Overview & Reviews

For the 2002 model year, the GLS and GLX trim levels are dropped. Instead, choose from the juiced-up 180-horsepower turbocharged inline four (that can be mated to a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic) or the VR6 engine. The current 174-horsepower, 12-valve VR6 will be replaced with a 24-valve unit good for producing 200 horsepower in the spring of 2002. Later on, a special-edition model called the GTI 337 will arrive with a six-speed manual hooked up to the 180-horse 1.8T, as well as 18-inch wheels, 225/45VR18 performance rubber, a ground effects kit, genuine Recaro seats and red accents inside and out. All-new Volkswagen vehicles come standard with an improved four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, up from two years/24,000 miles. In addition, Volkswagen offers a fully transferable limited powertrain warranty that covers five years or 60,000 miles.

• Fun to drive, reasonable price, lots of standard goodies, hatchback design offers excellent cargo utility, available six-speed manual.

• Some controls hard to decipher, handling could be crisper, dated styling.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 150.00

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  2002 GTI 1.8T Tiptronic -- 41,000 miles. - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Gigi - September 16 - 3:23 pm

  I purchased my GTI in 2004 with 22,000 miles on it. It is now at 41,000 miles. Issues: sunroof rails changed, new ECU programming, driver side passenger seat heat system replaced, airbag light went on - changed resistor in driver seat, arm rest latch snapped, and coils changed, coolant latch changed. Small issues that are annoying, but overall car is super fast and consistent: red line it all the time, mechanically super sound. These are small gremlins that once resolved give you no more headaches, Fortunately I got all of the issues described taken care of in first two months of ownership. Now I just do scheduled maintenance and fill up with gas and GO. For a beater car, this is not dissappointing at all, and did I say it is SO FAST.

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  The best Pocket Rocket. - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By buckeye_in_CA - September 15 - 2:00 am

  I have the late year 200-bhp 6-speed version. Well worth the wait. The ride is smooth, while the handling is very responsive; the acceleration is very good for the size of the engine. Ive put 11,400 miles on in the past 7 months, and no faults yet. The interior is very comfortable for a sporty car (Im 62", 225 lb). The cupholder could be in a mildly better position (right in front of the radio controls), but its the best cupholder Ive ever seen. Aside from that, the interior is designed for people who take driving very seriously. Complaints: 1. The car occasionally stalls when attempting a warm start. 2. The Monsoon Stereo sucks.

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  02 Indigo Blue GTI 1.8T - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By rfernatt - August 26 - 2:00 am

  Great looking car, especially with the very affordable 17" wheel package, and a blast to drive. My only complaints thus far are with a few interior squeaks and rattles. I guess I was expecting a little more quality control in this area. However, materials are top notch. There are some great design features such as the way the front seats move up and away for access to the rear seat - pretty cool! Then, there are some pretty poor design features - what were they thinking when they placed the cupholder to block the radio controls and drip liquid down the center stack?

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  Excellent so far - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By rcwired - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my 2002 GTI just over 5 months now and must say Im impressed. The only "problem" I have is the left tie rod popping as descibed by Russell. This car feels like a much more expensive car. I owned an Infiniti G20 before the GTI and must say the VW seems to be built just as well. Well see how the GTI holds up over time. My G20 was still solid (no squeaks) after 125K miles. The power of the 1.8T engine is unbelievable. Its nice not to have to downshift to get in the power range - just step on it and it goes...FAST!

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  disappointing - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Russel - July 9 - 10:00 am

  Well I only have 1234 miles and I am already having problems. From day one I noticed that my drivers seat keeps reclining very slowly all by itself. I keep having to adjust it forward. I also have popping noise coming from my left tie rod when I am backing out of parking spots. I have a leak in the weatherstripping around my passenger door. And last but not least, my freakin window popped off of the track tonight. I would doubt that a Hyundai or a Daewoo would even have this much trouble in the first month. This truly breaks my heart, because I absolutely love this car. I pray that these are the only problems I have. Well see...

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  The Best/Worst Girlfriend Youll Ever Have - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By lehmann108 - July 9 - 1:15 am

  I bought my 2002 VW GTI 1.8L turbo used with 50,000 mile on it. It is a rocket ship of a car: fast, nimble, quick as a cat. This car is a blast to drive. You can mod the car to make it even faster raising the HP from 180 to 240 with a new ECU chip. But, all this being said, this car is the best/worst car youll ever drive for this price. It requires dedicated maintenance and $s to keep it in top shape. Youll grown as you pay the $1500 shop bill every 6 months, but when you rocket out of the parking lot youll say, "Yeah baby!" The best/worst girlfriend you ever will have! Shell rock your world and drain your wallet at the same time. And youll just smile.

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  Fun to Drive - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By peanut - May 22 - 10:00 am

  This is the 2nd VR6 I have owned and have had many other high performance cars (BMWs etc) but VW seem to build a fun pocket rocket. This car is first class - a real pleasure to drive, well built and excellent value for the price. The only things that would make this even more fun would be 4 motion (like the european version have). The six speed is well suited for short smooth changes and the car handles the power well.

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  VW Has Lost Its Way - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By Sean - May 16 - 10:13 pm

  I purchased my first VW for $300 in college. I was the third owner of 1990 Golf with 164,000 miles. I drove it on the highway while red-lining, never changed the oil, rode the clutch and NEVER had problems. I got nervous around 180,000 miles and changed the clutch. The mechanic said the clutch still had about 2,000 miles left! Fast forward to 2002: I purchased a new 2002 GTI 1.8T in August. Before the end of 2003 I was in the dealer countless times. There were three separate recalls plus countless other problems (ignition coils, dead battery, two broken control arms, driver-side window fell into the door panel). I love the car; hate the reliability.

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  Almost there - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By clarkma5 - April 29 - 10:00 am

  When I first got this car, it was a bit of a love-hate relationship. On one hand, I loved the engine and the interior, but I hated the transmission and the handling. Now that Ive had this car for awhile I realize that the transmission does a decent job, and, despite the body roll, this thing sticks in corners quite well. The interiors just as good as day one, too, and the engines still smooth and powerful. There were a couple squeaks and rattles in the first few months that have since disappeared. I got past the window reg and coilpack recalls without a hitch...overall, my thoughts on VWs reliability and dealer service is higher than most peoples.

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  Tired of problems - 2002 Volkswagen GTI
  By wantagti - April 23 - 10:00 am

  In the 13 months since we bought the car, its been in the shop 6 times, had to be towed there 3 times. Multiple recall parts, multiple times overheated, etc. etc. We are sick and tired of the unreliability, though we love its looks and how it drives.