2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review

Name: 2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review
Brand: Volkswagen

Price Range: $23,998 - $26,998

Volkswagen Golf GTI SE 4dr Hatchback Exterior Shown

The Volkswagen GTI is the quintessential hot hatch. It's fun and engaging to drive yet still practical and comfortable day to day. You'll find more performance for less money elsewhere, but no one else does as many things as well as the GTI. Outside of performance, the GTI has a spacious and roomy cabin that features a generous cargo area, though storage in the front seats is a bit lacking. We like the tech and driver aids too — they're refined and simple to use.

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* Starting MSRP of $32,445 for a 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI S 2.0L TSI® with 7-speed DSG® transmission. Prices exclude transportation, taxes, title, other options, and dealer charges. Dealer sets actual price.

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2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review

by the Edmunds Experts

9/16/2020

What's new

Some formerly optional advanced safety features are now standard
New Wi-Fi hotspot along with the latest VW Car-Net communications system
Rabbit trim dropped
Part of the seventh Golf GTI generation introduced for 2015

Edmunds says

The 2020 Volkswagen GTI, the performance version of the Golf, remains a hot hatch to be reckoned with. We especially like the way it stirs in impressive driving dynamics without sacrificing practicality.

Part of its appeal has always been value, so we're disappointed to see that Volkswagen has given the 2020 model a substantial price increase compared to 2019. VW has also discontinued its long six-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, though the new four-year warranty for 2020 is still pretty good.

These changes help make rivals such as the Honda Civic Si and Hyundai Veloster even more appealing from a value standpoint. But overall, the 2020 GTI stands as a solid pick for a performance-oriented hatchback.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI S 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.53 per gallon for premium unleaded in Texas.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Texas

$160/mo

$141/mo

Avg. Compact Car

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Volkswagen Golf GTI Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.5

40 reviews

5(70%)

4(17%)

3(5%)

2(5%)

1(3%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Wowzza

Lovin Life, 07/31/2020

2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI S 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Purchased a 2020 GTI-S. My other car is a BMW and after driving this little blaster, I gave the BMW to my wife! Excellent performance, visibility and braking. Love the interior and the fit and finish are way above average. You feel confident and connected to the road as though the car can read your thoughts. The ride is comfortable and controls are easy to read and/or reach. The car is a …

Stalling issue

GTIjunkie, 08/15/2019

2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

See if the dealer can interrogate CPU and fix it this way: I had this issue, they scanned my car and saw it was partially still in transport mode. They put it back into transport mode and then removed it. I have not stalled since and it happened 8 times in 6 days of taking delivery which was ~300 miles and I am just shy of 1200 now. I opened a ticket with VW so it was documented.

Love my GTI

Remember the Fast?, 09/29/2019

2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)

Purchased the SE trim with the Experience package in dark blue metallic and love it! The power is effortless. Not unlimited, effortless. What I mean is that no matter how much accelerator I give it, it doesn’t feel or sound like it’s straining. It just goes. Plenty of power to pass on the highway. Also, in sport mode, downshifting with the paddles to 2nd gear coming into a 90 degree …

Love my GTI

Thatsdebatable, 09/30/2020

2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Test drove against the Elantra GT Nline, Mazda3 Hatch, and Honda Civic Si. The VW GTI was by far my favorite to drive of the bunch. Exterior - unassuming yet very functional hatch, love the led headlights Interior - mine came with leather seats which are very comfortable for my average male build, quiet comfortable cabin for long drives Engine - plenty of power for a sporty driving …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI, so we've included reviews for other years of the Golf GTI since its last redesign.

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2020 Golf GTI Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$28,595
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	27 MPG
Cost to Drive	$160/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	22.8 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Golf GTI models:

Forward Collision Warning: Warns the driver if a front collision, including with a pedestrian, seems imminent. If necessary, it can apply automatic emergency braking.
High-Beam Controls: Automatically switches the GTI's high-beam headlights on or off depending on oncoming traffic.
Lane Keeping Assist: Warns the driver of vehicles in blind spots with a flashing light. Can also apply countersteering to nudge the vehicle back into its lane.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover13.4%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Acceptable
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review

Price & Payment