1989 Volkswagen GTI review from North America

When there were not yet 40,000 miles on my GTI, the timing belt went, bending all of my valve stems and cracking the head. Although the over $2,000 bill was covered by the warranty, I was nervous about the car for a year thereafter.

Over the 18 years and 250,000 miles I have had the car I have had two A.C. overhauls, had the alternator and distributor replaced, as well as a half-dozen timing belts, two water pumps, the radiator, front wheel bearings, an axle, main engine seals, the catalytic converter, hatch struts and numerous smaller items, including upholstery work. I will assume that most of that is to be expected.

I have kept the car well-maintained, such that all repair and maintenance items, including oil changes, filters, fluids, tires and etc. comes to almost $20,000 over the life of the car, thus far.

Nobody keeps a car for 18+ years without having some level of satisfaction. I never anticipated keeping my GTI beyond 100,000 miles or so, but it is such a perfect combination of features.

It is very fun to drive and handles great, but it is still very economical (I usually get 30MPG and almost all of my driving is local with very few interstate miles).

Having any older car requires someone who can take good care of it and I have always been blessed with access to good VW mechanics who have kept it on the road for all these years.

Although, like most two-door coupes, it is tough for a full-sized adult to access the rear seat, the car is remarkably roomy and two adults or three kids fit easily in that rear seat. Folding it down creates a very large cargo area when needed and the hatchback provides access to a spacious trunk area in its own right.

The styling of the 1985-1989 GTI is spartan, practical and no-nonsense, but also sporty and very VW-esque.

With the sunroof open and the windows down, there is nothing like it for windy mountain roads on a weekend road trip. Yet is perfectly suited to the daily commute, which is why I drive it to work and back every day. Despite being so large inside it is incredibly compact on the outside. That makes parking, urban maneuvering and downtown traffic a snap.