Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You might also want to nose around on our Aftermarket & Accessories board for more information. And you could also use the Search features on the left side of the page for radar detector if you'd like.
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    First off, NGP is an amazing shop. Great people, good prices, and they will make sure you are happy. It's quite a commute from where I am, I think it was about 85 miles. They put an ATP Stage II turbo on my friends GTI VR6.

    Shine is good, but with their rear bar, it's a bit harder installation. I went with the Neuspeed cause it was easy to install, wasn't permanent, and I like the option to adjust the stiffness.

    For the 2003 models, VW totally redesigned the head for the 2.0L to solve the oil consumption process. I'm not sure, they may have done something in 2002.

    As for the Jetta, it was a step back from the GTI (GTI was a GLX, this is a GLS), so I miss a lot of those features that car had, and honestly, I don't like the 1.8T. Just my preference, but I just don't like it very much. We'll see if I still stay in the VW family once I get final pricing on the R32....

    - Anthony
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    ...and the topic dies! Where is everyone? :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    You have a Wolfsburg, right? I know it doesn't have the Climatronic, trip computer, and some other stuff. But I didn't really care about that.

    As for the turbo, I like mine alot. There is some lag to it, but once you get used to driving it, it's easy to "forcast" it. I have the AWP though, which is 30hp more powerful than the AWW was. But a chip can easily cure that.. :)
  • cards28cards28 Member Posts: 145
    I want to drive my new Jetta!!! Remember, it has less than 200 miles on it?

    Any ideas on how I can sell my 1992 Camry XLE V6, fully loaded, w/o leather, 127,350 miles. It's very, very clean and dependable, 1 owner, garaged, tires (11,000 miles), no rust. Sept 02, I put in $1,900 for 120,000 mile maintenance schedule. Included: tune up, timing belt, brakes. on and on. No major/minor problems, just routine maintenance. I have it listed in Auto Trader and a local newspaper for $4,900. Too HIGH??? It really is a "cherry".
    It's been very cold for the last couple weeks here in Chicago and not many shoppers are out. Give me a reason to :-)
    Thanks,
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    It's APR 93 chipped, AEM CAI, Forge 007p, and a Blitz DTTDC - what I consider the necessities.

    I just scanned it today, turns out it's misfiring again. One of the coil packs they replaced (the new J ones) went bad again. :(
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I think you may be correct about the 2.0. My '02 Jetta was built in Dec of 2001 and has NO oil consumption issues. Maybe I'm just lucky.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    So the stories are true from Vortex. Some of the new design J coils are failing as well? VW is really in for it with this coil issue. There are a couple rumors about a class action suit, and I really can't blame consumers for it either.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Try taking the car to Carmax and selling it to them. They have a location somewhere around Chicago, but don't know where. Check out carmax.com for it. You take the car in, they check it over, and offer you whatever they think it's worth, minus their $150 processing fee. That's how it worked when I sold my mom's beat down 94 Bonneville to them. It had 150K miles, sloppy-ish interior, tapping engine, and dead brakes. Got $2500 for it, so I was totally happy! Good luck.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    for an opinion on the value, you might want to copy your post into the Real-World Trade-In Values discussion (which is over on our Smart Shopper board).
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I sold my wifes '98 Accord to Carmax and it was a great experience. They look over the car and in 15 minutes offer you $$. They gave me great money for the accord. They would give me about $4,000 MORE than the dealer would of.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have had the opposite reaction with Carmax. I was offered $2500 for one car that I sold privately for $4300. I was offered $6500 for another that I traded for $7500. And finally, I was offered $9500 for one I traded for $11,500. The used car market is not good in general right now though.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I was just curious why the trade-in prices vary so wildly between the real-world trade-in values, the Kelly Blue Book, and the NADA. There is a variation of more than $3000 between the sites for my car. So whose is right??
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    I don't know vocus -- check out the SS board -- there's lot of conversation about things like that. You could also ask in that discussion I just linked.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Maybe our experiences differ due to our car being an Accord. the VW dealer actually advised us to go to Carmax because, in his words, Carmax is offering "stupid money" for Accords.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I don't know, maybe so. Accords are very popular and bring in lots on trade-in time though, pretty much like VWs do. Carmax here always seems to lowball though. The first car I took in was a 93 Bonneville, the other 2 were Proteges. The one I sold was a 94 Bonneville. But I sold the one to a private person, which always gets more than trading in.
  • cards28cards28 Member Posts: 145
    I knew I came to the right place. This place is called "Infinite Knowledge"
    You guys are the best, what a wealth of information!
    Ya know somethin', I have a Carmax in my back yard. Not more than 5 miles from me. The thought did cross my mind, ever so briefly, but didn't think they would give anything for it. I'll take it over today, and let you know what happens.
    Pat, I'll also check-out Real-World Trade-In Values and let you know what I find there.
    Guys, I'm honored to be part of your discussion group. Thanks again and Happy Motoring........ I wish you all blue skies and green lights.
    :-)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Don't forget "no cops hiding on the side of the road" in those wishes... :0
  • cards28cards28 Member Posts: 145
    I was thinking about retractable red lights for the roof with a sign on the doors that read...Fire Department. :-}
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Haha, nice try. But sorry, not gonna work. :)

    I haven't gotten a ticket in my 1.8T (yet) and have had it for over a year now. Good luck I guess... :)
  • cards28cards28 Member Posts: 145
    I guess Carmax must have a lot of expenses. There' re on prime real estate and high payroll. They have 3 1993 Camrys listed with less equipmt and fewer miles priced at $6,998 - $8,598.
    They appraised my 1992 Camry XLE V6 at $2,000 minus $159.00 processing fee netting out to $1,841.00. That's well, well under wholesale around my zip code. There comments: "Vehicle runs strong and shows well". Internet xxx.com used car pricing guides are all over the place. I do have a solid offer at $3,800. What do you guys think? Hold out for more or take the $3,800? My mom used to tell me, "1 bird in hand is better that 2 in the bush". Not bad advice.
    Let me know what you think and thanks again. :-/}

    0% financing on new cars doesn't help very much either.
  • wellokaywellokay Member Posts: 15
    What % over invoice have you been able to pay for your Jetta?
    And did you also go for the low interest rate?

    For those who have the GLS, are the velour seats really linty?

    And for those who have the 2003 GL, do the seats give you a sore back. (In the one I test drove, the seat uncomfortable in the mid back area.)

    Thanks
  • cards28cards28 Member Posts: 145
    I paid .9% over invoice or $200 over invoice. I got the GLS Jetta 1.8T in the Chicago area.

    If you buy one good luck. I have a 1992 Camry XLE V6 that you might be interested in. hahaha, just kidding. :-)

    My credit union offered 4.5% and than VW came up with 3.99% after I had check in hand from the credit union when I picked up the car.
    If you have good credit, you can get 3.99% for 60 mons. I'm not sure if VW is still offering that rate now. Check them out.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    It's down to 3.5%.

    Yes the velour seats are linty. Get the leather...it wears better.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I have a '02 GL and my seats are comfortable. I do not have the velour seats. My seats do not have the lint problem either. Though I would prefer leather....maybe next time.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Get the leather on the GLS, you will hate the velour. Gotta clean it about every week or so.

    Seats felt the same to me in the GLS as you said, but I got the leather and it comes with heat and lumbar adjustment, which helped alot.

    I would pay as close to invoice as possible. Someone offered me an 03 1.8T wagon for $100 over invoice not 2 weeks ago, it's a buyer's market.

    Good luck!
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    They offered me $2500 for a 1993 Bonneville at Carmax. I thought they would be kinda low, but wanted to see what they would say. Advertise your car on autotrader.com and they will keep it up until it's sold for like $40.

    And that Bonneville? I sold it privately, through Autotrader. For $4300. This was back in 01 though, when the used car market was in alot better shape than it is now.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    good deal on a 1.8T wagon? sounds nice - i LOVE the wagons! :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Guy told me $100 over invoice on it. I was shocked the deals were that good. He's a dealer who is in my local VW group. I also found a tire shop last night (by accident, actually) where everyone has a VW and they would be more than happy to install my springs for a good price. :)
  • cards28cards28 Member Posts: 145
    Pat (HOST),
    I visited Terry at Real-World Trade-In Values and got the advice I needed. He was about to punish me if I didn't take the deal that I had in hand. He knows a few things about cars.
    Thanks very much for the heads-up, I'm happy ;-)=)=
  • wellokaywellokay Member Posts: 15
    Thanks for the response guys.

    I went to one dealer this weekend and the guy said what would you like to pay - what would make you happy, and I said I'd like to pay invoice. He said they do need to make a profit. So he said well, we can give you 3%. When I went home and figured out the price he gave me, he would have given me 3% off the MSRP, not 3% over invoice. He would have made $1,200 (plus holdback, plus I think there is a $750 marketing allowance - not that I can use that in negotiating, but I'm not paying advertising fees.)

    I hate buying cars.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    While at the VW dealer this am, I heard the Service Mgr say that they received 49 coils in. It really must be a big issue.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
  • sarah233sarah233 Member Posts: 161
    What the dealer uses to clean stains? I took my car back to the dealer to get the grease stains removed from the headliner, and 5 minutes later they brought my car back. The stains had TOTALLY disappeared. I want to use that stuff on my floormats!
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    It's great with the heated seats.

    I'd take the less aggravation of cleaning with leather though
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    Headliners can't be a bit tricky to clean, because they aren't a carpet like the mats. If you want to clean your mats, just get an automotive carpet cleaner, or even a household carpet cleaner - it's nothing special.

    As for leather/cloth, I hate the cloth in my jetta. My GTI was leather, and infact all my cars since 1987 had been leather, heh. Leather is a lot easier to clean, and I just kinda like the smell and how it feels when you sit in it - although the cloth holds you in place a lot better.

    - Anthony
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I got the leather because I had to get it for the lumbar support in my car. Glad I did though. Very easy clean-up and I like the smell alot (still smells new after 14 months and 30K miles almost).
  • wellokaywellokay Member Posts: 15
    Do the leather seats wear well, or do they crack and look crappy after a short time. And how does the leather inserts hold up on the doors.

    I was really hoping to hold out for the new cupholder redesign, but a few dealers tell me they won't be available until the 2005 model - which is b.s. VW America said they added them to production in December, but I wonder if that was for the wagon version.

    The cupholder design is a big issue. Does anyone use the insert available in the armrest?
  • wellokaywellokay Member Posts: 15
    If you had to make a choice (do to cost and availability) would you choose 2.0 with leather or 1.8t with velour or 1.8 with cloth?
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    I actually dont find them to be too bad. They are out of site and not taking up space when not in use, and they hold any size cup really well and securely. I can deal with not being able to get at the CD for the few times that I have a drink with me.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    the cupholders are a love-hate relationship.

    I love them...pain in the [non-permissible content removed] when I need to change CDs though.

    The velour seats has pretty good lumbar support. My back usually hurts driving the G35coupe....the lumbar support hits it too low
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have seen the new design cup holder, it's on the floor between the front seats. Very Chevy Cavalier, and I hated it. The one in the dash is hidden when not in use, and blocks the CD opening when open. It holds cans and cups pretty securely, has for me over a year anyway.

    And out of your choices, I would choose the 1.8 with cloth. The 2.0 gets the same or close to the same economy as the 1.8, with FAR less power (auto anyway). The velour is a total pain to clean.

    My leather, like I said, has 30K on it and it's 14 months old. To keep it from cracking and stuff, you gotta treat it about once a month or so. I do mine that way, and it looks as good as new. Get Meguiar's leather treatment, works great and only takes about 30 mins. to do the entire interior, including headrests and front seatbacks.
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    Yea, there are some very good leather treatments out there.
    As vocus said, it doesn't take a lot of effort to keep your leather looking like new for many years to come.
    I use Lexol Leather Treatment and Lexol Leather Conditioner. Great stuff.
  • cards28cards28 Member Posts: 145
    Your comments please.
    The tail lights on the Jetta are divided into 4 lamps (bottom lamp includes the back-up light). Each section is about 2 1/2" H. The plastic assembly measures about 9 1/2" W and tapers up to the top lamp at about 4 3/4" W. I've notice a Jetta in front of me and the only lamps that luminates, that I noticed, are the top lamps (as well as the high rear window lamp). My Jetta has the rear spoiler and has a lamp in it which provides a little bit more lumination.
    For me, I don't think that is enough light to warn the driver behind ( there is an epidemic of tail-gaters) you that you are brakeing. One of my fears of driving is being rear-ended for some reason. It just bothers me. I would prefer much, much lumination.
    How do you feel about this? Can the lamps be re-wired to include one of the other lamps?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I think there is enough illumination, but it's your car so...

    What you can do is take those lamps next to the back-up lamps and turn them into brake lamps. They are currently nothing right now, and I know you would need a wiring kit from VW. I have seen some cars that do this on VWVortex.com, but don't know how to do it myself. I know you can do it though, and it's not a hard operation if you are pretty handy.

    Some people also take the left lamp and turn it into a rear fog lamp. You need the Euro style headlight switch to do this though, so it can turn on.
  • cards28cards28 Member Posts: 145
    Thanks Paul. I'll try to find someone to do the wiring as you suggested.
    I was also wondering why fog lights were not included on the GLS as they are on the GLX. No doubt it is a cost factor.
    Can they be installed now using the same GLX feature? The space is there, isn't it?
    I guess I'm big on being seen by other drivers.
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    I did this on my GTI, and I did this on my Jetta. It is so much better, and I joke around with the newbies on vortex that it stops the car better too. LOL :D

    You don't need any wiring harnesses or anything, just some 12 guage wire, 4 1/4" female slot connectors, and some electrical tape, and a wire stripper. Oh yeah, and two P21W bulbs. :)

    There is a great write up on vortex about it, it may even be in my FAQ at the top of the G/J IV forum - I'm not sure. Do a search for "Rear Fogs as Brake Lights" and I'm sure you'll find it. They had step by step instructions with pictures.

    - Anthony
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    This is a pain in the [non-permissible content removed] really, because you need the GLX headlights, or Eurpean headlights with the fog lights. Then you need the GLX switch or the Euroswitch to control the fogs, and then you have to wire the fogs to the switch (which is fairly complex).

    A few people have done it on vortex, with a search you'll be able to find your answer.

    - Anthony
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    That's exactly why I don't have GLX lights in my car, a total pain in the rear.
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    I have the Euro lights (E-codes), and the improvement is more than just the fogs. The light pattern is much better than the US spec lights, they seem brighter without blinding other drivers. The fogs are nice, and the parking lights use a small lamp called the city light that is in the reflector itself, leaving the yellow light only for blinker duty.
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