Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

mdaffron

Thanks.

Meade

blueguydotcom

My gas mileage is a direct reflection of my driving style. I'm sure if I puttered along at 70 on the freeway and shifted at 2200 rpm all the time I'd get 31 mpg. But I prefer to drive it like I stole it.

vocus

In hard driving, my 1.8T Jetta consistently averages 24-25mpg with automatic and 180hp instead of 130 or 103 like the ES and DX had.

Guess I don't have to work the engine as hard because it has more than enough power.

mdaffron

There's no doubt the Jetta has more horsepower -- especially with the turbo. I'll be very interested in comparing the new MazdaSpeed 3 (turbocharged Protege) with your Jetta when it arrives here for the 2003 MY. That'll be a fairer comparison in most ways except one -- it'll still cost about $5K less than you paid for the Jetta.

Meade

sarah233

one of my friends has an accord coupe EX (not V6.) i was seriously looking at that car, but now that i've ridden in her car, i think i made the right choice with the jetta. the accord feels really plasticky and cheap, and it has big ugly knobs for everything. i prefered my civic interior to the accord.

vocus

The MS3 might be able to keep up with my Jetta, but only in performance. It will still look and feel like a souped-up economy car.

No matter how much glamour and glitz you put on the Protege, it's still an economy car underneath. I learned that when I had it.

newcar31

"No matter how much glamour and glitz you put on the Protege, it's still an economy car underneath."

You could say the same thing about the Jetta.

mdaffron

I'm off work now. Time to go zoom-zoom-zooming (at 28-32 mpg) home for a driveway car wash and a steak dinner in our wonderful 85-degree afternoon!

Meade

vocus

Not truthfully you can't. It just feels different, from the feeling of the door handle to the way the controls work. Sorry, it doesn't feel like an economy car.

I am not the only one who sees this. A 2001 Protege ES 5-speed owner drove my car and totally agreed with me.

vocus

Darn, I am coming to your house for dinner! I haven't had a good steak on the BBQ for months! It's about 85 here too though, so I am thinking about doing the same thing..

mdaffron

I can AFFORD a steak every now and then since I was willing to put up with $15,600-style door handles, $15,600-style fuel economy, $15,600-style 1.8-liter VICS engines, etc.

;-)

Bye!

sarah233

hey, i can afford steak!!! : )

vocus

Now that's just stupid, judgemental, and childish. Grow up.

Anakin

I'll be very interested in comparing the new MazdaSpeed 3 (turbocharged Protege) with your Jetta when it arrives here for the 2003 MY. That'll be a fairer comparison in most ways except one -- it'll still cost about $5K less than you paid for the Jetta.


What's the price on that Turbo Protege supposed to be again? I mean before the dealers mark them up $5000 because they're a limited production model.

vocus

I saw a MS3 at the NYIAS. I didn't really care for it. It's just a big spoiler, different wheels, and a different steering wheel on a Protege body. I prefer understated increases in power. Like the guy who thought he would win with his Acura Integra last night, just looking at my sedate car. When I floored the pedal and peeled out, passing him, he was really shocked. :0

samchan

hi,
does anybody have any informatin on the new
Jetta GLI that's coming in May?

i'm interested in what you've read/heard
about pricing, market demand, availability,
etc. have you spoken to dealers about it?
what do they have to say? any pointers to
resources would be helpful.

thanks!

blueguydotcom

I was at the dealership Saturday and when nobody was around I flipped through their inventory book Seems that the new VR6 isn't coming to the San Diego VW dealer until the first week of July. I didn't note if that was the GLX or GLI, only that the table listed VR6 (201 HP) 24V for July 7, 2002.

Maybe the GLI will be here sooner. Don't know.

vocus

There was one at the NYIAS when I was there. All that I know is that it's basically a GLX with 6-speed manual transmission and the silverish GTI 17-inch wheels on it. No woodgrain inside though. Price was something like $25,000 if I remember correctly.

zoomzoom79

vocus: Pull up next to me and try to pull away

It's funny that people say not to come in here and compare other cars to the Jetta yet I've seen the Accord continuously brought up in here. Hmm ... maybe a bit of buyer's remorse and people are trying to justify their purchase by saying how much more they like their car than the Accord? I had a 01 EX V6 Coupe and there was nothing plastic or cheap about it's interior. And the big round knobs worked great and had a nice "quality" feel to them.

I do have to side with vocus on one thing though the MPG on my Protege never topped the high 20's but I also have a lead foot.

blueguydotcom

"GLI - Standard with a 201hp 24 VR6 and sixspeed manual transmission and ESP. Options include Cold Weather Package, Leather Package with 3-spoke Leather Steering Wheel (includes Cold Weather Package), Monsoon Sound System.

ESP is also standard in this GLI model and the GTI VR6 to come.

As you would expect, the Jetta GLI is dressed for performance, coming standard with special 17-inch alloy wheels, dual exhausts with chrome, GLI badging, special cloth sports seats, a three-spoke leather steering wheel, leather shift knob, boot and handbrake.

Colors will include Black Uni, Reflex Silver, Galactic Blue and Tornado Red. It will be priced at $22,950."

http://www.vwvortex.com/news/index_LA_02.html

zoomzoom79

blueguydotcom

"GLI - Standard with a 201hp 24 VR6 and sixspeed manual transmission and ESP. Options include Cold Weather Package, Leather Package with 3-spoke Leather Steering Wheel (includes Cold Weather Package), Monsoon Sound System.

ESP is also standard in this GLI model and the GTI VR6 to come.

As you would expect, the Jetta GLI is dressed for performance, coming standard with special 17-inch alloy wheels, dual exhausts with chrome, GLI badging, special cloth sports seats, a three-spoke leather steering wheel, leather shift knob, boot and handbrake.

Colors will include Black Uni, Reflex Silver, Galactic Blue and Tornado Red. It will be priced at $22,950."

http://www.vwvortex.com/news/index_LA_02.html

sarah233

i don't think i ever said nor have i implied that i have buyer's remorse about not getting an accord....and i've never said not to compare cars in this forum, but i have to admit the whole protege vs. jetta thing is getting really old.

in my opinion, (obviously not yours) the interior of the accord EX looks cheap compared to my jetta. i'm glad you liked your accord. i just chose to buy something else that i like better.

zoomzoom79

bit sensitive.

Anakin

Well I traded my 98 V6 Coupe for my Jetta. My Accord was a good car, but my Jetta is way more fun to drive. And the torque is available at more reasonable rpms, so I don't have to floor it if I want some extra juice.

I really liked the interior arrangment and sleek styling of my Accord, however. I still think it's a darn nice looking car.

sarah233

not really sensitive, but i'll go with irritable.

zoomzoom79

would do wonders for that

sarah233

i like the outside of the accord coupe a lot, especially a nice silver one. i've seen some silver ones that have a lavender undertone that i REALLY liked.

once i got inside i was unimpressed. oh well.

once i drove the jetta there was no going back.

sarah233

i think a beer might do it better.

zoomzoom79

mine was black with some nice 17" Konig Tantrums on it. Nice car. Loved looking at it but I'm a stick girl. I'll be 80 years old and still driving a 5-speed ... or by then probably a 10-speed

lkuav8r

Anybody using there jetta to ferry an infant to/from daycare?

Anakin

Yeah, that was the Regent Silver Metallic. I had that color. It was really pretty in the sun, but I live in Seattle so it looked gray most of the time.

My Jetta is Tornado Red. :^)

blueguydotcom

Unless you're 60 or you plan on driving really outdated cars, don't count on sticks being around 15-20 years from now.

CVTs and F1 style shifters are going to completely eradicate the 5 speed and automatic trannies as we know them.

10 years ago porsche's tiptronic shook things up...now just about every car out there can be purchased with those annoying semi-manual automatics. Ferrari introduced an F1 shifter a few years back and now it's trickled down to the M3. CVTs are already out in A4s and in europe and Japan they're actually showing up in many, many cars. Nissan's forthcoming Murano SUV comes only with a CVT. And Nissan's got its CVT Skyline outside the US...only a matter time for here.

Our kids may only know 3 pedal cars as classics. The clutch and standard auto will eventually be throwbacks, like cranking a car or 20 hp motors or wooden frames or lap belts.

justin

but a Honda is a Honda is a Honda. ESPECIALLY the Accord. it is a known fact that the Accord is a fine car, but really not buyable by "car people." Car people's Mom's buy it, as they do the Odyssey minivan. Honda knows this - that is why there is a TL/CL out there. The Accord has tons of potential. Just an image problem.

VW image, to me, says "I don't want to pay a lot for a nice, safe, substantial, comfortable car that goes fairly fast and looks unoffensive doing it."

lkuav8r

Anybody using there jetta to ferry an infant to/from daycare?

justin

Yes, they are dissappearing. If every car that contained a five or six speed was forced to buy the Miata gearbox, there would be a lot more manuals out there being driven by the public.

I hate to say it, but VW has soooooooo far to go in the shifting department. Honda used to be good at it. Somewhere they gave up. The Miata shifter is my favorite. Or, a 4.0 Jeep Wrangler. LOOOOOOOONG throws and it feels like metal scraping metal. Kind of fun for a few hours.

zoomzoom79

Well maybe I will hang on to my SI forever then. An automatic isn't a terrible thing and by the time I am old enough to where only automatics are offered then maybe I'll be ready for one. However, I don't see that day coming any where in the near future.

I still think Honda/Acura's have the best manual trannys out there. My SI is awesome. As is the RSX-S we drove and my 99 Accord shifted well even with somewhat longish throws. I am with you when you say VW's could use improvement. They are "slushy" IMO. The Miata shifts well but the Protege has very long throws however it's easy to drive in traffic.

justin

The Miata shifer cannot be improved. But then again, the car can't either. Unless they could source the 1.8T from VW.

VW has never been known for shifters. I don't know why. The Germans can do it fairly well. BMW is a little high-effort for me, but it "feels" good when it goes in gear.

zoomzoom79

Although slow the 94-99 Celica's had an awesome stick. Much better than the crap they are putting in the new Celica GT-S.

blueguydotcom

I had a wonderful 45 minute 14 mile drive to work this morning because it was raining. In southern california that means cars must hump each others' bumpers or romp around in the grass by the freeway. These rain-induced activities also require every person blessed with stereoscopic vision to brake and peer intently at every pair of cars conjoined on the shoulder or resting atop an embankment. Obviously gawking at another's unfortunate vehicluar redesign is considered not only polite but mandatory.

Admist this joy for the first time I thought to myself, maybe an automatic isn't THAT bad. I'm still waiting for God to strike me dead. Still nothing. I'm not looking forward to the drive home in the rain with my Jetta's vague 5 speed...my leg's still sore

Anakin

I'd take a CVT in a second. There's just something about a tranny that keeps my car in the power band 100% of the time. Sounds good to me.

pat

This is about the Jetta, folks, we are talking about the JETTA here, and we have a great Sedans comparisons board where we can continue these conversations about how a Jetta stacks up against everything else in - or not in - its class.

All this talk about Si's, Proteges, Hondas in general, Acuras, Miatas and so on can be nothing but confusing and intimidating to folks who really would like to find some information about the subject of this discussion.

Can anyone help lkuav8r with thoughts, experiences or resources about child seats in a Jetta?

Pat
Sedans Host

rlui1

I use an infant car seat in my 2002 Jetta but it's a little cramp, especially if you have a rear passenger behind you. I also have to move the front seats forward to get the car seat into the base. I wouldn't consider a Jetta a family car, but it's very fun!

venus537

you're right about consumer reports, i misread the the graphs on page 26. it was the vw golf that was higher than a civic with the jetta right after the civic. still, this is unknown territory for the civic having a "black" bar! sorry for the misinformation. it was unintentional.

justin: i will have to differ with you on the accord. no doubt there are many non enthusiast's who get an accord, but there's still many buyers who want one for its engineering and refinement. honda still sells a lot of 5 speed/4cylinder accords. the accord 03 coupe V6 will be available with a manual. and the accord 03 is supposedly using vw/audi as the benchmark for its interior.

but for right now, the jetta is the car for me. love the 1.8t/tiptronic and as blue once said, the interior is beyond reproach. i still can't believe how much quieter the 1.8t is compare to the vr6 at all speeds.

galogvi

Just got this notification in the mail yesterday re: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SHORT CIRCUITS CAN OCCUR WITHIN THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS).

Has anyone had this service completed, and if so, where is the part(s) that may be suspect? I'm really concerned that they will have to tear apart the inside of my car to replace this defective unit.

Any advanced information would be greatly appreciated. Service is scheduled for 4/26.

vocus

Oh yeah, forgot about that one. I read about it on NHTSA a couple weeks ago. All they would do is replace the ABS motor if the number on it matches one of those recalled. I asked my dealer to check mine just in case, but it was ok.

vocus

I have used 2 forward-facing child seats repeatedly in my 2002 Jetta. There isn't enough rear leg room for the child to sit without pushing the front seat about 2/3 forward. Of course, I recline my seatback alot too, so that might have something to do with it. It's easy to hook the seats in and all, but be careful that they don't slide around on the leather seats (if you have those). I had that problem once. Just make sure you yank the seatbelt extra tight around the child seat (as you should anyway). But it works. And the trunk is a nice size as well.

jphdxl

rlui1 is right. This is no family car. However, when our Yukon XL is in for service (very infrequently so far) we fit two rear facing infant seats and a booster seat in back. Before we bought we actually brought all three seats in for a test fit (both rear and forward facing). It's certainly a tight fit, but with the wife driving, and me not in the car, it can be done. This would never work as a permanent situation, but for a day here and there, no biggie.

galogvi

Any idea where the ABS motor is located. I don't want to end up with a dash rattle like you had.

vocus

I assume the ABS motor is under the hood near the brake master cylinder or something like that. I don't know though. I am sure the mechanic would know.