2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

Still going strong....

Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

I bought my 2007 GTI as a CPO with about 60k on the odometer and now have about 185k. Having never owned a vehicle with a turbocharged engine I was pleased with the acceleration to say the least. Interior and trim is heads above domestic vehicles and their cheap plastic interior pieces. Bi-xenon headlamps are stellar for night driving. Manual transmission shifts smooth. I just changed the gear oil about a month ago. Seems that my switch to Motul oil may have made the shifts a little harder. I may go back to the OEM gear oil. The car has been a gem for the most part. Only maintenance I have really done is oil, brakes, tires, timing belt (bought as a kit with water pump, pulleys and tensioner) and thermostat. Cost of parts isn't that bad either in the grand scheme of things. I will say that if you can do your own work you will be fine. VW dealerships aren't known for being cheap by any standard. I paid over $400 bucks for a simple service visit which basically consisted of an oil change and air filters (of course their multi-point inspection *rolling eyes*). Whatever it was it wasn't worth $400 bucks. I resigned myself to doing all my own maintenance and repairs after that visit. Luckily VW is supported by owners forums on the web that can basically walk you through most repairs and help diagnose problems. I will say that despite the ridiculous repair costs at the dealership, their customer service is fantastic. For example, VW has a 12 year anti-corrosion warranty on their vehicles. I had some rust appearing on the rear hatch and decided to take it in and see if they would honor their warranty. They took pictures, sent them to VW and was informed that it may take a few weeks to get an answer. Sure enough, they honored the repair and gave me a 2015 Golf for a loaner. Not bad, not bad at all. You surely would never get an American manufacturer to warranty a rust claim on a 8-9 year old car. In conclusion, it's been a great car for what it is. Fun, fast, handles well, great gas mileage, reliable and four doors. I'll be hard pressed to buy another domestic car after this.