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I bought a MK6 GTI two years ago. Best car I've ever had! I wanted to own a car with a dual clutch tranny, so that ruled out the WRX for me. I have many twisty mountain roads near me and the GTI is a blast driving on them! I paid cash too. Dave Ramsey has excellent advice!
I always get a little jealous of people who live near mountain roads... hahah! With a new rear sway bar, this thing is amazing on twisty roads! And yes, not having a car payment is incredible!!
I have the 2dr mk6, and the plus when parking is that the door is so long. I can turn all the way around while stepping out of the car, so the door is barely open and it makes parking in tight spaces a breeze. I'm also 6'3, so I'm surprised I can get out so easily.
Just picked up a MK6 GTI on Tuesday and am absolutely loving it. I had a MK7 a few years ago but had to sell it as I was getting married and we couldn't do 2 car payments. So I sold that and got a 06 Forester XT with 5spd which was great but started having some issues and we just had a baby so wanted something newer with less mileage. So I am now the proud owner of a 2013 mk6 GTI. Great video and I totally get your decision making process.
Hell yes, another mk6 owner! Congrats man! Just found your video and gave you a sub! I have a 2014 drivers edition GTI! Its a great car, especially after tuning it. My biggest advice would be to keep an eye on your PCV, if it's bad it'll take out the rear main seal and valve cover gasket with it which is a pain to replace because its glued.... Also something people dont seem to discuss is the cam position sensor. It sits at the front of the engine, and tends to leak oil around the seal. When It fails, it gives off the same symptoms as a bad PCV. Lastly, these cars consume oil like crazy. I dont known what it is about the 2.0TSI's but they are hit and miss witg oil consumption. My friends 2013 can do 2k miles without being topped off, while my 14 starts to burn a little under a quart after 900 miles. I won't touch too much on the notorious timing chain tensioner issue... as I'm sure you've researched it.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it! I have done a bunch of research into all of that and I am most likely remedying it all within the next year, just to be sure the GTi lives a long and happy life!
I just discovered your channel and subscribed. I own an 2013 2 door, manual, MK6 GTI, CSGM. I LOVE IT! Plus, the tartan interior is such a cool look. Best looking GTI VW ever made. Previous car was a manual, MK4 4dr, 1.8t and cried when I sold it. So happy to find a channel from someone with the same car. Looking forward to watching you mod the car.
Thank you so much! These GTIs are awesome, moddable, and under appreciated. My first car was a MK4 Jetta 2.0 that I killed the engine in. So slow but so much fun to drive!
Im happy there are other ppl that love the Mk6 look, all I watch/read on the internet is everyone just dissing the Mk6 yet Im over here thinking its the best looking one to me.
The MK6 is great! I am glad you agree! I love it's rather understated yet stand out style over the blob of the MK5 (still think it looks decent, though) and the super sharp edged MK7. Plus with all the hate, it makes it that much more affordable over both of those as well!
Hey man! Fellow Tennessean here:) just wanted to say great video, your cinematography is on point! Love the car as well, I'm currently looking for a mk6 and your video was very informative. You earned a new sub, looking forward to more content:)
Haha Dave Ramsey fan checking in here as well! Paid for my 2013 GTI 4 dr manual in cash! Totally had to get a 4 dr to get my kiddo in there. I did end up having to fix the tensioner issue and got a new timing chain while at it but it’s been an awesome car! I love it.
Woo! That’s awesome to hear! My wife and I want kids in a few years so we’re planning a bit for that with a fun and practical car! I am looking at doing the timing maybe next year just in case. Mine has been awesome to me so far. Have a minor valve cover leak that I’m getting fixed but that’s been the only thing so far.
Yesss! Thank you! I’m glad you’re about to get an awesome car! For 2010, if it hasn’t been done already, take a peak at the water pump and see if you can get it replaced with a metal one instead of the stock plastic!
@@TheParkingLotMechanic I'm getting super lucky. New water pump, timing chain job, intake manifold, new clutch, new suspension (h&r cup kit), new tires ,new brakes. Just needs a headliner and paint correction.
timing tensioner, valve cover gasket (ur oil leaking into cylinder), pcv valve, dsg fluid change and a few other small things are the only things that need to be changed and they only have to be changed once. message me back and i’ll go more in depth. i own a 2013 dsg with 140k miles and i love it
All of that is definitely on the list in the next year. Isn't the valve cover gasket like a "pour your own" type? I tried to look into it a little cause I know I need it fixed cause one of the plugs constantly has a bit of oil on it.
If you don’t mind getting more in depth now, just happen to get a 2010 2dr, and I was wonder what I should be looking at, not too familiar with these germans
Bought a black, 4 door, 2012 GTI back in July, 78k for $7k. Previous owner threw on the Mk7 "Austin" wheels, which look fantastic. I immediately bought a nice warranty from Endurance, just because they've been worth it in the past for me. But, 88k now and still no problems; even plowed my way through 9" of snow the other day. Great car. Hope you enjoy yours.
Congrats man! Black was another option for me but I couldn’t resist it in white. I love the wheels I got! (Still learning all the names but I have a soft spot for more spokes). A VW warranty isn’t a bad idea! I do almost all the work myself and have just started to dive into a lot of preventive stuff; plugs, coils, fuel filter, air filter and oil change already done. Planing on a carbon cleaning soon, fuel injector cleaner, refreshing all bulbs (ones out :( ), and getting a stiffer dog bone insert for fun! I wish I had some snow to hoon about in. I’m from Maine originally so I find snow wicked fun!
@@TheParkingLotMechanic Yeah, I'm not anything close to a mechanic, so I bought the best warranty I could. Covers pretty much everything but body panels. Still, I've known a handful of people with Mk6 GTIs and none of them had to deal with all the stuff you read about on forums. I used to be afraid of buying Dodges because of the internet, but they've turned out to be the only brand that has been reliable for me lol. I also try to take long-term GTI reviews with a grain of salt, because it seems like 9/10 people who say "mine is/was stock", are flatout lying. I feel like the stereotype GTI driver is likely to make any car seem unreliable lol. Oh and it does look damn fine in white.
I’m not professional, that’s for sure but I do why I can to help save money! I have heard of frightful transmission issues on Dodges but haven’t actually owned one to see if it’s true. I believe you though. People do tend to blow things out of proportion. My cousin did have some severe water pump issues on his 2011 GTI but that was also before they switched to the metal housings. And for sure! My car is definitely not stock already but I don’t think it’ll be too much of an issue as long as I treat it well with good gas and oil changes regularly. I had an Audi that was in its last leg years before I bought it and it lasted me a while and took me across the country and back so I do have a bit of faith in cars.
@@TheParkingLotMechanic Well good luck to us both. I'm not worried. The only truly unreliable vehicle I've had was a 2007 Honda Pilot, so... reputation doesn't really seem to matter much lol. I'll be surprised if either of our GTIs are the "money pits" that the internet claims them to be. But again, I don't drive like the stereotype GTI drivers, I just use it as a normal car unless I'm on a twisty backroad. I'll certainly be following the journey with yours though, dude.
Yes! Luck to us both! It’s already doing well so I’m hopefully! And thank you for following! Got some awesome content (and Christmas presents) coming up so the follow is much appreciated!
Great video, yeah I definitely think the mk6 gets less love than the mk5 and mk7 but personally I think you made the right decision 😊. I went from a mk4 jetta to a mk4 gti to a mk6 gti lol.
I bought a 2012 Autobahn Edition 4dr GTI in Candy White with the DSG last year in the summer for 8500. It already had an ECS intake, Magnaflow exhaust and a tune. I've since added an APR K04, APR FMIC, both engine and DSG APR tune, SHS Coilovers, Neuspeed F/R Swaybars, and 17" OZ Racing wheels with Michelin PS4s tires this summer. Absolute thrill to drive and handles like she's on rails. I also love the heated seats, the keyless entry and push button start, the moonroof, everything about it really. Just need a Wavetrac LSD and go to 4-6 pot brakes ands she'll be perfect.
3:09 Safety doesn't scale with size. It is better for a chick to feel more vulnerable. That prevents her from wreck less driving. 👍 7:27 I would rather go for the MK6 1.8T. It is a special edition sold from 09 to 10 in the country of the Volkswagen where I live. It has only 160 horses but it is fairly cheap and less problematic than the 1.4TSI.
I don’t normally comment on videos but really appreciated this. Your content deserves way more subscribers! I’m considering picking up a mk6 gti. This helped thanks.
Just saw this video....... Yesterday I bought a 2014 that looks exactly like the one in the video! It only has a stage 1 tune and it is so fun! Faster than my Challenger GT and more fun to drive :)
Great Video, I'm on my fourth Mk6 GTi. I had a 7.5 and honestly hated it! Unless my crypto goes to the moon I don't see myself ever owning anything but a Mk6 V-dub again.
actually the 2door Mk6 opens incrementally so i have not had any issues for over the past 9yrs... only gripe i have is things breaking down, i use it primarily for work and only have 50k mi but have had a broken AC/vent overhaul, vacuum pump replaced due to leakage, malfunctioned clock spring (not under recall, at least not for my model) :( aesthetically most definitely better then the MK7 arguably even the new MK8 but that needs to marinate a bit more..
Ooh that’s smart! Definitely needed/wanted 4 doors though. I’m trying to stay ahead of the curve on all that. Already done plugs and coil, oil change, fuel filter, carbon cleaning and some other stuff soon. I do think the 7s look sharp but the 6 is just too darn good looking. I do like the 8. It’s subtle. Which is what GTIs were made to be. I appreciate them sticking to it.
I think it’s funny when people talk about the mk5 like it’s better than the mk6 because under the skin they’re effectively the same exact car with different interior finishes. Choose the one you can afford, prefer the look of, and like to sit in.
That’s exactly what I was thinking with all this. I needed a bit of a newer car and could afford a MK6 so I went with it. And I couldn’t pass up the deal on the one I got either. I also wanted a four door which looks better with MK6 body than 5. But I love the two door 5 more than the 6 so I’ll probably snag one down the road as a project.
@@TheParkingLotMechanic yup, the only *major* mechanical change was going from the FSI engine to the TSI, and that happened while the mk5 was still being produced. Everything else under the car from the suspension to the subframes are identical with subtle changes to things like damper tuning, spring rates, and electronics. Really the mk6 should be called the mk5.5. I hope you enjoy yours, I’ve had mine since 2009 and it’s been a great car.
Loved my black 4-door, 2013 6-speed Mk VI GTI until a towing company snatched it last month (basically in error) and destroyed the engine during the tow. My Insurance company totaled about it. I think the two door Mk VI is the best looking GTI, followed by the Mk VI 4-dr, although I've really taken a liking to the looks of the Mk 7.5. Glad to hear you paying attention to Dave Ramsey.
I’m sorry to hear about that mix up :( worse that the engine was damaged in it too. I love the mk4 as well but definitely needed something a bit more reliable as a second family car but now we can get a project car and mk4 is definitely a consideration. And yes! Ramsey is definitely work for us :)
@@TheWiseDJ it was an apparent grab and go, where they just backed up, hooked itand towed it and did not take it out of gear. According to my service advisor at the Volkswagen dealership all it would have taken would be for the front wheesl to turn backwards ine or two revolutions to cause extensive damage. Timing chain was popped off, Pistons were trashed and other stuff.
@@marcuswarren1320, makes sense. I've witnessed many times how tow companies are so quick to tow a car; it's no wonder how these incidents happen. You going to get another Mk6?
Good choice. This might be a looooong comment but I’m happy to drop off my opinion here. I ended up going with the MK7. I’m personally going to sell mine. To get...another MK7. It costs more time, money, and headache in parts labor and coding to upgrade my 7S to have the performance pack, and lighting pack, so it’s smarter to bite the bullet and upgrade the car itself. If I could have gone back to the drawing board I would have saved money and got a fully loaded 14 GTI, with leather, LED/HID, etc. aesthetically the MK6 is a very good looking car and a good bargain too; but I went with the 7 because I wanted more mechanically sound. So far I’ve found as long as you don’t mod the manual without considering other mods, you’ll be able to avoid crank walk and destroy your motor. Not only that the 6’s come with 17’s and the round body compliments aftermarket wheels and lowering muuuuch better than the 7’s IMO. The 7’s can do it, but I’m finding that there’s a ‘specific’ type of wheel style that you have to adhere to in order to make the car (MK7) look good. The 6 is much more universal. I got the manual, but I would have a really tough choice getting it again. The DSG offers a lot of perks, at the expense of service prices being increased. Honestly my wife and I love driving my car, but we don’t drive it often because she doesn’t want to learn to drive manual and I’d end up having to drive all the time. We just did a trip from OR to TX for a family members passing in her automatic car; and I really loved how awesome it was to switch and let her drive. A DSG GTI would allow us to drive a peppier car, which would make her happy when she needs to make a highway pass, but we both could still drive at anytime and relieve the other driver. Not to mention I drove my same GTI 41 hours from NC to OR almost a year ago (moved mid April of 2020) and boy was I exhausted. 41 hours definitely wasn’t fun. But when I needed to downshift it did make the drive more fun and engaging. Before I bought the GTI I was torn between the GTI, F56 Cooper S, and Mazdaspeed 3. I eliminated the F56 because of maintenance; I liked the twin turbo BMW 2.0. It was more reliable than the previous 1.6, but my main goal was keeping maintenance costs as low as I possibly could. The Mazdaspeed3 was a good option but every time I came across one it was poorly modded to smithereens; not to mention I know that the VVT-i can take a dive in those cars so I didn’t want to immediately hit the ground paranoid that I would need to make a big repair early into my ownership if I didn’t get lucky and have it occur during the previous owners time with the car. Lastly came the GTI, I liked the 7’s power and reliability. But I realized as soon as I signed the dotted line that I wanted the extra features I mentioned earlier. But all in all I’m very happy with the car. It performs wonderfully the 6MT is smooth and it really gets you involved with the car when driving. I think you made a great choice, going with the GTI. I’m curious did you get DSG or Manual?
Very long comment but well worth the read! I'll answer your question first, I got the manual. And I stinking love it! My MK6 is fully loaded (minus the auto which doesn't count to me in this instance) so I totally understanding wanting all that too. When my wife and I do road trips, I don't mind driving the entire time, it's fun for me but an auto in stop and go is definitely better (we have a Ford Escape as a second car). I pulled a 42 hour road trip from Calgary, AB to Virginia three years ago in my manual Audi and it was one of the best trips I've ever done. I didn't run into much traffic on my route so that didn't make too big of a difference. And I agree with the 6 responding better to visual mods and the more curvy body is a bit more appealing to me as well. I purposefully went for a 13-14 MK6 for mechanical reasons as well and most MK7s were just out of our price range to really consider. But so far, mine is doing very well, so I can't complain! I'm glad you like yours! The GTI is such a good daily driver that you almost can't go wrong with one.
@@TheParkingLotMechanic 100% agree. Knowing me I’ll honestly push for another fully loaded manual in the future; where we want to move (Seattle or Portland) parking is expensive, so it’s best if we just consolidate to one car for right now; plus we both work from home and it’s super easy to share for right now.
@@travisburch4907 That's wicked smart. Especially for city living. My wife and I love smaller towns and currently live in a relatively small area so that thankfully isn't something we have to worry about! I've been to Seattle and loved it, but never to Portland. That whole area seems really nice and beautiful though!
over 6 foot tall and 300lbs the two door is the only way to go, back seats folded flat so my Neo Mastiffs can come with us also, perfect car we love it
@@TheParkingLotMechanic its more my width than length mate lol, not had a GTi for years but loving this, bought it as a "filler" car between cars but I think it might be around for a while
I see this video has some age now but I'm in the same situation right now. Wanted a 13 WRX hatch or a mk6 gti. My daily got totaled when I was rear ended and I'm in the middle of buying a house. Have to pay cash or wait until I close which could be another 6 months. Pretty cool to see we think on the same terms.
@@TheParkingLotMechanic thanks for the well wishes. Im working on a cash deal for 2010 gti but it's out of state so it's a bit of a process. Looking forward to getting it.
just bought a 2013 that looks exactly like yours and I loved it for the 10 days I owned it. Was driving home from work in rush hour when a dude smashed into a car in front of me and threw the car into me totaling my new gti instantly. Wonderful car though
I doubt you can go wrong with any of them! My prior experience with VW/Audi lead me to the GTI in the long run but I still want one of the others eventually! Especially a Mini as a project car.
Great overview. Just fyi: Dave Ramsey declared bankruptcy TWICE. Each one of those bankruptcies cost millions of dollars. I got into debt educating myself through college/medical school. But it probably means I may end up saving your life someday, Ravi Peiris M.D. p.s. I drove a 1973 VW Superbeetle for 18 years from high school into my 30s.
We are about 80% Ramsey, we say. Not opposed to credit cards and don’t necessarily have to do 20% down on a 15 year. The debt free and budgeting tools are really our biggest takeaways. With every teacher, there’s always a few things they get wrong. Just nature of being human. And my buddy James would kill for a Superbeetle! Huge old VW nerd.
Nolan Pianalto oh idk. I was feeling some type of way Bc I was putting my k04 kit in and found the driver side exhaust bolt broke off so I had to take the head off. Honestly my cars great.
Nothing wrong with financing a car you actually want to drive, in my opinion! Just wouldn't ever finance like a Chevy Malibu. If I didn't care about driving, I would buy a clunker :p And I just love VW period. Actually just talked three of my friends into trading their old cars in for VWs!
@@TheParkingLotMechanic …Is 80,000 a lot of miles for a used VW? I’m afraid of spending $6000 on a used VW and then having to drop another $4000 on maintenance. Could have used all that money to finance a new car. What is your opinion?
From experience, 80K and paid in full is a great deal for a VW. I had an Audi with over 190K and a Jetta with 180K. If you take care of them, VWs do last. I bought my GTI with 81K and it’s been great. I also always vouch for buying outright unless it’s unavoidable. But if you REALLY want a newer VW, then go for it!
It would be lovely if it had them! I’m not sure the LEDs were ever an option in the states. Maybe on later Wolfsburg editions or something. I know many places offer the Euro lights and a kit though.
@@TheParkingLotMechanic I'm with you on this motor, quality build, fantastic to drive probably the best drivers car in it's class, The rear LED,s may not have been an option in the States but were standard in the UK, Just to add, the MK6 from the rear without the LED,s looks like the MK5 , the LED,s really enhance the rear end, it's an easy and very worthwhile upgrade.
Rather quiet on road noise when stock (so it’s a little louder now), and the suspension is currently too soft for the mods I have on now. Good when stock though.
@@TheParkingLotMechanic yeah I saved for a year and already had no debts so was easy enough cost me half a years wage and than spent another half a years wage on repairs and maintenance but mostly tuning and upgrades hehe. So making like 200kw are and 600nm of tq still have more I want to do so probably cost me another 19k meaning I probably could have just bought a stock RS3 for cheaper hahaha
That’s impressive! Still, nothing wrong with a good Golf R! We needed a car sooner rather than later so we couldn’t save for too long. And honestly, probably gonna buy an S3 or RS3 as a winter car eventually cause Quattro.
@@TheParkingLotMechanic S3 is a Golf R in a Audi body same engine and drivetrain. The RS3 has the 5 cylinder engine same as in the Audi TTRS makes like 400HP stock and nearly 500HP with a ECU stage 1 tune. Nearly double my Golf's power in the same frame and weight I believe
I would love an RS3 but it may depend on availability. But this is also like years away hahaha so who knows what might happen. Power isn’t much of a selling put for me for what will essentially be a luxury winter beater but I wouldn’t say no to 500 hp!!!
Mk 4 would have lasted well into the 400ks. Just replace the water pump with the aluminum impeller. New belts , valve cover seals, coil packs and control arm bushings. You would be doing the exact same work as the mk6. Especially since you can still find some mk4s floating around under 100k miles for a decent price. Newer does t always mean better or more reliable especially Wnen the 2 generations need the same exact work done to them when you first get them.
I get what you're saying but with age comes the potential for a lot of problems. If an '04 does have less than 100k, there's a big risk because of the lack of running: tires, coolant hoses, brake lines, etc. It's more of a risk because you don't know how people treat cars for that long. Yes it's the same big, common problems but there's a lot of other factors too. Plus I spent so much time in that era of VAG that I wanted to switch things up a bit.
I'm still driving my white 2012 2dr gti autobahn with 92k. I just had the carbon cleaning and water pump replaced last week. The car drives like new again. You forgot to mention that you can easily tune it. I'm on a cobb stage 1+
@@TheParkingLotMechanic I too will have to see it in person for a final judgement. With the reviews coming out of Europe and seeing the cost cutting done, I am disappointed with those decisions. I don't like the sloping roofline to the rear, it looks strange to me. I do like the mirror controls being returned to the same location as it is in your MK6. For now, I will hold onto my 2016 MK7 2 door manual.
Ahhh, I hadn’t heard that yet! That’s unfortunate . It took a minute but the slope grew on me over time! To be honest, I was talking to a dude with 2017 MK7 with a rebuilt title for similar price to the MK6 I got but just needed to make sure I got a car in good order. Not that I didn’t trust him, just didn’t want a car that’s been in an accident as a reliable second family car. Now that we’re looking at projects... anything is fair game!
I agree with that! But if you’re buying for reliability, buy a Honda. I like to buy for fun more than anything. A fun car can be fixed. But not all reliable cars can be made fun.
First of all, she's my wife! Haha. Second, I presented this list to her in a way that gave her control over what car I got but I would ultimately still thoroughly enjoy.
Just got rid of a ‘99 Audi that cost me over $12,000 simply in repairs in 18 months... that truly was a money pit. I look forward to the work I get to do on the GTI though!
@@TheParkingLotMechanic The oil consumption will get worse irrespective of the minor leaks. Taking a big risk buying an MK6. A minority get away with all of the issues. The CBZZ EA888 engine has a major flaw in the oil ring design. Mine used a small amount when I first bought it but eventually started to use about 1ltr per 1000km. It needed new rings, pistons and conrods at my cost to fix the problem properly (updated design same as the Audi oil issue). I had the timing chain tensioner fail which required a new head. The timing chain stretches and requires replacement early. I had the water pump fail early, 3 diverter valves, PCV valve, emissions purge valve, water leaks into the cabin, flexing and creaking bolts on the chassis (one broke) and I can't remember all of the other smaller issues. Hey you might get lucky...
@@shanemitchell5807 praying I did but I definitely knew what I was getting myself into with anything VAG. I'm sorry you had go do so much on yours :( I think aside from having that leak on the plug I'm looking at a PCV replacement soon. It helps cut the cost when you can do most of it yourself bit you're right, it's definitely not cheap. If you have any advice on what else to look out for or even replace before it goes, I'd love to hear more!
