Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

Anakin

The 2.0 Jetta is torquier at low speeds than most of its Japanese counterparts, so it will feel like it has adequate power around town. It probably will feel breathless on the highway, however.

My 1.8T has "only" 180hp compared to the 200 that my Accord V6 Coupe had, but it gets off the line a lot more quickly because it develops max torque at 1950rpm and the Honda didn't hit max until 4700.

HP numbers sound good, but you gotta remember that it's the torque that moves the car.

I'd say just drive it and see how your sister likes it. :^)

yettibutt

I think the 2.0 is fine. It has plenty of power for me and has quite a bit of torque making it feel like it has more power. 115 does sound crummy when you consider my 2 door Civic has 125. I think its good around town and on the highway. All depends on what you want to do, if you don't want to race around and want good economy, the 2.0 is fine. I however have the 5-speed which alos helps quite a bit, I have never driven one with an auto. It gets great gas mileage, we usually get about 32 on average.

8u6hfd

Even more power (155 lb-ft @ 1975 rpm) down low. With the 5-speed, it does pretty well in passing situations also. 50 mpg on the highway is a plus also.

blexv6

Thanks people. Anakin, I also have the 1998 Accord V6 and 2002 Acura TL. I am a Honda man, but my sis loves the Jetta. She has indicated that she may now get the 1.8 l turbo with 180 HP. Anyone here tell me about reliability, of VWs turbos???. Thanks.

blueguydotcom

Of all the bad parts on a VW product, the 1.8T is the only decent thing in the car. The 1.8T is world renowned for its power, durability and engineering. You can't go wrong with a 1.8T. The 2.slow on the other hand is notorious for sucking down/burning oil and in general being a pain with it's archaic design.

Anakin

The 1.8T is one of Ward's Ten Best engines.

If you drive the 1.8T, you might get over being a Honda man. I sure did. It was great not having to push the pedal through the floor to get the car to move.

Mmmmmm, max torque at 1950rpm.

justin

you have to take what BlueGuy says with a grain of salt. the engine in the 1.8T is NOT the only decent thing about the car. obviously. he will try to argue otherwise, but notice how he still has his god-awful Jetta, too...;)

but yes, the 1.8T is supposed to be a great engine. only have just under five thousand miles in my current 1.8T Jetta, so I can't speak to it's reliability. but my 99 Gen IV was perfect except for the Goodyear Tires recall.

my advice, let the person that is going to be driving the car, test drive it well. then buy it if you like it, and if you don't like it, then buy something else.

Kirstie_H

A major midwestern newspaper is interested in speaking with folks who have anecdotes and opinions on rear wheel drive vs. front wheel drive in winter driving conditions.
We're also looking for people who recently switched one way or the other and what they like/dislike about what they're driving now.
If you are interested in participating, please provide your city/state of residence and your daytime phone number to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than March 20, 2002.
Thanks as always,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

vocus

I have 10,400 or so miles on my 2002 1.8T engine. While this is not alot, the engine is wonderful. The only problem with the car, as a matter of fact, has been the interior rattles I have experienced. There is only 1 left that the service dept. didn't find (he is an idiot), in the dashboard. I am taking it back before the 12K adjustment period warranty expires for it though.

blueguydotcom

You may not agree with empirical evidence or fact gathering, but please have the deceny not to put down other people's opinions. The facts about the Jetta clearly speak louder than any anecdote you can produce.

And I still have my POS Jetta for two reasons:

1. I'm in the process of buying a house, so I have to set my priorities.
2. The G35 manual and Mazda 6 are not out yet (the two most likely contenders for my future driving pleasure).

blueguydotcom

Anyone know if the buyout price VW provides on leases includes sales tax or is that something you also have to pay? VW claims my buyout on my WE is 18.4k but I don't know if that's with or without tax.

vwguild

That amount would be taxed...Lease payments only
include tax on the amount of the payment...

blueguydotcom

Dang, that's a huge chunk of change then. So my buyout is really 20k. Yowsers. Damn. Seems I flubbed up bad with this car. Live and learn. I can only hope someone will steal it then.

vocus

You only owe 20K on the car and it's a year old, right? You could more than likely sell that car in the DC/MD/VA area where I live for that amount of money. Jettas are MAD popular over here. You see them all the time. And yours being a WE as well, with under 10K miles (?), you would probably score like $19K for it easily.

Go to the "Smart Shopper" section and ask the question about the value of your car. Post location, mileage, the kind of car, color, and all that there. The topic is called "Real World Trade-In Values".

blueguydotcom

It says 16k re-sell for my area (92103) when I use Edmunds' stuff. I'll stick with Kelley who at least claims 19k. The local auto-trader shows them at 19k and below too.

vocus

Ask the forum that I told you. They are usually right-on with their values. KBB is usually way off in their values. NADA isn't too bad though. And http://www.cars.com has a link in their "research and price" section using the Black Book price that car dealers use. You could try that.

vocus

Does the 1.8T engine have a timing belt or chain? And is there a replacement schedule for it? If so, what is the schedule? I would look in my owner's manual, but it's home right now and not with the car. Thanks.

blueguydotcom

Black Book has 19.4 also. Essentially more than the KBB.com site. They're on crack. How could a car that cost only 19.5 be worth 19.4 now?

vocus

Did you put the right combination and all that in there? Maybe it is worth that much, you never know. You said the dealer offered 19K on trade, right?

blueguydotcom

Yes, I'm sure I put the right combo in. It's pretty simple! I'm convinced there's some screw up somewhere because a car that I bought for a few k under MSRP shouldn't be worth that same price a year later. Doesn't compute. logically, the car should be worth several K under invoice not MSRP.

No dealer ever offered me 19k for it on trade. I haven't offered the car to a dealer. The KBB private selling value is 19k, not the trade in value. Trade in is like 15-16k.

vwguild

How long have you been in this car???

blueguydotcom

I bought it June 9, 2001. Going on 9 months this Saturday.

blexv6

Thanks for the info guys. BTW, although I like the Jetta, I love my Acura, Good to see you guys like the turbo engine. I will get my sis to test that vehicle. Sounds like a great buy compared to the 2.0l engine.

vwguild

you are just 9 months into a lease then; not
a purchase...not that it matters...

Both of these financial instruments are term of
contract...the Lessors wants all of their money
and so would a lender...

Can't imagine an $18K residual on a Jetta unless
it is a 24 month Lease with no out of pocket at all...

Anymore details you want to share???

blueguydotcom

I call every month to find out what my buyout is on the VW. They clearly say the amount. Currently it sits at 18.4k.

The residual makes zero difference in this. It's the buyout that's important.

For what it's worth, it was a 36 month/45k lease with zero down (save for the $400 security deposit and first month's payment).

vwguild

that is the issue...Your payoff/buyout, is the total of all of your remaining payments plus
the Residual...this is why the $18K figure...

What you need to focus on is the residual...It
will ALWAYS be Much Less than the Actual Cash
Value(ACV).

When the New Beetle came out in March of '98 I had a customer come in with a REAl Basic Jetta...
'94, Black/Black Cloth, No Sunroof or Alloy wheels, 5 Speed...But, very well kept, 40K on the clock...Residual Value = $7900****ACV = $12,500.
He put new tires on the car, got it detailed very
well and sold it himself for $11,700-$11,800...

$3800-$3900 in his pocket...And, into his New Beetle...This is the way a lease is supposed to
work, but only with German, or maybe all of the Europeans, depending upon whose in favor, or not.
But certainly the Germans, ALWAYS ACV higher than
the Residual...And you can take that to the bank...

blueguydotcom

Yeah, but that only works if I'm finished making payments, right? If I have 26 more payments left, i still need to make those before I can sell the car and pay off the residual, right?

justin

You lost me. Your initial statement was just a little ridiculous, don't you think? The ONLY decent thing about a Jetta is the 1.8T engine? I mean, you are allowed your opinion. But again, the problem I have is that you try to skew other's views on the car as a whole. You say their is evidence out there to support your statement that the 1.8T engine is the only decent thing about a Jetta. WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE? To me, and the majority of buyers, they buy the Jetta for safety reasons, value reasons, style reasons, and good performance reasons. Yes, we all know your definition of good performance is much more defined than us everyday VW buyers, but, face it, the car is a good performer, or it would not sell. In fact, the majority of Jettas are bought WITHOUT the 1.8T, so where does that leave your statement? Obviously, many people find that the car has some other "decent" parts to it. Are you saying the people that buy the VR6 or 2.0 or diesel are just not as as smart as you? Why do you discount everything but the engine?

And since when can I not speak my mind? You speak yours....I was definitely not trying to put your opinion down. Sorry if you felt that way. But, when someone makes such an incorrect statement, I feel someone should state the truth is all. It just happened to be me this time.

Also, did anyone say, does the 1.8T have a timing chain or timing belt?

vwguild

that is correct...

blueguydotcom

How many times must it be pointed out that the Jetta falls in middle to lower middle of the automotive pack on reliability? That's irrefutable. You may think it's fine to be average. Where I come from, scoring in the 50th percentile is flunking.

>> but, face it, the car is a good performer<<

Um, no it's not. This is pure opinion on both sides. You like the performance. The car fails me daily.

>>or it would not sell.<<

So by this logic the Accord is a good performer as it sells exceptionally well. Same with the Camry. I've never heard anyone say, "Golly, my Camry can corner on rails." Now if you mean reliable by "good performer" then the Accord and Camry are, while the Jetta is not.

>> In fact, the majority of Jettas are bought WITHOUT the 1.8T, so where does that leave your statement?<<

This is part of the reason the Jetta has dismal reliability and customer satisfaction. The 2.slow engine burns oil- a well known fact. The VR6 has its fair share of problems too. The 1.8T makes up something like only 25% of Jetta sales.

>> Obviously, many people find that the car has some other "decent" parts to it.<<

Obviously many people do. I don't speak for all people when I express an opinion that the only decent part on my car is the engine.

>> Are you saying the people that buy the VR6 or 2.0 or diesel are just not as as smart as you?<<

Woah, chief, hold up there. We've all got priorities. As we went over with your sentiments about the tip v. manual thing. You value riding in the car without effort, I value shifting gears manually. To each his own. There is no level of smarter or dumber, it's just opinions.

>> Why do you discount everything but the engine? <<

Because every other major component on the car seems to be poorly constructed. The car rattles (a common complaint) for me and that's a sign that it was improperly assembled and/or it uses inferior parts. Probably both. The interior components break easily...again could be assembly or quality, either way it's annoying. The handling's god-awful, so that'd be a fault of the engineering/part selection. The manual doesn't handle fast shifts well and the 2nd gear grind pops up for most owners every now and then too - once more a sign of poor engineering, bad parts or lazy assembly (possibly all three). I could go on forever. As I said before, the 1.8T is the the reason I do like the car.

>>And since when can I not speak my mind? You speak yours....I was definitely not trying to put your opinion down.<<

You blatantly stated "take blue's opinion with a grain of salt" so if that's not a put-down I don't know what is. I've tried not to marginalize your opinion (and failed at times), but I take exception to someone off-handedly dismissing my views as less worthy. We've got our opinions on the car's subjective qualities. The actual quality of the Jetta is not however subjective as it consistently ranks in the middle of the pack (used to rank at the bottom, so there's been improvement).

>>But, when someone makes such an incorrect statement, I feel someone should state the truth is all.<<

Truth = Jetta has poor to average reliability. Opinion from Justin = Jetta is a good, reliable, fun car. Opinion from Karl = Jetta has one outstanding quality in its 1.8T engine, and some nice perks for interior feel and a sense of safety (I was in a pretty major accident in the golf platform) but on the whole it's a dismal vehicle that I would never suggest any person buy.

sarah233

you said your manual 1.8T was at 4000 RPMs for 85-90, right?

I checked mine last night, and it was 3400 at 85.

justin

our definitions are different. personally, i think the Accord is a very good performer. it handles quite well for a $20k four door sedan. can't speak for the Camry - don't drive them.

at the end of the day, the Jetta is a VOLKSWAGEN. the facts are plain - what it does, it does well. the people that buy it, obviously like it. you are the exception. most buyers know this is modest car - a VW of all things. i don't expect it to be a BMW. most people buy something they want and like. why you didn't buy something that handled better is beyond me. you mention, constantly, that all these cool mags say that VW reliability stinks. guess what, they have ALWAYS said that!! even before you bought yours. again, why buy it if you know the car is going to fail you miserably. i know, i know, misery loves company, but, there are others out there that deserve to know the facts about the Jetta. you have yours, i have mine.

and again, if you took my comment as rude, sorry you feel that way. you should notice the little at the end of my sentence that mentioned your name. all i was saying was you have a history of whining and complaining about the same old stuff, and that a newcomer here should take that into consideration. question why you cry about it so much, yet still keep the car. you have your reasons.....

i certainly did not mean to upset you. i apologize.

blueguydotcom

Is yours a manual or a tip? Also is it a 2002 or 2001 1.8T?

blueguydotcom

No problem. I wasn't fishing for an apology. Sorry if it came off that way.

As I've stated a billion times, I looked for a car for over a year. The Jetta was the best trade-off I could find for performance, comfort, reliablity, etc. I knew going in that it would probably be a bad car, thus the extended warranty, but I crossed my fingers hoping I'd be one of the lucky ones like you. It didn't pan out. As for the handling, I've stated time and again I didn't push past 50 mph on the 270 degree sweeping on-ramps to the freeway because salesguys always whine. In the future, I will certainly flog the hell out of a car before buying it, knowing now that I don't care how much they complain I'm gonna push my purchase to the apex of its abilities. I didn't with my Jetta, my bad. I thought the car had more than it showed on the test drives. It didn't. That was pretty much the limit. BTW if the WRX had come with a decent interior or even leather, that woulda been my purchase. Alas, the Scooby didn't feel like a 25k car, more like a 10k car, so I went with my second option, the more luxurious, punchy-engined Jetta.

Anakin

blueguy, I know we've talked about the suspension many times before, but I think your posts come across like the suspension has some inherent faults. The suspension in the Jetta does what it was designed to do. It performs to its design specs.

Now, it's not what you and I like, but I think it meets most peoples' requirements. When I talk about upgrading the suspension, my wife says she doesn't understand why. That's because she just steers the car to her destination. There's no passion or enjoyment in her driving.

Anyway - you make it sound like the Jetta has bad components in its suspension... which it doesn't. It just has components that you find to be too soft. I think this is an important distinction to make for those who may be unfamiliar with your issues. :^)

blueguydotcom

I see where you're coming from. but if someone asks me about my Jetta, I'd be disingenuine if I didn't comment that the car handles poorly due to an archaic suspension design and cheap components. The person can make further inquiries as to what is a car with good handling or that person can just nod and assume I'm right. My feeling is, if you don't test things yourself, you'll never know for certain. Everybody and their mother praises the IS300 for its handling but I found the car dull, unresponsive, nearly immobile and an all around bore to drive. If I believed the car mags, the IS300 is a razor-sharp little buggy that can do battle with the vaunted 3 series. To my senses, the IS300 can't even hold a candle to a 323i with a sports suspension.

sarah233

it's a 2002 manual 1.8T.

justin

i thought the IS300 felt Miata-esque compared to the 2002 325Ci with sport suspension and 17" wheels. The Lex was a little too responsive for me....I guess I am used to VW's, cause the Lexus turned if I THOUGHT about turning the wheel The BMW is good, but I am still not used to the sensation of having to turn the wheel back to the "head on" position. My VW fights me the whole way when I turn the wheel. The BMW doesn't, and it requires me to turn the wheel again. Very strange.

Consider yourself lucky, BLUE, that you didn't get the WRX. Wait two years until they make the car even remotely attractive

blueguydotcom

Sarah, the extra power may have solved some of the issues then. At 85 mph in my 2001 1.8T manual my tach is hovering at 4k RPM.

Justin, I like the exterior of the Rex. It's distinctive, hard, somewhat aggressive and definitely polarizing. BTW, I love Miatas (often consider one for a second car as it's the perfect spring/summer cruiser). The snick-snick of the shifter, the handling, the sun, the wind...ahhh.

justin

you don't have to sell me on Miatas. they are what a car should be - fun, reliable, economical, easy to park and drive, and topless, not to mention great looking in a classic way! i have almost bought one on numerous occasions. always chicken out. maybe one day i will get the nerve to do it.

vocus

Oh come on, just go out and get that Miata to make yourself happy. Isn't that what you always tell us?

I want an IS300 for my next car. I like them alot. My best friend is about to get a job with Toyota Financial Services, so I might be able to lease a car at a discount. He said for employees there, they get to lease a car at a 40% discount! Imagine that, I would love it!

justin

don't say that. next time you hear from me, i might not belong in this board anymore. i can hear the cheers now with weather like this, who wouldn't want a droptop?

The IS300's are nice. If they can fix the tail-lights, it would be near perfect.

I washed my Jetta today. Nice and clean. I like that window washing liquid that VW sent - it really doesn't streak I was going through my glovebox and found my sticker - my car, without sport suspension or big wheels was MSRP'd at 23500! Crazy! Yours must have been like $25k. And we don't even have the GLX. Ouch. For $5k more you could have a IS300. Apparently they are such slow sellers, that Lexus is offering deep discounts.

Food for thought

vocus

My car MSRPd for $24,675 with everything that I got in it. I paid $23,900 for it. I couldn't have afforded a Lexus because I had too much negative equity on the Protege that I traded. I could have held on to that car for a couple years, but why when I really wanted a Jetta anyway?

I need to use that stuff that VW sent. I have not done it yet. Since I put so much mileage on my car (10,600 miles as of now), it seems that it's time for the 5K service when it gets really dirty, and the dealer washes and details it. I take it somewhere and get it done mostly, because I live in the city and there's just no place to wash the car on my street.

I like the IS300, but I am going to get something cheap next time (in about 3 years when I refinance my house). Tired of having a high car payment, so something under $15K (more than likely 1 year old) will have to suffice. I really like those new Matris though, but not ready for a new car yet.

blueguydotcom

Man, you can pick those up cheap. Last time I looked a dealer wanted to sell me a loaded 35k model for 29k!

Not my bag though. Not as lively feeling as I'd like.

Hey, my swaybar is supposed to arrive either today or Monday!!!!

teo

In despite of all the hoopla about the IS300, it is a very overpriced car for what you get. Dealers are having a very tough time selling these things even at invoice prices. Not a bad car, but I would rather wait for the next gen IS300.

If I were to spend $29K+ on a new car, I would give the BMW 325i sedan a serious look.

Besides, if you are used to the "VW high quality interior" moving to the IS300 will prove to be dissapointing in this area. The IS300 is a $30K car with a very cheap interior and upholstery. The dashboard layout is cool (I like it) it has a terrific stereo, but the plastics are what you would expect to find in a base Corolla.

justin

i must respectfully disagree with the comment on the cheap Lexus interior. I think those suede seats and the instrument panel are reason enough to buy the car especially those seats....love them.

if the IS300 could pull a jetski, it would be even better. it is RWD, it should be able to. VW always says my Jetta can't pull anything due to the fact that FWD cars are set up for anything like that. not sure if i believe them, but they say it would void my warranty

blackjetta18t1

i'm with teo on the IS300

nschulman3

I leased a IS300 sportcross last month. I traded in my 2000 audi TT (too many little niggling problems and the car had been stolen last year and was never the same). I looked at a number of cars. Since i was leasing, I didn't care about the sticker price, only monthly payments. I lookes at and drove the new A4 1.8, (used to own one) the jag x-type, the beetle turbo s, the acura t-l type s and the jetta 1.8t. It is true that you can get a great lease deal on an is 300 because the price was only about $40.00 a month more than a jetta 1.8. I really like the leather in the jetta and i have an affection for german cars, but i really wanted rear wheel drive. My other car is a subaru wrx sedan 5 speed, so i am not worried about winter driving and i am tired of torque steer on relativley high-powered front wheel drivers. There is nothing like a good handling rear wheel drive car with a smooth 6 cylinder, although the 1.8 is a great engine in its own right. My wife had so many problems withnher 1999 new beetle that we were worried about reliabilty with the jetta. That being said, it is a good car for the money, assuming you're lucky enough to avoid the reliabilty issues. By the way, the is 300 handles extremely well, IMO.

mpgman

The 2.0 and 1.8T automatics and manuals? Some people complain about VW's mpgs for the gassers, but others, like an earlier poster, claim 32 average. I'd like to know mpgs for straight 65-70 highway cruising, as well as city/suburban. Thanks.

baronsdaddy

Ya'll, let me tell you this is the 1st car (bar none) that I've not had to take to a dealer for an adjustment or repair...great for everything I need it for. BUT the brakes are worn out at 30K....Does anyone have any OBJECTIVE information to share with me about this?Should I attempt to negotiate with the dealer? The dealer has been great with the oil changes and car washes. Should I let them fix the brakes or go with an aftermarket brand? and most importantly, what's a fair price to pay per axle? Thanks!!!!