Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

vocus

L is top line. This is not an L though, it's just a AWD automatic with the power moonroof, Option Pkg., keyless entry, and roof rack. Pretty nice ride, but not alot of power (I am used to 180hp though). Fuel economy isn't too much worse than the Jetta 1.8T I have, and the AWD works well (I went through a construction site here at work to test it). I am 6'3 and 270lbs. and it's very comfortable and roomy for me to drive. Like the idea of not having to stoop down into a car though, very easy to get in/out of. Handling isn't bad either. Only thing I would improve is acceleration, but that's always the case with me.

To keep this post on topic, I have a question. Who wants to volunteer to come to Md. and help me install my rear sway bar for my 1.8T when I get it? I also want the GLX lights for it too. We shall see this summer what happens.

protege_fan

Where does the rear sway bar go? In the trunk? Or is it under the car?

protege_fan

Thanks for the info. Does VW also make you buy packages? Or is it more of a "I'll take this option, this option, don't want that..etc"? I really hate how Toyota (and to a lesser extent Honda) makes you buy certain packages. Makes it really pricey to get what you want.

vocus

In the Jetta, you pretty much have to get the Luxury Pkg. if you want leather (I think). Other than that, everything is pretty much a'la carte.

The rear sway bar is part of the rear suspension. It goes under the car, of course.

protege_fan

Thanks....I've seen some that go inside the car...along the floor of the rear seats...can't remember what car it was for though.

blueguydotcom

The Neuspeed swaybar goes under the car, getting a tighter connection between the two rear wheels. From behind it's barely obvious - you see two red rods under the back wheels' suspension setup - most of the swaybar's up further under the car affixed to the axle. A friend after driving behind me noticed it and when we got to the restaurant she asked, "So those little red things under your car are the swaybar thing you put in?"

protege_fan

FWIW, I think you asked about a bulge in your tires awhile back...I just read this in a Consumer's Reports...
"Tire Trouble
-Bulges or blisters. These signal potential weak spots that could lead to tire failure."

Sorry, they didn't have more

coolwhite

What is the part # for the Neuspeed rear anti-sway bar you installed on your Jetta WE? The Neuspeed distributor in Canada quoted me a cost of $500. Cdn. ($309. US). Just want to make sure they are ordering the correct bar. Thanks!

blueguydotcom

Neuspeed's part # is 25.10.28.8.

Check vortex for info as some guys suggest a few sites with incredible prices. I think one guy even mentioned getting his swaybar for the same price as the group buy paid.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=307586

8u6hfd

Like Toyota, VW basically makes you buy option packages for the most part.

The Luxury package, usually includes a sunroof + alloy wheels or monsoon system.
Leather (package) is stand alone, but requires the luxury package (I believe).
Cold Weather Package is heated seats and windshield washer nozzles.
Monsoon stereo tends to be a stand alone option.

Basically 3 main option packages, then stand alone options.

OPtion packages makes it cheaper for the manufacturer to produce.

In honda's case, they tend to not have options, only dealer installed accessories.

vocus

And Honda also charges you an arm and 6 legs for options as well. I saw a Civic awhile back with dealer installed AC (when they didn't come with it, like in 1999 or so) for $1495. For air coniditioning! That's crazy.

8u6hfd

Buying a Honda (not Acura) from the factory usually means no options can be included. Back when the Civic CX & DX (Hatchback) models didn't come with A/C (from the factory), it became a delear installed accessory. There's a difference between factory option & dealer-installed accessory.

The VW 6-disc CD changer isn't really a "factory option", only a dealer-installed accessory, and yes the dealership does hose you also.

That's how I differentiate "options" from "dealer-installed accessories".

justin

three or four GLS jettas, hubcaps and everything, with leather. I think you can get leather without luxury.

vocus

I know you can in the Passat, but I didn't think you could with the Jetta. Maybe you can.

target3

I called my local VW service department. They had not heard a thing about different recommended octane in cold weather climates. But they did confirm that premium (higher octane) fuel was recommended.

vocus

Recommended, but not required. I ran regular in my 1.8T before, and it's fine. It lowers the mileage by about 1mpg, but that's not a big deal. With gas at $1.60 a gallon for premium here in Md., I will be using regular come summer thank you.

blueguydotcom

I always marvel at the 2.0s with hubcaps and leather. So odd to think someone would pay 20k for a car with plastic wheel covers and no power. To each his own.

vocus

I know, I don't understand that concept either. I had a loaner 2.0 Jetta automatic once, and it sucked big time. No power at all, and it used the same or more gas than my 1.8T does. Makes no sense.

I see Jetta GLs in the paper in Maryland all the time for like $14,999 and stuff like that. Now I think the 2.0 GL is a great value at that price.

sarah233

i hate potholes!

blueguy, i know....to see the 2.0s with all the goodies seems silly to me, like it's not a *real* jetta.

justin

people do like the leather, but without the sunroof. i know people (my mom) who is petrified of sunroofs. bad experiences from the old days when they would leak.

vocus

I agree with you. When I went shopping for my Jetta, I decided I was going to get the 1.8T right off. I knew I wanted the sunroof and alloy wheels, and that was it. Then I liked the leather when I drove the car, so I added that. Then they did not have a 2002 with the "new" cassette/CD radio on the lot but the one I have with the Sport Luxury Pkg., 17 inch wheels, and Monsoon. I am glad I got it though, because I like it alot now.

vocus

My mother always said about a sunroof leaking. I have never had that problem, and have had a sunroof in the last 3 cars I have had. Of course, these were all new cars too (1999 or newer). Maybe they leak sometimes when old? I don't know.

protege_fan

Vocus, do you remember if the the 2.0L Jetta takes regular or premium? Just curious.

vocus

Yeah, they all take regular actually. You are RECOMMENDED to use Premium with all engines by the owner's manual though, which is a CROCK. When I saw that they recommended Premium for the 2.0 is when I started using regular in my 1.8T.

sarah233

i didn't want the sport lux originally, but it was the only manual transmission 1.8T on the lot. in LA, it's also hard to find a 1.8T w/leather without the monsoon, which i also didn't want. but, i REALLY had to have the 1.8T, and i was offered a great deal.

i'm glad i got the sport lux/monsoon. the friend i went with to buy it told me it really was better to get the sport lux anyway (said it would handle better), and i just said OK. but NOW whenever i see a car with 15s, i'm like, ew, look how small the tires are! i NEVER used to care about any of that stuff. i told my friend i was happy in my ignorance before, and he's ruined me and turned me into a car snob. oh well. : )

protege_fan

Thanks for the info...personally, I'd be inclined to stick to the manufacturer's recommendation...I wonder if there's some long term disadvantage to using regular vs. premium?

vocus

I know what you mean. I did extensive research before getting the Jetta. I have lusted after one since the 1999.5 models came out. I have had several friends tell me not to get the VW because of reliability problems. I just had to have one though. So I finally got it.

Once I saw the 17" wheels on the Jetta (my co-worker has a GLX), I liked them alot. And since the suspension does make it handle better, I decided to get it. Also, the Monsoon sounds great and I wanted the combo radio too. Lastly, I wanted my car that day and did not want to wait for another one (Blue Lagoon) to come in. I am glad I got what I got though.

vocus

In the owner's manual, it says 93 is RECOMMENDED but you can use 87. If there are any long term problems, I have a 60K powertrain warranty that will take care of it. I am not really worried about it, personally.

protege_fan

Sure...it's your car. I know nothing about long term tests like that, but I was totally curious. The cars I've had experience with only needed regular, so I have no idea.

8u6hfd

115 hp hp engine
"The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unleaded regular grade gasoline with a minimum octane rating of 87 AKI (CLC) or 91 RON (ROZ)."

174 hp and 180 hp engines
" The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unleaded premium grade gasoloine with a minimum octane rating of 91 AKI (CLC) or 95 RON (ROZ"

page 3.2.4

justin

uh oh.

don't be too snobby about your cars/wheels. i personally could NEVER have 17" wheels as I think they look too aftermarket ghetto on such a small car. might as well be driving a dropped Civic with a huge tail. my "little" 15" alloys are just classy and functional. also, makes my car not look like it is trying too hard to be something that it is not.

getting my windows tinted really soon. if not this weekened, then next. will post pics when it is done.

see, i have only heard not-so-good things about the monsoon.....so what gives? does it compete with the harmon-kardon, or not? i don't have monsoon on my cd/cassette combo, but it sounds fine to me. not any worse than the BMW 325Ci Harmon system.

sarah233

"lusting after" is a good way to describe how i felt about the jettas when the 99.5 model came out! i'm glad i waited though. it's all good...

protege_fan

Sorry to be posting all over your guys' forum, but I'm interested in the car, even if I won't be getting one anytime soon....
What's the difference between the stock stereo and the monsoon upgrade? Vocus, you drove both the 2.0 (I'm guessing w/out monsoon) and your 1.8T w/ monsoon...how do they compare?

Anakin

most of the people I have heard complain about the monsoon are people who would buy an aftermarket stereo anyway. Mine is great. It has plenty of bass and sounds good to my ear. Plus, I don't have to worry about anyone breaking in to steal my stereo. :^)

sarah233

what exactly the differences are (monsoon vs. non), but my co-worker who has a 2000 golf GLS with the regular stereo was jealous of me after he rode in my car. He said monsoon really was better, but i don't know why.

i like the sound, but i have some issues with the way it operates. i wish the steering wheel controls could scan through the preset radio stations, and i also wish they would fast forward and rewind CDs instead of just changing the track. on my civic, i was able to push the power button and turn the radio off, but still pop in and play a CD. the radio would be off when I ejected the CD and it wouldn't blare any music. with the jetta, when i turn the radio off the whole thing is off, and i have to turn it back on again to stick in a CD. this sucks, in my opinion. these are the only things that bug me about my car.

vocus

That's cool. These forums are for learning purposes, right?

I drove a 2.0/automatic as a loaner after I had already bought my 1.8T. I knew what I wanted when I went to the dealer, but the Monsoon I ended up getting extra. I am glad I got it, because I like to open the windows and sunroof when it's warm and turn the radio up. In my previous car (2001 Protege ES) the radio could not handle high volume. I blew it two times, and it was about to go a third time but I traded the car in.

The 2.0 is a total dog to me, and its mileage is about the same as the 1.8T as well. So why not upgrade? The stock stereo (the 2.0 had this one) is not too bad, but I hate the control layout on it. The buttons are way too small (I have not seen the combo radio in stock form yet, but guess it's the same "format" as the Monsoon radio). I ended up getting Monsoon because the dealer was going to charge me $350 for a CD player anyway in the "older" 2002 I was looking at. So I figure, why not get the Monsoon? I had one issue where the fuse went crazy or something, and I had to take it to the dealer. Other than that, nothing but crisp rich sound (though it could use more bass).

vocus

I wish the steering wheel controls would scan the presets too. I would actually prefer it to do that, than scan all stations. Also, I noticed the CD player doesn't work when the unit's off. Mine is never off anyway, so it's not a problem for me. I like being able to turn on the radio in the car without the key. You all know it will run for one hour, then shut off automatically, right? I think that's really cool, because you can listen to the radio when detailing the car or whatever and not have to have the key on and draining the battery.

justin

i agree with you that the GL is a good value with the 2.0. You still get 8 airbags, 4 wheel disc ABS brakes, 8 speaker stereo cassette, a/c, all standard. what else can you buy for 15k with all that, plus the warranty and style and crash test scores, not to mention blue lights, free of charge? NOTHING, thats what! Just keep the automatic out of the equation, and even the 115 hp feels more than the 127hp $17K Civic 4 doors.

sarah233

i heard something about that.....i'll try it next time i'm cleaning the leather.

vocus

I am actually trying to talk a friend of my late mother's into buying a Jetta the next time she gets a car. She doesn't really drive that much (has a 1994, bought new, with 60K on it now), and doesn't need all the features that come with the GLS models. The GL would be perfect for her. Also, she thinks her 2.0 Sunbird (1994, like I said) has great power. She would love the 2.0!

blueguydotcom

Wow. Personally, I think it's a sin for any car to come with wheels smaller than 16s. But I demand different things of my car.

vocus

I think it should be the owner's opinion of what he/she wants on the car. Maybe Justin thinks it looks ghetto. I personally think it looks kinda dumb to have the 15s because the wheel wells look "empty".

On another wheel issue, I have scraped TWO of my 17" rims on the curb (I live on a small city street, and if you are out too far when parking you will loose a mirror in a second). I am really mad about scraping my wheels though! Do the 15s scrape easily on the curb or not? I know the design of the 17s kinda flares out, and that's why I keep nicking them.

I need to get to a wheel shop and get the two wheels refinished or something. Will do that this summer sometime. I also wanna add that swaybar to my car. Oh yeah, thanks for the part # Blue.

sarah233

well, if my 17s are ghetto, i be in there. : )

maybe 19s with chrome rims are ghetto, but not 17s. i also don't think that the car is trying to be something it's not--that's the way it came. it's not like i modded it to be that way.

personally, (now that my "eyes have been opened", of course) i think the 15s look too small. there's just too much space between the wheel and the car. to each his own, i guess.

vocus

I wanted the 15s initially, but now when I see a Jetta with 15s, it does look like there's too much room between the tire and the wheelwell.

Most Jettas seem to be VR6s that I see anyway, so they come with the 16s standard. I just hate the wheel design though.

You can tell which model is which by wheels almost. I know you can tell which engine the car has (almost). The 15s are 2.0 or 1.8T models, the 16s are VR6 GLS or GLX models, and the 17s are GLXs (VR6) or 1.8Ts like ours.

Most Jettas I have seen lately are TDIs though. Maybe it's got to do with the price of gas going up and down. I don't know. But diesel is more expensive than regular gas is, around my way at least.

colorado_kid

Okay, all of this wheel talk... I have a question for everyone. Any good advice on keeping your Jetta's wheels clean? I have the 16s and I hate that after a few stop and go trips around town they are dirty with brake dust. Anyone tried the "Kleen Wheels" wheel inserts to prevent build-up? I have heard conflicting things on their effects on the braking system. I know another "solution" would be to switch to a low-dust brake pad....

blueguydotcom

Say a VW Jetta looks like a 4 X 4 before lowering and especially with 15s. Heck, I have 16 inch BBS wheels (which I'm considering selling as the sidewall's too large for the car to handle) and the gap between my fender and the rubber is huge.

8u6hfd

After the wheels are cleaned, a coat of wax helps.

justin

i thought my comment would get some responses. someone says, "ewww, look how small the 15" wheels are", and of course, my opposite opinion is questioned....:) so it goes in here. that is why i pass the time in here during work i just happen to think that 17" on an econo-sports-lux sedan is a bit too much. our wheelbase doesn't even crack 100"....not dissing anyone for having 17's on their car. but what amazes me is that you get these "wheel snobs" in their Civics, Cavaliers, Hyundais, Integras, etc that have ridiculous wheels on their car, but my car with little donuts is still 100 times better, faster, and just plain nicer. not that Sarah or Paul's isn't nice - they do have Jetta's after all I am saying that the stigma that comes with 17", aftermarket looking wheels, is just a little much for me. that is all To someone that is not familiar with a Jetta Turbo, they might think that 17"'s are kind of wannabe..

i have and am still considering the lowering of the car to make up for some of the space in the wheel well, but there is a fine line there...i am afraid to cross it. next thing you know i will be getting racing stripes, a spoiler, chrome wheels, and blue lights running along the outside of the car.....don't ever want anyone to think that i am that person, or that i am even trying to be that person, with an "incomplete" project car. i love that - when i see a car with TWO chrome mags, and two stock tires. like they couldn't afford all four.....cracks me up everytime.

BLUE - you can do what you want, but to me, you have the BEST looking wheels, on any car, period. I love those BBS WE wheels.....love em love em love em!!

vocus

I always seem to have some brake dust on my wheels, but not that much (mine is a 2002). Colorado_kid, what year is your Jetta? My co-worker has a 2000 model, and his wheels are always covered in dust as well. Maybe they changed the brake pad type for 2001 or something.

vocus

The BBSs are not all that. They are nice wheels though. I wouldn't be selling them, as that's most of what distinguishes the WE models.

You cracked me up when you said about the Civics with 2 alloy wheels and 2 stock tires. I saw one like that last night on the road!