Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

justin

ANONYMOUS. take your medicine, and re-read your last aggressive posts towards me.

you might be under the impression that your comebacks are witty or clever...but you would be wrong about that. no need to be so rude, now is there?

justin

a new model Jetta with a tail actually TALLER than the car. it was painted yellow, with big blue alloy wheels. they must have at least been 18's.

the funny part is, i am willing to bet a paycheck that the car was the 2.0!! a la the Honda Civic DX "Type R".....

i LUV it!

anonymous02

I think you are overreacting. Just think about what was said for a minute.

Relax, the weekend is soon upon us!

:-)

vocus

It's been awhile since we had the host come in and tell us to cool down amongst ourselves, so let's keep that record up, eh? How about deleting some of the nasty stuff above? Let's play nice.

vocus

Too funny what you said about the Jetta you saw. It probably was a 2.0. I was on the BW Parkway yesterday coming to work, and this guy in a bright red Civic with a spoiler almost as tall as myself was next to me, trying to race. We went up to 100, and he couldn't catch me. I was almost a car's length ahead of him. That'll teach him to try to use his VTEC (Vanishing Torque in Engine Compartment) on me.

vocus

I got my oil changed last at 15,100 miles on July 2nd, 2002. My car is currently at 19,700 miles, and it's about to get changed again. Boy, do those miles add up! And the car is only 9 months old as well.

ashutoshsm

Thanks Anon, it seems people labour under the mistaken assumption that the Cabrio has any sporty sapirations :-)

As for your "No other car in the 18 to 20K range, rag top, 4 seater" think - Chrysler Sebring Convertible. Yes, the highest selling rag top of any sort in the US! Doesn't mean its much of a car (I don't think of it as much, I've rented a sedan once, and it was a horrifying experience) - but its available right in that price range. And it actually has a rear seat that can be used by someone larger than a 7-year old kid (unlike the Cabrio).

OK - that's the last you'll hear from me about the Cabrio.

8u6hfd

6 months, 21000 miles.

justin

i am lost. who here EVER said the Cabrio was sporty? i have already stated, the Miata IS the only REAL affordable sports car.

but given the Cabrio or Sebring? give me a Cab, anyday. the Sebring has style...there are lots of Sebrings in Ft. Lauderdale. Just not MY style...

and the backseat in the Cab is respectable for its size. the trunk is downright huge.

last of the Cabrio comments from me too.

i really don't think people in here actually read posts carefully sometimes....i tell ya.

everyone just behave, and be nice.

and Paul/Vocus - i wanna see you racing down the parkway in your cool white Jetta at 100mph. that just makes me smile thinking about it..

vocus

I rented a 1999 Sebring when I went to San Diego back then. I hated it. The car used gas like crazy and had no power. Not an enjoyable ride at all for me.

anonymous02

I also rented one in Sanibel.

It was nice. Had leather, automatic top, AC, decent stereo, plenty of power.

Only thing was, it handled like a typical "old style" convertible, meaning it felt a little less tight than a comparable coupe might. Still, I bet it would out accelerate, outbrake, and outhandle the cabrio.

Good call! I didn't realize they were that inexpensive, since I had never really looked at them.

vocus

I am sorry, but after driving the Sebring, I don't think it could outhandle the Cabrio. The Sebring feels like the old-style coupe, kinda like my friend's 1994 Cougar. The car rides nice, but it can't get out of its own way compared to the Jetta I have.

justin

even the new V6 Sebring with 200 hp can barely move out from a stop light. and handling? even the new european suspensioned GTC model is funny.

the little-Cabrio-that-could would run circles around the Sebring. but yes, the interior of the Sebring would probably be a nicer place to cruise the Vegas strip or intercoastal highway, for sure!

i am seriously wondering when Hyundai is going to come out with a ragtop. with their current record, i bet it will be cheap, loaded, nice style, and a decent performer.

donnabgood

for the NB turbo convertiable? That car looks so cool (!) in chameloen green with two tone lime/black interior and 150 HP should be sweet enough for that car.

Probaly when my lease expires on my '02 Jetta 1.8T I will be driving a 2005 groovy VW ragtop..in the color I just described or lagoon blue to match the interior lights with the blue leather accents.

peace and love,
Donna

vocus

That sounds good to have a convertible. I had a loaner New Beetle 2.0 for about 5 weeks. The only thing I didn't like was the 2.0 engine, but that can be fixed. And believe it or not, the back seat is not much smaller (in leg room) than the current Jetta's is.

anonymous02

to expand an earlier (still unanswered) question:

Are the current 2.0 and 1.8turbo motors derived from the 1.8 liter Rabbit motor?

vocus

I was going to answer that earlier, but decided not to because my answer would have sucked.

The answer is that I really don't know. The 2.0 might be loosely based on the 1.8 engine, but I am not sure. Sorry.

If you wanna know badly, you might be able to find some information in the Hanes or Chilton's manuals about it or something. Check the library.

newcar31

I don't know about the 2.0L, but I have heard that the 1.8T was based on the old 1.8 rabbit motor. Ask on Vortex if you want to know for sure.

justin

is an older Audi sourced engine. of course, Audi=VW, so I don't know. but i would HOPE that Audi wouldn't recycle a rabbit engine for their excellent (at the time of intro) A4 sedan.

ferricfoot

Bought a Jetta 1.8T recently and have the 17" tires option. They come stock with the Michelin MXM4's and I was wondering how well they handle the snow.

I read over on Tirerack.com that they're nervous about these tires, so do I...

1. Buy winter tires and swap them in and out? If so, any suggestions?

2. Buy 15" wheels and tires (as suggested some 400 messages ago)? If so, what are the benefits of smaller tires in the snow?

Thanks.

balticjetta18t

I read the same Tire Rack info and have already been thru 2 winter's with my 17" MXM4 pilots... They are an all season tire and our ABS and Traction control will help quite a bit. I still did a 180 on an expressway (no cars around luckily) while trying to change lanes and I turned a bit too much as the snow banked on my front wheels and still caused me to go into 4 swings of the tail before I finally stopped 180 facing the on coming traffic.
We are not invincible unless we have all wheel drive.
If you decide to get snow tires on steel wheels then get a 205/55HR-16 which is the same size as the full sized spare. The 17 will not let the floor panel to lay completely flat as it is a wider tire.

jetta03

about a 2003 Jetta 1.8t, auto, silver w/grey leather interior. I presently have a 2001 galactic blue/grey leather VR6 auto, but always wished I would have opted for the silver. Dealer let me "borrow" the 2003 overnight. Plenty of power and gas mileage seems much better than my VR6. Found no problems with the 2003. After haggling back and forth for almost 2 weeks now, the dealer has offered me a very good trade-in and a great deal on the new car. In the meantime, I have test driven almost everything out there in this price range, and have found nothing comparable. Even considered the Pontiac Vibe, but found it needs more power and the interior is no where near Jetta quality. My only concern at this point is the 2004 redesign scheduled for the Jetta and what changes are going to be made. How badly will it affect the resale/trade value of a 2003? Any thoughts?

ferricfoot

Balticjetta - (sounds like we have the same car!) thanks for the info on the tires. I think I'll go the snowtire route and swap in and out until I'm through with the Michelin's.

So if I go with the 205/55HR-16's, I should get a set of 4 of them and they will mount right onto the wheels? Or will I have to buy rims for them as well?

Thanks.

donnabgood

Depends on what you think a great deal is on a silver 2003 1.8 T. Since you are already asking about resale value that factors in. I always heard the Jetta design is slated for 2005? Anyway IMHO if is it is less than 3500 to be in a new car it is worth it, simply for the upgraded warranty alone. Now that VW is offering so many new models this year, hard to say if future Jetta buyers will be distracted and go to those models instead. I personally think the Jetta VR6 has better long term resale value than the 1.8T as many people are uncertain of turbo in the long run. I leased for that reason, and chose the 1.8t simply because I could get tiptronic (a neat feature). IMHO it is a more a driver's car and may not have as wide an audience as the VR6. When I chose my Jetta, silver was a dime a dozen and the VW blues were the "hot colors". I had to get black because this is Los Angeles and it's so LA. LOL. I just mention this to remind you the way you feel about silver, other drivers feel about Galitic blue. Good luck whatever you chose to do. BTW I think silver with black interior looks the best, might as well change both exterior AND interior colors while you're at it.

donnabgood

Last week I had the NB 2.0 as a loaner too. I agree with you about the engine but the turbo should make all the difference in my liking the car more.. that and the soon to be conv. It is absolutely a happy car..I felt compelled to take it to Venice Beach and buy some incense and listen to Bob Dylan cds while driving. lol. I was happy to get back in my Jetta though, so much classier..but the NB absolutely has a "cool" factor to it in the turbo clothes and is just as attractive for different reasons. I guess the trick is to get rich and have both in my garage, that way I won't have to decide and have the best of both worlds. Time for me to go to Vegas and see if any of the casinos are offering a NB convertiable to win as the jackpot for 3 coins..3 lucky quarters is all I need...

nerd

I am shopping for a small sedan as a second car when I need to haul business guests, etc. (Can't do that in my Mazda pickup). I want something that performs, and the Jetta GLI looks promising. Since my wife has a '02 BMW 325Ci, I would be better off not trying to outdo her by buying a BMW.

I would appreciate some feedback from you Jetta experts. The specs for the GLI look impressive, but first-hand experiences give a better picture. Nearby VW don't have any to test drive.

blueguydotcom

>>I am shopping for a small sedan as a second car when I need to haul business guests<<

Talk about cruel. Putting adults in the backseat of the Jetta is not a good way to make an impression. For the price of a GLI you can buy a Nissan Maxima SE and get a far faster, better performing, more reliable, more luxurious and far roomier vehicle.

25k on 255 HP and legit room for four real adults, plus all the creature comforts or 23-25k for an unproven engine inside a car that's cramped and well known for having weird problems...

nerd

Thanks for the feedback. I had not even considered the Maxima, but I will now take a look at them. I have read some about the Infiniti G35. How would you compare it to the Maxima?

blueguydotcom

The Maxima is a great car for 20-28k. Nice handling, pretty roomy and luxurious interior and a rock solid vehicle.

The G35 takes the Max's qualities for interior space/quality and then tacks on a bit more power that's put to the ground through a very effective 5 speed automatic, RWD (to me that's a major plus), stability control, Infiniti's outstanding 4/60 warranty and handling that rivals a BMW 3 series. I pretty much love everything about that car except for the rearend styling. For 33k loaded up quite nicely it's really tough to find a better handling, faster, more enchanting sports sedan.

balticjetta18t

You would have to get low cost steel rims for snow season tires as your original 17" are of course a different diameter... The key is that you match your secondary size to the same as your full size spare.
What part of the country are you in and how much snow do you normally get there?
Normal avg. here is 6-18 in. plus ice. I have not purchased a separate set of winter only tires.

fast_n_furious

is the jetta a good reliable first car for a teenager about to start college?

ferricfoot

I'm in the Northeast (New York City) and I've lived through lots of storms and lots of snow as well as no storms and no snow. But I've also lived through doing donuts on the New Jersey Turnpike and luckily, like you, there wasn't anyone behind me for a half mile.

I'll look into the cost of rims and tires and if the cost isn't prohibitive, I'll probably go that route.

I noticed that our tires have a tread rating of 500(?) how many miles do we think that translates to? Thanks for the advice!

ferricfoot

was a Toyota Corolla. I put no work into that car except the usual oil changes and routine maintenance (as detailed in their maintenance book). It was cheap; I felt safe; I finally got rid of it after 7 years and 100,000 miles. Quite enjoy my Jetta 1.8T now. :-)

balticjetta18t

I have the Pilot Sport XSE HX MXM4 225/45-17 and the treadwear on mine reads "300". At a certain angle with low light it looks like 500. I have rotated 2x's per the VW maint. book at 10k and 20k with a balancing @20k. I have 22k on the car and after looking at the tires I believe they will be good till 40-45K range.
BTW, I grew up on Long Island so I understand what weather you'll deal with. If you do get a winter set of wheels/tires then you'll extend the original equipment tires quite a bit longer. You gotta keep track of rotation, balancing and mileage on both sets in addition to the Left and Right sides and last mounted position when removed for best care and mileage.

blueguydotcom

>>is the jetta a good reliable first car for a teenager about to start college? <<

No! First cars should be reliable and cheap to repair. The Jetta, even if people want to contend it might have some quality, is not cheap to fix. Go with a civic, integra, corolla (Geo Prizm is a better option used as it's the same car but cheaper in price), accord, camry, etc. Avoid the German makes for a college beater...they're too pricey to maintain.

protege_fan

venus537

since you like pushing those overrated Nissans, why not the Sentra for a first car?

blueguydotcom

Was that to me?

What's overrated about a G? Oh that's right, handling, comfort, room, reliability and excellent customer service are all overrated. Silly me. I know I'd prefer a cramped, underpowered, sloppy handling, unreliable car serviced by people I loathe. Oh wait, that is what I own right now. It's a VW Jetta 1.8T.

jetta03

I loved driving the 1.8T and thought it more sportier than the VR6, but that's just my opinion. Both are great and who knows what the longterm desirability will be for either, or as you've pointed out, for the Jetta for that matter.

In any event since this is a Jetta discussion, I would just like to add my .02 and say that my VW has been wonderful. Excellent handling, virtually trouble free (I did have the driver's window drop, but that was serviced quickly) and I love the European design. Yes, I wish the backseat had more room but I so rarely have anyone back there (no children) it doesn't really matter. To me, for the past few years the Japanese imports have all started to look alike and the Jetta and Passat really stand out.

I also have an outstanding service department at my dealer. That certainly makes a difference too.

I will stick my neck out and recommend the Jetta for a first time buyer. The warranty has gotten so much better - even since I purchased my '01. VW is really trying and the Jetta is now back on the Consumer Reports "recommended" list. Just like any other make, there are going to be good ones and bad ones. As I said above, in its price range, it has a lot to offer.

ferricfoot

Baltic -

Thanks for the heads up. They really do look like 500 instead of 300 on the Michelins. Ugh. I'm pretty good about "routine maintenance" but have had terrible luck with tires in the past.

In my old Corolla, I went through 3 rims and 5 tires in addition to a replacement set of tires at 45-50K. Good ole NYC pothole...

So far so good with the Jetta but I've only got 4k miles on it.

I'll play the snow tires by ear. Thanks again for the advice.

venus537

i was just ribbing you. i know you like nissans.

my mental picture of a college student's car is an old VW rabbit beater. I also picture a big chrome VW emblem hanging on the dorm room wall. and for those who make a career out of going to college, an VW van. i hope i'm not giving away my age.

donnabgood

I too think a Jetta would be a wonderful car for a college bound student. It is one of the safest small cars on the road, holds it's resale value, looks good, and is reliable and solid feeling. What more can one ask for? I encourage all first time drivers in my family to get a VW be it a NB, or Jetta. Why, because of the above mentioned safety features built in, and the almost intutive way it connects it the driver to the road..plus look around for the most part cool people drive VWs because they are attractively designed too. Look in some Nissans, and Camrys and gasp, Prizims at stop lights and see who is driving them. No thanks. lol. As far as customer service my experience has been A-1, you'd be surprised how far a good attititude can carry you through life when you treat others respectfully.

jetta03

A VW camper van. On campuses they were usually handpainted to reflect the owner's individuality. I still see them around. They just don't seem to want to die, but maybe that's a good thing. :-)

jetta03

The second car I owned was a 1968 VW Karman Ghia. Talk about no back seat! It was a hardtop and was flesh colored. I lived in Ohio and it seemed to have no defrost. During the winter, I had to scrape the front window on the inside to see out. It was like the first automatic that VW ever made, you had to shift, but to do so you just took your foot off the gas and shifted. It was such a cool car and I loved it. But having a heater finally won over after a couple of years and I traded it in for a Ford Mustang II. Seeing them restored now always brings back memories of that car.

donnabgood

of a 60's VW Microbus that appeared in Rolling Stone when Jerry Garcia of the The Grateful Dead died..it showed the right headlight shedding a tear for his passing.

blueguydotcom

You guys seem downright mean suggesting a VW for a college student. Even if the car is decent (if we're talking used forgetaboutit), the repair bills are huge. Nobody can argue that...it's a simple fact. They pick up a used toyota/mazda/nissa/honda and it'll run just fine and have cheap repairs to boot. Can't go wrong that way if you're a broke college student.

justin

NERD:

Max vs. G35 is easy. In real life conditions, you get the same power, same actual performance numbers, yep even skidpad/handling isn't much different at all between a Max SE and a G35, even with its oh so fabulous RWD. And to top it all off, with the Max you actually get a "richer" more quality interior than in the G. Nissan screwed up big time on that note. Naturally you save THOUSANDS with the Max too. Both cars have horrendous rear styling....but unless you are on a race track where RWD is reported to be better for performance, I would go for a Max with it's superior traction and cheaper price. The G35 has soooo much potential with that front end styling....makes me sad that it ended up so cheap on the inside.

Of course, I would say at that the Max pricepoint, you could be in a 5 speed Passat GLS with leather and roof. Then you get efficiency, safety, room, "zip", and style

And yes, I would always stay away from used VW's. Being VW's, they are driven by people that drive HARD. People that like to drive for fun. I wouldn't buy an abused car like that. For a teen's first car, I would go with something used and cheap like a Protege (looks decent, lots of room for friends, and apart from my personal experience, mostly reliable). They lose their value so quickly, so you can get once for a steal. Ditto with Elantra. The car is going to get abused....go cheap.

mpyne

if your talking used i would say no way!!!!
i owned a gti and was in the shop every week literally. everything went wrong except the engine (ie exhaust,windows,molding etc... $100 here $200 there). get a prizm they are great cars used and cheaper than a corolla. but i guess it depends on if thats "too boring" for you. which seems to be the opinion of many "driving enthusiasts" who dont take into account how often will you be just driving instead fo pushing your car to the limit. also check out the trade in value message board and ask the experts what car they recommend. I bet they will recommend the prizm too.
FYI

jetta03

Now, now, bluedot, a bit harsh aren't we?

I owned two Mazdas back-to-back and can attest to the fact that the repairs aren't necessarily cheap. I don't know firsthand about the other cookie cutter Japanese imports you've mentioned. Anyway, of course it would be better for any young person starting out to have a car under warranty, new or used. Most of the new car warranties are pretty good now, except for American which seems to be stuck on the 36/36. (NOT knocking American, just the warranties).

The Jetta is a sharp looking car. I can see that it would appeal to a young person as a first car. I would still recommend it.

blueguydotcom

Jetta03: New...perhaps. But if this cat is getting a new car for college...ah, nevermind I'm trying to be nicer.

Justin:
Go drive a G35 and Maxima before you make blanket statements about their handling, speed, etc. You're not speaking from experience, that much I know.