IIHS Crash Test
MPG (up to)
21 -23 City / 29 -30 HWY
Horsepower
180 -200
Seats
5
Front angle view.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Brian H
You should realize that this car is not the biggest car.
The gti has amazing pick up. I have had mine since 2003 and it still has power on the hills above all of the other cars. Love. It.
accountCircle Chris D
That it has computer issues which always mean that it is in the shop.
I have had my car for 12 years now. It is very fun to drive and is very special to me. Its all I got out of my divorce. Love this car!.
accountCircle Alycia D
One of the most reliable cars I have ever owned! Never left us sitting.
Very nice handling. Love the quality of the car. Plenty of room for my kid.
accountCircle Jack P
Well, I have stage 2 on it and it's manual so stage 2 makes my car shift smoother so don't slam it Into second lol
Well i like my gti because it's fast, I also have upgrades on which make it quick and fun, it's great for a daily driver.
accountCircle Fernando D
Love the hatchback for the space and comfort on trips.
Car is comfortable, transmission is one of the best I have driven bearing 200k miles and transmission works like new. Only have had trouble with the he electronics but all have been easy fixes.
accountCircle Chance F
My Volkswagen golf experience.
My golf gtI is a reliable car. It averages around 25-30 mpg, and even with being required to use at least 89 octane; it still only takes about $35 to fill it up. With the steering wheel tilt, it allows you to move the steering wheel forward and backward to optimize your comfort levels while driving. The hand crank seat is a slight pain, but the seat itself is quite comfortable. They are almost like bucket seats. The only real problem I have had with my golf gtI is that the sending unit on my fuel pump quit working a while back. It does not read my fuel levels so I must keep track of my fuel mileage to make sure I do not get stranded. It seems like a reasonably easy fix though with the access panel being right under the rear seat.
accountCircle Jake D
Probably the most important thing that others should know is that it is a manual transmission.The reason for that is not because not everyone knows how to drive one.
I picked the car because it has a manual transmission, and I wanted to learn that. So, it is a little different because it's not an automatic car and allows me to enjoy shifting myself. The only downside I'd say about the car, is that since it's a little older, it has a higher than average amount of miles on it.
accountCircle Marcello Q
VW 20th Anniversary 1.8 turbo
Volkswagen 2003 GTI 20th Anniversary edition 1.8 liter turbo engine, full three inch turbo back exhaust

Volkswagen GTI Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
Base
180 HP 26-26 MPG 5 Seats
car
VR6
200 HP 25-25 MPG 5 Seats
car
20th Anniv Edition
180 HP 27-27 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2003 Volkswagen GTI Owner Reviews

4.50
8 Reviews
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5 stars 50%
4 stars 50%
3 stars 0%
2 stars 0%
1 star 0%
accountCircle Brian H on March 23, 2021
You should realize that this car is not the biggest car.
The gti has amazing pick up. I have had mine since 2003 and it still has power on the hills above all of the other cars. Love. It.
accountCircle Chris D on December 25, 2020
That it has computer issues which always mean that it is in the shop.
I have had my car for 12 years now. It is very fun to drive and is very special to me. Its all I got out of my divorce. Love this car!.

Ranks #1 Small Cars by Owners

The 2003 Volkswagen GTI has an average owner rating of 4.50 out of 5 which ranks it #1 of 21 other Small Cars.

1
car
4.5
2
car
4.35
3
car
4.33

Ranks #9 Small Cars by Fuel Economy

The 2003 Volkswagen GTI has a combined MPG of 33 which ranks it #9 of 21 other Small Cars.

1
car
48 MPG
2
car
43 MPG
9
Tie
car
30 MPG

Related Articles for 2003 Volkswagen GTI

From the Vehicle History blog

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the 2003 VW GTI 1.8 T oil type?

Answer: The recommended oil type for the 2003 Volkswagen GTI with the 1.8 L 4Cylinder engine iS5W-40 MS Synthetic in all temperatures. The capacity for it iS4.8 quarts with a filter and the torque for the drain plug is...

Answers are provided by third parties. We do not guarantee accuracy of responses

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test
(Not Rated)
*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Not Rated

Roof Strength

Not Rated

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety