Volkswagen Golf GTi 2004-2008 used car review
Volkswagen’s Golf GTi combines excellent performance and handling in a practical five-door body.
Volkswagen’s Golf GTi combines excellent performance and handling in a practical five-door body, and will appeal to enthusiastic drivers. However, it comes with a poor reliability record.
The Volkswagen Golf GTi was developed by engineers having fun outside business hours. When it debuted in 1976, it was a great car and defined the idea of a hot hatch. The fifth-generation Golf GTi returned to the model’s roots.
Inside and out
The first thing you notice when looking at any Golf is how solid it looks, thanks to the beefy rear pillar and the design’s simple lines. Features exclusive to the GTi include twin-lens headlights and red trim around the front grille.
The interior design is conservative and simple; the dash and door trims are made of a solid-looking quality plastic. Aluminium trim and pedal covers, premium gauges, a sports steering wheel and sports seats set the GTi apart from other Golfs. Our review vehicle featured separate temperature settings for the driver and passenger, a stereo with a CD player and cruise control.
The front seats are heated, and do an excellent job of keeping you in place while cornering hard. They are upholstered in a tartan-pattern fabric, another nod to GTi history. The rear seats are class-leading for comfort, with a surprising amount of width and legroom for a small hatchback.
There’s enough space to allow two child seats and a booster seat in the centre. The centre seat passenger gets a headrest, a proper seat belt, and no uncomfortable bump under them.
Two large suitcases should fit in the large 380-litre boot, and the rear seats are foldable. Although not completely flat, it creates a 1305-litre load space. Those wishing to pack long, thin items, like skis, can fold down a flap in the centre rear seat to accommodate it. The boot also features handy hooks to stop bags sliding around and a 12-volt power outlet.
Looking for the handle to open the boot? It is hidden in the large round Volkswagen badge.
On the road
The GTi feels fast, particularly with the 147kW 2-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine teamed with the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It shifts quicker than a traditional automatic, or even a good driver with a manual transmission. That means the GTi will zip away from the lights and hit 100km/h in a sports-car-like 7.2 seconds, giving a little ‘blip’ from the exhaust on every shift. It can also shift manually.
A six-speed manual is available for very enthusiastic drivers. The Golf is very fun to drive. The steering is quick with plenty of feedback, and the brakes — bigger than those fitted to normal Golfs — are very responsive. There is little body roll, plenty of grip, and the ride is comfortable both around town and on the highway.
Visibility from the driver's seat is great to the front and side but with the chunky rear pillars and three rear headrests, not great looking back. That means parking manoeuvres can be difficult, especially in vehicles like our review car which has no parking sensors or reversing camera.
For a small hatchback, the Golf has a healthy tow rating of 650kg (unbraked) and 1,400kg (braked), enough for a medium-sized trailer, small boat or jet ski. The larger brakes fitted to GTi models will likely help it perform better as a tow vehicle than standard models.
Safety
RightCar lists the Golf as having a four-star Used Car Safety Rating (2004–2009). New Zealand–new versions, with the same safety specifications as our review vehicle, were rated as five-star ANCAP when new.
Safety equipment on our review car includes driver and passenger airbags, side airbags and curtain airbags that cover the front and rear seats, traction control, electronic stability control and emergency brake assist. Not all used-import Golf GTis will have all this technology; something to check for when buying.
ISOFIX child seat mounts and top tethers are found in the window positions at the back.
Reliability
Golfs of this era have a concerning reliability record. This means it is crucial when you buy that you have the car professionally inspected and seek out maintenance records. Experts we have spoken to also recommend buying an extended mechanical breakdown insurance policy if buying an older Golf.
The dual-clutch transmission is the biggest concern, as it has been subject to major recalls after customer complaints about failure to change gear and harsh operation. A call to your local Volkswagen dealer will confirm if the recalls affect your car.
Other issues to seek professional checks for are wheel bearings, rocker-cover gasket oil seeping, noisy cambelt tensioner pulley bearings, and air conditioning pump failure. All of these were common to Volkswagen and Audi cars of the time, and all come with repair bills.
Carefully check the interior, as the glue holding the roof lining and door trim fabric in place can fail over time. The only solution for this is to have a new headlining installed by an automotive trimmer, at the cost of several hundred dollars.
The GTi has a cambelt which can break, causing engine failure. Replacement is required every 100,000km or five years.
Cost of ownership
Volkswagen recommends servicing the Golf GTi every 15,000km or six months, and the services are more expensive than more common Japanese hatchbacks. A local Volkswagen dealer quoted us $400 for the regular service, $1,000 every 60,000km for an additional transmission service, and $1,200 every 100,000km or five years to replace the cambelt and water pump.
Considering the extra performance it provides, the GTi is relatively fuel-efficient. RightCar estimates the cost over 14,000km of driving at $2,440, $500 less than a Subaru WRX of the same year. The 55-litre fuel tank will cost $110 to fill at $2 a litre, and should take you 575km before the fuel light comes on.
It is in the cheapest class for ACC levies, so the annual licensing fee (registration) is low at $85.59.
Trade Me Insurance estimates insurance for a 2005 Volkswagen Golf GTi valued at $10,100 will cost $54.39* per month. This is $10 less than an Audi S3 of the same year, and a massive $35 a month less than a Subaru Impreza WRX.
Buyers' guide
On Trade Me, you can find 2004–2008 Golf GTi models available from just under $10,000, rising to $20,000 for later models. Buying a car that has had the 60,000km transmission service, but is still well under 100,000km, offers the best mix of affordability and time until you’re likely to hit major costs.
Variants
- GTi — Standard specification, in a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch automatic
- GTi Edition 30 — A rare special edition offering 227kW of power
Volkswagen offers an extensive range of Golfs. This review specifically covers the GTi.
Timeline
- 2003 Launched in Europe
- 2004 Launched in Japan
- 2007 Edition 30 model introduced
- 2008 Production ends
Details
2005 Volkswagen Golf GTi
$8,700 to $20,000 for models which have travelled 70,000 to 120,000km
2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged, 147kW/280Nm (claimed)
Six-speed dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive
Four-star Used Car Safety Rating
15,000km or six months
Space saver
8.7-litres per 100km (claimed)
Premium
4216mm
1759mm
1469mm
650kg (unbraked), 1400kg (braked)
10.9m
This review covers the Volkswagen Golf GTi for model years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Review vehicle supplied by City Motor Group.
*Our insurance estimates are based on a 35-year-old male with no accidents in the last two years, garaging the car in Mission Bay, Auckland. The car is not used for business and will cover 10,000km to 20,000km a year. We estimate with no option add-ons and $500 excess. Customise your estimate at Trade Me Insurance.
Image gallery
Also consider
Peter Louisson 
Kyle Cassidy 