Volkswagen Golf GTI (2013 - 2017) 2.0 TSI GTI 5d Owner Review

How reliable do you find the car?

After its recent (February 2021) major service there was an advisory stating that the thermostat should be replaced as it was showing signs of leaking. No real problem I thought until I saw the £859 quote to do the job. Research revealed that to do the job most of the front of the car has to be removed so very time consuming and therefore expensive in terms of labour. Apparently the part itself was circa £200. Fortunately I had taken out a VW extended warranty which covered the cost of the repair. I also replaced the water pump at the same time as a preventative maintenance measure. Effectively both parts are a conjoined item apparently.

Does the car do everything you expected it to do?

I really rate this car. It is as good as contemporary road test reports said. Well built, fairly roomy, quick enough for me and reasonably economical for a hot hatch (it beats my departed 2009 Focus ST hands down for economy). Handling is excellent and the dashboard really is an ergonomic masterclass. The only annoying downside is that the CD player sits in the passenger side glove box and can only take one CD at a time (the Focus would take 6) but this can be ameliorated to some degree by USB devices.