1988 Volkswagen Scirocco GTX review from UK and Ireland

Sump oil filter gunged up causing oil pressure warning buzzer to intermitently sound.

Central locking sometime touchy.

Cold start not as it should be.

Drivers seat replaced and consequently the rest of the seats!

I am a great Scirocco enthusiast having had every model including a GTI and a Storm and have always wanted a GTX. I had heard mixed stories about them most commonly because of malfunctions in the extra gadgets you would not find in lower models.

This is a beautiful example of the car, basically kept by one mum until a couple of years ago when she gave it to her son whom abused it until he sold it to me. It had sat for 9 months and he put that recycled 20/50 oil in which probably explains the problem with the sump oil filter.

The car handles beautifully and the engine will purr once it is warmed up. A little chuggy when cold, but that passes within a couple of minutes. The MFA even works on MPG, which from my experience of MFAs is a rare thing!

Interestingly, the rear seats have lap belts, my G-reg Scala has the full belts so they must have changed the config in between those years. An interesting detail for the buyer! I swapped the seats with some from my GTII as the driver's seat had died (the guy was rather fat!) and I wanted the seats to all match. A straightforward job!

Beyond the slightly reluctant start, the car is robust and refined.. the extra weight and sound proofing on the GTX makes for a wonderful Scirocco experience. I have an injection Scala also and although better looking, the GTX has the better drive.

Brakes are also better on this model, the front discs are ventilated giving a better bite.