Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

mdaffron

NO ONE has an automatic over there!

BTW -- I have a hard time getting in an automatic car now -- I keep mashing my left foot into the floorboard every time I approach a stoplight!!!

Meade

venus537

don't listen to them, they're leading you down the wrong path. no doubt manual shifting can be a lot of fun, but after awhile the fun factor doesn't overide the hassle of pushing in the clutch constantly in stop and go traffic. but go ahead and learn how to drive a stick. you might be in a position someday to have two cars, one for everyday and the other for fun (the one with the stick).

and i don't understand the purpose of the tiptronic it doesn't even come close to replacing a manual in operation. so what good is it? highway passing?

mdaffron

I know people have different opinions ... and I don't speak for everyone here ... but I in no way, shape or form am trying to "lead" Paul down the "wrong path." I work in downtown Richmond, and I face my share of stop-and-go driving. Hell, I drove a manual-tranny car for Pizza Hut for five years. I've never felt that using the clutch is all that tiring. Your left foot gets used to using the clutch just like your right foot gets used to using the brake. When I went to purchase the car I'm driving now two years ago, I drove the automatic first -- thinking that after shifting for 20 years, it was time for a little "luxury." Well, I drove the automatic. Then I drove the 5-speed just to be fair. The difference in performance and "fun factor" could not be ignored. And I'm happily driving my current 5-speed. I like the control it gives me over my transmission, and the fun it provides. It makes every minute in my car (a 2000 Protege ES, by the way) enjoyable in a way that appliance-type automatics just don't.

That's MY opinion; your mileage may vary. But don't go telling Vocus I'm trying to mislead him. I'm not.

Meade

newcar31

How is driving a manual the "wrong path"? Manuals are wrong, automatics are right? Who are you?

I'm with Meade, traffic or no traffic, it's always going to be a manual for me. I live in the suburbs and work in downtown Minneapolis so I have to deal with plenty of traffic and I would never even consider getting an automatic. Automatics are for wussies.

hoodornament

I much the prefer the manual in my Passat, however, if I had to fight traffic during long commutes, I would probably go with the automatic.

mdaffron

I was trying to keep my response as factual and unemotional as possible. But deep down inside I agree ... MANUAL ALL THE WAY!

That's why I'll never be like my dad -- my heart (I hope) will never die and force me into a Buick.

I can see myself at the dealership now, blond hair gone gray, jowls hangin' low, ear hairs gone wild, [non-permissible content removed] long gone ...

"Sonny, ya got that Park Avenue in a 5-speed?"

HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!

Meade

anonymous02

So, I take it none of you have had a bad axle beam bushing???

Kirstie_H

mdaffron, even though I drive a VR6 (and various other cars over the years), I am 100% ticket-free. Do I get a prize?

Driving manual in England is a major experience... first few times, I had trouble shifting outta first -- went directly to 4th, which tends to irritate those behind you entering the roundabout. Last time I asked for an automatic, though, I was saddled with a Nissan Micra, so I'll take the manual!

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

vocus

I have a 2002 (180hp) 1.8T automatic, and it still has plenty of get up and go. You have to catch the engine above 2000rpm though, or it feels totally dead. And in stop-and-go driving, the tranny sometimes shifts harshly. I have no speeding tickets in this car yet though, which is good because I had 2 Proteges (one 105hp and the other 130hp), and got tickets in both of them.

Kirstie_H

vocus, are we almost the same person? LOL. I had a Protege before the Jetta. The Jetta pulls, and sometimes it's too tempting, but with a little luck and good timing, I've managed to slip by.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

mdaffron

Your prize is great insurance rates and a spouse (if you have one) who doesn't say "I told you so."

;-)

BTW, I've only gotten two speeding tickets in my 21 years of driving; one was in 1985 and the other was in 1987. So it's been 15 years since I had one of them. But I can't attribute my clean record to being good -- actually, I've got this wonderful stretch of highway near me where there's no place for a cop to hide and two miles of straightaway -- and I've had my 2000 Protege ES up over 100 a coupla times -- like Burt Reynolds said in Cannonball Run -- "just for the hell of it."

It's nice to share the same last name and a not-too-distant family tie with TWO of the judges in my county. So far I've gotten out of two tickets in the last two years just because the officer recognized the name, asked if I was related, and then kinda shrugged me off with a verbal warning. It's nice ta be da king, so they say.

Meade

BTW, I almost have my 1-year-old saying "Zoom Zoom" ... ;-)

galogvi

Take a look at the cup holder door. I had what sounds like the same symptoms. I would push down on the center vent and it would go away. It turned out to be the flimsy cup holder door. I shot both hinges with silcone spray and no more noises.

justin

i know Richmond. you don't know what ruch hour traffic is, trust me. and count your blessings that you don't....:)

mdaffron

Never heard of "ruch hour traffic."

;-)

Meade

drivinisfun

Ruch oe rush limbaugh?

fish8

I am bringing my Jetta in on Mon for my rattles. This is a second dealer that will be able to get to my car faster while providing a loaner.

VOCUS....It sounds like Mon is a big day for the both of us.

GOOD LUCK!!

drmillhous

I'll have to check that one out about the cupholder. I'm pretty sure its above that, but its mpossible to tell where a rattle is coming from when you're driving. Wherever the thing is, it drives me INSANE!

vocus

This is only your first time. This would be my 8TH VISIT for the same problem. I don't know what's going to happen yet, but they need to bring it.

justin

oh, believe me, they will "bring it"....;) hopefully you leave without bits and pieces of their flesh under your fingernails....haha.

vocus

Surprise, surprise. You are the first to respond. Too funny.

I am just trying to get this worked out, hopefully in my favor.

newcar31

if any VW corporate folk read this message board?

blackjetta18t1

I got my car back after they had it for two days. They topped off the oil after just three weeks sicne my 15K service and said next time the dipstick reads empty, bring it in, don't add oil(I have the 2.0L). They replaced the wheel bearing house and wheel bearing. I was supposed to get new brakes and the guy said the brakes were part of the wheel bearing write up on my receipt. As for the climate control lights and door issue, the paper said "operating per manufactuer spec" I have heard that before, so I went and opened my door, and guess what? Still has the same problem. I go right back inside pissed and tell the guy at the desk. He is shocked and noticeably annoyed with the technician. However it was 4:00PM and mechanics had to go, and I very firmly said the car needs to be fixed now, not Monday, Now. He says mechanics are gone..what can I do? To bad I'm not older and bigger...
As for rattles, I have the rear left door lock, cupholders, the dash on rough pavement(sounds like loose change, but its not....)
Anyone want to take my lease off my hands? I still have till March 2004...

venus537

"down the wrong path" was a poor attempt at humor on my part. please don't take offense to my remarks. now that i got that out of the way, vocus don't listen to THEM! they're trying to lead into the abyss.

newcar31

No offense taken.

Vocus--You've been living a lie for a long time. It's time to straighten your life out and get a manual transmission equipped car. Automatics are not healthy and the sooner you realize this, the better. I don't want to hear: "But, I can't drive a stick" (in a whiney voice). It's time Paul. I know you can do it.

vocus

I will learn to drive a stick shift if you lend me your 2001 Protege ES do to it in. Do we have a deal?

justin

Paul -

don't learn to drive stick in a Protege. you will get frustrated and quit. if you must drive a Mazda to learn in, it should be a Miata.

still unsure why Mazda doesn't only make Miatas....they have somehow managed to manufacture the perfect driving experience with the Miata. MR2, Z3, S2000 are all STILL playing catch-up....

Mazda should stick to what they know....stop messing with four passenger cars. they are like Mitsubishi - they have the ability to make great cars, but for some reason they just don't do it. this new "6" won't be able to get any market share being released the same year a new Accord is released.....

back to the Jetta -

i have the auto/tiptronic. when i go into redline, shouldn't the car shift up right after hitting redline. my car takes like a full two seconds to upshift. it is great for speed, but not so good for engine, or is that an old car myth?

jamie_5

I am considering a TDI GLS Jetta as a commuter car for my 100 mile/day freeway drive to work. This is Plan A,...it looks pretty good/sporty with 17" GLI rims and suspension, a little tint on the windows and gets approx. 50 mpg. Plan B: buy a mid 90's Honda Accord for the commuter, and get a real sports car for fun and weekends. What do you think and do you like your TDI's? Is the reliabilty of the overall vehicle good?

justin

go with plan B. the jetta, in TDI form especially, is not sporty.

i say get the real sports car, and commute in it why waste time with an Accord?

moparbad

Here is a TDI pic of what you could be achieving 50 mpg in http://www.guideauto.com/AlbumPhoto/Cyr2692128.jpg

TDI is sporty and with a chip or tuning box will run in the mid 8 second to high 9 second second 0-60 range. The 1.8T and VR6 Jetta will always be faster but say one thousand one, one thousand two and ask yourself is two seconds worth 25 to 30 mpg? There is no more enjoyable high mpg car available than the VW TDI Jetta, Golf, and NB.

newcar31

My first car was a stick and I bought it before I knew how to drive it. I brought a friend with who knew how to drive a stick when I test drove it. Then you learn how to drive it in a parking lot with a friend who knows manual transmission cars. It doesn't take long. You have to start somehow.

Justin- Why not learn in a Protege? It's one of the easiest manual transmission cars I've owned and I've had 6 of them including 2 Hondas. The Jetta's stick shift is the weird one between these two cars anyway.

"Mazda should stick to what they know....stop messing with four passenger cars. they are like Mitsubishi - they have the ability to make great cars, but for some reason they just don't do it."

I know that's your opinion, but IMO, you are dead wrong. I still don't understand why you don't give the Protege any credit given the class that it competes in. It's pretty much common knowledge that the Protege is one the sportiest/most fun cars in it's class yet you continue to dog it. I actually think the same way about VW. They have the ability to make great cars and they do. What they don't do (in terms of the Jetta) is make a 4 passenger car that actually fits 4 people comfortably and will be trouble free. If VWs were as trouble free as Hondas or Toyotas STATISTICALLY (I don't want to hear about YOUR Honda or YOUR FRIEND'S Toyota), they'd be the most desirable cars out there IMO.

vocus

You know, I had some problems with my Protege, but it seems there are alot more with the Jetta. Sometimes, I wish I had saved the $5000 and just kept the Mazda. I mean, it had its (radio) problems, but at leas there were no rattles. Come on now, I have a meeting with a VWoA rep because my car's been in the shop so many times and not fixed right. It just gets REAL old. They need to get it right. I gave them SEVEN chances, still not right.

protege_fan

Just to refresh my memory...didn't your radio problem get fixed in your Pro? As I understand it, your Jetta problem is still ongoing, no?

Good luck at your meeting tomorrow. I hope all goes well for you. Somebody mentioned bringing a lawyer? Are you?

Keep us updated!

vocus

No, I am not taking legal council with me. I should have though, but it was too short a notice (only like 5 days), so I don't have anyone going with me.

The radio problem was fixed once, but it kept coming back in the car.

mdaffron

If you're going to pull out your guns, make sure you know how to use them.

;-)

Meade

justin

i can say that the Protege stick is no worse than the Jetta stick. that said, i drive an auto Jetta, for good reason.

my point is, an easy way to make the Protege a car that can compete better, is for Mazda to use their "know how" with the Protege and make the shifter more user friendly. we know they can do it....just look at the Miata.

sure the Protege is a fine car. but it is not any better, at all, than a Hyundai Elantra. Mazda has been floundering for years, because they can't seem to do their sedans any justice. half-hearted attempts, always. when the Protege first came out in 99, it was great, but they gave it no power, and poor MPGs. then they gave it a power boost, but messed with the classy styling and made it look like a Pontiac from the front......

moparbad

The title says Volkswagen Jetta but the content is Mazda Protege. Protege, Protege, Protege, after a year Protege discussion I am amazed that you still have not found the Mazda Protege topic.
VW Jetta discussion please, even if only to complain about rattles and poor handling.

mdaffron

is exacerbated by the fact that Paul keeps comparing his Jetta to his former two Proteges. He's just as guilty of going on and on about his Jetta over on the Protege discussion as he is about bringing up his Proteges over here. We tried setting up a "Jetta vs. Protege" discussion but it didn't prove popular. I also think there's one other reason -- many of us have been following Paul's ill-fated car saga for two or three years -- much longer than you guys have had to deal with him over here. We're all so interested in his next move (can you blame us?), there are currently a BUNCH of Protege discussion lurkers over here. And you know how easy it is to throw in a comment or two after you've been lurking for awhile.

Now, back to lurking. Say hi to Paul for us. ;-)

Meade
(Er, Protege owner)

anonymous02

Anyone else here ever have problems with an axle beam bushing?

Anyone else here know how to check auto tranny fluid on a 1996 4 cylinder GL?

scat_bayou

Going off topic here, I'd like to ask a bit about a Jetta GLI. Has anyone bought one and what are your comments so far. I read a test drive on CanadianDriver (http://www.canadiandriver.ca) and have been smitten by this car ever since. I live in the gta (west of toronto) and would appreciate dealer suggestions and pricing hints as well. Is the dealer installed cd changer worth it or are there better solutions out there.

Thx

vocus

I went to the dealer for the meeting this morning with the rep. He drove the car, I drove the car. They said the only thing they can do right now is try to correct the problem AGAIN (time number 8). I told him that if they didn't get it right before, what makes him think they would get it right now? They kept the car again at the dealer. I am really pissed now. They get to have one more time to mess up my POS Jetta? That's real nice.

I would definitely say to anyone looking at the Jetta to be prepared to not have it for weeks on end, as the service dept. tries to find the many rattles that will creep up in it. The worst car I ever had. I hope someone steals it while it's at the dealership.

This will definitely be my last VW ever. I am totally hot right now. I am going to launch a little webpage I think, and I will be downtalking the Jetta every chance I get.

moparbad

Hope that the rattles are finally fixed on your car. My Jetta has no rattles and no squeaks. My Golf has no rattles and no squeaks. Must be the vibration of my TDI motor keeping everything in sync.

newcar31

Wow. There sure are some polarizing views here on this board. One thing is for sure, VW owners have very strong opinions about their cars; good or bad.

denright

on the new Jetta GLI with the 200 HP plant and manual transmission? A link to a good article would be most apprciated.

fish8

I brought my car to the dealer this morning and they gave me a '02 Jetta 1.8t. Boy that thing is fast. BUT, it has more rattles than a car with 8k miles on it should. I hope I get my car back soon with all the problems solved.

blueguydotcom

All GLIs have stick. To get the 200 hp V6/auto combo one must buy the GLX.

justin

next time, please, take a lawyer/attorney with you. take a PRETEND one with you at least. don't deal with a corporation all by yourself. not smart.

i know you are HOT today, so i will cut you some slack. but you are above trash websites and all that. don't let VWoA get the best of you. and also don't let your emotions get the best of you. step back, take a breath, and figure it out. so, what did they say? did you come to an agreement with them that this is their last chance? get it in writing? don't let them intimidate you. you have to be calm and firm with people like that. but you have to tell them what is happening. don't let them tell you what is happening.

i don't see the car being fixed to your satisfaction though. you hate it so much, you will hear rattles in your sleep. to save your sanity, you should just trade it in if you can't get them to give you another car. i know there is the principal involved, yadda yadda, but you gotta do something, right???

vocus

I am going to get the car when they call about it. If it's not done to my satisfaction, I will simply keep their loaner car until they get it right or I get another Jetta. I have a 2002 Millenia P model, and it's pretty nice. Maybe they would do a trade. Just kidding.

kenmontgomery

Does anyone know when a new model (bodystyle change) will occur for the Jetta (projected Model year)?

5thgearpinned

Does Anybody know how to go about getting the radio code for a used VW? I purchased a '94 Jetta III with the radio locked up. The owners did not have the card with the code on it. Is this something I need to go to the dealer for? Do I need to pull the radio to get the S.N.? If anyone has suggestions please let me know.

vocus

A new model is expected for 2004 I believe. I am sure we can all hope that quality control will improve as well. As it stands today, it's not very good (rattles galore from alot of Jetta owners).