2003 Volkswagen GTI 20th Anniversary review from North America

Nothing major has gone wrong with the car so far. The only annoying thing on the car is that somewhere in the rear seats there is a squeaking noise. I think it is where the seats latch onto the brackets. My passenger side front fender liner is cracked, but I think that is due to winter tires on the car possibly being too big.

Overall so far the car is top notch.

You cannot get a better bang for the buck than the 20th Anniversary GTI. It is a limited edition car with an awesome interior including real Recaro seats and real brushed aluminum dash and trim accents.

The brakes are directly from the Audi TT and will stop the car on a dime even after extended use during racing.

The 18" OZ wheels with the Z-rated Michelin Pilot sport tires are just amazing in dry and wet weather.

The interior quality of the car in this segment is light years beyond its competitors: Ford Focus, Subaru WRX, Honda Civic Si, and others.

Standard 6-speed manual transmission is very sports and the gear ratios match the amazing of the small motor beautifully.

TORQUE: For this little motor, the torque is amazing. Lets see a Civic come anywhere near matching the horsepower number with a torque number. The GTI is 180hp and 170 lb/ft of torque, unreal.

I recently raced the car in two auto-cross events and I have never felt a stock suspension on a sub $30,000 car feel so dialed in and precise.