The popularity of the Volkswagen Golf GTI has lead Volkswagen South Africa to only offer the GTI version in the current Golf VIII but that also means that there are loads of used examples available for your to choose from. Find out which one is best what problems you should look out for.
It’s no secret, South Africans absolutely love the GTI badge, as long as it’s attached to a Volkswagen. The Golf GTI has always had a firm following but when Volkswagen released the Golf V GTI, they set a new benchmark for what the compact performance hatchback should be. With 147 kW of power on hand from its 2.0plitre turbocharged engine, a new president had been set.
In the subsequent Golf VI and Golf VII versions, the recipe remained largely the same; fit a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine powering the front wheels and give it handling that impresses. Do all of this while offering 5 doors and a level of comfort that allows it to be used every day.
Past models
The Golf VI GTI, released locally in 2009, produced 155 kW and 280 Nm torque and was made available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed DSG gearbox. Edition 35 versions of the GTI produced 173 kW and 300 Nm from their 2.0 TSI engines.
Several versions of the Golf VII GTI were made available in the years following its 2013 release. The original model produced 162 kW with 350 Nm of torque on hand and was good for claimed 0 to 100 km/h sprint of 6.9-seconds. These versions were available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed DSG gearbox.
It was followed by the GTI Performance Pack which saw the power output bumped to 169 kW while the torque remained the same at 350 Nm. This version was only available with a DSG gearbox but benefited from the standard fitment of the Dynamic Chassis Control system and XDS+ brake-based torque vectoring.
This was followed up by what many regard as the pinnacle of the Golf GTI, the Clubsport and Clubsport S models. These variants were settled to produce 195 kW (26 kW more than the Performance Pack) with a 10-second over-boost function bumping that even further to 213 kW. This helped the Clubsport break the 6-second barrier with a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 5.9-seconds.
The Clubsport S broke away from the practicality of the GTI by being solely available in 3-door guise with only two seats. Featuring extensive weight reduction and 228 kW of power, the Clubsport S is the icon of the GTI range and only 47 were imported to South Africa.
A final hurrah to the Golf VII GTI was the TCR version with 213 kW of power. Only available with a DSG gearbox, the TCR was a full-house offering paying homage to the two-time overall winner of the TCR racing series. It does the 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6-seconds and has a top speed of 264 km/h.
The Golf VII was replaced locally in 2021 with more refined offering that produces 180 kW and 370 Nm torque. It’s only available with a 7-speed DSG gearbox and will complete the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 6.4-seconds.
Is used Volkswagen GTI a good car?
Part of the Golf GTI’s appeal is its practicality. Most models offer you a 5-door hatch with seating for 4 adults in relative comfort. Ingress and egress are easy to both the front and back and the boot offers up over 300-litres of space. The Golf VI gives you 350-litres of boot space and this was increased to 380-litres in the Golf VII. This increase in space came at the cost of some fuel tank capacity. The fuel tank shrank from 55-litres in the GTI VI to 50-litres in the GTI VII.
This is not a major concern though because, despite its higher power output, the GTI VII is more economical with claimed averages of 6.0 l/100km for the manual and 6.4 l/100km for the DSG. This is an improvement over the GTI VI which was said to return figures of 7.3 and 7.4 l/100km respectively.
Safety
The Golf GTI has in more recent years proven itself to be a safe vehicle as well. With several airbags, ABS, EBD, TCS, and ESC as well as an Automatic Multi-Collision Braking System, the Golf GTI is ideal for a young family that is looking for a stylish, compact hatchback for their needs.
Known issues
If you’re considering a GTI as your next purchase, we would highly recommend selecting one with a full dealership service history and ideally one that hasn’t been modified at all. The Golf GTI VII did struggle with turbochargers in the first year of release so check that 2013/2014 models have had a turbo replacement under warranty.
A misfire is often attributed to the coil packs which have a finite lifespan and will require replacing every few years. The TSI engine is also prone to coking up and this, if left unattended, can cause larger problems down the road. It’s not an easy one to check but doing a little digging into the service history may show that the intake ports have been cleaned up.
Chad LückhoffWith over 18 years of motorsport commentary and a passion for 90s Japanese Sports Cars, Chad Lückhoff is happiest when surrounded by drift cars and smoking tyres. His experience as the Technical Editor of the country’s top tuning magazine means that it’s the nuts and bolts of motoring that tickles his fancy. As comfortable in front of the camera as he is behind it, he’ll take you behind the wheel with his video reviews, written recounts, and invoking photography. One of the first to join the AutoTrader fray, Chad has been living his passion at AutoTrader for over 7-years.View News & Reviews
Keyword: Is a used Volkswagen Golf GTI a good car?