Faults:

Rattle in driver's door.

Leather side bolsters on driver's seat showing signs of wear already.

General Comments:

Great engine, economical for its output, slight turbo lag though.

Great handling, good traction in the wet. A lot of fun on a winding road.

DSG gearbox can take a second or so to engage reverse, then re-engage into D.

Some cheap plastics, but mainly in the lower half of the dashboard.

Ride comfort can be quite firm around town due to 18" alloys and slightly lowered suspension. Check this before you buy.

Faults:

Rear brake light went out in about 63000 km (cost roughly $50 to replace at the dealer - not covered under warranty).

Engine light came on at 65000 km (the dealer replaced pressure release valve under warranty).

General Comments:

The performance and response on this vehicle will bring a smile to your face. Although a 2.0 liter turbo, there is almost no lag evident, and the torque is there almost throughout the rev band. The optional DSG transmission is absolutely awesome, and responds quick to up and down shifts (especially with the paddle shifters). You will love open country roads with this car!

The exterior is 'cute', but aggressive with the rims and lowered stance. The interior is modern and retro at the same time, with good supportive bucket seats (nice for long distance journeys). The steering wheel is shaped similar to a racing wheel (flat bottom) and gives good driving feedback and makes corners fun! Controls and knobs feel high quality and have a good tactile feel. Front and rear leg room is sufficient for (4) 6' adults. Rear entry is a bit difficult to get in for 6'+ adults, and would advise the 4 door model for families with child seats. Trunk space is adequate once you fold rear seats down.

Only downside might be higher dealer maintenance costs (had an Infiniti before, which was not as high). Would advise buying the car under warranty or extending the warranty (based on higher part costs).

Test drove many other sporty cars prior to this purchase (Infiniti G35, Lexus IS300, Subaru Legacy GT, Acura RSX, etc.), but after one quick drive, couldn't resist it. Within an hour walked out a new owner of 2007 VW GTI. :)

Faults:

3000kms: Rear outside hatch release freezes stuck in open position from winter weather. Needed 1/2 can of wd40 to make it let go.

5000kms: Power steering ECU failure code. Required 2 trips to dealer to reset (because aftermarket radio was interfering with scan tool. I don't understand how so please don't ask me why!)

5400kms: Air con not working. Blows hot for first 10 minutes before suddenly going cold. There is a TSB out regarding my model year's brand of compressor being faulty. Still unresolved.

5600kms: Front lower subframe making a noise. There is TSB regarding the subframe bolts. Still unresolved.

6000kms crease in roof sheetmetal forming right behind sunroof opening. No one knows why. Started small after I began using the sunroof this summer for the first time, now is very noticeable. Unresolved.

General Comments:

My first euro. I know about the bad reliability stories VW has, but at the time it was the only manufacturer who would take my bad credit (lost job due to illness, made it difficult to pay bills).

I like the car very much, but so many problems so early has me wishing I could have found more money to spring for extended factory warranty. My old used Toyota had over 100k kms and in the 5 years I had owned it I only needed one trip to the dealer... I've had to go to VW 3 times in less than 2 months alone. At least the VW dealer I go to has been exceptionally accommodating.

I hope it lasts until the warranty expires so that I can save up for something else, or there is hope the problems will stop beforehand (wishful thinking?).