2000 Volkswagen GTI VR6 review from North America
"Though fast, maintenance costs are prohibitive"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Sensors, sensors and more sensors. I can't recall all the sensors I've had to replace in this car. Fortunately many of these were factory waranties, but one Oxygen sensor cost me a LOT of money.
Power Windows fail. at about 35,000 kms I had one power window fail. at 37,000 kms I had another one fail. Unfortunately I had to pay for the second one as I was in the wrong country when it failed. $900.00 USD to fix! I feel a little ripped off by the dealer in Mesa Arizona.
An loud annoying grinding buzz when starting up the car since about 100,000 kms. I dare not go to the dealer to figure it out as it may cost me another several thousand dollars.
Lots of plastic parts seem to break on this car including interior covers for various things and the levers for tilting forward the front seats.
After a few thousand kilometers the quiet ride begins to deteriorate as more and more rattles expose themselves.
Overall cost of maintenance on this car has exceeded that of any other car I have ever owned, including cheap Geo Metros to 4x4s that thrash around in the bush.
General comments?
The handling of the car is extremely good. This makes the BMW ZR3 feel like a underpowered 1970's boat-mobile.
This car is FAST! To give an idea this car has outrun police in Arizona AND Las Vegas. When highway driving in the states I frequently set my cruise control to 120 - 135 MPH. I was once approached by 405 hp Corvette owner who was faster, but not comfortably so, amazed that I was able to keep up with him.
The acceleration on this car is surprising and manages to get rubber over 60mph when the car is in top form.
Recommended Reviews:
  | 2000 - GTI GLS 4 cylinder 1.8 liter turbo 50% drop in car's value in 2 years! |
| Fun to drive, but appears to be aging fast! |
All 2000 Volkswagen GTI reviews
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.8 Manual |
| Performance marks | 6/10 |
| Reliability marks | 6/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 0 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 135000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Isuzu Rodeo |
| Date of Entry | 28th August, 2003 |