Volkswagen sure does love its little turbocharged, fuel-injected engines. And with good reason -- they pump up the power without adding on the cylinders and weight, enabling nimble handling and aggressive acceleration.
The new 200-horsepower, 2.0-liter, double-overhead-cam four-cylinder engine in the 2006 Volkswagen GTI, which made its appearance in showrooms in the the middle of the model year, is a perfect example. It features VW's fuel straight injection (FSI) system, which ensures the pedal is responsive no matter your current speed or driving conditions. In the opinion of many reviewers, the turbocharged four-cylinder returns VW's GTI to verifiable sporty status, and makes the GTI once more an object of desire.
The exterior of the car has been redesigned as well. It actually looks faster, with a swept-back windshield, tapering side windows, a rear spoiler, and a more muscular front end with a black chin underneath the black grille.
The GTI comes with a standard six-speed manual transmission and, for the first time, an optional Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) six-speed automatic with the Tiptronic feature, which enables drivers to shift manually if they so desire. Beyond that, the GTI comes with a full range of the expected standard features, including air conditioning, power everything, traction control, and stability control. Options include a sunroof, navigation system, and leather seats.
So what do drivers think of this car? Naturally they were impressed, with more than a few calling it the best GTI ever. For some, the new styling was a bit of a letdown, but few have found any negatives with the car so far.
While we highlight specific author bylines where possible, sometimes our content results from the combined efforts of several members of the CarGurus editorial team. As with all our editorial content, you can expect high levels of automotive insight and expertise delivered in a style that is approachable and free from jargon.
I loved the speed and handling of this car. The gas mileage can't be beat and it sounds amazing. When you feel the turbo kick in and you blast buy traffic, there is no better feeling. Handles great in the snow and ice, just need something a little roomier for lifestyle.Feb 25, 2015
by Anonymous
Dec 10, 2014
I may be biased, because I love Euro cars, and German hatches and sports cars, but there's no denying that the GTI has always had a dedicated following....and that its just a great all-around car even if you're not an enthusiast. The original MKI, the MKII, and the MKV are arguably the best of them all, (although the latest is also getting great reviews.) Its just the full package. Its not a $60k+ luxury car, or a $200k+ supercar, but a great, quick, practical and sporty compact that does everything you need it to unless you have a family of 8 or need to go off-roading. The interior is great, it doesn't feel cheap, (radio needs an upgrade though...), the handling is great even for a FWD car, and its got enough punch from a 2.0 Turbo engine. its not a gas-guzzler either. What more do I need to say?Dec 10, 2014
by Anonymous
Sep 16, 2013
This car is such a fun car! Very zippy and fast, it handles great and is very stylish. The back seats fold down all of the way so the car is big enough to camp/sleep in and can carry a lot. The car is also very comfortable to drive and/or ride in for long periods of time.Sep 16, 2013
User rating:
by Alex D
Feb 25, 2015
I loved the speed and handling of this car. The gas mileage can't be beat and it sounds amazing. When you feel the turbo kick in and you blast buy traffic, there is no better feeling. Handles great in the snow and ice, just need something a little roomier for lifestyle.Feb 25, 2015
by Anonymous
Dec 10, 2014
I may be biased, because I love Euro cars, and German hatches and sports cars, but there's no denying that the GTI has always had a dedicated following....and that its just a great all-around car even if you're not an enthusiast. The original MKI, the MKII, and the MKV are arguably the best of them all, (although the latest is also getting great reviews.) Its just the full package. Its not a $60k+ luxury car, or a $200k+ supercar, but a great, quick, practical and sporty compact that does everything you need it to unless you have a family of 8 or need to go off-roading. The interior is great, it doesn't feel cheap, (radio needs an upgrade though...), the handling is great even for a FWD car, and its got enough punch from a 2.0 Turbo engine. its not a gas-guzzler either. What more do I need to say?Dec 10, 2014
by Anonymous
Sep 16, 2013
This car is such a fun car! Very zippy and fast, it handles great and is very stylish. The back seats fold down all of the way so the car is big enough to camp/sleep in and can carry a lot. The car is also very comfortable to drive and/or ride in for long periods of time.Sep 16, 2013
by Anonymous
Oct 03, 2011
I love this car! Great driver, but also economical, spacious and sensible. My teenage daughters ride in the back seats with no complaints and the boot hauls ample softball gear to and from practices and tournaments. I hate to part with it :(Oct 03, 2011
by James L
Jul 22, 2011
Owned 3 GTi's, Does every thing you need from a car and some more!! DSG gearbox is mint and can do most other cars from the line. Sticks to the road like glue, Great interior and build quality is 2nd to none! Best car ive owned.Jul 22, 2011
by William H
May 16, 2011
Fun and friendly to drive. Comfortable yet sporty. Easy to maintain. Very good performance yet mpg is nice. Low cost of ownership thus far...it has 68k miles and seems like newer car. Very reasonable transportation yet fun at any time.May 16, 2011
by Jim S
Oct 13, 2010
This car is very surprising. It is much more capable than it may appear. It is built very well and you know you got what you paid for when you get in and close the door. Tons of room in the back as well.Oct 13, 2010
by Michael F
Oct 03, 2010
not the fastest car but good pickup once the turbo spools up. looks great and s probably the best handling front wheel drive vehicle I have driven. The sound
system is great and I usually get around 30 mpgs + overall a fun car to driveOct 03, 2010
by Nate S
May 20, 2010
6spd Turbo is a blast to drive! Haven't had a single problem with it yet. You can ride in the car for hours and still feel comfortable. Bucket seats really hold you in place. VWs are excellent cars for the money.May 20, 2010
by Jeremy M
May 05, 2010
I am definitely a fan of the performance of this vehicle. It handles well. The ride is sporty, but smooth. Hasn't needed any repairs except for a recall on the coil packs, there isn't much for creaks and rattles. I really like the look of the vehicle inside and out. I wasn't sure how I felt about the color, but it grew on me and now I love it. The inside is nice, the seats are comfortable and supportive and have a cool plaid pattern on them. The gauge cluster looks cool too. I put the golf ball style shift knob on and a smaller antenna and it will look even better when I lower it. I get an average of about 28 miles to the gallon and I do a lot of city driving. Oil changes are a little expensive because it takes synthetic oil and I get them done at the dealer. That's about all the maintenance that I have had to do. This car is definitely fun to drive.May 05, 2010
by Dan S
Apr 14, 2010
Build Quality: Hangin in there
Car Comparisons: Im a VW guy, traded in my Corrado
Performance: Pretty fantastic
More About My Car: Not quite fast enough...yetApr 14, 2010
by Daniel H
Oct 22, 2009
The MkV GTI is the greatest "hot hatch" you can
buy. The build quality is amazing, the attention to
detail is impressive, and the performance is highly
under rated. The 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of
torque may seem like a low amount of power but
the chassis makes use of ever single bit of power in
the most efficient way possible. All of the torque is
available from just 1600 RPM giving the sensation
of being much more powerful than it really is.
Handling is equally great with stiff, yet comfortable
(might I say BMW-like?) suspension. It does suffer
from some understeer, but not more than expected
in a front wheel drive car.Oct 22, 2009
by Ryan S
Aug 16, 2009
Overall it is an amazing car!!! There is NOTHING that i would change. The 1.8t is a wonderful motor!! Hardly any turbo lag from the Ko3 turbo! It is an extremely fun car to drive!!! German engineering FTW! I wouldn't buy any other car now that i have a european one. Very well built outstanding standard features and unrivaled performance. what else could you want? except a little more mpg's in trhe city. havin that turbo really makes it tempting to stomp on the gas.Aug 16, 2009
by Andre T
Jul 24, 2009
What's to say other than I LOVE this car! If it had 4 doors I'd probably keep it after the lease, even though I drove it into a wall and caused $19000 worth of damage (to my credit, I blame mismatched summer/all season tires partly).
This car is perhaps the best daily driver under $30000 new. Its fun, great on gas, hauls tons of stuff and is comfy on long drives. Might have a new one once the lease is up!Jul 24, 2009
by Matthew M
Apr 22, 2009
My GTI is pretty quick for the mileage it gets. It handles very good and I autox it regularly. Cost of ownership is not too bad, though I do most of the work myself. Overall, I like all of the little features of my car and it's very fun to drive.Apr 22, 2009
by Tony D
Sep 29, 2008
It is great to drive very solid and fast enough. Road holding is one of its best features and in it class it has great comfort. It is not a Porches when it comes to performance or a Roles Royse when it comes to comfort but for the price it has the best all round package available.Sep 29, 2008
by Michael G
Aug 27, 2008
*Performance is fairly good. Acceleration with the DSG transmission is pretty good, and the brakes do a decent job of bring the car to a halt. Handling is very good, given the high ride height and stance on the car.
*The build quality is... typical Volkswagen. You'll have plenty of rattles [as I did], though some of them seemed to have worked or worn themselves out. The dealership I bought the car from "cannot find" the TSB for the subframe bolt issue. The subframe bolts stretch over time and cause a loud CREAK when changing directions. Sure doesn't inspire confidence.
*The appearance of the GTI looks much better now that I ditched the ugly honeycomb grilles & red grille stripe for a Golf GT conversion [painted gloss black]. That german paint isn't as 'high quality' as some lead you to believe.
*Cost is a tad high. It's a Volkswagen, not a BMW or Mercedes. Fuel economy is so-so, high 20s/low 30s. The leather interior [which mine does not have] is nice, but pricey. Most people I speak with prefer the Interlagos plaid.
* I think the car is fun to drive... as in just drive one, don't own one.
If you're an enthusiast that doesn't mind his car making noises or having little issues that would drive any sane person nuts, you've found your new car. If you're a person who views their car as another appliance in your life, go look at a Mini Cooper.Aug 27, 2008
by Robert T
Aug 04, 2008
May be the best combination of performance, style, safety, quality, gas mileage for the price. Semi-automatic DSG is a blast as you flick through the gears with the sterring wheel mounted gear levers. Excellent grip even with the 17 inch wheels and 45 series all-weather performance tires. I can only imagine what it would be like with the optional 18 inch wheels with summer tires. Somehow VW has managed to make the car handle relatively neutral, not easy for a front-drive car. Torque steer is minimal as well. 75 MPH through dead man's curve!Aug 04, 2008
by Paul P
Aug 02, 2008
For a small car, this car is amazing, the power and smooth ride is unparalleled. Handling at any spped is incredible and very economical, except when the turbo kicks in, but it's so worth it for the extra fuel.
The only downside to it is the fact that the front cup-holder keeps sticking, but seeing that is the only "sticky point", for $26,000 this car is an absolute bargain.
I'll definitely be gettin me another one when the time comesAug 02, 2008
by Will K
Jul 30, 2008
Fun car. Best FWD hot hatch with a turbo 4 cyl. The build quality is very good. The car performs great and responds excellently to modifications. Car is cheap to own and maintain, but still extremely fun to drive. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a good time with these high gas prices.Jul 30, 2008
by Stephen Y
Jun 20, 2008
Great daily driver. Too many electronic nannies to make it a really good autocross car.Jun 20, 2008
by Matthew E
Jun 04, 2008
This was my first new car purchase and all that I have to say is I've been extremely pleased with this little performer!!! It has everything you'd want in an automobile, a refined interior with plenty of space for occupants and cargo, a wonderful powertrain to get you moving QUICK, and most of all it's fuel economy puts it in the same league as gas savers!! Volkswagen really hit the mark with this one, what are you waiting for test drive one today and find out for yourself!!!! Jun 04, 2008
by Alden C
Apr 13, 2008
So far this car has been a blast to drive, incredibly reliable, and good gas mileage.Apr 13, 2008
by Jaryd T
Mar 20, 2008
I love it. Its super fast for a 2.0 cylinder. The interior is top notch. Audi quality
and materials. Its a solid car, the doors close with a nice thud. Not a tin can
sound.Mar 20, 2008
by Eugene T
Mar 19, 2008
Awesome handling, response, and very forgivingMar 19, 2008
by Christian G
Mar 13, 2008
Nice car with perfect handling and very smooth engine !Mar 13, 2008
by Mark C
Mar 10, 2008
The DSG is outrageous! It's great in performance handling. I have no excuse on this one. Turbo kicks in.Mar 10, 2008
by Zach L
Feb 21, 2008
Beautifully finished, high quality materials used which explains the extra moola one has to pay to get this in your stable. Great sounding engine, brilliant engine.Feb 21, 2008
by Chris S
Feb 09, 2008
This car is a blast to drive, and own. Not only does it own the curves, it's also a blast to shift off the line. Even better, or rather, more useful, is the fact that it's a roomy hatchback which comes in handy more often than not.
Representing deutschland, jah.Feb 09, 2008
by Jan F
Jan 15, 2008
This is a GREAT car. It handles beautifully. The turbocharged engine has a super
response and is well harmonized with the gearbox.Jan 15, 2008
by Anonymous
Jan 12, 2008
nothing i dont really like about this car, the Monza alloys finish it off well. and the built in sat nav finishes the dash off nicely. Handles really well and the bucket seats really hold you in well. the 2.0T lump is great in pretty much any speed in any gear.Jan 12, 2008
by Julio H
Dec 28, 2007
Really loved the DSG transmission (double-clutch gearbox).
Good performance even if an all wheel drive would be necessary. Dec 28, 2007
by Rogelio I
Nov 19, 2007
This car is amazing, it is my second GTI and this generation is by far the best. Nov 19, 2007
by Anonymous
Jan 04, 2007
the first thing that strikes me when i went for a drive, was how small and how easy it was to park, yet how big it was on the inside. It had more boot and legroom than a 3 series BMW or a Subaru WRX, 4 rather full sized adults fit in the car with ease, head and legroom wasn't a problem for anyone.
I drive the auto which is the new 6 speed DSG gearbox (which has 3 different modes), smoothest gearbox i have ever felt in a car (especially considering what it has to deal with power turbo lag then boost) but speaking of power, it has alot of it (though mine is chipped increasing power by around 30% which is a relatively cheap and easy process) there are, however, a few failings with the drivetrain or more with electronics (in the throttle) that seem to plaque VW (Golf and Jetta from what i have read), the problem is that there is sometimes a slight delay between the time you press down on the accelerator and the car actually taking off, which if you are on a hill it can cause you to roll back (a good foot or more) before the car takes off, it's like something in the traction control system is having a think before it lets you take off, which sometimes isn't a bad thing (mostly it is though as rolling back uncontrollably isn't a good feeling),the traction control system (which includes a things such as a locking diff anti spin etc)gets a workout as most of the driving i do is in the rain on windy mountain roads, and with it being driven through the front wheels that makes it interesting as it only has to take your toenail to grow a fraction of an inch for it to spin the wheels on take off, luckily the electronics take over and get things under control.
The steering is electric, smoothest most balanced i have felt it is light when parking and heavy when on the freeway, i have never driven anything like it (after reading the manual the steering system has some sort of hi-tech magnet system that causes it go light and heavy, neat).
The car is incredibly well equipped sunroof, heated seats, dual zone climate control, bluetooth, 6 stack CD player, just to list a few.
overall a very impressive package very pleased with it for sure!Jan 04, 2007
Hi All, I have a 2006 VW GTI that I bought used in NZ with 66,000kms on it. I've only had the car for two months and they did an oil change and full top up when I bought the car. Passed through mechanics assessment with flying colours. I've driven probably 2000kms on - standard urban driving. Been on the highway twice. Today the Oil Pressure stop engine light came on randomly. I've checked the oil and it's just below half full. Car drives beautifully - no sign of any problems. Any thoughts? Is it really NO to driving even to mechanic? Could it be the oil level or a larger problem? Light super sensitive, etc.?
WHAT ENGINES ARE COMPATIBLE WITH MY 2006 VW GTI 2.0? DO I HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER ENGINE WITH THE EXACT SAME 5TH VIN LETTER? I AM ALSO GETTING CONFUSED BY ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS VW ARE CALLED. IS THIS CONSIDERED A GOLF MK5? I NEED SO MUCH HELP!! TIA!
So, my buddy bought an '06 Golf Gti and the car in under 24 hours has the timing belt break... So you know what that means. So we're swapping the engine and I had NO say or any idea on what engine will work. He got a junk yard engine (because it's literally across the street from their shop) and I have no idea what it came out of or if it will even work. We already got the engine out of the Gti and the transmission (6 speed) off, the clutch and all that put back on the new engine and I'm looking at my dad going, this isn't the same engine. The number that I could find that wasn't on the head that Google came up with something was 06A. Now my question is, can I just put the exhaust manifold, turbo, etc from the old 2006 Gti engine and get it in and have it play nice with the CPU once we get it all back together. I took a picture of the old engines letter and numbers on the head and it's junk but I believe it is BPY. IF ANYONE can help me out I'd appreciate it because I'm not the kind of person who likes to do all this work and find out it won't work, basically the same as measure twice, cut once deal. It'd be greatly appreciated for any kind of help. I can get pictures, more than I have already ss long as I know what to look for.
How to operate the the inner HID, Yellow headlights, when the light switch is IN the ON position? Mine only illuminate when i pull the headlight lever backwards with the lLght Switch in the OFF position. This is great if ya want to flash someone While parked, But I cant figure out how to turn them on, and stay ON, while Driving,... PLEASE help, This is making me crazy, trying to figure this feature out,. As I can't seem to find any kind of operating instructions anywhere... thank you in advance, carguyric
Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front · Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Reading lights: front · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Storage: cargo tie-down anchors and hooks
