Used 2003 Volkswagen GTI VR6 2dr Hatchback (2.8L 6cyl 6M) Consumer Reviews
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2002.5 GTI VR6 6 speed
Damonspeedster, 03/19/2008
Volkswagen GTI VR6 2dr Hatchback (2.8L 6cyl 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Fun car. Bought it from VW in 2002 and have love every mile in it. I installed a set of Eibach sport srings shortly after purchase and that improved the handling and stance. Great gas mileage (if you're driving like Miss Daisy) about 29 mpg, however if you haven fun it drops quick. Lots of power and broad range of torque. Stereo sounds good for a stock setup. Interior in good, but the plastic or rubber on some of the panels are rubbing off. With some suspension mods and really good tires this car will handle better than anything out there. As far as the engine- Is good for front wheel drive. Rated at 201 hp stock. anything over 300 hp is too much for this car. TIRES SPIN
The best car I have ever owned, hands down!
George, Avon, OH, 02/24/2019
updated 02/26/2021
Volkswagen GTI VR6 2dr Hatchback (2.8L 6cyl 6M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I've owned my 6-speed manual 2003 GTI VR6 for more than 18 years now, and have loved every minute spent behind the wheel! I bought it in October 2002, and it has been the most reliable car my family has owned (even moreso than our Japanese cars), hands down! I keep it garaged, and change the synthetic oil every year, and changed the spark plugs at around 60K miles. The car still has the original clutch and 'chains' as well, and i've never had to change the manual transmission oil (can you believe VW told me it never needs changing for the life of the car!). As a sidenote, I only use Shell V-Power premium gas. Mechanically, the only issue I had was the coolant fan dying, so I had to have another one installed. I love the smoothness and power delivery of the 24v VR6. It is an absolute joy to drive (as in fun), and feels like a cross between a classic 'tossable' GTI and a sports sedan. Acceleration comes on fast, and the ample torque pretty much allow you to tool around town in higher gears most of the time. The car looks very German, given it's shape, and actually a bit plain compared to the more aggressive looking GTI 337, GTI 20th AE, or the R32. That is my only minor gripe. Too bad VW didn't style the exterior of the GTI VR6 to look like the aforementioned cars with the lower, color matched spoilers. Don't get me wrong - the car still looks beautiful, with great classic Golf platform lines and sexy 2 doors. The Monte Carlo 17" rims look stunning as well. I get compliments on the car all the time. On to the interior, which is simply gorgeous, and on par with an Audi. Very tight tolerances with quality materials, and the leather seats are sublime. Just the right amount of bolstering and support, and they are heated if needed. The dash is stunning, with red (needles) on blue (backround color) guages, and a Monsoon radio system (CD and cassette too) that sounds great! Although it doesn't have an input jack for an MP3 digital player, I use a cassette adaptor that plugs into my digital player, which sounds amazing. I cannot say enough great things about this car! October 2021 will mark 19 years owning this awesome vehicle, and I would not be surprised if it lasts another 19 or more! It drives and shifts like it did new! What a car!
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2003 Volkswagen GTI for sale near you
2 of 2 listings
- 1.8T 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $5,995122 mi away
- VR6 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $6,4951,912 mi away
Just bought a '03 VW GTI VR6...
VWLuv, 10/22/2009
Volkswagen GTI VR6 2dr Hatchback (2.8L 6cyl 6M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Well I just purchased a 2003 Volkswagen GTI VR6 and I must say so far this is the best car I've ever owned. I just bought it Tuesday of this week and have only driven it for two days but before this car I was driving a 2000 VW Golf and other than the engine and the 6th gear it's pretty much the same car as I had before(with a bunch more power!!!). I honestly plan on keeping this car for a very long time like my Golf (which met it's untimely demise when a Harley ran a red light a totaled it). Excellent car all around.
Not bad, but not great
Sean, 06/01/2005
Volkswagen GTI VR6 2dr Hatchback (2.8L 6cyl 6M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I owned my '03 VR6 GTI for just over 2 years, putting around 32K miles on it. Overall it's a fun car to drive, but I had quite a few quality issues, especially with the paint (pearl indigo blue). The VR6 has great low-end torque, but it is very heavy which is really noticeable when cornering at high speeds. The car handles fantastic at high speed on the highway, with very little cabin noise even at 85+ MPH. The Monsoon stereo system is fantastic, the heated seats are great because you can adjust the heating level, and the cruise control is much more user friendly than on other cars I have driven. Overall, it's a fun, versatile car that is a good deal for the price.
Pocket Rocket w/ 200 ponies
Drew, 09/30/2002
Volkswagen GTI VR6 2dr Hatchback (2.8L 6cyl 6M)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
just got last week,absolutely love it. driven many nice cars in my day, mother's 2001 M5 and dad's 2002 carerra 4 porsche, have to say this car is equally as fun if not more fun to drive. this car handles like it's on rails also. also, before this i had a 2000 jetta glx. i can notice a huge difference in build quality between the gti and my old jetta. my jetta's center console rattled like a piece of shit. a great purchase as well as a great deal. the dealer let it go to me for $24,000 which was about $650 below the sticker.