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Why don't you just cut and paste the freaking review here?
I'm pretty sure you don't have to be registered to see the reviews. Oh well, I don't know why it's not working. I tried using a different browser and the review doesn't show up. Maybe they need to review it or process it or something. Damn..I really could have used the $.0001 Epinions gives you everytime someone reads your review. Anyway, here goes...I told you it was long.
I purchased my 2009 VW GTI new in October this year. This will be the last year that the current MKV (Mark 5) GTI is available as the new MKVI will be debuting sometime next year. I've driven the car now for about 1600 miles and these are my intial impressions about the car. My review will be broken into the following sections, each rated out of a possible 5 points:
Exterior Features
Interior Features
Driving Experience
Overall Experience
Exterior Features 4.5/5
The VW GTI comes with several standard features. Although previous years' (2006-2007) models included headlamp washers, the 2008 and 2009 models do not. However, you do get Xenon headlamps, fog lamps, heated winshield washers, and power side mirrors as standard. I found the standard Xenon headlamps to be a nice touch on a car of this class.
Unfortunately, as is seemingly the standard nowadays you do not get very many choices for color. You can choose from Candy White (my choice), Black Magic Pearl, Tornado Red, or United Grey. There is an optional body kit which I did not purchase. The standard side mouldings and rear valence come in matte black, which add a nice contrast to the rest of the car. There is also a small roof spoiler that houses the third brake light. I have read that it is a common problem for condensation to build up in the third brake light and that because of VW's design of the spoiler and light assembly it can be very difficult to have the problem fixed. Apparently you must remove the entire spoiler in order to access the third brake light, a process which inevitably causes some paint damage. I have not yet experienced this problem since my car is relatively new, but I will be keeping an eye out for it.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the MKV GTI is the red stripe that highlights the bottom portion of the front grill. This is a design cue harking back to the original MKI GTI and I personally find it very appealing. The upcoming MKVI GTI will also have a similar feature, although I find the redesigned front end to be less attractive than that of the current model.
The GTI comes standard with 17" Denver alloys. I opted for the upgraded package which includes an electric sunroof and 18" Hufeisen (horseshoe) wheels. Although a lot of GTI owners tend to modify their cars and swap out the wheels I actually really like the look of the Hufeisen wheels. They have a machined aluminum finish and fit the car quite well. You do have to be careful about scratching or curbing the wheels however as the low profile tires leave them very exposed. I accidentally brushed up against a 1.5" high curb down a very narrow street and this resulted in a minor scratch on the edge of my wheels. Due to the machined finish it can be somewhat expensive to have the damage repaired (I've seen estimates of between $75-150).
The rear hatch and doors (I have a 2-door model) are all nicely weighted as you would expect on a German car. There is a distinct quality "thunk" sound every time you close one of the doors. The rear hatch also has two handholds on the inside, which I was told by the dealer are for pulling the hatch down. Apparently you aren't supposed to close the rear hatch just by pulling down on the bottom. The hatch opening is a good size although I doubt if you'll be hauling a 42" or larger television home in it. You'd probably have better luck fitting a 32" television in through the hatch opening. I do like the design of the latch for opening the hatch though, as it's integrated with the rear VW emblem. Push the top half of the emblem in and the hatch opens (not all the way, you have to pull it open) assuming it is unlocked.
The only downside I have experienced is that the rear hatch gets quite dirty. I take meticulous care of my cars and even after just a few days the rear hatch will typically be covered in dirt. This is due to the shape of the car and the resulting aerodynamics, which tend to pull dirt up off the road or tires and deposit it right on the hatch. I think the optional mud guards may help prevent this although I wish VW would have included them as standard.
Interior Features 4/5
I purchased my GTI with the optional Autobahn package. This includes leather sport seats, leatherette trim, matching leather headrests, and something called crash active head restraints. All GTI's come standard with front and side airbags. I know my car has curtain airbags as well but I'm not sure if those are standard or if those are what the crash active head restraints are. Standard interior features also include heated seats (new for 2009), multifunction steering wheel, multifunction display, and Sirius satellite radio installed. Power windows are also standard and are of the one-touch up/down variety often found in much more expensive cars. Definitely a nice touch.
If you choose not to purchase the Autobahn package you will get cloth seats instead. These have the very cool Interlagos plaid pattern. Either way, the seats are very supportive with adjustable side bolsters for when you're canyon carving or having some fun on twisty back roads. The seats themselves are not powered, aside from the lumbar support. This is a minor inconvenience if you're not the only person driving your car. I've not yet taken a long road trip in the car but the seats have remained very comfortable for trips up to an hour and a half. I can't imagine them being anything but for longer trips. The leather used is smooth matte black leather. After 1600 miles the leather on the driver's seat has stretched a little bit. I will be periodically applying leather cleaner and conditioner and hopefully this will keep them in good condition.
The multifunction steering wheel is one of the best parts of the interior. It has a relatively small diameter but is nice and thick and wrapped in leather. The 9 and 3 positions are contoured and covered in perforated leather. Buttons for controlling the stereo and multifunction display are included. In order to control the stereo however, the multifunction display must be set to the Audio menu. The volume can be controlled at any time and there is also a mute button. Sadly the phone button is not activated on US models and requires the purchase of a costly bluetooth kit. The steering wheel has a flat bottom which is tremendously useful when entering or exiting the car if you're slightly larger than average (I'm 6'1" 205 lbs).
Speaking of accomodations, the car is very roomy. I've done the standard "put the driver's seat in your position and see how you fit behind it" test and am surprised to say that there is ample room in the backseat for someone of my size, even with the driver's seat set to my position. I wouldn't want to be stuck back there for a long road trip, but it wouldn't be a terrible place to be for an hour or less. Getting into the rear seat (remember, I have a 2-door) requires a bit of flexibility though it should be fine for kids and smaller people.
My car came with the optional RNS-510 DVD navigation system which includes the multimedia data interface. Let me start with the navigation system, which is one of the best systems I have ever used. It is much better than any Garmin unit and is also better than the factory navigation on the 2004 Lexus LS430 (the only other factory system I have experience with). You have a choice of several different views for the map, including an angled bird's eye view. There's also a 3D feature which I have not yet tried. The system is able to locate GPS satellites very quickly (as opposed to some Garmin units which can take up to a minute or more). It is also very quick at calculating routes, with most routes that I have tried being programmed in less than 10 seconds. The one thing I do not like is the on-screen keyboard used for entering information. Instead of displaying a QWERTY keyboard which everyone is familiar with, it displays the letters alphabetically. I have seen pictures of this particular navigation unit with a QWERTY keyboard, but I have not been able to figure out how to enable this function. Overall though, the navigation unit is very easy to use and does not suffer from any odd delays or pauses even when zooming and panning around the map.
