Overview & Reviews

For 2011, Volkswagen has simplified the GTI's trim levels. Otherwise, the GTI remains largely unchanged.

• Hatchback versatility, unmatched interior sophistication, confident handling, supple ride, good fuel economy.

• Many competitively priced sport compacts are quicker and handle better.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 32.00

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  Great car so far - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By mgbayer - December 8 - 4:58 pm

  Have only had for a couple of days but wife has 09 version. Biggest differences are exterior styling and much better interior. Havent pushed it yet to know what the XDS is all about but really fun to drive.

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  Smiles all around - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By bucknut - August 26 - 2:00 am

  Bought in September and now have just over 3,000 miles. Always puts smile on my face. Is it the fastest in its class, no. Reality is after the first week or two... how many 0-60 trials are you really doing? I wanted sporty, fun, fast that could still get the fam around. My finalists were BMW 328i, Audi A4, GTI, and CC. Questioned reliability of BMW recently, Audi was my choice, but ultimately was able to get more features but same fit & finish in the VW for less. Liked the CC which but I felt I really needed the flexibility of the middle seat. Hello GTI, hello smiles, waves, thumbs ups from onlookers. I get seat of the pants fun w/mpg like my Honda. Cant beat German handling & feel

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  Two cars one month and now water? - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By syopspwnz - June 7 - 2:00 pm

  I got my car in May and after 300 miles the engine had to be replaced due to a hole in the upper oil pan (isnt that the crank case?). Fast forward a month of hell and I ended up getting another new car. Shortly after getting my second car it I had water issues and a funky smell slowly developed. It wasnt till I took it in that I ascertained it was due to water leak in a body seam. It spent two weeks in the shop at the dealer before being fixed. Mean while in both warranty situations Ive driven a crapy toyta camry. Can you say numb? If this is average reliability I want out NOW. Id gladly have paid the premium and eaten the gas mileage difference for a subaru wrx at this point

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  Steal - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By dhwhitney - April 1 - 6:53 pm

  Traded in BMW X5 4.8is 2005 and feel this is better in every meaningful way. Similar room and straight line performance with much better interior (I like cloth seats!) and much nicer handling. Interior is tighter and better thought out than my recently traded in 2009 M3 and comparable to my new 1 M coupe! Autostick a concession to being the "3rd car"/wagon so my wife can drive it, but it is really fun in its own way. I look at the many lame cars out there that people pay more than 25K for and shake my head. The excuse I guess is that VW only recently started taking build quality seriously.

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  Best car I ever owned - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By new11gti - April 21 - 6:01 am

  I am one of those types of people that buy a new car every year. To name a few of my favorites I owned, Honda Prelude, Suburu STI, Jeep Wrangler, Honda Accord. My 2011 GTI is by far my favorite. The look, the feel, the performance..I could go on for days. If you are thinking about getting one, take it for a test drive and you will not regret it.

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  VW Lengendary Unreliability - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By Sebastian - March 27 - 10:00 am

  Heres a car that does nothing well. I bought a GTI mainly as a commuter that would be fun to drive. Now, one month into my purchase, Ive barely driven it. My GTI has spent most of its time in the service department because the engine cuts out on every stop light. Two weeks this car has been at the dealership with no resolution. I should have bought a WRX or any other car for that matter. This GTI is outclassed by just about every competitor in its price range. Im so mad for buying this piece of junk. If you want a sporty hatchback look elsewhere. There are numerous better all around performing cars out there. VW= "Das Unkluge Auto"

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  Excellent choice - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By bluesmaster1 - December 22 - 5:32 pm

  The GTI isnt all that fast but handles well, gets great mpg, and is practical and comfortable. Its very easy to live with on an every day basis. The interior is nearly ideal, the blue tooth works flawlessly and the navigation system is easy to use. The standard stereo sounds great and the I-pod integration works fine. There is good torque available at low rpms and the shifter and clutch are very smooth and easy to use. Another 50 horsepower would be ideal. My 4-door has been solid and rattle free for the first several thousand miles, and the second set of doors is very practical. The 4 door also provides power seat back angle adjustment rather than the dreaded lower knob.

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  Love it. Did my homework and am happy! - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By jazzbank - July 8 - 10:00 am

  For starters, Im not a racerboy nor a true sports car fan. I wanted a great balance of features, fun, and practicality. I did a ton a research before landing on the GTI (3 months worth!). Fit and finish are above the competition it really feels like an Audi or other premium brand. I can haul people or cargo and still accelerate quickly into any pocket on the freeway or sneak a parking space on a crowded street. It handles really well and is silky smooth if you use a light touch. It can feel a little jerky depending on the road, but overall a great ride. I dont know if I can ever go back to a regular sedan or compact. I decided on this after a lifetime of Toyotas and Hondas, but this is fun

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  More fun than than I thought possible - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By dr_pangloss - June 8 - 10:47 am

  I was expecting to buy an Audi A4 or A3 and I drove the GTI on a whim. Its a good thing that I did this because I bought the the 2011 model almost immediately. This car is unbelievably fun to drive and its economical, practical, reasonably priced (29k for the Autobahn package) and compares very favorably to every other car in its class. The interior has an Audi build quality but costs a couple k less and the VW warranty is now better than Audi. The amenities included in many ways trump the Audis as well. For instance, the Bluetooth package on the GTI has the A2DP streaming protocol included as part of the base features. Not on the Audis, youll pay extra & lose your iPod integration too.

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  1 year with the GTI - 2011 Volkswagen GTI
  By vincevw329 - May 18 - 4:19 am

  I live in the NE and use my 2011 VW GTI, DSGwSunroof as a daily commuter and recently drove a 250 road trip with it. Overall its been a very likeable car. Appearance is still very new with just over 8000 miles on it. I notice some slight wear in the left hand side bolster on the drivers seat from entering/exiting. No squeaks or rattles or any other hickups in my year of driving. The interior is in great shape and I have become accustomed to all the controls. I dont care for the round knobs on the sunroof control and climate controls, more on that later. Also a feature Im not fond of is the tiny rear-view mirror. I especially like the bluetooth, very easy to use. Back seat access is fair.