Lets face it... who bought a GTI cost of its economy? 
I did actually
It's a good compromise of economy and performance. I sold a BMW 330cd convertible to save some cash and bought the GTI to replace it. To be honest, the difference in economy is so small I don't notice it. I could have had a VAG diesel but I've been there before and don't like them at all
I've driven 30k miles in mine in just under a year (would have been a lot more if I didn't have another car as well!!) and averaged over 31mpg. Could have been close to 40 if I was willing to cruise at 60-70mph
