Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Venus: I've driven both versions of the TL. I just don't like Honda/Acura products. They're as boring as the vast majority of GM/Ford/Dodge/Toyota products. And no, I would never consider the A6. Not really a performance minded car. Even with the S option it appears to be a rather banal vehicle. Overpriced too. Though I must admit the new A4 is damn nice looking. I keep seeing one with 17s and it's a really attractive car. Put the RWD powertrain and VQ engine in the A4 and I'd be all over it.
BTW, I think conversations have a way of naturally turning to different topics. To insist that people uproot and move to a different location breaks the flow. We shift away from pure Jetta to various topics but generally come back. But that's just me, guess I'm not as staid as the rest of the world.
The color that they have a lot of is Baltic Green. Because no one buys that color it seems. That will not be a good trade in car. Not a color that a used car lot can push out the door fast probably.
One thing about the Jetta that annoys me is the you can get the Wagon in gold/beige, but not the sedan.
I also gather that it is a very dependable car. You see, I drive 15 miles (one way) to work everyday, so I need Jetta very badly - a car that will take me from point A to Point B safely and economically. Would you say that paying $300.00 to $500.00 over invoice price is reasonable?
Does anybody know the reason(s) VW prefers dark colors in their JETTA models. Why is it that silver color Jetta is rare? Why are they made in Mexico? Thank you.
I think in general, the Jetta is a dependable car. Most of the complaints you hear about are small problems with the stereo or window actuators. I've had my 2002 1.8T since September and 5500 miles, and I've had zero problems.
I don't think the silver color is rare. It's simply their most popular color, followed by black and then red. This leaves a lot of the darker colors like the indigo on the lot.
If you really want another color, why not see if the dealer can find one for you?
I went to two different VW dealers today... no silver color in sight. I was really disappointed.
Lots of black, blue, and green...
Another surprise - Jetta 2.0 comes in cloth & velour seats only... that leather seat is not an option by itself... that I needed to have a leather & moonroof option if I wanted leather (with a $5,000.00 difference in price)!!!
Is this reasonable?
option, as is Lux. Pkg.(SunRoof & Alloy wheels).
These option codes are: PJ4 = Lux. Pkg., and PL1 =
Leather...
Learn about what you want to buy at www.vw.com
Even so, I strongly recommend against the velour seats. They trap lint horribly.
Do get the seat heaters, however. My wife loves them.
Also the dealer I went to offers loaners for ALL service. Even if for a few hours. (At least that is what I was told when I asked about it.) I live in the Chicago area and this particular dealer was highly recommended to me from other VW owners. So there are some dealers that do right by their customers.
I used to own a Honda, and my Jetta is quieter.
Also, the newer velour seats (I first noticed them about a month ago) may not be as big of a lint collector.
Actually, the 2.0 engine wasn't so bad. I had to rag it out to get good power, but it doesn't make for a bad little city car. (The sucker is breathlesso on the highway though, above 70mph.) It's an adequate performer. But when I got back in my turbo, the first time I took off from a stop I planted the pedal and smiled from ear to ear.
I drove 165 miles in the 2.0 automatic, 60/40 city/highway mix and I got 23.5 mpg. That's about the same mileage I get with my turbo. Of course, it was nice to use regular gas for once...
There's a reason the 2.0 is in just the bargain basement Golf/Jetta/Beetle models while the 1.8T finds itself in the TT, Passat, A4, Beetle, Jetta and GTI. You ever read about oil burning in the 1.8T?
Just my thoughts on the 2.0 v. 1.8T.
I definitely agree about the 2.0. The Cabrio I drove was great around town, but on the beltway, no so good, and that was a 5 speed. The turbo is ideal for long distance travels on high-speed roads. It BEGS for more, and when you answer it's call, you are rewarded, big time
I have a co-worker that occasionally goes to lunch with me, and she always makes me drive. She says when I hit the gas hard in the turbo, it feels like she's got butterflies and she can feel the car pushing her back in the seat. She has begged me to let her drive my car, but NO GO!
magazinearticle.asp?
magazineid=50&releaseid=
9753&magazinearticleid
=137793&SiteID=26
Combine all six lines to get the link to work. It's one of Edmund's weird rules.
best engine list.
I'll be buying something else that offers leather without a sunroof being required!
hope that helps.
I think that some of us here are just getting tired of the comments and "jabs" that are not meant for a civilized online forum. The internet is a place where anyone can say anything, but I think that the majority of Edmunds participants are here in the Jetta boards for reasons that are different than yours.
If you don't have an answer for his valid question (taping doors on a brand new car? this is NOT a new problem on VWs and it should have been fixed by 2000), why ask him to leave? Good grief.
At least Edmunds doesn't have the flame-spewing emailers I've encountered at VWVortex.
BTW, 4 trips to the dealer and my Jetta still rattles. Obviously there's a deeper issue than tape can cure every time.
blueguy: i just read an article from my autoweek about the G35. i wouldn't kick it out of my driveway (if i had one). autoweek said it would be another year before the 6 speed would be available though.
enough about all this power from the 2.0l engine.
As we're about to start testing possible cars, is there a significant performance difference between the 1.8T stick and auto (wife demands auto and it's not worth a divorce to get the stick)? Also, the 1.8T seems to be quite popular, what kind of deals are people getting on this car (we're in SW CT)? Lastly, what kind of performance/ride differences have people noticed going to the 17" wheels? $2k seems pretty pricey for rims and sport suspension.
Any help is greatly appreciated!!
Jason
Also, don't worry about the rattle battle. Test drive the car you are actually going to take home. That's the mistake I made, I just took the car after test driving another one. I like my car alot, but it just gets to me that it rattles sometimes (although not HALF as bad as my 2-year old Cavalier did when I had it. Chevy makes crap, everyone knows that). But also, my dealer has been really good about driving the car with me, and addressing my needs. Wonderful customer service.
I haven't touched the Tiptronic, I'm still in denial that automatics exist.
Yes, the sports suspension is worth it. Drive both cars back to back HARD. You'll see a marked difference between the normal setup and the sportier one.
As for price, you should be able to get any Jetta near invoice. Do your test drives, find the exact setup you want and then e-mail all the local dealers asking for their best price. Also check into the local AAA or Costco car buying programs. The Costco deal netted one friend a WRX for $200 over invoice and another got a Sentra under invoice (he had the college grad discount too). You'll score an excellent deal via the web/Costco/AAA route. I paid $200 over invoice for my Jetta in June and that was without a single hassle. A dealer in LA offered me the same car for $100 over but I'd have to motor all the way up there, so I took the closer deal.
I drove a 2002 Jetta GLS 2.0 automatic as a loaner, and the handling was a LOT different than my Sport Luxury equipped 1.8T (with sport suspension and 17-inch tires). The ride was also alot softer though, so try before you buy.