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Comments
God Bless,
Larry
We can go to the Comparisons Board to arg... er, discuss the merits of the Jetta vs. the Protege.
We SHOULD be able to feel free to say what we want here in a dedicated discussion without having to endure attacks. This is just as true here as it is in the Protege discussion.
If someone who owns a Jetta thinks the Miata is the only Mazda vehicle worth considering, SO WHAT??
Maybe over in the BMW 7-Series they are trashing - or who knows, PRAISING - the Protege all over the place. So what? These folks have made different choices than you folks who chose Proteges. That does not make them wrong and you right, it simply means that our different personalities, needs and desires make the world go around.
To those of you who own Proteges and who apparently are hanging out here looking to pick a fight, please STOP it!!!
Let these folks talk as peacefully and vociferously as you do in the Protege discussion.
Everyone needs to go back to their respective corners and worry about their own vehicles and their own thoughts, and stop cross-arguing this Protege/Jetta thing within the dedicated discussions of the two vehicles.
I'm going to have to start removing these posts if they continue, I guess - I didn't think it would have to come to that.
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
Venus - The Tiptronic and 1.8T is a great combo, it really is. Like all VW automatics, it still has that half-second delay from D to R or vice versa, but you get used to it.
And, yes, the MPG's in the 1.8t have been, for me anyway, much better than my VR6. Guess that is what 8 more valves and 1 liter less displacement will do...:)
The point I was making was that it looks like Mazda might be finally taking this car-making business seriously with the new 6 and RX-8. Aside from the Miata, they really have done nothing spectacular in recent times. The Protege seems to handle well, but they half-a*'d the car in the engine department. Also, they had the Protege looking right in 1999 with the new generation - then they went and got all Pontiac on us and revised it.....WHY? Why are car makers so afraid to use a little restraint in exterior design?
There, no more Mazda talk from me in the Jetta department.
Except that I still love the Miata, and I have seen pics of the new prototype Miatas, and they are making a big mistake.......WHY is Ford letting them do it????? I better get one soon....
Dinu
Sorry no good news
I also have heard that Silicone Spray works great too. However, this requires repeated applications. Just spray it onto a soft rag and rub it onto both the top of the door and the gasket.
Good luck with the '02. BTW, are they giving it to you with the complete 4yr/48K warranty?
And even if you do have a rattle, don't despair. I had one in the dash, and two dealers (including my "selling" one) could not find it. I took it to a 3rd dealer, and they found it right away and fixed it. They also gave me a free loaner two different times because they had to diagnose the problem then order parts. And it wasn't a smelly crappy loaner either, it came from Budget car rental both times (one Echo, one Maxima SE).
So even if you do have a problem, what says they can not fix the car? And I will tell you ahead of time, a car with leather is going to have more "sounds" in general than one with cloth. This is what I have found out, at least. There are "rubbing" sounds of the leather sometimes in my car (dealer said anyway, and said it was normal). Only when cornering hard and stuff (your clothes rubbing on the seat), but it's not loud or annoying.
He said he was going to wait until his Pro was paid off maybe, and get a Jetta or A4. We shall see though. I figure, you still will pay a car payment, right? Why wait and pay 4-5 years on a car you intend to trade anyway? Get the car now, pay a little more per month, and enjoy it NOW!
And this is not meant to be one of those "Jetta vs. Protege" things either, so don't anyone (including the host) go off about this post of mine. It was just a friend's opinion and mine, that's it.
They should be able to answer your question and a lot more. Hope this helps.
For all you squeakers out there, my 2000 GLS makes no unwanted noises at all. I have 23,000 on it.
My Toyota Sienna blew an injector, so we had to drive almost 900 miles to Akron in the Jetta. Two kids in booster seats, wife and dog. The dog just for the first 280 miles, and had to sit up front because she's big. Dog loved the heated seats! Wife hated being cramped in back between two car seats. Trunk was loaded to the gills.
After dropping of the dog at Mom's, we put a new RCA VCP/TV unit in back for the kids. It sits on the seat between them and has a flip up LCD screen. Worked great - you can't travel with two preschoolers without movies! I sent the power cable between the seats into the trunk outlet. With a max load we still got 33 mpg on the highway. When my in-laws saw all our luggage piled up in their living room, they couldn't believe it all fit in the Jetta's trunk! What a great car!
Never had better customer service before, and (ironically) my first Protege (the 1999 DX I had) came from the same exact dealer. Amazing how much a step up in customer service you get by buying the VW at the same dealer. I was not treated this well when I took the Mazda there before.
The wheel in the A4 extends a little further than the one in my Jetta, which is a blessing because I have really long legs.
I sure wish I could afford the new A4. I really like the interior and the new bodystyle.
Picked up my new car on Monday as planned and I'm LOVING it. The 1.8t is incredible, it's actually quieter, silkier and smoother than the vr6. It's amazing all the improvements VW has made to the jetta from the nov 2001 (as in model year, picked up my first jetta in nov 2000) jetta to the march 2002 jetta. I include the months because of all the constant "running" changes VW makes. The new cloth seats are no longer lint collecters like the old "rib" styled seats.
and (justin, you'll love this) VW has posted a bulletin to its dealers indicating that they NOW recommend using 87 octane gas for the 1.8t. premium gas can actually be harmful in cold climates (that's me, wisconsin boy). In warmer weather it's ok to use the premium gas if you want to get that little extra thrust at high rpms. It even states on my gas cap to use 87/91. but is the engine still rated at 180 bhp with regular gas. if you can get this little extra power using premuim, you would think not.
I just bought a 2002 Jetta GLX, Galactic Blue, Beige Leather, and 17" wheels. This car has the new 200hp motor. I seriously debated between the 1.8T and this new motor. In the end, I didn't care for a turbocharged car and preferred the smoother power delivery of the 6 cylinder motor. This is my first VW after a few BMWs.
I did get the 0.9% financing and bought the car for $26,012 + tax.
The Audi A4 is on a different platform, I think on the "B" platform (correct me if I wrong)
So in summary A4 Jetta is the Mark 4 Jetta, built on the A4 platform.
Many audi TT parts (including rims) are interchangeable.
My other option would be to go for the aftermarket suspension mods, exhaust, 17" wheels and engine chip.
The improvements for 2002 (most being the warranty) is what made me decide to buy the Jetta finally. I have lusted after once since they decuted as 1999.5 models, and I finally got it. And if you think trading a 2001 on a 2002 is frivolous, try buying a 2001 and trading it in 8 months later. I just saw the car on the way to the grocery store one day on the dealer's lot. I came home with a new car and the groceries. My dad came to help me take stuff out, and he was like, "where's your car?". I said, "right there", and pointed to the Jetta? He was like, "you bought a new car when you went shopping for groceries? Didn't they have hamburger?".
I went on VW's website, which still recommends premium fuel for both 1.8T and VR6. With all the testing that they do, I find it hard to believe that all of a sudden, they would say "watch out in cold climates."
as far as the octane thing goes, these aren't nascar or grand prix engines....i would worry about tire pressure before octane ratings. i know that turbo work extremely efficiently in cold weather - the extra octane in 93 gas could cause problems.
I you could buy cars in the checkout isle of the grocery store, I'd probably buy one every month!
I was going to try to mod the Protege, but it was difficult to do (for the engine it was, because I had automatic) and would have cost about $5000. So I decided to take that money and get the Jetta instead.
Also, my mother passed away in January 2001. She worked for 30 years at Hair Cuttery, where she made it all the way to Regional Coordinator. She always said she wanted to go on vacation, get a new car, yadda yadda yadda. She died in her sleep at the age of 53. I decided on that day that I was not going to sit around and say what I wanted or was going to do, I was going to do it. Live for the day, because there might not be a tomorrow.
I had taken my wife's Accord to get its oil changed, and the VW dealer is right next door to the Honda dealer. I walked over and decided to test drive the 02 Jetta because I had heard about the increased power for 2002. Once I took the car out and felt the torquey 1.8T it was all over. My Honda was smooth and reliable, but as exciting as dry toast.
So I talked to the sales manager and he offered a reasonable amount below MSRP for a new-model-year car, with 5.9% for 60mo.
I called my wife and we decided to get the Jetta. Traded in my 98 Accord V6 Coupe. We both love the Jetta. We're planning to take a road trip in June down highway 101 and stay in B&B's along the way.
fischda: you can read post #4238 for my explanation (or justification to myself) of getting a 2002 jetta.
target3: you can contact your service department to confirm the bulletin.
vocus: yep, you're correct.
I own a 99 Mercury Cougar V6 MTX. When I was car shopping back in 99 I really wanted a Jetta with a VR6. Then I noticed that the Passat 1.8T cost less AND had comparable performance figures.
Test drove the Passat and loved it, however, when it came down to buying time it was still more than I wanted to spend at the time. I remember wishing that VW offered the 1.8T in the Jetta...then I could have afforded it.
A few months after buying the Cougar the 2000 Jetta's come out with the 1.8T! Man was I upset.
Don't get me wrong, I like the Cougar. One of the reasons I bought it was that it really had a European feel to it, and it had great looks and performance I wanted...but it wasn't the Jetta.
I love the teutonic style dash, the blue and red lights (my buddy owns a 98 528i, and I really believe the Jetta's interior looks just as good as the BMW's).
Now, I have 2 years left on the Cougar...I am considering trading it in when I get back to the states and buying a Jetta. My only concerns now are the high mileage on the Cougar, and my less than stellar credit.
If I can get approved through my bank I will try to buy a Jetta, if not...it will just be a couple of more years with the Cougar.
Hopefully, within a year or so, I will be driving in a silver Jetta 1.8T with tiptronic, leather seats, and monsoon. (I am debating Monsoon, most reviews haven't been favorable).
Take care,
I really wanted to test drive the Subaru WRX! What a sweet rally car! I'd just get myself in trouble, though. I throw the Jetta around and speed too much as it is!
Are you saying that "GLI" is a misprint?
The GLI is the new sport-oriented Jetta.
Anakin, I know you got the front sway bar. Did it go on in addition to the one that's on there, or was it the strut bar you got? Just wondering.
I pick up my car today though, and can't wait to get back behind the wheel of my 1.8T and get that engine spinning.
I got mine through a group buy on Vortex. That's usually the cheapest way to get items like that.
Umm...to keep this on Jetta topic, the passenger side mirror of my g/f's '91 Jetta fell off. What's funny is that the words "Objects in mirror appear closer" is actually printed on the plastic that the mirror is supposed to be stuck to! We took her car one night and I looked at the mirror and thought that it was just dirty, but when I rolled down the window to clean it, the mirror was not there!! Too funny at the time. Now the driver mirror is shaking itself loose! I think some silicon should fix it fairly easily though.
The options become pricey though.
Nice car inside and out.
I'd go with Package C or D with the RAV4.