1997 Volkswagen GTI consumer reviews

This car is awesome! It’s fun to drive, it’s been garage kept all this years, it’s in mint condition I still drive it a couple of days a week. A GTI VR6 Unfortunately they don’t make 6 cylinders anymore!

In 1997 when I bought this new 6 cyl 5-speed VW "pocket rocket" the salesman told me I'd get "250K miles out of it" but numerous (& often repetitive) problems kept it at the dealer service center way too much (& often in vain - eg., the electrical system stumped VW experts). Recurring "check engine" warnings made me reluctant to take it on road trips. At 67K I reluctantly called it quits. Replacement parts & tires are costly & scarce, slow to arrive & sometimes failed within hours of installation. When it was up & running it drove wonderfully well but those fleeting moments couldn't compensate for all the down time, trouble & expense. I'm seldom one to "do the math" but I could have owned a luxury car for what I sank into this near-lemon. On the plus side, it was small but sturdy, good on gas & heaven to drive compared to most cars I've driven in the USA & abroad. It was hard to find a suitable replacement among the choices available these days. To my surprise, its value declined rapidly - I paid too much for it initially & dealer services only added to my stress.

This car is amazing! It doesn't look like much, and that is probably my most favorite feature. It comes stock with 172 hp and 173 ft/lb torque which means you can race and beat any eclipse before 05 that has not been modified.