1997 Volkswagen Golf/GTI Specs
3 powertrain configurations on federal record for the 1997 Volkswagen Golf/GTI: 1.9L 4-cyl Diesel; 2.0L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline, rated up to 37 MPG combined by the EPA.
Source: EPA federal records (fueleconomy.gov) · Updated 2026-10-26 · By CarWhere Research
| Engine | Transmission | Drivetrain | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9L 4-cyl Diesel | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 33 | 44 | 37 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline | Automatic 4-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 19 | 26 | 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 21 | 29 | 24 |
Golf/GTI by year
Buying a used Golf/GTI? Specs are the easy half.
see the live Golf/GTI value by year, then check the specific car: the Full VIN Report shows that VIN's factory build, recall record, and market history before you pay for it.
Frequently asked questions
What engines does the 1997 Volkswagen Golf/GTI have?
2 engines on federal record: 1.9L 4-cyl Diesel; 2.0L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline, offered with Manual 5-spd, Automatic 4-spd and Front-Wheel Drive. The full per-configuration table is above.
What gas mileage does the 1997 Volkswagen Golf/GTI get?
EPA combined ratings run 22–37 MPG depending on configuration — the table above shows city/highway/combined for each engine, transmission, and drivetrain.
How do I get the specs for my exact VIN?
These are the federal-record configurations for the 1997 Volkswagen Golf/GTI overall. For one specific vehicle — its exact engine, trim, factory options, and original window sticker — decode the 17-character VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder.
Where does this data come from?
The U.S. EPA's public vehicle dataset (fueleconomy.gov) — the federal record of every US-market configuration since 1984 — refreshed 2026-10-26. Public-domain data; republish with attribution to CarWhere (carwhere.com).