I acquired this car about a year ago. Since I have purchased it, it has been nothing but problems. I loved the acceleration and look of the vehicle as well as the turbo, hence my purchase. It has a small and sleek look which is great and appealed to me since I am younger. But, Volkswagens have always been unreliable. Since getting it, it has broken down twice. I had replaced the headlights and taillights two times each! That's ridiculous for two years. Especially for something as minor as headlights and taillights. I have also replaced interior lights. The check engine light has come on over and over again with no solution, which is also typical for Volkswagens. Well over $1,000 dollars has gone into this car in over a year. The EPC light tends to come on and the car loses all power. This car is not driven much as all and when it is driven, it is driven respectfully. There is no reason that all these problems should be occurring, especially in a 2005! The problems that have been happening are ridiculous and I would never recommend this car to someone who doesn't have large amounts of time and money to put into it.

I am an avid VW fan, this is the second GTI I have owned, and the 5th Golf/Rabbit incarnation I have owned. I especially like the interior build quality of this vehicle, it stands out in comparison to some of the previous vehicles I have owned. The interior is in amazing shape for a car that is 11 years old, and there is a quiet ride as far as squeaks or rattles go, and the leather seats have held up remarkably well also. This car is fully loaded with the exception of the OnStar system, which I don't think would suit me very well personally - not that there is actually anything wrong with the system itself. The VR6 is incredible! For the level of performance that the VR^ offers, there is a surprising level of fuel economy. The high cost of turbo repair/replacement is certainly a consideration, one that I feel is often overlooked. I will admit that the gear ratio in the 6 speed manual transmission lends itself to an awful lot of shifting, I find myself skipping gears on a regular basis, as it is simply easier in traffic. Over all, I would recommend this car to anybody, and if forced to be in a position to purchase another vehicle - I would definitely start my search with another GTI. I love this car, it is incredibly fun to drive, every single time!

The car had a few issues when I bought it due to the high mileage on the car (150,000 miles) but after maintenance its performance was great. I plan on running this car into the ground before buying a new one.