[Agasthya]

So, I'm thinking about buying the new Jetta. Anyone have any horror stories about the older models or even the brand new ones that they wish to share?

I'm only going to get that new Value Edition one, I can't afford anything more right now.

And finally, does anyone know dealer invoice on it? I asked the "sales professional" at the dealership and he refused to tell me.

[spacefreak]

Check out Edmunds.com and Vehix.com.

Link for 2005 Jettas: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2005/volkswagen/jetta/sedan/compact/index.html?tid=edmunds.n.pricemindex.content.num43 .0.*

Also, if you are considering actually buying the car, check out FightingChance.com. I know a couple people who used their system and were able to save some $$$$.

[Yose]

My brother joined a service that updates it's clients with info about cars and what car companies pay for them, what sort of refunds the dealers are getting on last years models and stuff like that.

He went in, told them that they get it for X amount, they save Y per year in rebates and thats all he was paying for the car. He got it too.

[Flumpus]

I bought a 2005 Jetta (older body style though) on December 30 and have loved it. I'm kind of mad that the new ones are coming out so close to when I bought mine, but I REALLY needed a car, and definitely wanted to get a Jetta. My wife also has a new Beetle and loves it. We're just a little Volkswagen family, and probably will be for a while We play on looking at the the Touareg and Passat Wagon when the kids come. My parents have had a Rabbit (long time ago, but it lasted forever) and a Jetta, and loved both of those as well.

[wdlove]

VW makes a very solid car. My only experience is the the bug of old.

[grayware]

My 2000 VR6 has been an enjoyable and great car still going strong at 82K. Check out the forums and feature stories at www.vwvortex.com to see LOADS of info on the new cars. It's the quintessential Volkswagen site.

[MaxPower]

We were going to buy a Honda but changed our minds after visiting a local car show. We decided to sit inside all of the cars to make sure we didnt see another we liked better. So began a long day of fidgeting with everything, opening and closing doors, checking out trunks, etc. After driving a dependable but spartan Saturn for 230K miles, we set our sights on some things we wanted on our next car: nice fit and finish, dependability, quiet interior, decent pep.

We had a price point of just over $20k for the car, so we kept to ones in our price range. The Jetta had the most impressive fit & finish of the cars in our range, followed by the Toyotas and Hondas, then Dodge badged Mitsubishis. Next time you are able to go to a car show, try this: Sit in a car and shut the door. Does it make a nice solid thunk? Or does it make a really tinny 'whaang' sound. The Chevy, Ford, and Mazda's offerings all made that nice cheap tinny sound.

Decision made, we wet out to the VW dealership to see what they had to offer. Like you, we were aiming at the lower level models because we couldn't afford anything more. We ended up with a new 2001 Jetta GLS. We were very happy with it! However after 3 years we found we weren't that in love with the car anymore. It ran fine, the dealership service was pretty decent, and there were no major parts failures. Problem was that we didn't get all the things we wanted. We sacrificed the pep by not getting the V6 or the turbo model. We didn't think it would matter all that much, but it did. So my advice to you is to think long and hard about getting the low end model.

If you plan on purchasing the Jetta, I heartily recommend grayware's suggestion to visit vwvortex.com's forums. They have TONS of posts about common problems with the cars, which dealerships to avoid, etc.

[anthonyvthc]

My roomate had a 98 Jetta for quite a while. It had all sorts of little problems, mostly cosmetic. For example, the trim on the driver side fell off, the interior lights would randomly not work, the radio quit on him out of nowhere. Mechanically, I don't think he had any major issues.
Good luck!

[spacefreak]

Originally posted by Yose:
My brother joined a service that updates it's clients with info about cars and what car companies pay for them, what sort of refunds the dealers are getting on last years models and stuff like that.

He went in, told them that they get it for X amount, they save Y per year in rebates and thats all he was paying for the car. He got it too.

That sounds very much like the service I mentioned above. Is it FightingChance?

Originally posted by spacefreak:
Also, if you are considering actually buying the car, check out FightingChance.com. I know a couple people who used their system and were able to save some $$$$

[DigitalEl]

the interior lights would randomly not work

This is the case w/my wife's '95 Golf III. The only thing I hate about the l'il VW is that the headlights aren't user-changeable (for an amateur) and it's expensive to have someone else do it. And I always see mid to late-90s vintage V-dubs w/one headlight out. Given the age and 112,000 miles, that's fine... I just wish I could change it out myself on the cheap.

The new Jetta is kind of hot, though just a little small.

[OB1]

Originally posted by MaxPower:
Sit in a car and shut the door. Does it make a nice solid thunk?

My 00' Golf has just hit 90k miles, the doors are still closing with a nice thunk . They feel built to last.

[villalobos]

I have had countless issues (serious issues) with my 99 VW. Hopefully VW did something to improve on that on the new version, but i would definitely wait a year or so to take the plunge. Check Consumer Reports on VW. They are either last or one from last in term of reliability, mostly due to issues with the Mark IV Golf/Jetta/Bettle. People on the 'Tex know that.
FWIW my door does not make the nice thump anymore.

As far s dealerships go, you may wanna check 1.8t.org. There are some shaddy dealers in the VW network.

[D. Hendrickson]

the new Jetta V base engine is a 2.5l 20v inline 5. it's got some pep...

[Y3a]

My first "NEW" car was a 1982 Jetta that I drove until 1990 when it was involved in an accident(147K miles). I then got an '83 Rabbit GTI - my favorite car to date(125K miles). Stands for Get There Immediately. Now i'm driving a 95 Jetta I got in 1998. Get the best tires you can, use Amsoil racing 20-50 oil(or equivelent) and keep it up, and make SURE you tend to the clearcoat finish. (I didn't) last year at 155K miles, I had the top end replaced with a factory rebuild, and I continue to drive the crap out of it. The interior is still fine, and everything woorks but the AM radio part of the radio is intermittent until it warms up. It now has near 170K miles on it. it needs tires and a front end alignment. It may have another 2-3 years before I sell it. THEN I'll get another Jetta 4 sure. I used to be a Ford man and had a '59 ford Custom with a 352 and dual exhaust! but 13 MPG was a little low for the mid and late 70's so.......

BTW - N E V E R Buy somebody elses race car...

[RobOnTheCape]

I should think that automotive technology changes quickly enough that a 95, 98, 99 or even 00 is antiquated compared to say the Passat of the past few years. My opinions of todays VWs based on my 1958 bug(my first car) are kinda pointless since the technology has made huge leaps since then. I hope they still don't use aluminum flexible dryer hose to bring heat into the interior. Though to a lesser degree, I feel similar when comparing cars from the mid to late 90s with a new 05 model.The new Passat(05) for instance, isn't this the third revision since the late 90s? Apples to oranges, but still a fruit I guess.

[ManOfSteal]

I really like the looks of the new Jetta model...I may consider this as my next car actually.

[far200]

I drive a 2000 TDI jetta and I've had no problems...... I also get great gas mileage close to 1000 km thats with a mix of highway and city driving.

go to this form for some info www.tdiclub.com

[memory-minus]

Originally posted by far200:
I drive a 2000 TDI jetta and I've had no problems...... I also get great gas mileage close to 1000 km thats with a mix of highway and city driving.

go to this form for some info www.tdiclub.com

I used to drive a 2003 Golf TDI but had nothing but problems with it. With VW you're really taking a chance and rolling the dice... if you get a lemon-y car, expect multiple trips to the dealer for the same problem and fights over what is covered under warranty. VW "Customer Care" is absolutely worthless. My Golf had a lot of trouble starting in cold weather and spent nearly the entire month of November 2004 in the shop. The day after I got it back, the interior smelled like diesel and it would not go away. Took it back again, they told me it was not covered under warranty. Fought with them but they would not budge. I paid them $270 to "remove the diesel smell" but it came back the day after I picked it up.

Friends of mine over the years have owned a 2003 New Beetle, 2004 New Beetle Convertible, and a 2001 Jetta TDI. All have or had many small annoying issues that add up to major shop time.

With the diesel engine, expect a lot of vibration and rattling from the engine. Expect soot and smoke from the exhaust on start and during quick acceleration. Expect a horrible dealer network, useless "Customer Care" phone line, and multiple trips to the dealer for the same problems. Do not be decieved by the VW fanboys -- Consumer Reports rates VW last in reliability after 5 years. Don't take my word for it, check out consumerreports.org.

I febreezed the hell out of my Golf and traded it in, and disputed the $270 charge. You could not pay me give up my new Honda Civic Hybrid -- better gas mileage than the TDI and the reliability Honda is famous for. Also starts immediately under any temperature. Quiet, smooth ride. Better handining than the Golf.

Agasthya, I implore you to simply do your research before making such a large purchasing decision. VW is really good at dressing up a turd... the reliability numbers don't lie.

[cenutrio]

I drive a 1984 VW Rabbit convertible. Good, classic car, I have to change the gas pump (21 years old), the car runs great.

[MaxPower]

Another thing to consider is this:





You could avoid the chance of getting a lemon and just by a Toyota Jetta...err Corolla

[maxintosh]

Originally posted by memory-minus:
Do not be decieved by the VW fanboys -- Consumer Reports rates VW last in reliability after 5 years. Don't take my word for it, check out consumerreports.org.

Consumer Reports does indeed rate the Jetta/Golf worst 2000 model year car (along with 2 GMs and a Mercedes) and even the most avid VW fans can't ignore that the US-bound (Mexico built) MKIV Jetta/Golfs had horrible reliability records. German-built Golfs fared much better.

However VWoA has acknowledged their build-quality problems and supposedly the new Jetta/Golf are built to higher standards. If the new Passat and Toureg are any indication, the promise seems to be true. They might not reach Japanese-quality builds anytime soon, though. However they could take a few cues from their sister company Audi, which has solid if not extraordinary reliability records for most of their vehicles.

[maxintosh]

Originally posted by MaxPower:
You could avoid the chance of getting a lemon and just by a Toyota Jetta...err Corolla

The Golf looks much better with those new headlights... and also consider, the Jetta was designed mostly for the American market, and considering Americans scoop up Toyota Corollas like popcorn, it's probably not a bad idea for VW. I'm sure it looks much better in person, the new Golf looks great. (All over Europe already.) The Jetta is a much more refined interpretation of the generic American-sedan formula, IMHO.

The interior is also incomparably better on the Jetta. That's one thing that VW has perfected.

[memory-minus]

Originally posted by maxintosh:
Consumer Reports does indeed rate the Jetta/Golf worst 2000 model year car (along with 2 GMs and a Mercedes) and even the most avid VW fans can't ignore that the US-bound (Mexico built) MKIV Jetta/Golfs had horrible reliability records. German-built Golfs fared much better.

However VWoA has acknowledged their build-quality problems and supposedly the new Jetta/Golf are built to higher standards. If the new Passat and Toureg are any indication, the promise seems to be true. They might not reach Japanese-quality builds anytime soon, though. However they could take a few cues from their sister company Audi, which has solid if not extraordinary reliability records for most of their vehicles.

Don't get me wrong, I love VW style and as your other comment mentioned, they are masters of the interior, but given my personal experience and the experience of close friends and family with their VWs, I am going to have to see several years of solid reliability ratings before I consider the purchase of another VW. I would LOVE to believe that VW acknowledged *and* implemented changes to increase reliability, but I am going to have to see it with my own eyes. I am willing to deal with a crappy dealer network if I rarely ever have to take the car in for service.

And I am sorry but I have to disagree with you that reliability amongst the MKIV models improved over the past few years. I just don't see it. And initial anecdotal evidence suggest that VW's Phaeton and Touareg lines are not so reliable either. And Audi... wow... can you provide some evidence that this is NOT one of the crappiest car brands reliability-wise?

I can't remember the exact verbiage but I was told once "Volkswagens are for people who love them enough to put up with them." So true.

[dav]

we own a '99 passat which has been nothing but problems, mainly around the brakes. all calipers have been replaced at least once, master cylinder has been replaced. (one caliper locked up on my wifes way to work.) we'll never buy another vw because of the experience we've had with this one.

[maxintosh]

Originally posted by memory-minus:
And I am sorry but I have to disagree with you that reliability amongst the MKIV models improved over the past few years. I just don't see it. And initial anecdotal evidence suggest that VW's Phaeton and Touareg lines are not so reliable either. And Audi... wow... can you provide some evidence that this is NOT one of the crappiest car brands reliability-wise?

Well, since you love Consumer Reports, you might notice that most Audi models are right about average or just above average for reliability, and better than a lot of Mercedes... They hold their own vs. European (esp. the Swedish makers, which do quite poorly in CR) and certainly against the American makers (nobody is worse than GM) but the Japanese crush them all.

And the Passat had been at the top of Consumer Reports' "best" list for 7 years. So it's not that VW doesn't know how to make a reliable car. I seriously blame the Mexico (and maybe Brazil, though the Golf hasn't done as badly as the Jetta) factory for most of the US troubles in the past 5 years. The Passat is built in Germany.

[MaxPower]

Originally posted by maxintosh:
The Golf looks much better with those new headlights... and also consider, the Jetta was designed mostly for the American market, and considering Americans scoop up Toyota Corollas like popcorn, it's probably not a bad idea for VW. I'm sure it looks much better in person, the new Golf looks great. (All over Europe already.) The Jetta is a much more refined interpretation of the generic American-sedan formula, IMHO.

The interior is also incomparably better on the Jetta. That's one thing that VW has perfected.

I think you are correct on this. In person they look more like baby Audis than Corollas. I really, really like the way the cars look, both inside and outside, but my experience has left me leery of the people's car.

Agasthya, The 3 big gotchas on the MKIV Jetta were, ignition coils, window regulators, and the mass airflow sensor. If you still wanted to purchase a new model Jetta, the least I'd do is lurk on the vwvortex forums to see if you can find out if they redesigned those items. If they didn't, you can pretty much gurantee having a nice relationship with the repair department.

Funny story:
About the time our first scheduled oil change, yellow gunk started leaking from all 4 doors onto the kickplate. Really thick, snotlike stuff. So I ask the VW service manager if that lubricant making an exit is leaving something unprotected. So he proceeds to lay this gem on me:

"Well, you see Mr. MaxPower, this car was built for the icy winters of the Autobahn, not this august humidity. So this packing grease that isn't really doing anything in particular is just leaving the car since it is of no use."

So I open the door and show him the 'Hecho en Mexico' sticker and say "hmm, then why is it built in the hot climate of Mexico?"

"........ err.... OH HEY LOOK!!! Your car is ready! Have a good day Mr. MaxPower!" /scurries off

[AssassyN]

Why in the world would you buy a re-badged Corolla?

Seriously, the new Jettas look horrible. They are a carbon-copy of the Corolla.

Buy a used '04 Jetta and get a real car.

[Agasthya]

I've spoken with a few friends that own Jettas and they all have raved on how great the car is to drive but they've all said that it is a very expensive car to maintain. But then again, they all own the Jetta 4s and obviously no one knows anything about reliability of these cars.

That being said, I currently drive a OLD (1990) Honda Civic and my dad drives a 1998 Civic and there have been no major problems with each. Just regular maintainance. The big problem is that the new Civic is not a fun car to drive, my old one is like driving a go-kart though The Civic is also MUCH more fuel economicical (~35mpg vs less than 30 for the Jetta).

From a practical standpoint it seems like the regular Civic is probably my best bet. I will regret not getting the hybrid if gas prices continue rising at the rate they are right now, but even if they hold steady at around $2.00 to $2.50 a gallon for the next 5 years then I think things will work out.

[MaxPower]

You might hold out for a 2006 Civic Si

The K20 engine in the RSX is going to power the thing and it should be within the Jetta's pricerange. Or pick up a 2005 RSX for cheap when the Si comes on the scene and draws the Honda fanboys like moths to a flame.

[hayesk]

Originally posted by AssassyN:
Buy a used '04 Jetta and get a real car.

A real car if you and your friends are 5'2" tall.

I prefer my car to have a usable back seat. I would have considered a Jetta, if the things were a reasonable size.

[villalobos]

Originally posted by maxintosh:
Consumer Reports does indeed rate the Jetta/Golf worst 2000 model year car (along with 2 GMs and a Mercedes) and even the most avid VW fans can't ignore that the US-bound (Mexico built) MKIV Jetta/Golfs had horrible reliability records. German-built Golfs fared much better.

Ah the ignorance.... My made-in-germany GTI IV has the exact same issues as every other Golf/Jetta IV (from rattles to bad windows regulators etc...). It has nothing to do with the country where they are built but rather with the crappy parts that were put in the car design. VW was willing to spend more to get a luxurious interior (and that got me), but sacrificed a lot on the rest : apparently they did change that somewhat for the newer version, where the interior os not as swanky as the previous one, which would be fine by me. Please, don't come with that dubious crap about mexican workers being worse than german workers.

Just wanted to add that VW has been taking a beating in Europe as well regarding reliability.

[maxintosh]

Originally posted by villalobos:
Ah the ignorance.... My made-in-germany GTI IV has the exact same issues as every other Golf/Jetta IV (from rattles to bad windows regulators etc...). It has nothing to do with the country where they are built but rather with the crappy parts that were put in the car design. VW was willing to spend more to get a luxurious interior (and that got me), but sacrificed a lot on the rest : apparently they did change that somewhat for the newer version, where the interior os not as swanky as the previous one, which would be fine by me. Please, don't come with that dubious crap about mexican workers being worse than german workers.

Way to be reactionary. If you actually bothered to read my post, I'm not saying anything about Mexican workers in general, I'm talking about the standards of VW's factory in Mexico. A lot of companies have great factories in Mexico. But the data shows that VWs built in Germany fare better in long-term reliability than the Mexican built ones. That's just a fact and is supported by CR as well. CR even outright said once that VW's Mexican plant is crap. (Well not in those words..) Just because you have an issue with your particular GTI does not make that a counterexample to the data in general. (Also aren't most US-bound GTIs assembled in Brazil?)

Also it's obvious that VW's German plant isn't exactly perfect either. Nor am I making the argument that VW should build their cars in Germany. They just need to improve their production techniques and quality, no matter where they are built. Most reliability problems are a direct result of the way a vehicle is assembled. Sometimes the problem is a bad design (like window regulators).

I think part of the problem is removing the production of a car so far away from where it is conceived. It is harder to do appropriate quality assurance checks that way.

I'm not making a statement pitting the Mexican people against the Germans. I'm comparing the two factories, which is hardly a dubious argument when there is data to back it up.

ALSO: The new Jetta and Golf V for the US is being produced in the Mexican factory and initial reports of the build quality is much improved over the last generation. This isn't surprising as VW has been steadingly increasing their quality for the past few years now after it hit a low in the late nineties.

[D. Hendrickson]

Originally posted by MaxPower:
The 3 big gotchas on the MKIV Jetta were ignition coils, window regulators and the mass airflow sensor.

ignition coils: covered by recall WG.

window regulators: covered by extended warranty. 7 years, unlimited mileage.

MAF sensor: covered by extended warranty. 7 years/70k miles.

like most products today, VW assembles a car from vendor supplied parts. all of the above are vendor issues. vw doesn't make the coils, regulators or sensors.


i've been driving VW's for 23 years. no problems big enough to make me stop driving them...

[Link]

Howabout a new Passat? *drool*

[villalobos]

Originally posted by maxintosh:
Way to be reactionary. If you actually bothered to read my post, I'm not saying anything about Mexican workers in general, I'm talking about the standards of VW's factory in Mexico. A lot of companies have great factories in Mexico. But the data shows that VWs built in Germany fare better in long-term reliability than the Mexican built ones. That's just a fact and is supported by CR as well. CR even outright said once that VW's Mexican plant is crap. (Well not in those words..) Just because you have an issue with your particular GTI does not make that a counterexample to the data in general. (Also aren't most US-bound GTIs assembled in Brazil?)

Link somehwere? I never came across that.
And yes the fact that my GTI made in Germany had the exact same issues as the latter ones made in Brazil or Mexico PROVES that it has nothing to do with the location of the assembly but the design of the car and choice of parts. Had the golf/jetta sold in the us come form Europe, you'd probably have a very similar quality (Or lack thereof).

[memory-minus]

Originally posted by D. Hendrickson:
i've been driving VW's for 23 years. no problems big enough to make me stop driving them...

And according to your profile, you can fix them yourself when they break. Those of us who can't have to put up with a crappy dealer network which, to be fair, does have some gems but not in my area, believe me I've tried all 3 in a 50 mile radius multiple times, because I always seemed to have problems.

There was a good year or two between the time the window regulators started to fail big time and when VW officially acknowledged the problem and actually fixed the part. Before this meant multiple trips to the dealer to have the regulator replaced with the FAULTY part and have the window slide back into the door a month later. Those of us with 2001 or older vehicles and our 2 year / 24,000 mile warranties were hassled by the dealer about this problem, were told they were "doing us a favor" and sometimes required to pay upwards of $700 if we were "too far out of warranty" which, yes, was cheerfully refunded by VW -- a year later.

It's very subjective -- I live in a place where mass transit is scarce and truly painful. It's very difficult to live without my car, therefore, I need a reliable brand. I was seduced by VW style and would love to buy a Golf V in the future, but not before seeing a serious improvement in reliability.

[maxintosh]

Originally posted by villalobos:
Link somehwere? I never came across that.
And yes the fact that my GTI made in Germany had the exact same issues as the latter ones made in Brazil or Mexico PROVES that it has nothing to do with the location of the assembly but the design of the car and choice of parts. Had the golf/jetta sold in the us come form Europe, you'd probably have a very similar quality (Or lack thereof).

Link to what? The CR data? Their site is all locked down, you have to be a subscriber. Google it or browse on the VWVortex forums, there are plenty of discussions there about MKIV build quality.

You seem to have a problem with the window regulators. I already acknowledged this as a design flaw, not an assembly issue. You're not seeing the big picture here.

And no, one example proves absolutely nothing. It's bad logic because it is insignificant data. If you want to say "All GTIs made in Germany have the same issues as GTIs built in Brazil" you can't select one random case (your GTI) and apply it to all cases. Especially because we have several counterexamples on this board (people with no problems). You have to look at the overall data and draw what conclusions you can. And the overall data says the Jetta, made in Mexico, is the worst model for reliability VW has ever produced.

[MaxPower]

Originally posted by D. Hendrickson:
ignition coils: covered by recall WG.

window regulators: covered by extended warranty. 7 years, unlimited mileage.

MAF sensor: covered by extended warranty. 7 years/70k miles.

Which is indeed true.

Originally posted by memor-minus:
There was a good year or two between the time the window regulators started to fail big time and when VW officially acknowledged the problem and actually fixed the part. Before this meant multiple trips to the dealer to have the regulator replaced with the FAULTY part and have the window slide back into the door a month later. Those of us with 2001 or older vehicles and our 2 year / 24,000 mile warranties were hassled by the dealer about this problem, were told they were "doing us a favor" and sometimes required to pay upwards of $700 if we were "too far out of warranty" which, yes, was cheerfully refunded by VW -- a year later.

Which is also true. However, when you multiply the "doing us a favor" part x 3 and you get why people with less than 23 years of good experiene with VW's are choosing to buy from companies with higher track records.

[villalobos]

Originally posted by maxintosh:
Link to what? The CR data? Their site is all locked down, you have to be a subscriber. Google it or browse on the VWVortex forums, there are plenty of discussions there about MKIV build quality.

You seem to have a problem with the window regulators. I already acknowledged this as a design flaw, not an assembly issue. You're not seeing the big picture here.

And no, one example proves absolutely nothing. It's bad logic because it is insignificant data. If you want to say "All GTIs made in Germany have the same issues as GTIs built in Brazil" you can't select one random case (your GTI) and apply it to all cases. Especially because we have several counterexamples on this board (people with no problems). You have to look at the overall data and draw what conclusions you can. And the overall data says the Jetta, made in Mexico, is the worst model for reliability VW has ever produced.

First of all, reading the VWvortex for reliable data is probably not the best way to go. I was subscriber at CR but i don't recall them making a distinction between the VWs made in Mexico/Brazil or in Germany : not saying they did not, just not remembering reading that. And since I am no longer a subscriber, i can't check it .
And yes I will say that the fact that my GTI which was made in Germany had the exact same issues (regulators, rattles all over the place, MAF, CELs ad nauseam) prove to me that the problem is coming from the design and parts used and NOT from the assembly and its location. Once again, reliabiliy of VWs in Europe has been abysmal as well and their cars were not coming from Mexico or Brazil. So yeah there are people here without a problem, because not 100% of VW's have a problem, should they be from Germany of Mexico. I was not talking about statistics here, but rather about specifics.

[maxintosh]

Then clearly we are talking about two seperate things. I'm talking statistics and probability.

FWIW, I don't own a VW (though my brother drives a GTI which has been problem-free except for a couple of accidents, and the rents both have Audis that have been very good performers), but I do respect the company since I am interested in ID and brand imaging and VW is brilliant in both of those... so I follow them very closely. Plus I just like cars and transportation in general.

My main mode of transport is about 600 ft long, is shared by 4.5 million other people every day, and hits about 60 mph tops. I only drive when in the countryside, and even then, I find traffic and gas prices most distasteful.

[Y3a]

Many years ago I was a professional Audio Engineer, and was familiar with most all consumer and pro grade audio gear - both features and specifications, and how well they actually tested.

We found that CR was almost never right in the evaluations of any audio gear. I am assuming that they test everything the same way, by picking what THEY want to test, rank the importance the way THEY want to, and unless they get one to test FOR FREE it's not tested. Most folks don't understand the significance of the way the test is performed anyway, it just sells magazines.

[milhous]

and for all this time, i've been seriously thinking of getting a TDI after school for its great fuel economy.

the thread certainly gives me a more balanced view on vw's.

[maxintosh]

Originally posted by milhous:
and for all this time, i've been seriously thinking of getting a TDI after school for its great fuel economy.

the thread certainly gives me a more balanced view on vw's.

See how the Golf V does. I really think it's going to fare much better.

[villalobos]

Originally posted by maxintosh:
See how the Golf V does. I really think it's going to fare much better.

Yeah, I think it is only fair to wait how the newer version fares. Also of all engines, the TDIs are probably VW's most reliable. Check back in a year.

[ManOfSteal]

Originally posted by AssassyN:
Seriously, the new Jettas look horrible. They are a carbon-copy of the Corolla.

So you think the 2005 Corolla is ugly/horrible as well?

[milhous]

don't mean to derail the talk of vw's, but a tdi alternative from a fuel economy perspective would be a prius. my friend has one and it's pretty nice. it doesn't have any premium options such as leather seats, but it's definitely hi-tech.

but yes, even a prius can break down. that same friend had to get it towed to the dealer as the onboard computer died. thank goodness it was still covered under the warranty. i wouldn't even want to know what it would cost to replace it out-of-pocket.

but i'd also love to get a late 90's benz, but their fuel economoy is medicore. and at these gas prices, i want to visit the gas station as least as possible.

for me, it's a problem of economy vs. indulgence. and when the time comes to get wheels, i really don't know which way i'll go.



a heluva lot harder then buying a mac or pc, that's for sure.

[D. Hendrickson]

Originally posted by D. Hendrickson:
i've been driving VW's for 23 years. no problems big enough to make me stop driving them...

Originally posted by memory-minus:
And according to your profile, you can fix them yourself when they break.

just to clarify, i've only been a dealer tech for 3 years, so that leaves 20 years of driving VW's without being a car mechanic. i came to autos from aviation, not by choice.

they have their quirks, but german cars have a road feel that japanese cars just don't have. jap cars feel like you're just difting along, in a little plastic box, isolated from everything around you. they have no soul. add to that the interior smell of japanese cars gives me a headache. say it's illogical, but i just don't like jap cars.

i'll keep driving german...

[Link]

Originally posted by D. Hendrickson:
just to clarify, i've only been a dealer tech for 3 years, so that leaves 20 years of driving VW's without being a car mechanic. i came to autos from aviation, not by choice.

they have their quirks, but german cars have a road feel that japanese cars just don't have. jap cars feel like you're just difting along, in a little plastic box, isolated from everything around you. they have no soul. add to that the interior smell of japanese cars gives me a headache. say it's illogical, but i just don't like jap cars.

i'll keep driving german...

The moth ball smell? Ithought BMWs had that too..

[Kenneth]

The interior of the new Jetta is pretty good. I checked that out at the NY auto show during the trip to NYC last week.

[ink]

I drove one today at the local dealer. $22k sticker price for a middle-of-the-road configuration (wtf??). The interior is nice; and I guess there's more room in the back seat, but I never sit back there, so I don't much care. It drives like a VW (good).

But... it looks like a Toyota. Even the antaenna is gone. I thought that it would look nicer in person than it did on the internet, but I still think it's ho-hum at best.