November, 2008: I decided it was time to get a new car and ended up buying the 2009 VW GTI you see above. I had a hard time deciding what car to get, but I knew that I wanted a smaller car than the Acura TL and I wanted something that would be more efficient but still have plenty of power and be fun to drive. I had narrowed down my choices to the GTI and a Mini Cooper, and opted for the GTI after test driving them both. I liked the handling and ergonomics of the GTI better than the Mini, and found that the GTI has a lot more storage capacity in the back. I was also a bit leery of the lack of a spare tire in the Mini (it comes with run-flat tires instead). It's taking a while to get used to the firmer ride of the GTI, but the handling more than makes up for it. So far I'm very happy with my choice. I paid $24,120, plus taxes and tags. It has the 6 speed automatic DSG transmission and the optional floor mats and trunk liner.
This page was last updated on January 11, 2009