2011 Volkswagen GTI Consumer Reviews

First Impression

Vehicle

2011 Volkswagen GTI 2dr Hatchback w/Sunroof (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)

Review

Turned in my '08 Jetta for a '11 GTI 3 days ago. This is a 2 door model w/sunroof and auto trans. Noteworthy features are the easy to use bluetooth now in all new VWs I think, cloth trim (GTI fashion), and touchscreen radio. Even the base GTI has an impressive list of features like heated seats, all power controls, and leather trimmed appointments. Exterior design is slightly updated for 2011 with a new horizontal grill and separated duel exhaust pipes which gives the back end a squatter look. Inside I'm happy to say fit and finish is typical VW first rate. Quality materials put together well. Driving is wonderful, good road feel, excellent accelleration, and easy steering make it a blast!
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Nice car, not good on NW roads

Vehicle

2011 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn PZEV 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)

Review

The 2011 GTI is without a doubt a nice car. It performs well, is fun to drive, and the interior is first rate. The only very disappointing aspect of the car is road noise. I don't expect a small sporty car to be super quiet, but this car has a split personality. I test drove it on some smooth highway and, as advertised, is very quiet. The problem with WA State is that a lot of the highway is fairly rough, and when this car hits rough road the interior noise goes up exponentially, it even makes my old Ford Ranger seem quiet. As I said, overall a very nice car, but like most other small cars it's not going to be quiet.
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I truly enjoy driving again, thanks to this car

Vehicle

2011 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

I did plenty of research on this, and have not been dissapointed. I bought a 2011 4 door with the 6 spd manual, and its been perfect. This is the best balance of fun/value/comfort I could ask for. 3 months, 3K miles and so far its been great. I did get an extended warranty just in case, however so far its been solid. The car has a very high quality feel, but you still feel involved as the driver. Its comfortable and practical when I need it, and its quick and precise when I need it- I can't imagine needing anything more than this out of a daily driver car. Roomier in the backl seat than my Volvo S60, love the look of the car and the hatchback practicality. Beautiful
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Never knew it was so much fun

Vehicle

2011 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn PZEV 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)

Review

I haven't had my GTI for very long, but it is a great little car. The build quality is perfect, it's fun to drive, the features look like the should be in a more expensive car. The DSG takes some getting used to, but the paddle shifters are a lot of fun to play with. If you're looking for a quality car, that is fun to drive, look no further. If you're looking for a stoplight racer, then look somewhere else. This car is about combining great features into a great car. The suspension, engine, transmission, all work seamlessly to create a great driving experience. I have two cars, one for 4 months of summer in Chicago, lol. The other is my GTI.
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Over-priced, over-hyped

Vehicle

2011 Volkswagen GTI PZEV 4dr Hatchback w/Sunroof (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)

Review

BAD turbo lag, LONG delay on multiple downshifts with DSG, poor lateral support from standard seats, small gas tank, audio interface is full of bugs (my car has been in 4 times already; it ate my cd's & the dealer couldn't extract them), iPod interface is horrible & slow. Passenger door alignment was poor. Lots of creaks from the body as you drive. If you're a halfway serious driver, avoid this car; at least get the stick-shift. The DSG will will leave you for dead in any "competitive" situation. It doesn't even get good mileage. I get 13.9mpg in combined city/highway driving with a somewhat leaden foot. I do really like the cars' exterior and interior design and its' good quality materials.
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More fun than than I thought possible

Vehicle

2011 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

I was expecting to buy an Audi A4 or A3 and I drove the GTI on a whim. It's a good thing that I did this because I bought the the 2011 model almost immediately. This car is unbelievably fun to drive and it's economical, practical, reasonably priced (29k for the Autobahn package) and compares very favorably to every other car in it's class. The interior has an Audi build quality but costs a couple k less and the VW warranty is now better than Audi. The amenities included in many ways trump the Audis as well. For instance, the Bluetooth package on the GTI has the A2DP streaming protocol included as part of the base features. Not on the Audis, you'll pay extra & lose your iPod integration too.
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Great car so far

Vehicle

2011 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn PZEV 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

Have only had for a couple of days but wife has 09 version. Biggest differences are exterior styling and much better interior. Haven't pushed it yet to know what the XDS is all about but really fun to drive.
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A great little car - so far

Vehicle

2011 Volkswagen GTI 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

I bought this car because I enjoyed it so much during the test drive and I was looking for a relaible and economical alternative to my truck. Other family memebers have had great luck vith VW's, so I thought I would give the GTI a shot and I'm glad I did. In three weeks I have tallied 1400 miles and the car has performed flawlessly. I would strongly recommend this ride, however if you buy this car opt for the extended warranty (5yr - 100000 miles) for piece of mind reasons if nothing else. Most dealerships will give you a discount on the warranty if you demand it!
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Smiles all around

Vehicle

2011 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

Bought in September and now have just over 3,000 miles. Always puts smile on my face. Is it the fastest in it's class, no. Reality is after the first week or two... how many 0-60 trials are you really doing? I wanted sporty, fun, fast that could still get the fam around. My finalists were BMW 328i, Audi A4, GTI, and CC. Questioned reliability of BMW recently, Audi was my choice, but ultimately was able to get more features but same fit & finish in the VW for less. Liked the CC which but I felt I really needed the flexibility of the middle seat. Hello GTI, hello smiles, waves, thumbs ups from onlookers. I get seat of the pants fun w/mpg like my Honda. Can't beat German handling & feel
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German Greatness, No German Drawbacks

Vehicle

2011 Volkswagen GTI 4dr Hatchback w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

This car is an absolute blast to drive! It's responsive, comfortable, and perfect for both daily driving and weekend flogging. I got it to replace my college car (2000 Mazda Protege) and it has done nothing but exceed my expectations. The flat torque band makes it both fun and easy to drive, the interior is a wonderful man-machine interface, and the exterior is beautifully sporty without drawing undesirable attention. I have even been fortunate enough to avoid the quality issues associated with VWs. The performance is great but there are definitely faster cars out there like the '07 STI Limited and '10 Mazdaspeed3 I tested back to back with the GTI. Bottom line: test drive one! You'll see ;)
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