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Comments
Premium, shmemium!
I have had excellent performance and fuel mileage whenever I use gasoline above the 87 octane level.
That's amusing. Jetta GLX is a compact. Altima 3.5 SE midsize. Jetta seats 2 comfortably and 4 with severe pain or 2 occupants are legless. Altima seats 4 easily. Jetta has an ancient beam axle. Altima sports an all indie multilink setup. Jetta has a reputation for being unreliable. Last gen Altimas were far above average and the VQ engine is essentially peerless. Jetta handles like a drunken pig. Altimas universally praised for sublime, near perfect handling. Oh sure, I see how you can compare these cars. Jetta beats the Altima in one subjective category: interior design and finish. Based on objective data (handling prowess, engine performance, 0-60, reliability) the Altima thrashes the Jetta like a red-headed stepchild.
let us know how it goes. just don't plan to sell that altima too soon. almost as bad resale value as a protege. you should do well on the jetta, trade in wise. i traded a 99 VR6 with 20k miles on it. Paid $22k. Got $19k at a dealer for it a year and a half later. When I traded my 98 Altima in on the 99 Jetta, I paid almost $20k for the Altima, got a little over $13k for it a year later with about 9k miles on it. I was crying...but I needed out of it.
I totally agree. As I said before. The new Altima sure seems nice. It will be interesting to see how many would-be VW buyers will cross shop at a Nissan dealer.
Check the 1.8T forum for more info.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zeroforum?id=27
I just hope the new VW's don't get too much more "global-ized". Remember the Cabrio interior, the 97 Passat interiors. Those looked European!! Anymore, they are kind of looking Japanese. Which is fine for functionality, but what happened to character. I guess that is why I don't mind the Altima interior. It seems at least a little unique.....One look at the Camry interior and I thought - Sienna minivan anyone? Same with the Accord. Those interiors work well in the vans - but have no place in cars!
Meade
Those pre-1998 VW interiors were the ugliest interiors available on any European car of the time. Pure German Teutonic cheapness to the max. Those interiors that you praise so much put VW at the brink of bankruptcy.
I'll take the new Interiors, with rattles and all, thank you very much.
As I've stated previously, I'm not a fan of the bargain basement interior in the Altima. But on the reliability and performance levels it crushes the Jetta.
I'm holding out for a G35 or possibly the Mazda 6 or RX8. If all else fails, I can fall back on a 3 series this fall.
Maybe the only VW of the pre-1998 era that I ever liked was the Corrado, but unfortunately it was another junker that loved to spend more time in the shop than on the road.
-Revise the suspension, there's alot VW could do considering other companies do. Give it an independent setup, and far less body roll. If any of you read the article on the 25th Anniversary GTI over in Germany either by VWVortex or the Car and Driver article, that suspension seems perfect...
-Take a tour of Toyota/Honda and learn out to make quality control top notch, menaing erradicate creaks, rattles, squeaks...(really quite annoying, especially when they appear from delivery...)
-Add some bigger brakes in the back
-Seriously improve dealer service
-Bring over the GPS system(I know..not really neccessary but I'd love to have it..)
-Increase size alittle only so you could have some more rear seat room..
-Add interior storage space
-Get rid of the 2.0(the base engine should at least have 125-130 hps) and get better mileage..
That's about all I can think of right now, it's not to much to ask for is it...?
On another note, I know it really doesn't have to mcuh to do with VW's, but I've been bored lately and have needed something to look up online, and although I still have another two years on my Jetta, I'm thinking of what should be next. I'd love a Bimmer or Audi, but probably can't afford one althoguh used may be possible but I prefer new.I really only want a German car.) But a more realistic car might be the Acura TL Type S, but I'm not sure I'd be happy with the interior(spoiled by VW). Anyone got suggestions, or let me know if this isn't the place to talk about it...
Sorry for the long post
Altima has moved up market to compete with the likes of Camry and Accord, NOT THE JETTA!!!.
Also I would beg to differ that VW's quality is on par with the likes of Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura. This is reflected in the resale value, data proves this, check Edmunds, Kelly Blue book, etc. Very little value in pre 98/99 models. I don't know how many times I've seen a $4000 96' Jetta for sale.
In earlier posts I've raised the question about the viability of a $40k VW. With VW's current dealer network IMO this won't be a successful venture, although with the postings of some of the board members here, VW may have a chance as their "loyal" customer base fails to REALIZE or ACKNOWLEDGE any problems/shortcomings w/ the product line.
2.0 Jetta is a dog, had the 1.8T (great and very tunable engine) not been available, I wouldn't even be able to post on this wonderful forum.....
As far as chipping these engines, I was considering this (read in past about $400 for around 200hp). As a recommendation, get your dealer involved in this process, as if any problems arise due to the modifications they may not repair on warranty.
I have to drive one to see if it's the successor to my Jetta. Given its stats and Nissan origins, it seems likely I'll go for the G in the fall.
teo: i'll take the demographics of jetta owners over those of an impala anytime. by the way, aren't you driving your second impala because your first one was defective (something with the suspension) and chevrolet replaced your car? i just think you have a lot of nerve ripping on the jetta's build quality.
blueguydotcom: why are you so sure the G35 will offer more performance the Acura TL Type-S? i just don't see it that way. when the tl finally gets it manual, chances are it will be much better than anything nissan offers.
regards
Steve A.
Let's face it. People that buy VW's are not rich. So, I for one have better things to worry about than petty little "might happen" problems. Like how to get a hold of more money!!
Teo: If you can't come in here without having something nasty to say, then get out. You do that in every single room but the Impala room. You always have something nasty to say about every other car out there but your beloved dear piece of crap. Anyway, get over it. Impalas have been recalled several times for stuff, Chevrolet's customer service sucks big butt, and the Impala is a car that's marketed toward 50 somethings. So if you can't come in here and say something nice, then don't come in at all.
See, VW fans can't take heated debate, they just melt like butter in a pan....
I have news for you: I am here to stay.
Near 50/50 weight distribution because it's running on that new chassis...the same one to be used for the 350 Z. Nissan's VQ has something the TL Type-S has very little of: Torque. The G will offer more torque and more displacement, plus no Honda VTEC (yahoo!). Considering the G's suspension is an updated all aluminum version of their classic multilink I can't see how the G35 will be anything but a nice handling, spirited drive. But most importantly, the G35 is RWD compared to the TL's performance retarding FWD. Combine the near perfecr VQ engine, the weight distribution, the suspension and RWD and I can't fathom how the TL Type-S will ever be able to hang with a G. Of paramount importance in my purchase decision, the TL Type-S doesn't offer the most important thing to me: fun.
TL-S and G35. I like the G looks wise, but it is not, and never will be, a VW. And the Honda TL-S is a kick-butt value. For someone's Mom....
As a second option, the BMW 3 series is a serious contender and the benchmark of the class. A true RWD 50/50 German driver's car, unlike VW's...
Passat? FWD and no power and poor handling. No thanks. Snazzy looking car lowered and with 18s though. Real snazzy. Too bad VW doesn't have an S tuning option like Audi (can anyone else imagine how killer the new A4 is gonna be with S mods?) or like Mazda's just started MPS line (they're talking about a 275 HP MPS supercharged, lowered Tribute).
What is this "true" German engineering thing supposed to mean?
Maybe you drove a 2001 model 3 series. 2002's are back to the tight feeling the 2000s had. And regardless of the steering, BMWs are RWD and have excellent weight distribution. You can't say either thing about a Jetta. Instead we Jetta owners get sloppy understeering FWD and nose heavy, piggish handling (and that's with the light 1.8T, not the super heavy VR6).
You may be all hot about your Jetta and that's great, but you're overestimating the car's abilities. Facts are facts...it's a FWD car with a beam axle and all the weight in the blunt little nose.
Teo: I never said I own this forum. It's just that you seem to always trash cars that are not yours. You make statements about VW, and you don't even have one. How would you know how reliable a car is that you don't own? And this is not the only forum you infuse with your negative feedback either. You do it on other forums (as long as it's not the Impala forum). That's crap. Like I had said before, these forums are used by prospective shoppers of the Jetta and other cars. Real-world experiences would qualify as more useful than just opinions.
The Audi A4, even according to some mags, is a superior car to the 3 series. Even on a race track. But then their are the other mags that salivate over anything that BMW makes. Preference I guess.
A4 vs. 3 series? 3 series all the way. Preference I guess.
That people say sitting in a W8 Passat is like sitting in an A6 is a GOOD THING. They shoudn't compare a family of beautiful and elegant cars to Pontiac/Buick/Chevy/Olds. Those crusty old execs are just nervous.
Article also talks about how GM strives to be able to make a tight interior like VW. Goes without saying.
Overall, VW is a world class automater. Who cares what people think of their cars or dealer service after three years? Who keeps a car that long? What matter is that someone buys the car. And people LOVE VW's and Audi's. I mean, people buy Saab 9-3's to this day....fairly bad cars as far as I remember. But, they are fun and neat.
It must be in middle America somewhere where people can't get in for service. In DC, VW's are EVERYWHERE, and I have never had a problem getting an appt for oil-changes or adjustments. Maybe I get special treatment.
do you have the sports suspension on the BMW?
<< But, outside of that and the automatic climate control, it offers nothing over my Jetta except for>>
RWD. Better suspension and better weight distribution plus a 4 year free maintenance warranty. But otherwise it's the same. LOL
<<less traction in bad weather and the nice chrome accents on the outside.>>
Bimmers come with stability control and a whole array of intrusive computer controlled junk to keep the average fool from spinning out in slippery conditions or when he's pushed his RWD car into an oversteer he can't handle.
<< The leather in the BMW is not as nice and taut as my Jetta, the shifter is fake wood, and the Steptronic is not as user friendly in my opinion as the Tiptronic.>>
You just sealed the deal. You've got cars with automatics. This is pointless. You're a passenger, not a driver.
<< I do enjoy the inline 6 noises that come out of the car though. But a Lexus IS has those, plus a cool interior.>>
Are you the owner of this Bimmer or is it a parent's car? I don't mean to be rude but I'm getting the sense that the Bimmer isn't yours. "Cool" interior? The IS300 is, from my time behind the wheel a slow, numb-feeling car that takes Toyota blandness to new heights.
<<The Audi A4, even according to some mags, is a superior car to the 3 series.>>
You go ahead and show me an A4 coupe...oh wait it's not out in the US. Okay show me an A4 with the 1.8T and FWD that's besting a RWD 325 Bimmer...oh no you meant the quattro system. So now we're comparing the 325Xi to the A4 Quattro? If someone is buying a 325/330 with AWD, then they're not interested in performance as AWD saps power and really only offers excellent handling in poor weather. The only reason the S4 is AWD...a RWD A4 doesn't exist. When Audi starts making a RWD A4, then we can compare it to the Bimmer. Until then, it's just another pretender like a CL/TL.
<<Who cares what people think of their cars or dealer service after three years? Who keeps a car that long? What matter is that someone buys the car. And people LOVE VW's and Audi's. >>
If you check into it you'll discover that people are keeping their cars an average of 4.5 years (http://autobuy.about.com/cs/consumertips/a/whynew54.htm).
A Jetta superior to a BMW 325i???
LOL!
What an oxymoron!
I am thinking of a word....
as far as manuals vs. automatics. manuals belong in sports cars in my opinion. my jetta is a sedan that takes me to and from work in DC traffic. same for the BMW. no one in my household even pretends that either car is a sports car. kind of poseur-ish.
in comparing audi vs bmw, i am talking sedans, obviously. i only brought up the coupe because I live with one. and yes, a 325Xi suffers performance wise. that is because the only so called performance "advantage" it offers is RWD. and that is completely debatable....
and no amount of traction control or stability control will help a RWD driver if the wheels are off the road, in the gutter, or wherever. FWD is superior traction wise, period. AWD, even better, even on dry pavement. that is why the little WRX gets more raves than the 3 series on it's handling characteristics in real world at the limit driving. don't get me wrong, the 3 series is nice, as is an Accord, just not worth the cash to me.
And my Jetta is a sedan too, but I look to it to provide more than just transportation. If all I cared about was going from point A to B then I would have gotten a Toyota Corolla and surrendered my soul along with any chance at enjoying a drive.
The WRX gets some kudos for handling but not nearly on the level of Bimmers and certainly not for the at-the-limit capabilities. WRXs are fun - I nearly bought one - but the handling was a far cry from the rock solid approach the kids from Germany put into their cars.
There's not much room for debate related to RWD v. anything else. You'll be hard pressed to find an enthusiast not weaned on Civics that embraces any other drivetrain over RWD. One set of wheels steer, the others push. The way God intended.
Even if I did like my Jetta, I couldn't see defending it when faced with so many other obviously superior vehicles. Guess pretty soon we're gonna hear how the Jetta outdoes the M5 too?
And as far as RWD, it might handle better. But FWD is going to be better in a low traction situation. A friend of mine has a Cougar (1994) with RWD and traction control. We were parked next to each other the other day when it snowed here, me and my Jetta with ASR and his Cougar with TRAC. He spun like hell, I got going right away, on the same exact road. So I guess that would make FWD better.
THIS discussion is about the Jetta. Period. Why is everyone so resistant to posting in or creating an appropriate comparison discussion?
Certainly some comparison issues will crop up in any single-vehicle focused conversation, but when folks want to get into them as deeply as you folks do, there is a far more appropriate place to do so.
Thanks!! :-)
Pat
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