UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

I've been interested in buying a GTi for ages and now the time has come to get a new car.

I've been looking on various car survey sites for other buyers opinions on the car and most wasn't really that good. The main negative points was that gear changes wasn't smooth and it is a harsh ride. Alot of them mentioned that quite a bit has gone wrong with their cars aswell. One even said it didn't live up to the VW badge!

Is this the case?

I would also like to know GTi owners opinions on the car in general.

Thanks.

Mainly you have niggly little problems, here is my take:


Pros

1.) Rare car so not every fecker has one (like a ford focus or something)

2.) Excellent spec as standard: xenons (most cars still don't get xenons, even now), climate, 6cd changer, elec windows & wing mirrors, remote central locking, leather steering wheel & gearstick.

3.) Sweet design, the interior is funky and it has the nice blue display the other VW's have, I think the design is quite long lasting (will look good in 5 years). The exterior has nice subtle tweaks, nothing mental like huge spoilers etc. I'd say the size is spot on for hot hatch.

4.) Build quality overall is good, galvanised shell with 12year anti corrosion warrenty means you don't really have to worry about bodywork if you take care of it. No rattles in mine or my previous mk5.

5.) Performance is good compared to its rivals, its great on B roads and has lots of power higher up the rev range (high revving engine).

Cons

1.) Clutch has had problems in all models, I find mine stiff (as do most people) I do however get used to it. The pedal box was recalled and if the car you get has had it done you shouldn't have any probs.

2.) Rear wash jet pipe on most polos falls off at some point. This can cause leaking into the car, however even the 9ns have this prob.

3.) BBS wheels are prone to corrosion.

4.) The car needs revving to get moving.

5.) VW dealers are pap, they lean on the reputation of reliability too much.

6.) There can be a problem with cam belt tensioners going, just another thing to watch out for, make sure they change the belt at 60k.

In summary its a wicked little car, I love it and NOTHING comes close for me in terms of spec and looks and refinement for the price. (esp the price they are at now, I get angry seeing how much I paid for mine). The only car equivalent on spec that matches the GTi is a Golf GTi or an S3 or similar. The niggly problems can be annoying, but every car out there has one or two. I love my GTi, its a great car to have and I reccomend you get one. You wont be dissapointed.

I think you have to take online reviews with a pinch of salt (the bad ones more so) because if you have a bad experience with a car you are more likely to write a crappy review than if you have a good experience.

I wouldn't say it's a harsh ride.

The gearchanges can be rough, but then they can be so smooth it's like driving an automatic.

Oh and it's pretty rapid, all in all it's a wicked little car.

Regarding the gearchanges, it can be quite harsh if you rush things. To be honest it took me probably 6-8 months to adapt my driving style to the character of the car, and although I sometimes snatch 2nd or 3rd gear on the way up the 'box, 90% of the time I can achieve a smooth change

The ride is different to other 6n2 Polos because the suspension components are altered, its deliberately slightly lower (only by about 10-15mm) and considerably firmer, so could be a bit crashy over rough surfaces, I can tell you that really poor roads like you get around here in the Shropshire backwoods don't give you any comfort! But in town and on the motorways its fine, perfectly acceptable IMO.

Other than that, I'd pretty much agree with everything Andy has covered there. If the alloys are corroded and the car is at a dealership, see if you can push them to have the alloys refurbished as part of the sale, and make sure they don't do a half-assed job with it, you don't want them falling apart again shortly after! If in doubt, get something knocked off the price and have them refurbished at a reputable place, like Spit 'n' Polish, A1 Renovations, BJV Engineering, to name but a few

And yeah, it is a quick car but the fact that it is heavier and much more solid (and safer) than a Saxo/106, Fiesta or any other competitors means that it sometimes feels slower than other cars of the same power and size!

Oh and xenons? Soooooo worth every single penny of the asking price

I think Andyg has covered all aspects of owning a GTI very nicely, yes there are some annoying but only small issues but once they have been resolved for good you have one great motor...the ride can be harsh but then you are driving a 'hot hatch' and they come with stiiffer springs as standard so you have to compromise...if you think the standard ones are harsh, wait till you get it lowered...ouch...!

The clutch is stiff...granted but you do get used to it and you will find a way to stop walking around in circles due to the overworked left leg muscles and having a gym members is worthwhile to work on the right leg muscles...ha ha ha!

However all this is nothing when compared to the feeling when you receives nice comments from joe public, the number of 'heavy' comments I receive about the motor is making me think that think that I've overloaded the boot...or they are confused by the lowered stance...and the amount of times I catch myself staring at the car...and the way it makes me smile once I see it...its like being in love...anyway, thats the way it makes me feel...

cyhliu wrote:and the amount of times I catch myself staring at the car...and the way it makes me smile once I see it...its like being in love...anyway, thats the way it makes me feel...

I understand exactly what you mean, even in standard trim she's a beaut!

The dealership where I got mine from re-furbed one wheel, but said they wouldn't do all 4 as it's a re-occuring problem.

So I have one wheel with a powdercoated rim and 3 with a diamond cut rim Bastards.

buy my gti when i sell it, most bits have been sorted on it

and the amount of times I catch myself staring at the car...and the way it makes me smile once I see it...its like being in love...anyway, thats the way it makes me feel...

I understand exactly what you mean, even in standard trim she's a beat

Haha im exactley the same, I love it more than my girlfriends (sorry girls but you can't compete with my GTi).

All i can say is, name another car you can get with:

Xenons, Climate, BBS wheels, 125bhp, Metalic Paint, great handleing, excellent build quality...

For the same price and ill tell you to buy that instead of a GTi

/\ Never a truer word spoken!

I have to admit, i also find myself just staring out the window at work looking at the car.

Just buy one & you will understand

aahhh- we all love our gtis

group hug!!

Cheers for that everyone!

At the end of the day any car is going to have little problems.

Now my search starts to buy one!

hi urz.... I'm a newbie and have had my polo gti for a week.BUY ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they're great!!! I'm still waiting to experience problems, but I still say it's the best car i've had so far. so if you haven't got one already.... what on earth are you waiting for!!!!?????????!!!!!!!! it's better than my old mk4 1.6 polo that i had. go for it.....