2006 Volkswagen GTI review from North America

Passenger Airbag sensor faulted at 3000 miles. Replaced by dealer.

What a wonderful little hatch. I love the get up and go this new engine for the GTI provides. Great low end torque that melds seamlessly into the high end gains from the turbo gives this car a great sense of pull through out the entire RPM range. I feel no 'dead space' or turbo lag when driving.

I am a little disappointed in the handling/feel of the car. Earlier GTIs gave an awesome go-kart like feeling when zipping around town. This newest model seems a lot more refined/smoother ride, which I can appreciate when I'm on long road trips and just cruising around town, but I truly miss the sharp, nimble feeling usually connected to GTIs when I really step on the gas and take a turn at high speeds.

The comfort in this car is amazing. Even for being a 2 door, my rear seat has more legroom then my buddies 4 door Golf. The seats are perfect and fit any one persons seating style with its many adjustments. My only complaint is I wish they used a slightly softer fabric for the seat as it starts to get a little rough on those long winded road trips.

Overall a great car to have. I whole heartedly enjoy this car every time I step into it. I look forward to seeing what other great cars are coming to VW as I will most certainly be buying another when I decide to get rid of my GTI.