1997 Volkswagen Cabrio Highline review from North America

Having bought this car at seven or eight years old, nothing was under warranty.

The reverse blew out after I had the replaced. This was a manufacturer error on this model of car. Part of the shifting setup was too long from the factory, so as a result the car never went completely into reverse. Didn't notice until I had a brand new clutch. Would have cost about $400 to repair the initial problem instead of $1200 for the next transmission.

I live in a wintry area with salted roads, the exhaust system rusted out twice while I owned it.

In the last 6-8 months, I have noticed that the leather interior is shrinking and pulling away. The seam in the drivers seat has also started to split.

This is a sporty, "cute" little car. Great for summer driving. Winter driving is nice too, handles really well and the top is insulated very nicely.

The AC is cold when you want it, and the heat is hot within a few minutes of driving. The convertible top is amazing, just have to keep in mind not to use soap on it when washing. If absolutely necessary to use soap, rinse thoroughly to prevent corrosion.

I actually had a fighting chance against my buddy's GTI in acceleration performance when the transmission was in good shape. The performance mods for this car are expensive and hard to find. It's OK since the car is zippy to begin with. I've taken it up to over 100 on the interstate... shh don't tell... and even driving like a teenage boy I still managed 26-28 miles to the gallon. Sometimes even 30 for highway miles.