2002 Volkswagen GTI GLS review from North America

The MIL light (meaning a problem in the emissions system) has gone on a couple times, but has always gone off in a couple days.

One time the stereo stopped working and the mechanic told me over the phone to take out the stereo's fuse, wait a few seconds, then plug it back in to reset the bios. Worked fine.

If low-end torque is your thing, you'll want the V6, not the turbo, as the turbo's superior torque only kicks in at about 2000 RPM and is especially slow off the line with the a/c on.

It is a little low on space within the car, but VW sells GREAT roof racks and we got a huge cargo carrier to put up there. Mileage on the highway went down 1/7th. You can still fit more stuff into it than a Jetta, though (Why do people buy Jettas? They're more expensive and less fun!).

We're so happy we bought this car. We looked at a Ford Focus (which was bad) the Mazda Protege 5 (which was pretty nice) and the Subaru Forester (OK) before settling on this.

It's beautifully built. Everything is perfectly thought out (well, almost perfect) from it's structural rigidity to the clean lines on the body. Inside people always say "Wow, this is a really nice car!" The inside literally FEELS great. Try it.

Winter driving was no problem. Good start-up and traction. Perfect weighting for slippery conditions.

Windy roads are what this car is made for, not drag racing. Keep the throttle revving and the steering wheel turning and you'll appreciate the seats, suspension, and "squatness."

Oh, yeah. Great gas mileage. Helps meet those Kyoto targets.