2010 Volkswagen GTI: Auf Wiedersehen

I would not buy a GTI...just too expensive for what it is but it is a very nice car. Oh and the dealers suck. :)

I like the plaid seats. I really like this car and would definitely consider one as a daily driver if I was ever rich enough to make the Miata a weekend only/track car, but the non-defeat electronic nannies are a concern.

I've had mine since Feb 2010 and it's still fantastic. However I have the leather, I agree, not a fan of the plaid seats... but the leather is really high quality.
As for price, I feel like it's a steal. Very upscale feeling car without the Audi or Acura price tag.
Trying to get my wife to replace her aging S60 with another VW. Very happy with them overall.

"Did your opinion change on this car?"

My opinion didn't change much, though 199 posts and thousands of comments have given me a lot more awareness about others' thoughts and opinions than the fanboy sites. I *am* impressed at your resale price to a used car dealer! The car is nearly ideal for what it is (with nearly all of others' concerns, including mine, duly noted), such that my GTI and a (future?) Porsche Cayman would make up my perfect moderately-priced 2-car garage (along with all my bikes :-)

"Would you buy one now?"

I did buy one in February 2010 and have had zero problems, though I've accrued half your mileage. But I'd expect any car today to breeze through 25K with nothing more than an oil change. The question is how much maintenance and money does it cost to get to 100K, and does it then have another 100K left in it? This being my 3rd VW, I'm cautiously optimistic about the former, entirely unsure of the latter. It can't be worse over the long haul than the previous two, can it?

I've enjoyed reading the blog on the GTI more than any of the other cars you've acquired thus far.

This long term blog is what inspired me to buy my Candy White 2011 Autobahn manual last October. I had a broker locate the car for me, so I have literally never seen the dealer. I'm due for an Oil change in a few months, so I've started early trying to find the least "sucky" VW service department in PHX. Luckily (knocks on wood), haven't needed to visit thus far.

Now that I've had a chance to drive it around in 117 degree temps, I can say that the drag the AC puts on the car is noticable, but it is still impressively powerful and avoids heat soak nicely.

The GTI is such an excellent all-rounder that I'm happy to live with the car's faults... But then I had a MKIV Jetta back in the day that I look fondly upon as well. I guess that makes me a fanboy :)

Check with me in a year or two... So far, it's been awesome.

I'm really gonna miss reading about the GTI. I never really quite understood why it resonated so well with me because it's simply not a car that fits my stage in life anymore (for comparison I seldom read anything about the Mustang because it has zero appeal to me). Nevertheless, I found myself gravitating towards every post about the GTI. If I were ten years younger I could see myself driving one.

As I have said before, it's very high on my "next car" list. I'm having an "Erin" moment (well, at least a few months ago) where I can't decide between the GTI and the MS3...we'll see, come December when I plan to buy. I do wish to thank Inside Line for the thorough blogs of BOTH cars. It's really helped. But I am concerned, specifically, about long term maintenance and cost as I plan to have the car a long (long) time.

@ stovt

Plaid seats ftw! I'd definitely look at this car if I had the cash, along with the upcoming Focus ST. Miata just wouldn't cut it for me space wise as a DD.

Will certainly miss reading about the GTI though. Auf wiedersehen mein freund! :)

"Kleine GTI...."

My 2010 Candy White (plaid seats and manual) has been fabulous so far. Would certainly buy it again if I had a do-over.

Not surprising that you guys couldn't beat 19k. That was a crazy good offer esp considering its from carmax. Getting over 20k for that car with way above average mileage and the abuse you put them through is a good deal.

My gf and I are enjoying our GTI (about a month into ownership). It's not a perfect car by any stretch, but it does strike a very nice balance between sportiness, daily-driver comfort, and practicality. It's also got a lot of character, from the plaid seats to the engine "burps" between shifts (w/DSG) to the near-neutral chassis setup. My gf yesterday said she'd gladly "run this car into the ground", which I was happy to hear since we bought this car primarily for her.

Many thanks to Edmunds' long term test, as it portrayed well what it would be like to live with this car on a daily basis, and clarified the strengths and limitations of the car. Well done.

Probably one of the best cars in IL's long term test fleet worth reading about. Only ones left are Mustang 5.0, M56, Mazda 2/Mx5, and F150 Raptor. The rest are just...blah

I remember reading the first full test you did of the car, where one of your resident VW haters trashed the car, and remember thinking, "WTF is he talking about? Everyone else loves this car."

Now as the miles piled up, most of the IL staff has come around, and are now sorry to see it go...

So no, my opinion did not change, but IL's did.

My 2011 Autobahn 4-door is now up to 6200 miles - 0 issues and averaging 28 mpg...chipped.

I would have loved to consider one in 2007 when I bought my Subaru, but it didn't come in 4-door then. If I were in the market for a new car in the $28k range I would certainly look at the GTI

I like the plaid seats. Much prefer cloth to leather. And I liked the Cuisinart wheels, too.

It will be interesting to see how much Carmax sells this car for.

I bought mine back in 1/11 and absolutely love it. You can hate on the plaid seats, but they're visually far more interesting than boring leather - in fact I like the material more than the leather I've had in former cars (minus the Audi S4's).

This car handles beautifully for a FF drivetrain and very much reminds me of far more expensive rides. Dollar for dollar, I will buy this car again in a heartbeat. It might be pricier than its competition, if there really is any true competition. Everything else in the body style / price range feels cheap and plastic-y. Drop an APR mod and you can even compete with much more performance-minded rides.

Until I get a Porsche or a replacement S4, I will happily drive this.

I've had mine 6 months now, and still love it. I enjoyed reading the blog posts here, and I'm pretty sure I read just about every other article on the web before I bought it as well. Definitely have not been disappointed. I drove a couple other similar cars before deciding on the GTI, but it's really hard to beat for combo of fun/refinement/luxury/efficiency/price/etc. I have an '11 4-door Autobahn with a manual (which was a bit hard to find), and I've been very impressed with the interior quality and features, but most of all I enjoy having a car that I look forward to driving every day. But of course I will be adding some power sometime in the future - gotta love the VW aftermarket support as well!

I'm currently in the market for a new car and almost considered this again, but found it really hard to convince myself that I wanted to be seen in one of these. At 38 I feel I'm too old to be behind the wheel of this with it's ridiculous looking wheel design. I prefer the looks of the TDI with its 17" wheel design and toned-down looks. VW should offer a Golf GT with the turbo four for people who'd rather blend in a bit.

Aside from that, I'd never ever purchase any European car again. Or at least not for the amount of driving that I have to do. I've done it three times and regretted each one. After 30,000 miles European cars are nothing but issue after issue. If you have long commutes, and don't have the time for an unreliable over-priced piece of crap in your life, then but Japanese, or even American.

Rule one: if you like European cars- lease em, use em, return em, and walk away.

frank908: i wouldnt have called my old gti a piece of crap, but they are expensive to maintain.

but not because it was always needing something, but rather that maintenance was just expensive. (i had the dsg). the best thing vw can do if itREALLY wants to compete with the japanese is to bring down the costs of ownership...they seem to have reliability in check as much as the next guy, but like many other german makes, things just get pricey in the long run.

if my gti cost as much to keep on the road as any of the honda's i've owned, id still be driving it.

and to be honest with you, if you are considering a sport compact, and the gti is too 'loud' for you....well you have just written every other car in its class of your list, because this is probably the most subdued out of all of em. you can always sell the wheels.

fundango: 'It's not a perfect car by any stretch, but it does strike a very nice balance between sportiness, daily-driver comfort, and practicality'

is that not the very definition of perfection? ;) glad you guys are enjoying her. like i said above, if it was a more affordable (over the long term) car, i'd still have mine.

I had a 2009 WRX wagon and sold it (easily with little loss of $) to get a DSG Red 4 door GTI.
I needed an auto to have wife swap cars with.Im 40 with a little girl so thats why 4 doors.

I have autoX'd all my previous cars (Subaru WRX, Audi S4, BMW Z4 M Coupe, BMW Z3 M Roadster, MINI Cooper S, Miata) but I dont think I'll take the GTI out there on track.

The FWD really bothers me how it spins the wheels so quickly.
Not sure how people are adding more power and not spinning wheels all day.
I really think the Cooper S was the better FWD car of the two.

Dont get me wrong I actually like the interior plaid seatsand love the wheels and dont feel bad at 40 to drive this red rocket (as my workers call it, far from a rocket).
I love the way I can stream my tunes via wireless bluetooth from my iPhone and use steering wheel controls to make cals. It is a great daily driver.
Im on the hunt for a decent 997 for weekend fun and I think this car really is a very upscale car for what it is. The subary interior was so cheap feeling. It was great when the performance of the engine and chasiss where used but otherwise it felt like a cheap Japaneese car inside.

@andrewinla2.....
What has your experience with the DSG been? I am in a very similar situation as you, considering a 4 dr GTI, have a young child etc. I have always driven manuals but have been considering DSG, but i hear all the drivability issues and problems with it.

How has your's been? Would you buy DSG again?