Volkswagen Golf Hatchback (1997 - 2004) 2.0 GTI 3d (2001/X) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

It looks like a sporty car so people assumed I was driving a hot GTI... little did they now it was just a nicer looking normal Golf.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Everyone liked it - more so than me! Its a nice looking car and was practical but the driving experience is just poor.

Would you buy this car again and why?

No. It was a decent enough car but had loads of smaller problems, quality issues with interior, poor running costs, poor performance and generally poor driving experience.

What are you likely to buy next?

I've already bought a Celica and it is a much better car. It's faster, has better handling, better MPG, lower tax and just generally feels much better quality.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£3,800

When did you buy the car?

September 2008

Did you get a good deal and why?

Car only had 53,000 miles so was a reasonably good buy for less than £4k.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Needed a reasonably sensible but sporty car to replace my written-off Toyota MR2!

What was the dealer like?

What's it like to drive?

It's ok to drive but its really not a drivers car. At 115bhp it didn't really have much power and the handling wasn't great. I've since bought a Celica and its much, much nicer to drive.

What's it like to park?

Very easy because of the bodyshape.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Yep lots of stuff - window fell into door, alloys corroded, bushes needed replaced, new coilpack needed, rear washer broke, boot sometimes wouldnt open, coolant leak and more...

What's most practical about your car?

Plenty of room inside for four passengers and a good sized boot.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Nothing really, subtle GTI bodykit was nice