Faults:

Ignition motor - fixed by warranty in 2nd year of ownership.

Headlight motor in 4th year of ownership - cost $1000 to fix.

When the back window is down, the sound inside the car was as if a helicopter was nearby...

Other than that - nothing.

General Comments:

First car I ever bought new. The sound of the engine/exhaust is the best I have ever heard on a car less than $150 000. Always looked forward to hearing the car in a tunnel.

The car had a DSG transmission - which didn't have a good reputation (look up mechatronics issues with DSG), but I never experienced any problems with it. The DSG was so smooth and shifts were really quick.

The suspension in the car was firm but still comfortable; much better than the STI I drive now.

In terms of space, the boot was big, the back seats folded down and I could fit almost anything in the boot.

The car had satellite navigation (RNS 510) which I installed myself. I was quite pleased with the navigation, and the quality of the LCD display was very high (as most people commented).

In terms of performance, 0-100km/hr was predictably reached in 6.1 secs using launch control (6.3 secs just in Sport mode, 6.5 secs in D mode). It was quite surprising in terms of the cars it beats at the lights. Low down torque was really impressive - overtaking in traffic was one of its strong points.

Leather seats were standard in Aussie cars, and they were quite comfortable and long lasting (as long as you treat the leather monthly). Only problem with the leather seats were that they got pretty hot in summer. On that note, the heated seats worked a charm in winter.

The only reason why I sold it was because I wanted something a bit faster (hence the STI).

Faults:

Faults when received:-

Passenger vanity mirror light would not go off - FIXED

Sat nav was in german - FIXED.

Bonnet misaligned - FIXED.

Faults since then:-

Rain sensor action for wipers very erratic - supposedly fixed, just waiting on more rain, but so far so good.

Blow N/S rear and O/S front speakers - waiting to be fixed.

Supercharger's clutch will rarely make a constant and very loud clicking sound when attempting to engage, followed by the car jerking a little - replaced water pump (clutch on water pump), STILL DOES IT - awaiting further action.

General Comments:

Wat an amazing little car, faults aside I'm in love. The 1.4 supercharged and turbocharged engine is an absolute treat, heaps of power off the line, and right through to revving its t**s off.

The engine doesn't sound buzzy or tinny like most small fours. In fact it's very refined, more so than some larger cars/engines. The supercharger sounds great, and the turbo has a very loud whoosh normally only experienced on diesel cars. Definitely full of character.

Gearbox and clutch do take a bit of getting used to however, seeming a little delayed in action, and can still catch you off guard some 5 months later with a jerky action when shifting.

Handling is fantastic, however ride quality slightly suffers... I highly recommend the adaptive chassis control and regret not getting it. Large bumps don't filter through into the cabin though, as noise suppression and suspension dampening is very good. Though coarse chips roads do send a bit of road noise through in the rear.

Interior is of the highest standard in its class, and beats quite a lot in the class above. I cannot stress how nice the inside of this car is, specially with leather.

This car is seriously packed out with kit though, and an absolutely fantastic drive... The problems don't bother me a great deal, I will certainly buy another... just wish VW would bring out more supercharged and turbo charged engines.