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Comments
i lost about $2k terminating my lease early. no more leasing for me, too big of a penalty if you want to get another car before the lease ends.
did your loaner car have the "rib" pattern seats? the new seat fabric is one of those running changes for 2002. so there are 2002's out there with the earlier seat fabric. my new beige seats look great and they don't collect lint.
in general:
comparing the jetta 1.8t to the civic is just silly. just as it is with the protege. the only thing the jetta has in common with those cars is size. the jetta has more in common with the accord/camry in terms of refinement and quality feel. i went from an accord to a jetta and if i would get another honda, it would an Accord (maybe the redesigned accord in a couple of years). but in two years, the new jetta will be out and i may be smitten with that car. it's suppose to gain some serious rear seat room.
i'm still on cloud 9 with my jetta. i really love the turbo engine (except for the turbo lag in some circumstances). it revs slightly higher at highway speed, but it's still quieter than the vr6. amazing little engine. the "swish" sound is intoxicating. will the revenue collecters understand this though?
you are correct in your assumption. You would just be responsible to pay the $500 diffenence. All a finance company is worried about is getting all the money for the car just as if it were a purchase. I have leased two vehicles in the past 4 years, one I walked away from after turning it in one month early, the other I payed about $5,500 to turn in about 9 months early. I am still paying for that since I took a loan out to do it. It was a tricky situation, my ex wife had the car and was suppose to be paying on it. When she didn't I had to take the car back. I turned it in early since the lease payment was $450, well, it cost me $3500 to payoff the lease and another $2150 in excess mileage and wear and tear that she put on it. Fortunately I had it written in the divorce papers that she is responsible for that so she ended up paying me $1750 for mileage. I am still working on the payoff of the lease.
I saw the new G35, and really do not see the hype. It looks like the new Altima with different headlamps and taillamps, but nothing special to me. They tried to copy the Passat a little in the Altima (rear window and quarter), but messed up bad on the light treatments (totally ugly to me).
And yes, I am enjoying my car BUT...I'm considering three options now that I'm in escrow on a house. I can hold off 6 months or so and pick up a G35 Coupe (egad that car's amazing...275+ hp, xenon, etc) or right now VW has 3.9 for 60 months on 1.8Ts. I can get rid of my 01 WE, pick up a 180 HP 2002 manual with the 17s and LEATHER on a loan, pay the same amount as I do now. I've realized with the sway on my Jetta I am totally loving driving it, but now I thirst for more power and 17s. Lastly, I can go whole hog fun and pick up a WRX.
Decisions, decisions. Plus, I'm considering law school for the fall and I'd like to be into a normal loan before then so I don't end a lease in the midst of school.
I think the G35 looks fine enough in the front. From the back it looks very humpback-ish.
I can appreciate others trying to make their cars more Passat-ish, but there is a reason the Passat looks so good - it is called restraint! These other car makers should learn it.
I still think the best looking sedan is the E-Class. Hands down. Ages beautifully.
the G35 coupe looks pretty nice. Once they spruce up the interior a bit, it will be good to go!!
Yes, I put it on the market for about 3 months. But since I was paying the $450 a month that wasn't working out. Plus it was a 99 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with 61k miles on it and it was 2 1/2 years old. She ran the miles up and it wasn't even worth the buyout. I was stuck in the fact that those SUV's has real reliability problems. I never had any, but the truck over all was really bad, especially since it was a first year model.
I know it seems like a nice car but I can't do it without a stick. I would have to wait until later this year when the manual comes out. The interior looks as vanilla as can be.
As for those tail lights, they originally didn't come from slammed or modded civics. They came form Toyota's Altezza (is Lexus IS300) which has been out a few years before we got the IS300. If you ever seen them in a modding magazine, they are refered to as Altezza style rear lamps. It looks a little boy racerish but in some cases it fits the car. Definitely not upscale cars though. I really like the IS300 other than those lights once they came out with the manual. They need to up the engine output though.
You guys should all take one for a spin. Even with the automatic (Justin knows how much I hate those!), it's a really, really fun car. Cruising is just effortless.
trust me, there are times when I long for an automatic. I just want to relax and chill. But that is only about 20% of my driving experience. The other 80% I am so glad that I can interact with my car and actually drive it and not just ride in it.
I am sure the G35 is an awesome ride. Nissan is basically putting its cars on steroids these days and they have finally put good handling componets on the US bound cars. Some of you may know already, but there Japanese cars have had incredible engines and handling for some time. I might just go test drive one for the sake of driving. It is out of the price range that I want though. If I am going to spend that much I would get a 325i with the options I want. Or if I wanted to save money I would get an TL type-S.
i say, save the 5 and 6 speed manuals for real sports cars. Miatas!!!
Decisions, decisions.
Justin, a six speed G coupe is pretty much for me the ultimate car I can think of under 35k. 275+ NA HP, a V6, RWD, all the luxury I can stand, Xenons, dual zone climate control, 18 inch wheels, etc
That does sound awesome, but if price was no issue,I would opt for an M5 in an 5 spd. That is pure luxury and performance in one pkg. Unfurtunately you will never see one new for under or around 35k for that matter.
If you do decide to do that, would you consider selling me your Neuspeed stabilizer bar??
If I don't go to law school, then the G will in all likelihood be in my garage by the end of the this year. And I'll gladly part with my Jetta and its aftermarket parts.
Most dealers I've contacted say finding a 1.8T 5M without leather or luxury package is close to impossible. One told me that VW is building 85% of the turbo Jettas with automatics. And the 15%that do have stick shifts already come loaded, and they're snatched up pretty quickly. Another told me they're already taking orders for 2003s, for August delivery.
The price quotes I've received via e-mail and in person have been about 200 to 900 over invoice. But what the dealers are calling "invoice" is at least 200 to 500 more than what Edmunds lists as invoice. I don't know if they're just padding the numbers, or what. I haven't told this to any of the dealers yet. Since they don't have a cloth 1.8T 5M to sell me, what's the point?
I'm also wondering if this is the right time to buy. VW has that interest rate special through the end of the month. But won't there be another special rate period or clearance event later in the summer or fall? Also, could someone please tell me when the next Jetta is supposed to come out..2004..2005?
I'm also kinda worried about the risk that always comes with trading one car for another. My Civic is long since paid for, never gives me any trouble, and gets outstanding gas mileage for the way I drive it. I fear I'll end up with one of those VWs you hear about with the endless electrical problems. Although it seems those horror stories are becoming fewer and further between.
Anyone else who has or had a Civic and is now either driving or thinking about buying a Jetta care to chime in here? I totally feel like that guy in the commercial who has the Beetle growing on his head until the voice comes in and says "just get the Volkswagen."
I've got about 8500 miles on it now and I haven't had any trouble out of it. Just got some new wheels, too. I posted a link about 20 posts back. Check it out.
I think the 5th Gen Jetta/Golf aren't due out until the 2005 model year.
Also, one thing I've noticed that I thought was kind of funny. Many of you guys post messages like, "I've only had 2 problems" but you fail to mention these are relatively new cars, not even one year old. I feel it's a shame, with the technology available today, that there are cars being made which break before a minimum of one year. That's the big reason I decided not to get a Jetta. Whether the dealer can fix it or not isn't really the issue for me, it's the principle. There's a big difference to me between a car that runs 120,000 without unscheduled trips to the dealer and a car that runs 5 months with 3 unscheduled trips to the dealer.
riley
soon to be owner of silver WRX sedan in auto, but right after I check out isuzu vehicross.
Enjoy it though because those cars are a hoot to toss around.
How can you like both?
BTW, my previous car was a 2001 Civic coupe EX. yep, excellent gas mileage. Transmission problems from day one. Gas door would not open. Right hand power window switch stuck. A/C never had any cooling abilities. And the bounciest handling this side of a Jeep Wrangler.
If you had problems with your Civic and not with your Jetta then I would definitely say that you are the exception and not the rule. Not saying the Jetta is a bad car it's just a little overpriced and questionable for me. I almost traded my 99 Accord EX for a 00 1.8T when they first came out because VW's do drive like crazy. However, common sense won out and I realized that the Accord was roomier, more reliable, and would have better resale value in the long run.
As for loud, I've ridden in both one right after the other and loudness was one thing i noticed immediately...in the Jetta 1.8T. Guys, you might read reviews that say the WRX is loud, but I don't know what engine they're comparing it to because when I rode the WRX, it was silent with a slight whirring sound of the turbo. Sounded at peace with itself. The Jetta 1.8T sounded like a harsh laborer as soon as the engine was turned on. The slightest press on the 1.8T gas made the engine groan so loud I was thinking to myself "what the freak is this?" Soundwise, the Jetta can't compare to the WRX. When they say loud, they're probably talking about higher revs on the WRX since people might drive them like that. We were in an automatic which to that point had adjusted to easier driving, keeping the revs around 3000.
Hehe, I know you might think how can I consider getting the Jetta or WRX since they are so different, but the third other option I'm considering is an Isuzu Vehicross, so I guess you can see I'm a very...non-categorizable dude.
riley
When I was looking at the WRX the interior was really the car's biggest strike. It just felt very business-like and not the least bit luxurious. Yes, Subaru dealers told me they could put leather in the car but I do not in any facet trust aftermarket guys with my life and side airbags (someone always mentions obviously they're insured...great my family can make millions when I'm dead? no thanks). Honestly, even with leather the interior and the WRX's interior features (lack of sunroof too) just bum me out. $500 on parts coulda made the car sensational. But man is it a grin-maker when driving. It's sitting in traffic that I'd grow to hate it.
Are you saying that you wanted to move up to something more reliable and bought a Jetta?
Well, not really. My 1.8t was just a hair over $22k and that's well optioned. In fact, the only thing I didn't get was the leather and 17" wheels. :^)
anakin: $22,000? $23,000? The difference is neglible when you are paying that much in the first place. C'mon. Are you still trying to figure out how the letters from the keyboard magically appear on the screen???
And right now, the whole purchase is still looking like a pretty big "if". More dealers are confirming that the chances of finding a 5M 1.8T without a leather or luxury package or something else I don't want will be close to impossible, at least through the end of the '02 model year.
The one I drove today was sort of close to what I want. It was cloth, but it also had the unwanted sunroof and the alloys (I would like the alloys, but I don't want to be forced to also take a sunroof just to have them, and no one is offering the alloys as a stand-alone option). The test car was also red, and I want blue. I had to explain all this to the salesman twice when he kept on asking "are you sure we can't do something today?" Gotta admire his persistence, I guess.
Another dealer reminded me that the special financing rates are coming to an end on April 30. But he also believes that VW will bump them up "by only one point" after that. In my situation, that's still an extra $1,200 in interest over five years.
Oh, one dealer close to downtown had two silver Jettas on his lot. They both carried a $1,500 markup, just because they were silver. I left that place before a salesman could catch me. Another dealer, way north of downtown, said that he tacks on extra $500-$700 for silver. Is the "silver markup" going on in other parts of the U.S? I'm glad I'm not stuck on silver.
Okay, so after all this rambling, I don't really have a good "point" to make about all the stuff I saw and drove and talked about today with the salesmen whose grasp of the english language and personal hygiene ranged from "adequate" to "could you please stand downwind of me?". Maybe this was my way of increasing the Jetta story count to help keep "boombmbl" happy.
BTW, Carsdirect in SD has the Jetta for invoice?
Funny you mentioned City VW. That's where I test drove the red 1.8T today. About four days ago, City gave me an internet quote that claimed to be $300 over invoice. But the City invoice price was $400 more than the one I got off Edmunds. So, going by Edmunds' numbers, City was really asking for $700 over invoice. Again, I haven't pointed out any invoice price discrepancies to any dealers yet, since no one has exactly what I'm looking for.
"BTW, Carsdirect in SD has the Jetta for invoice?"
I'm a little confused by that sentence. Are you asking me if I have checked out Carsdirect? Or was that supposed to be a period instead of a question mark.
Oh, and adding to the whole "is this going to happen or not" equation: I had this fantasy of buying a condo sometime in the next year or five. Of course, if I get the car, the condo's off. If I get the condo, I won't be able to replace the Civic for several more years (it's already 6yr. old and 81K). As you know, pricing property here in San Diego will lead to massive sticker shock.. And if I take the time to save up a decent 20% down payment, the car will be toast. Didn't you say something dozens of posts back about having a house in escrow too, and looking for a car at the same time?
I don't know what to say to that except, it is not the case for me. Again as well, if you don't think you can handle it, then don't buy one. Or get rid of the one you have. Reliability is something no one should worry about. My 2001 Civic was awful - got rid of it. My "real-life" experience (any my family's) have pointed me in the direction of VW. And they work for me. Yep, my car was in the shop for a rattle. Took 15 minutes to fix. Soooooo worth it though.
I can't see paying real money for a WRX. Might as well buy a Pontiac Sunfire. They both get the same reaction from me when I look at them. It doesn't matter how sweet the engine and handling is - if it is offensive, bordering on nauseating, to look at, it doesn't make sense.
Ken
i bought new jetta turbo almost 3
weeks ago , and within that time the
turbo is not functioning properley
takes about 30 seconds to go ac no
work, tiptronic will not shift into
5th gear regardless of speed, and
today my driver window fell into
door. DONT BUY JETTA PEOPLE U R
ASKING FOR TROUBLE. AND U WILL GET IT.have 2 other friends who own jettas and have had similar problems
car looks good but it is a worthless piece of machinery. they are built in mexico where thier is very bad quility control. go to carpoint.com
and read about all the horror stories
from jetta owners. idid before i bought but thought i would take a chance i did and lost.
You said that one could not have a Jetta unless they were to pay $23k. I pointed out that you can buy a very nicely appointed Jetta for around that amount.
I am, however, trying to figure out your rude behavior. I don't appreciate your implication that I am somehow stupid because I didn't agree with you.
If you e-mail John at City, he'll give you a complete breakdown of the price they charge and extra fees.
As for Carsdirect, I didn't mean to hit a question mark on my sentence. Try Carsdirect, because I know they're selling cars at invoice and you can still get the VW loan. If you insist on buying at a dealer, print out the carsdirect page and take it to City...I'm guessing they'll match.
And yes, I just bought a house (close to five months looking). Escrow closes in about 25 days. I'm looking into switching cars but I'm not changing my ratios (actually improving them by paying the same rate but only for 5 years, rather than the remainder of my lease and obviously another subsequent purchase). At the 3.9% 60 month APR, I can essentially pick up a loaded 02 1.8T sports/leather/lux at invoice and put 3k or so down to get the same payments I have on my lease. From the loan officer's point of view, I'm basically the same cat on paper. Of course, I'd much rather save up for a november/december 03 G35 Coupe. We'll see...
Personally, if you've got a paid off civic and you're debating between house or car...go with the house/condo. You're gonna have an appreciating asset - in San Diego it's a majorly smart investment - and you're gonna have wonderful tax write offs for many years. You'll actually be able to afford the new car with far more ease AFTER you buy a place. Figure average rent in San Diego is like 900 a month. A loan of say 120-140k on a condo won't be too much more than that. Could you take more than your rent off (10k or so) on your taxes every year? You can with a house and the house is worth more every month you own it. Win-win situation.
My biggest regret is that I didn't buy a place in 1997 when a friend suggested we split the cost of a house then. Live and learn. If I'd gone in with her on a house then, we coulda picked up a nice pad in north park say morley field area for under 200k and be sitting on 400k place right now. Oh well.
I did checkout carsdirect.com last night, and you're right, Jetta 1.8Ts are selling for invoice on that site. I was very surprised.
It's probably just as well there's not an 1.8T equipped the way I'd like. I would either snap it up, or later regret not doing so.
I'm actually thinking it might make more sense to get a TDI, especially with San Diego gas prices, and Middle East uncertainties. I found a Galactic Blue/Black cloth 5M TDI at Classic yesterday. I didn't drive it, though.
In any event, I still have to call insurance company and ask the difference between current Civic insurance (I still carry full coverage) and the Jetta. I'm thinking the Jetta's extra safety and anti-theft features would help somewhat.
BTW, the condos in my price range are small one bedrooms in sketchy parts of town. But, I'm sure any of them would still be a good investment.
between a jetta and a civic--i traded in a perfect 99 civic sedan for my jetta 1.8T, and am thoroughly enjoying it. get the jetta. order it from the factory if you want exact things on it.
I would take the car back. What dealer did you purchase the car at? What model and options?