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2009 Volkswagen GTI Safety Review

June 25, 2009

SAFETY | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Four stars, frontal impact; five stars, side impact
NHTSA

Good," frontal offset; "good," side impact (for Golf)
IIHS

Summer performance tires can be swapped for all-season performance tires at no cost.
Kelley Blue Book

The standard safety equipment package in the 2009 Volkswagen GTI includes anti-whiplash head restraints, a tire pressure monitoring system, and front-side and curtain airbags, as well as electronic stability control. The GTI receives good, but not excellent, safety ratings, including four-star results from the federal government in frontal impact and five-star ratings in side impact.

According to Edmunds, the 2009 Volkswagen GTI earns four stars in passenger- and driver-side crashes, five stars for both front and rear side impact crashes, and four stars in rollover tests conducted by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives it a "good" rating (the highest possible) in both frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests, reports Edmunds.

Kelley Blue Book lists the following standard safety equipment: “front, front-side and two-row side-curtain airbags, plus electronic stability and traction aids. Summer performance tires can be swapped for all-season performance tires at no cost.” Edmunds notes “four wheel antilock brakes, head airbag, traction control, stability control and passenger airbag” as well.

Conclusion

The 2009 Volkswagen GTI excels in most crash tests and offers an impressive array of safety equipment.

SAFETY | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:Four stars, frontal impact; five stars, side impactNHTSAGood," frontal offset; "good," side impact (for Golf)IIHSSummer performance tires can be swapped for all-season performance tires at no cost.Kelley Blue Book The standard safety equipment package in the 2009 Volkswagen GTI includes anti-whiplash head restraints, a tire pressure monitoring system, and front-side and curtain airbags, as well as electronic stability control. The GTI receives good, but not excellent, safety ratings, including four-star results from the federal government in frontal impact and five-star ratings in side impact. According to Edmunds, the 2009 Volkswagen GTI earns four stars in passenger- and driver-side crashes, five stars for both front and rear side impact crashes, and four stars in rollover tests conducted by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives it a "good" rating (the highest possible) in both frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests, reports Edmunds. Kelley Blue Book lists the following standard safety equipment: “front, front-side and two-row side-curtain airbags, plus electronic stability and traction aids. Summer performance tires can be swapped for all-season performance tires at no cost.” Edmunds notes “four wheel antilock brakes, head airbag, traction control, stability control and passenger airbag” as well. ConclusionThe 2009 Volkswagen GTI excels in most crash tests and offers an impressive array of safety equipment. 2009 VOLKSWAGEN GTI STYLING | [7 out of 10] Motor Trend: “styling is a bit on the conservative side” Kelley Blue Book: “drivers can enjoy true German-engineered performance without having to sacrifice comfort” Automotive.com: “the five-door can't help but look a bit more utilitarian than ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The 2009 Volkswagen GTI lands somewhere between less-mature small, sporty coupes and hatches, like the Civic Si and Mazdaspeed3, and more mature, entry-level sporty luxury coupes like the BMW 1-Series. The Volvo C30 is perhaps the most direct rival to the GTI, though the C30 is decidedly sportier in appearance. Audi’s A3 is a slightly larger alternative to the GTI, with five doors for those who want something closer to a wagon. It is admittedly quite a bit more expensive. Yet another rival for the GTI is the MINI Cooper S; many urbanites might appreciate its smaller, nimbler feel.

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See the Volkswagen GTI in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

Comments (1 total)

  1. By  thecarsky #1, Posted: 10/13/2009

    it is so nice when you can drive this car... really simple and really comfortable....

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