Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

vocus

I wouldn't look at the first year of a fully redesigned model though, if I were you. Look at what happend to the 1999.5-2000 model Jettas and Golfs. Wait until the models are 2-3 years old. Example: The 2001-2002 models are alot better with having problems that earlier iterations.

anonymous02

"...a VW sedan slotted in between the Jetta and Passat in terms of size."

I thought they were already VERY close in size as it is. How could you squeeze anything in between?

fish8

I agree!! Though it would be tempting!

anonymous02

"...More air comes out of the center dash vents than the ones on the sides. I don't know why, but it's pretty normal I guess."

Gee, ya think it might be that the center ones are closer to the fan/blower?

Kirstie_H

anon, some of us have NO idea where any of the internal stuff is located! In fact, mr. roving host seems to have just located his turn signal only a few weeks ago.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

winsan

well, the 2.0 engine is not bad at all for that bread and butter vw. the good thing of this engine (compared to the honda/toyota) is it reaches the peak torque at 2600 rpm, so that most of the time I don't have to flat (I usually don't drive like a mad man though ...) - maybe that's because I have manual anyway - I drove my friend's jetta (2.0 auto) and I didn't like it because it seemed so slow.

Regarding burning oil issue, I guess that's sporadic. Mine was ok until 9k miles, and suddenly it 'drank' the oil, but after the 10k service, it was ok. My friend's jetta seems worse than mine - it consumed more oil just before the 10k service.

A quick question: when should we check the oil? Can we check the oil when the engine is cold (say, it has stood for some hours) or hot (just after we drive the engine). I notice that those two method give different result, because the oil is pumped throughout the engine while running so that if we check the oil stick right after that, it will give you less oil in the reservoir.

winsan

yeah, epc is something like the main processor. I forget what it stands for - I have to go down to my car to look at the manual

Kirstie ... gee, sounds weird ... I experienced a glitch also last winter, after a cold night, when I turned on the car, suddenly all doors were unlocked, and I couldn't lock them until I turned off the engine, closed the doors, walked away the car, and remotely locked the door.

Anyway, even the 70k bimmer has glitch ...

anonymous02

Isn't the Altima a level above those? The Sentra is Nissan's competitor for the Corolla and Civic.

Jetta is kind of in between I think.

Any of the Japanese makes will likely have better reliabiality than the Jetta.

Of course, the Jetta's styling is a little more interesting. I guess it is what's important to YOU.

8u6hfd

I do cold engine checks.

Which ever method you choose, stick to that method so it's consistent from reading to reading.

venus537

"...a VW sedan slotted in between the Jetta and Passat in terms of size."

the passat is 12.9 inches longer overall, 0.4 inches wider and 7.2 inches longer in the wheelbase. all i know is the passat has plenty of room in the back and the jetta is very cramped. so i think VW has the right idea in making the next jetta bigger (i hear about 4 to 5 inches in the wheelbase).

blueguydotcom

That sounds nice. I feel bad for my rear-seat passengers.

vocus

I rode in the back seat of my own car once, it was HELL! I am 6'3 and not small, I felt like I was going to have to fold myself in half to get in and out.

I can't wait to see the MKV. Of course, I wouldn't get a first-year model though. My current 2002 model will be off Driver's Option in 3 years, 4 months. I will be in the market again then probably, so I will be excited to see the new MK series. Also, I hope they bring over the bigger diesel engine too. I commute ~70 miles a day, and 40+mpg would be great for me.

I would have gotten the TDI now, but once I drove the 1.8T I was hooked. And I still don't do too badly on economy (about 24mpg average) for the way I flog the turbo.

afryar

I've had my 2001 GLX (5 speed) for about 16 months now, and I've got just over 12,000 miles on it (don't drive to work). Anyways, I was never impressed with the gas mileage especially living in the city but I chalked it up to a combination of city driving and just the way I drive. On the highway I was averaging no more than 26 mpg tops which I thought was just average. (This is all according to the trip computer on the GLX which shows the real time average mpg). Since I've hit about 10,000 miles, my average mpg has gone way up. I honestly average an even 30.00 on the highway now (with the cruise set around 80). city hasn't really improved any but the highway miles have improved significantly. Has anyone else experienced such improvements after around 10,000 miles? I'm not complaining, just curious. Kind of waiting for it to drop back down to where it used to be. Putting air in the tires? I know that improves mileage but not that much. Ok, just curious for some input. Enjoy.

thinking1

Does anyone know how to adjust the seat belt height? I have checked the manual with no luck.

Signed
1.8T ID10T

vocus

All you have to do is push on the D-ring thingie that holds the seatbelt. You press on the belt holder thing itself, and it will move up and down. That's how you do it.

sarah233

Argh! I dinged SOMEONE ELSE'S door! I felt so bad because I was trying to be careful while getting out groceries. I accidentally bumped my door, and it swung open and dinged the infiniti next to me. So I left an apologetic note. There's only a tiny bit of silver paint on my door.

I guess at least I have no dings so far....

8u6hfd

You'll have to thank the nice thick sheetmetal VW uses.

I did that to my professor's car, with a co-worker's new C230 coupe, by accident of course. Luckily the rub strip on the professor's car prevented the ding (it's not like he drives a K-car)

vocus

You can feel the heaviness in the doors when you open and close them. That imparts a feeling of safety to me as well, another reason I chose the Jetta.

Kirstie_H

Some inappropriate posts have been deleted. Remember, if you don't care for a member's opinion, simply don't read it. Back to the topic at hand.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

8u6hfd

and people wonder why a Jetta weighs nearly 3000 pounds.

vocus

I never thought about that. I know I would rather be in a heavier-built car when I think about crossing through an intersection with a traffic light that's more than likely going to be ran through by an unattentive soccer mom on a cell phone because she isn't paying attention to her driving.

winsan

yep, the mileage will get better once you have exercised it a lot.

winsan

gee sarah, at least you know you're the one that made the ding - and you apologized. I got a ding at the front left panel with nobody apologized for that.

vocus

A couple of weeks ago, I was questioning why they included a 16-inch spare with my car even though I have the 17-inch wheels. I just thought about it yesterday when I was talking to a co-worker of mine about tires. The tires on my car are unidirectional, meaning (of course you all know this) you can't switch them from side to side. So if you used the spare on the right (like I just did for 1000+ miles), you couldn't use it on the left of the car. I am glad I thought about that before I went out and bought a 17" wheel and another tire to have a matching spare. I would have felt like a dummy.

klmeschi9

i got all this great advice on this board before i bought my 2002 1.8T last sept and hadn't been back since...i am calling my jetta "tough guy" now b/c i got rearended this past weekend, expected the whole back end to be ruined, and had no damage at all that we've been able to detect so far. I think I was lucky though that what hit me was a 97 corvette...an SUV wouldn't have been as forgiving no matter how tough my little guy is!

vocus

There is someone on VWVortex selling an in-dash 6-disc changer for $460 in car audio classifieds. Check into it before it's sold, it's a pretty good deal and still in the box. Good luck.

vocus

I think that would fall more under being well made than durability. But glad you are ok.

8u6hfd

Post that in the VW Accessories section.

vocus

Never thought about that, thanks. It will probably get removed anyway, but I will post it there.

Kirstie_H

vocus, not as likely since you are a regular contributor who is NOT selling something himself, but just pointing users toward something you think they might genuinely be interested in...unless it actually IS yours It's more the post-and-runners that we delete.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

vocus

No, it's not mine. This person bought the changer for her 2002 Jetta, and didn't realize it came with the new double-DIN radio (mine has it too).

Speaking of which, I LOVE the Monsoon radio! My co-worker, who is an audiophile, said it was the best radio he has heard in a car thus far. I was shocked. Definitely worth the price if you like to listen to music as much as I do.

vocus

I was talking to a co-worker in the parking lot about my car (which was right by the door, that's how the conversation started). She has a 1997 Civic, and doesn't see the logic of why the VW is so much more expensive. I tried to tell her it's interior is not far from the A4 at a much cheaper price, the doors are heavier, convenience features galore, etc. She still didn't see it, calling it all "opinion".

Some people will never understand...

sarah233

before i might not have left a note, but since i got a car i really like, i feel bad doing that to someone's car since i really wouldn't like it if someone did it to me. plus, i felt even worse since i was trying so hard to be careful. a bunch of my friends have recently gotten new cars, and the night before we were just talking about how rude it is when someone dings your car and doesn't leave a note or anything. there had to be some kind of "karmic repercussions" if i didn't leave a note--it all seemed so coincidental.

protege_fan

I'm curious...did your note just say "I'm sorry I dinged your door" and that's it? Or did you say "My name is so-and-so. Here's my phone number. I dinged your car. Sorry"?

vocus

My mother told me a story one time of going grocery shopping. When she came out, the whole right side of her car was torn up pretty badly. There was a note on the windshield, but it read, "I am writing this so people think I am leaving my information. Sorry about the car". She said all she could do is stand there and cry, because the car wasn't that old. Now that is pretty low to do something like that.

vocus

Come on now, what do you think? If she took time to leave a note, why would it be something dumb?

sbsleonard

My future wife and I are looking to buy a car in the $20 - $30 thousand range, and are sick of all the SUV's out there.

Can you help us feel better about leaning toward the Jetta over the BMW, Audi, Volvo, etc?

We're looking at a 5-speed GLX model.

Thanks

protege_fan

What do you mean? I'm serious. I know some people would just not leave any personal information. What good is a note if you don't say who you are?

8u6hfd

The same happened to my mom also. She went into a store to pick up some groceries, and came back to find someone smashed the side of her minivan.

vocus

If you want to save some money and get a car that's not too far off the Audi A4 mark, then I would definitely consider the Jetta. They are pretty much related, right down to the parts used. You might do well by considering the 1.8T model though, it's a true Audi engine.

Good luck.

anonymous02

Maybe if the person was a felon, and the damage was bad enough, the police could run their fingerprints.

Kirstie_H

vocus, I love mine too! I basically can't live without a no-music drive (or windows completely up, for that matter), so it's nice to have a good stereo.

The volume goes to 11.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

8u6hfd

except that the A4 is on the B platform.

Kirstie_H

SBS, you will definitely want to check out the Comparisons board, and perhaps the topic "Help Me Choose."

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

anonymous02

In that range, you might find a Buick.

They get great ratings on comfort, safety, etcetera etcetera.

sarah233

i left her my business card (i work for a police department) stating on the back that i dinged her right rear passenger door on accident while getting out my groceries. then i stated which apartment number i lived in (this was in my apartment parking lot), and to contact me there or call the number on the front of the card if she wanted to discuss the matter further.

acceptable?

anyway, this morning when i was leaving for work she was getting into her car. she said she got my note. we looked at the ding (she had numerous on that door, i only did one), and she said it wasn't that bad and that was the end of it.

protege_fan

I wasn't implying you were a shister or anything like that. Just leaving a note is much more than most people would have done, but leaving your card, etc. as you did is commendable.

winsan

It would be nice if the person be responsible, although maybe the victim will take advantage of it.


sarah, you're really nice!


sbsleonard, if you can afford a bimmer, you may want to get it - you'll love it.

sarah233

yes, i thought about that too. however, it was only a ding, and how much could it really cost? I think when i got my civic appraised for the lease turn in, the guy said it's $60/panel to take out dings. Plus, since i work at the police department, i have "the law" on my side. they would be able to help me figure out what's reasonable for the victim to expect.

klmeschi9

durable...well made...details details! btw, love my monsoon too. someone told me before I got it I'd hear notes and instruments in music I'd never noticed before, and it's true.