2014 Volkswagen GTI 6 spd manual..your thoughts

[garlicbreadman]

Been thinking of picking up a brand new Volkswagen Golf GTI 6spd. Bought my first car, an acura integra in 2007 and its time to get a car with 4 doors.

My integra has 155k miles and has been nothing but solid. Still on original drivetrain with zero leaks, no oil consumption and still on original clutch. For those curious, here is the list of things ive had to replace after 7 years 100k miles of ownership:

radiator $75
clutch master cylinder $25
hatch motor $5
window switch $25(used)

My integra spoiled me and gave me extremely high expectations for my next car. To be honest, im scared of owning a volkswagen because of how unreliable they are from user's reviews. I drove the GTI the other day and loved it and i willing to give it a shot if this model isn't too bad. Has anyone owned one of these and would like to shed their thoughts on them?

I was given an OTD of $24,500 for a 2014 Volkswagen GTI wolfsburg edition 6spd. Msrp is 25,095

 

[Quattro Pete]

It's a fun car, especially in this price range.

Reliability statistically is not going to be as good as your Acura. If you plan to hold onto it for a while, I'd factor in the price of an extended warranty into the purchase decision.

http://www.truedelta.com/Volkswagen-Golf/reliability-279

 

[Bandito440]

Volkswagens are great cars to own new. If shy away from an older one. I'm a TDI fan, but the GTI is a fun drive.

 

[pbm]

I believe the GTI is still German made and that German made VW's are a little less trouble prone than the Mexican made ones...

 

[garlicbreadman]

The 2014 gti is made in mexico

 

[sparky123]

I thought the 2014's were Mark VI's and still made in Germany? The new Mark VII's will be made in Mexico w/the exception perhaps of the "R". Why must you need a 4 dr? Your Acura is justing starting to get broken in! I'd strongly consider all the payments/higher Insurance/Personal property taxes and maintance $$$. Lot of people don't buy 1st yr. production cars till they sort out any possible problems. But on the other side of the coin, life is short...if you have the means, why not?

 

[garlicbreadman]

My mistake, its probably 2013 gti. Current generation one is the one I'm looking at. 4 door for practicality and hauling more folks comfortably.

 

[JetStar]

I believe the 2014 GTI (MKVI) is still made in Germany and is available in 4-door only. The 2015 MKVII will be made in Mexico.

 

[gregk24]

It would be a fun car to have, but more than likely you will have issues with it. Two close friends of mine own new VW's and they have had warranty work done on them for build quality issues. Take that for what its worth. Have you considered a Civic SI? I know they are not quite the same, but reliability would probably be better on the Civic.

 

[JHZR2]

We love our rabbit. The GTI has a higher end engine, so may be more prone to needing exact maintenance (though most of us on here do pretty rigorous maintenance anyway). Our car has needed absolutely nothing. Just a set of tires and a drop of oil on the door check. Has really been great.

My brother's TDI has more miles than our rabbit has been the same, except that the seat fabric frayed and they replaced it under warranty. Also absolutely no issues.

Both are German made, FWIW. Doesn't seem that this is an option any more. Too bad they aren't all made in Chattanooga or wherever the VW factory is.

 

[Mykl]

My GTI has been nothing if not reliable. I hear stories, but aside from one involved warranty repair mine has been a good car and I would generally recommend it.

The primary issues with this generation GTI have been carbon buildup on the valves, intake manifold failures, and fuel injector failures. I believe the intake manifold thing has been sorted out and the injectors have an extended warranty. The carbon is an unfortunate side effect from direct injection.

As has been recommended you should certainly also go check out a new Civic Si, I'm told they're fantastic cars and worthy of consideration if you're looking for a sporty compact.

 

[Mykl]

Also something to consider.... you'd be purchasing an end of model vehicle, so it's likely to be the most reliable GTI VW has made to this point. I would still strongly encourage you to check out some competitors though. The Mini Cooper S is fun, the new Mazda 3 is nice, the Focus or Fiesta ST are apparently riotous to drive, and of course the Civic Si.

 

[garlicbreadman]

Originally Posted By: Mykl
My GTI has been nothing if not reliable. I hear stories, but aside from one involved warranty repair mine has been a good car and I would generally recommend it.

The primary issues with this generation GTI have been carbon buildup on the valves, intake manifold failures, and fuel injector failures. I believe the intake manifold thing has been sorted out and the injectors have an extended warranty. The carbon is an unfortunate side effect from direct injection.

As has been recommended you should certainly also go check out a new Civic Si, I'm told they're fantastic cars and worthy of consideration if you're looking for a sporty compact.


How many miles on your GTI? Have you had to use warranty on your car?
Im not fond of the Civic Si's looks, but that k24 in there is super appealing. Love that engine, so smooth and good torque.

 

[Cujet]

I absolutely love the way the performance VW's drive. Tight, responsive and accurate, without being harsh or difficult to live with.

However, my VW experience was so awful, I swore "never again".

I can't remember all of the problems anymore, but suffice to say my Jetta (the same car underneath) was the most expensive $20,000 car in history. With $12,000 worth of repairs in less than 70,000 miles. VW's warranty and support consists of two words: "REQUEST DENIED".

The worst part was that it left my wife stranded, mid FL summer, mid intersection, 100 miles from home with the dog. Left me stranded twice too.

My suggestion: "IF" you purchase it, don't purchase an extended warranty from the dealer. Go on the VW forums and find an online VW dealer with the 1/2 price official VW warranty. You'll need it.

ETA: Just took a look at "truedelta.com" for real world, long term reliability ratings. As suspected at the 2 year mark and older, the GTI does not get good ratings at all.

Contrast that with Acura or Lexus where ratings are stellar.

 

[badtlc]

GTI gets terrible MPGs and the engine will require you to take care of it as VW's do have the DI deposit issues. They can be controlled, but it takes some effort.

This isn't a car you just change the oil and tires as needed and call it good. You'll spend a lot of $$ to keep it going unless you like to wrench on it yourself. If you do like the DIY stuff, the GTI is great because there are lots of modifications and repairs that you can easily DIY.

 

[redcon1]

If purchasing new or CPO from a dealership with warranty, I say go for it.

VW Includes maintenance for the first three years so that's covered. The GTI provides an affordable package of performance and utility that is best in class.

But then again, having owend 7 different VAG vehicles, I guess you could call me a fanboy.

 

[Vikas]

I am assuming you are looking at manual cars. Tf you do not like the looks of Civic Si 4 door, take a look at the neglected step child aka Acura ILX; nobody is buying them due their inflated MSRP. But it may be possible to get a great deal on the left over. The 6-speed in that vehicle is an absolute gem to shift.

You might also get extra loyalty bonus ($500?) because you already have an Acura. I bet dealers are desperate to unload them. Regardless of the sticker on the door, make the offer consistent with what you would make on a corresponding Civic Si.

 

[Mykl]

Originally Posted By: garlicbreadman
How many miles on your GTI? Have you had to use warranty on your car?
Im not fond of the Civic Si's looks, but that k24 in there is super appealing. Love that engine, so smooth and good torque.


I just hit 77,000 miles on mine. I only had one warranty repair, and that was at about 5000 miles. There was an electrical short behind the dashboard that caused the stereo to malfunction.

Otherwise it's just been regular maintenance... oil/filter every 10k miles, spark plugs and fuel filter every 60k miles, brake fluid every 20k, the rear brake pads needed to be replaced at 60k (rotors were turned), the front brake pads still have lots of meat left.

If you have any other specific questions I'll be happy to answer them as best I can. I feel like I am reasonably well researched on this car.

Originally Posted By: badtlc
GTI gets terrible MPGs and the engine will require you to take care of it as VW's do have the DI deposit issues. They can be controlled, but it takes some effort.

This isn't a car you just change the oil and tires as needed and call it good. You'll spend a lot of $$ to keep it going unless you like to wrench on it yourself. If you do like the DIY stuff, the GTI is great because there are lots of modifications and repairs that you can easily DIY.


Terrible milage compared to what? All cars in this segment get low 30's on the highway and mid 20's in the city, to include the GTI. My experience has been no different, I tend to average high 20's with a heavy foot.

The DI carbon issue sucks, but at 77k miles my car performs as well as it did off the lot. Fuel economy is the same and it still breaks the tires loose at full throttle in 2nd gear.

I'm not sure what makes you think that regular factory specified maintenance won't keep the GTI healthy and happy. That's all mine has received, nothing more or less, and it's holding up just fine. I have some additional maintenance I intend to perform to refresh the car once it hits 100k miles and the gearbox feels like it's ready for some fresh fluid, but I have no reason to believe that extra maintenance *needs* to be done.

Yes, if you hit the enthusiast forums you're going to dig up issues, and yes you're going to find that some people have cars that are straight up lemons. But just like with any other platform, you're going to find people who've had some scary issues if you go digging for the info.

I am not saying these things because I am a fanatic for the GTI. I'm really not, even if I do like my car. I'm saying it to balance out the "you only hear the bad stories and the happy owners tend to be quiet" thing.

 

[gofast182]

I drove a '10 GTI (twice actually). It was wonderful. The feel, the drive, attention to detail, but the reliability issues scared me off (I had a friend with a previous gen. that lost a cylinder on two occasions). I got a '10 Accord which I didn't like (cheap, un-Honda-like interior) and traded for my TSX as soon as I was able and haven't looked back. Even though it's aging, the TSX has a great chassis, powertrain, and being designed for Europe to compete with the FWD A4, it has a VW/Audi level of interior materials and solidity. You can get a nice '10+ CPO TSX for that money, get the reliability of your current Acura, and the 'niceness' of the GTI, all with a good warranty.

 

[pottymouth]

I got my wife a new Jetta in November at her insistence. This is her third VW and it is proving to be a poorly built dung-pile like the last two. It has already had three electrical issues and a defect in the seat upholstery.

We had a lovely 10 year hiatus from VW's but she just loves these things so I gave in. The difference this time is I told her she will be 100% responsible for all service and repair. I'm not making the appointments or taking the car in.

She complained about all these issues to the service writer who told her, "yeah, Volkswagens are quirky,"

Well, that's my experience with VW's. Now please excuse me while I go to the men's room to take a quirky.