2010 VW GTI yay or nay?

[ProchargeMe]

I'm seriously considering selling the mustang and getting a GTI. Only question is, is it worth it? The GTI in question is http://iphone.toyotacenter.com/inde...-GTI-3211cc2e0a0a00de00395294efe3f943_p_2Ehtm. The clock reads almost 46k miles. I know that VW has had reliability concerns throughout their history, so is there anything I should be worried about? I test drove the car today and everything seemed completely normal with it, and I really enjoyed driving it. The only thing strange I noticed was that the E- brake light was on even though the brake was in the down and off position. This car fits my budget perfectly but if it's not worth it then I will gladly look elsewhere. Thanks for any comments and help!

 

[T2urtle]

i love these things, paired with a DSG they are amazing. I've only touched the mkV and this is a mkVI but same car generally.

I think its a good blend of power/ handling/ decent MPG and a useful hatch. Obviously check out the competitors as well, mainly the mazda speed 3 and maybe the Si. Get that Ebrake looked at. Might be just an adjustment or low brake fluid.

A ECU flash gets you good power. On par and maybe More then normal GT stang.

 

[ProchargeMe]

i love these things, paired with a DSG they are amazing. I've only touched the mkV and this is a mkVI but same car generally.

I think its a good blend of power/ handling/ decent MPG and a useful hatch. Obviously check out the competitors as well, mainly the mazda speed 3 and maybe the Si. Get that Ebrake looked at. Might be just an adjustment or low brake fluid.

A ECU flash gets you good power. On par and maybe More then normal GT stang.

I went into the test drive expecting a completely neutered 4 cylinder, but the car took me by surprise. It's very quiet, comfy, and has a bit of pep that makes you grin. As for the mazda 3 I think they look too plastic and have too much going on with the body lines, so that's not really what I'm after. The interior in the VW felt amazing compared to my 04 mustang. Everything is tightly held together and it's rubber instead of plastic!

 

[cbrsurfr]

Boost gauge is not stock. Likely its already chipped.

I would pull the E-brake up and fully release it to see if it goes away. If its up just a tiny bit it will register as on.

DSG trans service was due at 40K. I don't see anything on the carfax to indicate that's been done. $400-500 at the dealer for that.

 

[Alienwho]

The next gen gti is improved significantly but won't be appearing in the states until next year I believe. It's supposed to be more spacious and faster and more adult than a focus ST. I've considered the same but would be too irritated to get the GTI right before the new ones hit the street. The new ones will probably cause the existing gen to decrease in price as well.

 

[ProchargeMe]

The next gen gti is improved significantly but won't be appearing in the states until next year I believe. It's supposed to be more spacious and faster and more adult than a focus ST. I've considered the same but would be too irritated to get the GTI right before the new ones hit the street. The new ones will probably cause the existing gen to decrease in price as well.

Sadly I'm in the market for used and this is in my price range perfectly.

 

[Leymenaide]

I am a long term VW owner.. The 2010 2.0 engine is having a manifold intake problem. Major somewhat silent recall. They are taking care of the problem for 10 years 110.000 miles. One of mine was in recently but I told them what was wrong. Not sure they would have let VW pay without me telling them

 

[el-Capitan]

I love my 2012

30k miles and I've had two warranty items - had the horn replaced and the coolant pump (common).

 

[ProchargeMe]

Small parts are not a big deal to me, but I am somewhat worried about that intake manifold issue. What exactly is the problem with it?

 

[Phobic9]

The next gen gti is improved significantly but won't be appearing in the states until next year I believe. It's supposed to be more spacious and faster and more adult than a focus ST. I've considered the same but would be too irritated to get the GTI right before the new ones hit the street. The new ones will probably cause the existing gen to decrease in price as well.

I have a Focus ST and I'm strongly considering trading it for a MK7 GTI/R mostly because of the reasons you listed.

Well that and I'm a closet VW fanboy and miss the MKV I had before I got my Focus ST.

 

[vi edit]

MKVII will be on my shopping list in a few years. I'll let the first year production runs in the Mexico plant get worked out before I buy.

VW has problems with electrical quirks. Just weird stuff that happens ever so often that you can't get a mechanic to see it, and then it just stops doing it for months. My '00 Passat was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned.

 

[Alienwho]

I had a 2002 Jetta 1.8T which I loved. It periodically had turbo issues and other gremlins that took hold because I was a poor neglectful college student. I still loved the car and find myself missing the German feel of the car. I traded it in for my mustang a couple of years ago limping it into the dealership with probably about 2 miles left before it stopped working altogether and needed major repair work. I had put $2500 into it a couple of years before and knew it would probably need that much money again so I used it as a trade in for a few thousand dollars and put that and the money I would have used for a repair for a new car. I love my stang and it's been a great reliable car but you just miss those german interiors.

 

[cbrsurfr]

Small parts are not a big deal to me, but I am somewhat worried about that intake manifold issue. What exactly is the problem with it?

Flapper gets stuck causing lack of power, noises, cel, loss of mileage. $185 parts only if you do it yourself.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen-Golf_VI--2.0T/Engine/Intake/Manifold/ES2143494/

 

[ProchargeMe]

Alright well I think I'm gonna go for it. Aside from the flaws that COULD happen, the car seems healthy and it's fun to drive. Also got the car fax from the dealer earlier and maintenance was regular with no problems reported. Pulling the trigger this weekend!

 

[monkeydelmagico]

uh oh. Never good when a stang gets sold for a hatchy. Need to make room for a baby seat?

 

[ProchargeMe]

uh oh. Never good when a stang gets sold for a hatchy. Need to make room for a baby seat?

Haha no my mustang is getting to be too much for a DD, and it doesn't fit my lifestyle well anymore. I'm ready for a change of pace and expand my scope as far as cars. I've always owned mustangs, and I'm just kinda done with them.

 

[T2urtle]

I think you will enjoy the hatch. Consider getting ecu flashed down the road?

I'm sure we have some stage 1 guys on this board.

 

[ProchargeMe]

I think you will enjoy the hatch. Consider getting ecu flashed down the road?

I'm sure we have some stage 1 guys on this board.

I will most likely do an ECU flash if it hasn't been done already, I'm going to take it easy on the mods with the VW, my mustang is modded significantly, to the point I don't want to drive it daily. Sooo light modding in the future but nothing too big.

 

[satyajitmenon]

I will most likely do an ECU flash if it hasn't been done already, I'm going to take it easy on the mods with the VW, my mustang is modded significantly, to the point I don't want to drive it daily. Sooo light modding in the future but nothing too big.

Famous last words.

Congrats. Pics once you get it.

 

[ProchargeMe]

Famous last words.

Congrats. Pics once you get it.

Haha we'll see, and pictures will come for sure :thumbup:

 

[Vdubchaos]

German car out of warranty? NO

VW with it's direct injection problems/history = HELL NO

Stay away

Signed,
VW Enthusiast

 

[Fritzo]

German car out of warranty? NO

VW with it's direct injection problems/history = HELL NO

Stay away

Signed,
VW Enthusiast

It's a 2010, so it's not like it's going to start falling apart. Also, VW's build quality has really gone up in the last 5 years, so they're not quite an unreliable as people say.

The GTI is a great car. They look sharp as hell, I love the interior, they're fairly fuel efficient for a performance car, and they zip around like a street legal go-kart.

VW's reliability has improved, but it's still not up to par with other manufacturers, so you may have some repairs in store over the next few years. However, it's not a luxury car, so parts are not going to be outrageously expensive. It looks like most of the problem areas for that build deal with suspension and electrical issues.

 

[Black2na]

Ha just got the identical car for my wife only. Difference is mine had 43k on it. We love it great little car just bought the stuff for a dsg service for about 220 with service tool so next time it will only run about 130. Huge upgrade from out cobalt. Paid 15k OTD for mine. Love NH no sales tax!

 

[Vdubchaos]

It's a 2010, so it's not like it's going to start falling apart. Also, VW's build quality has really gone up in the last 5 years, so they're not quite an unreliable as people say.

The GTI is a great car. They look sharp as hell, I love the interior, they're fairly fuel efficient for a performance car, and they zip around like a street legal go-kart.

VW's reliability has improved, but it's still not up to par with other manufacturers, so you may have some repairs in store over the next few years. However, it's not a luxury car, so parts are not going to be outrageously expensive. It looks like most of the problem areas for that build deal with suspension and electrical issues.

Correct BUT I would not recommend anything VW until they get their direct injection issues sorted out.

Frankly many other manufactures do NOT have the problems VW/Audi has.

But also keep in mind that I'm the type of a guy that drives his cars to the ground/forever.

There has been plenty of reports of Direct injection issues (that by the way are SEVERE) within 3-5 years of ownership.

I would NOT recommend (not saying it's not a great car in the compact hatch area, it is).

 

[ProchargeMe]

Correct BUT I would not recommend anything VW until they get their direct injection issues sorted out.

Frankly many other manufactures do NOT have the problems VW/Audi has.

But also keep in mind that I'm the type of a guy that drives his cars to the ground/forever.

There has been plenty of reports of Direct injection issues (that by the way are SEVERE) within 3-5 years of ownership.

I would NOT recommend (not saying it's not a great car in the compact hatch area, it is).

I'm not planning on driving this car into the ground at all, and i'm aware that VW and german cars in general have had problems, every car can have these problems from american to japanese if you treat them like rubbish. I'm planning on using this as a DD with convenience and treating it kindly. I have faith in my ability to maintain everything properly.