Buying a new 2004 GTI advice please
I am thinking about buying a 03 or 04 GTI
I read forums like this one and think what am I nutsI have to say that with as many horror stories as there are on the WEB that
If all were true I would not have a Volkswagen dealership to purchase a new VW because they would be run out of town. You would see breaking news on CNN about distraught and pissed off VW customers going postal in VW dealerships and service departments everywhere.
When I test drive all the cars in various driving conditions and courses I push the cars obit and they seem to respond fine with no mechanical malfunction or weird noises. When I bring up forums like this one to the dealer he tells me that Volkswagen has had its trouble with transmissions and windows and electronics in the past 00-02 models butt insists that they are all cleared up and I will not have any issues with my new VW. Can anyone tell if they have had a problem with the 03 or 04 GTI?
Thanks for all help
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dgarcia Said,
May 31, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
Buying a new 2004 GTI advice please – They may have cleared up some of the issues, but what you really want to consider is the resale value of a 03 or 04 GTI. I personally don’t think they will have much value after 4 years or so. Mainly because of all these problems. I know my car is an 01 Wolfburg 1.8T and I’m sure this car won’t be worth but 3-4K by the time my lease is up. If you have’nt seen any angry customers at the dealerships, you were’nt around when I brought my car in for the 6th time in 11 months because the check engine light lit up again. When I test drove this car it drove fine also, but I’ve regretted this purchase ever since. The only thing I’m happy with is the handling and fuel economy. But at far as reliability, I just don’t see it. My next car will be a BMW or maybe even an Acura. Also, maybe the media is too busy with other things like Bush’s war and the economy to bother with our issues. However, there was an article in US News Today recently. They interviewed the new head of quality control for VW. He admitted they had quality issues that he was working diligently to correct. The problem is he used to work for Jaguar. We all know what problems they had in the early 90’s and how their resale values dropped and still do quite dramatically. I personally think there are more realiable choices out there. Unless you don’t mind visiting your dealer every 3 or 4 months for repairs. Just my 2 cents.
Good Luck with your purchase.
297 Said,
June 1, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
Buying a new 2004 GTI advice please – A Jetta has better resale value. GTIs do not, but I never think of resale value… mostly because I plan to keep the car till the keys are pried from my cold, dead hands.
The 2003/2004 GTIs should be solid. The MkIV platform was pretty much finalized by 2002, so newer models have virtually zero issues. The new MkV is slated to come out in 2005, so a 2004 will be an excellent buy.
I would go for it if you enjoyed the test drive.
Maintenance can be a bit pricy, but nowhere close to the maintenance costs of a BMW.
My advice is to switch it to synthetic oil once you have passed the 500 mile break-in period, and make sure the car is kept to its 5k/6mo service. I have been diligent in this respect, and to date my New Beetle (also a MkIV and is basically a GTI with a different body) has been excellent.
sleepy Said,
June 8, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
Buying a new 2004 GTI advice please – Thanks for help
I think it will be a Jetta with all the toys
I’ll keep all posted
Cheers
John Said,
June 17, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
Buying a new 2004 GTI advice please – VW and other substandard car manufacturers will always have buyers because there will always be stupid people in the world who do not know what they are getting into. Most people buy a car on impulse and looks, without doing any research on the model’s history.