Hey people. I am currently 18 years old and am looking to get my first car. I already have my license, but I just didn't buy a car because I lived 5 minutes biking distance from my high school. However, I just graduated, and being that I've been reading this magazine for about 6 years, I am in love with Volkswagons now. I would like to get a Volkswagon, but I do not know which on is the mos reliable, cost-effective, etc. I know that I do not want a Mk 5 of any sort, mainly because I just don't like the looks. Any suggestions would be great. I was thinking of a Mk 4 GTI or Jetta, but I am still not sure. I need this car to get me to and from college everyday. Please give me some input on this matter.  

04 vw r32? awd hatch...i personally love it and plan on getting one in the future.if you want it in automatic then you can settle for the 08 one.still nice heh anyways thats my suggestion  

Well yeah I thought of the R32, but it's just to damned expensive for me....I love it though.....  

Don't forget the TDI models -- they get great mileage and can easily be modded. Mine is mostly stock (2003 Golf TDI GL) and I get 37 mpg around town and around 42 mpg on the highway. And believe it or not, it's an automatic! Most of the guys with 5-speed Mk4 TDI cars get upwards of 50 mpg on a regular basis. Realistically, you should expect ~40+ mpg out of a 5-speed TDI. By the way, this is my first VW, and I love it. My wife even likes it, and she HATES smaller cars!

Anyway, good luck on finding your first!  

awesome didnt know TDIs are that special hah.  

I own a 2005 GTI and love it! It's a 2dr 5 speed and has pretty much everything but a sunroof. I get around 23 mpg around the city and about 26 mpg highway..... It is my first car, and I bought it brand new when I was in my senior year of high school and i'm still under 40,000 miles....I think it's pretty easy to mod just like the TDI's. Very reliable car, compact, and pretty fast right out of the factory. You can probably find a used one at a dealership with low mileage for ~$13,000 give or take a few g's.

Happy Hunting!  

i do envy you guys in the states to be fair lol that fact that you are still in school and are running around in mk5 GTI's and stuff, and the fact that everything is so cheap, unlike here in wales and the rest of the U.K, my stepdad purchased his mk5 at the beginning of the year and paid £25,000 , and when you translate that to roughly $50,000 U.S something tells me we're being ripped off i currently drive a mk4 golf 1.4 3 door in white, and pay £2300 insurance for the year as its impossible get cheap insurance on a GTI until your at least 25, and i recently had a quote for my mums 1.8T mk4 which came out just under £7.5k! about $15,000 and dont even mention the mk5.. how is insurance so cheap in the U.S guys??