ashulman727

Thanks!
I found the TSB.

link title

Says: "Fuel line resonance causing rattle under passenger side/floor dash area." That's it!

It says it is only for 07 models. I have an 06. Does that mean my rattling can't be fixed???

ashulman727

Disregard my previous thread.
Here's the TSB for the 2006 model:

http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Volkswagen/1161327600000_1162972800000_2006-04/

It's so nice to be able to go into the dealership and tell them what to do.

Thanks for your help!

eldaino

My 07 rabbit does the same thing, sounded like someone is knocking on the bottom of the car. Glad there is a fix for this and that its not anything major.

ashulman727

Is yours only @ idle?
Mine goes away when I give it gas.

98jettadc

I hit a HUGE pothole in Washington, DC a few weeks ago and it messed up one of my tires. I had to replace it. A new 18" low-profile tire for the 2006 GTI costs $300.

$300 for one tire.

Yikes.

wai

Is $300 for tire and alloy rim? and what model of tire?

hslxsmd

last nite some f*ck sideswipes my rear messin up my bumper and breakin one of my taillights and i was wondering if neone knows the cost to replace a taillight...

o and i also have the ticking noise in the rear of my car when i start it up every morning... is it fixable?

ive had the car for 5 months now n im takin it in for service tomorrow and i must say i have loved this car from day one

98jettadc

don't have that info here with me. it's the 'stock' 18" thin/low profile tire that VW puts on the GTI.

bluejays

Hi hslxsmd-

"...i was wondering if neone knows the cost to replace a taillight..."

Neone DiStazio from Staten Island, NY? I didn't know that Neone finally decided to purchase a Volkswagen after talking about it for practically a year. That's great news! He probably wouldn't know the cost of a replacement lens cover, anyway. Did he purchase a 2007 model?

~ Blue Jays ~

hslxsmd

lol blue jays... "neone" is like internet termology.. it actually means "anyone"... sound it out N...E...ONE... sorry to get ur hopes up about ur friend but im sure he got a VW by now

jitteryjoe_246

98jettadc,

Sounds like you've already replaced the tire, but in the future check out tirerack.com

I got a set of 17" all season tires for a much better price than the dealer/tire store. Just remember you have to pay for shipping and installation.

Here's what I found for 18" tires:
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A: $180
Continental ContiSportContact 2: $168

To ship one tire to the DC area it's 15 bucks (to ship a set of 4 it's 35 bucks). I found my dealer's installation fees were the best - $21 per tire (including stems balancing mounting etc). If you take it to a place that does an alignment as well, it will be a bit more.

I'm not going to lie it certainly is more of a hassle, but saving 80 bucks per tire aint bad.

P.S. If anyone with 17" summer tires are considering changing to all seasons, check out the Fuzion Hri's at tire rack. At 66 bucks a pop, these tires are worth a look. In warm weather they seemed almost as good as the stock Bridgestone Potenza RE050s, and they seem compitent enough in what little snow and ice I've come across in Maryland this year. But, if you drive you're car like you're at Nurburgring ... best pony up for some better tires.

eldaino

both!

agentcooper1

Well today my wife and I went looking for a compact car to use as my daily driver. We recently purchased a Honda CRV as the "family car" to accomodate our 6 year old son and our 5 mo. old daughter. This is her car and I'm now driving our old 1999 Mazda protege. It's in great shape and still runs perfect but it looks and feels old and tired. I want something a bit more fun and new LOL!

So we set off to look at the Mazda 3's this morning. I drove several and liked the S Touring model with the 2.3 liter engine and the auto transmission the most. I wanted a standard but the gas pedal and the brake a WAY too close together! Anyway, we left there both liking the Mazda but I wanted to look at the new VW rabbits just in case.

So we pulled up to the VW dealership and I tried one of the rabbits on the lot. NOT impressed.....seems they are targeted toward little old ladies or maybe brand new drivers..not for me. I'm 35 and would love a "fun" car but still need to kept it on the economical side since I do have to transport my son here and there.

I walked by a GTI and it seemed to actually call to me. It was weird! I asked to take a look at it and test drive it....BIG mistake! I fell in love with it as soon as we hit the open road! Love the way it feels, looks and drives. It's unique and very "weird" looking IMO and that suits me perfectly! However they only had 2 dr. versions on the lot. I know the 4 dr. version aren't much more but I wondered how much I would miss having 4 doors? I rarely have anyone in the car with me other than my son and he rides in the back so 4 doors aren't a must but I can't help but feel if I got the 2 dr. I would always think "gee, maybe the 4 door would have been better?"

Any thoughts or opinions on the 2dr. vs the 4dr. GTI?

Here is the breakdown of my daily driving if that helps:

Take my son to school then I drive to work. Total from home to school to work is about 6 miles.

I leave for lunch (alone mostly) and drive home...again about 4-5 miles.

Go home in the evening and 3 times a week I take myself and my son to jiu jitsu class.

Other than that we drive the CRV if we all go somewhere together...so in my mind if I could get a great deal on the 2dr. I would be a-ok......but still not sure!

Thanks!

turbotorque

Me... I'd hold out for the 4 dr. .. but I use my back seat a lot. Not for passengers, but for my briefcase, hanging clothes from the dry cleaner, etc., etc.... much easier to get at that with 4 doors...

In fact, I was close to getting a GTI a couple of years ago, but one of the reasons I didn't was the lack of the 4 door option. Now that there is 4 doors, I am mighty tempted!

kiddoljs

Hey guys i am 17 years old and i have a nissan pathfinder currently. I have been having problems and would like to get a new car that beets the great 12mpg's i get. I also would like the car to be manual with some power. From the homework and visits to the dealerships i have found the 2007 gti 4 door DSG vw to be the most attractive to me. It is a little on the expensive side but i am willing to spend the extra for the power and reliability (if any).\
would
I have had may discussion with my grandpa about this car and he thinks that this is a impractical buy for me. I do not agree. It is hard to tell because i am 17 and want to drive fast.

I have had bad experiences with used cars soo i am wondering if this car would suit my needs.

I know the reliability is hard to guess but i have heard a lot of good and a little bad but only from the ones that just want to fu** up the hole company of VW.

the main reason is that my moms boyfriend is the manager of a vw dealership in toledo, ohio. Soo i could get this car idk about 3-4 under sticker. please give me your feedback and tell me what to buy.. I am open for anything..

gsolman6

A car like the GTI would be a better choice for you than a Pathfinder, but I would qualify it by making sure you are aware of the financial investment it will require. According to Edmund's TCO is will cost you a total of $688/month over the first 5 years. Actually it will probably be more for you b/c of your age and being male(life isn't far and neither are ins. companies). Regarding new cars vs. used I would not ban used cars for the rest of your life b/c of one bad experience in light of the fact that reliability of almost all makes has improved dramatically over the past decade or two. In the real world a 5 year old Corolla can actually be more reliable than a new VW. You will also want to access your financial obligations in light of college/post H.S. job and living on your own. Having a choice between a nice car financed through family support of subsidized room/board versus living on my own I would opt for the latter. A great alternative to a new GTI is an older hot hatch/sedan (Civic, GTI, Sentra, Prelude) that is modified in a tasteful manner.

gsolman6

Pros for 4 doors: lower insurance, points with the wife, rear seat access for passengers, more of a "sleeper" since some will confuse it with a regular Golf

Pros for 2 door: looks(subjective), Price/Content(?)

gsolman6

I am very happy with my 17" Fuzion ZRI's on my '02 GTI 1.8t. At half the price of the Michelins drop shipped to the installer from tirerack.com it was a no brainer.

hslxsmd

i wish this car came out around the time i was 17.. im not much older but when i was 17 i also had an suv n was not always happy with it... go get the gti if u realli like it... but i can tell u that u wont b disappointed with it espically if ur moms boyfriend is the manager of a vw dealership u can go complainin to him if theres any problems.

eneko

Hi there,

I went to the VW dealer today. I found the car I was looking for, a GTI manual with package1. My only concern is that the car already has 170 miles. Do you guys think this is ok? Should I get a discount for that?
Most of the cars at the dealer have 10 to 20 miles and, as you can imagine, that is what I will wish for mine.
Thanks!

fasterthanyou

If you get a good price (22500-23000 for a 2007) go for it.

eneko

Thanks fasterthanyou.

another question. When I was test driving that GTI I was talking about, I saw an sticker on the windshield saying "Scheduled maintenance March 12". Do you know if new cars at dealers are subject to regular maintenance?
It sounds weird to me.

fasterthanyou

All the new cars are subject to regular maintenance not only VW's. The GTI has maintenance required at 5,000, 10,000 and after that every 10,000 miles, not too bad if you ask me. But that sticker(with March 12) is nothing to worry about. You are not required to go for service until you reached 5000 miles.

eneko

Yes, I know about regular maintenance. My questions is whether new cars for sale at the dealer are usually going for service.
I found strange that a new car waiting to be sold is scheduled for service at the dealer.
Thanks for your help
i

jitteryjoe_246

Just a guess, but maybe it's been sitting on the lot awhile?? Take a walk around and see if other cars have stickers too. One thought is maybe the car was purchased but the deal fell through after the dealer prepped the car?

If none of the other new cars on the lot has a service sticker ask the salesman about it - and make it clear that you require a REAL ANSWER! Sales people fear well informed buyers. If you can make the salesperson sweat a little you can probably get a few hundred nocked off (or be creative and ask for free service, drop some bs fee, or getting the all seasons instead of summer tires or vice versa). If you reach a stalemate in bargaining let the salesperson know if you get a deal that you're happy with, you would give him the highest raiting in the 'customer satisfaction survey'.

High customer satisfaction survey ratings give dealers higher priority in getting new cars from the manufacturer. Since this helps a dealership pick up more profitable cars, this can be worth a lot to a salesperson.

eneko

"it's been sitting for a while"

Yeah, that's what I think. It is the only one with that sticker. Other things I noticed about this car are:
170 miles
the car was a bit dirty
tires looked not totally new.
The brake disks have small rust spots.
And that sticker I mentioned before.
I like the car and is exactly what I am looking for, but I am scared the car had been heavily tested.

fasterthanyou

" found strange that a new car waiting to be sold is scheduled for service at the dealer."

Is not really that strange. Some dealers put this stickers on the new cars after they are inspected by the dealership technician. The sticker will have a date three months from the inspection date (three months is industry standard estimate for next oil change). You can assume that that GTI arrived on December 12 or at least that was the inspection day. Another reason for them to do that is that they want you to do the oil change with them(not a different VW dealer)and hope that that sticker will be a good remainder for you when you decide where to go for the next oil change. I hope I made it more clear this time.

fasterthanyou

"Yeah, that's what I think. It is the only one with that sticker. Other things I noticed about this car are:
170 miles
the car was a bit dirty
tires looked not totally new.
The brake disks have small rust spots.
And that sticker I mentioned before. "

This is your chance to bargain for the price : you know the car has been sitting there for almost three months , tell them you can help them to get rid of it . I would not worry to much about the mileage(the car is under warranty) but if that makes you really uncomfortable you can just order one. If you can wait 10-12 weeks is not a bad idea.
But if you cannot wait you should consider buying this one because is really hard to find VWs in a certain configuration. They are not like Hondas or Toyotas where you can get any configuration in any moment. Either you are lucky to find one or the only choice is to order but that means long waiting. Good luck with you decision.

jbaird227

I just purchased a 1990 VW GTI, and I would like to know if any body can tell me some descent mods I can perform to add more horse power and speed. The car is in good shape with no major mechanical issues. It has a 1.8 litre 8v engine and is the sport model.

eneko

Thanks guys,

what do you think about

4 door GTI, manual, package#1, 18' hufs for $24000+TL?

fasterthanyou

"4 door GTI, manual, package#1, 18' hufs for $24000+TL?"

I think this is like 2-300 over invoice. Sounds like a good deal.

conall

Good deal, especially if it's a 4 door!
The cars I bought new had some mileage also. I just sold my trade-in to the dealer for retail to make a slight difference.
My '92 GTI 16V had about 120 miles & my Mazda 3 had almost 70 miles.

minchul

I just visited the VW dealer today, and I found the new GTI 4-door that I am looking for. The color is candy white. The GTI includes the package #2, 18' hufs, and rear side airbags. From the edmunds.com, MSRP is $28,695 and TMV is $28,422. The invoice is $26,657. The dealer said $26,457 + TTL. And, $27,580 is on the road (out to door). Is this a good deal?
Financing is 6.9% for 60 monthe.
Please give some advice about this deal.

eneko

Thanks for you comments guys.
So, following all your guys suggestions I found out that the car has been on the dealership's lot for 7 months, since August 2006.
Are you aware of any defects or problems found in early GTIs that have been fixed in newer ones.
Do you think I should wait for a newer one?
Thanks

kiams

Assuming u r still in shopping mode, I would go for VW R32.

I have an R32, therefore expect slight bias here, but all in all, my R32 has always turned a bad/stressed/pissed-off day into a happy/cant-believe-i-am-alive/oh-God-this-is-so-good day.

I cross-shopped/test-drove the two, and I never regretted my decision. If you are into image, Beemer might do it for you. For me, the ergonomics, the exhaust sound, the crisp-shifter, the seats, the heart-throb, and lastly the FUN-factor topped the charts for R32.

eldaino

kiams: do you have the mk IV or mk V r32?

arnaud1818

the first GTI I saw in the show room was equipped with Bridgestone Potenza tires.
Then the one I received few weeks later got the Continental ContiSportContact tires.
Dealer has no idea why the delivered tires are like that or this.
> any idea ?
by the way do you have an opinon about which one of both is the best.. ?
Thanks

eneko

I belive the the Potenza are all weather tires while the continental are the summer tires.
I will go for the Potenza ones.

jitteryjoe_246

Eneko I think you have it backwards.

My car came with 17" rims and the Potenza were the summer tires and the continentals were winter tires. I can't imagine this is reversed for the 18" rims.

If you are anywhere that sees snow more then twice per year get the continentals. Driving with summer tires in the snow is not worth the risk.

jeep53

Hi, all: Any repsonse to my question would be appreciated. I'm in the thinking stage of buying a 2001 or 2002 BMW convertible. They seem to really hold their value from what I've seen so far. Is there anyone out there that can give me their opinion about this car? I've never owned a BMW before but I really like the way the convertible looks. I want a convertible with a back seat, no matter how small. I've looked at the Saabs but I'm not too sure about their reliability.

I would appreciate any opinions anyone can offer about this car. Thanks for your help.

razortb

Am i making a mistake buying a 07 gti sounds like VW has issues with warranties and reliability?
:confuse: :confuse: :confuse:

vandam8

If you don't mind visiting the dealer for repairs like an inoperable AC, inoperable one touch window roll up, passenger air bag light on constantly, weak ignition in the morning and bad services at the dealer. Other than that, it is very fun to drive (just as good as my '99 M3). Oh I forgot to say that I bought a 2006 GTI package 0. Hopefully, an '07 will have less problems.

eneko

My 18"s tires are the contisportcontact 2

"the Continental ContiSportContact 2 is a Max Performance Summer tire that was....."
from tirerack.com
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ContiSpor- tContact+2

jitteryjoe_246

OK you're right eneko.

The 18" contisportcontact 2 are high performance summer tires - but so are the bridgestones (18"Bridgestone Potenza RE050A).

In the 17" wheel size the summer tires are the Bridgestone Potenza RE050As, and the all seasons are the Continental ContiProContact.

According to tire rack no OEM all season tires are available in the 18" wheel size.

Weird.

eldaino

According to tire rack no OEM all season tires are available in the 18" wheel size.

i just went on there and they have some dunlops in the 18 inch size that are oem's and are high performance all seasons.

Just because it isn't oem doesn't mean it isn't good. The closest vw dealer to me had a 4 door gti with the 18 inch huf's and it had continental's on it. And they were not summer tires. Just do a search for all the tires in that size. There are plenty from the same manufacturers that make the oem's on the gti, i.e. bridgestone, continental etc. And instead of opting for straight summer tires or just regular all seasons, you can get performance all seasons and have the best of both worlds!