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Comments
The Jetta 1.8T wagon will be yet another fun addition to the Impala. 2 very different cars but fun and special in their very own ways.
However the looks at times I like and at other times I find them to be more "Garish" and the wagon specially tends to look too "Soccer Momish" as where as the Jetta wagon looks very sporty, yet youthful and practical.
Also I found the Passat seats (Whether they are covered in cloth or leather) to be very hard in comparison to the Jetta's. They feel like park benches, specially in the rear quarters.
The Jetta wagon has less shoulder room (Front/back) and less leg room in the rear than the Passat wagon, but the rear seat in the Jetta wagon I found it to be much more comfortable but still firm.
Those little critters drive so much better than any new Civic in the market.
Just give them a try even if you are already set on the Civic.
Plus, the VW's provide better standard warranty coverage over the Hondas. VW's basic warranties are:
4 year/50,000 miles basic bumper to bumper warranty and included roadside assistance.
5 year/60,000 miles on powertrain (Engine and tranny)
The Hondas only offer a shorter 3 year/36,000 mile warranty and no roadside assistance is included. Powertrain warranty coverage is also only 3 years and 36,000 miles which is not great. Hondas get pricey to repair once they are past their 4th year of service. Trust me I have had 8 of them.
I think that you are just bailing out on the VW's without giving them a fair look. I was pretty much until recently very anti-VW myself, but my sister's 2002 VW Golf GL 5-door hatchback has changed my mind more on them.
I think if you go the VW route, you still have nothing to loose and much to gain. Just food for taught...
I'm looking at purchasing a Jetta in the next week or so - wondering what everyone thinks about the engines. Has anyone had any problems with the 1.8T overheating or anything like that?? Thanks
Lars
On another note - can we step back and think about something? Four, maybe five people in this forum complain about rattles, that are fixable. Does that make the factory that built the car bad? Seriously? Blows my mind to hear such blatant generalizations sometimes. I mean I realize that some people are really consumed by the rattles, but you gotta know that their are hundreds of thousands of other Jettas built there, that don't have problems. Keep it in perspective is I guess what I mean.
Seriously, if there was a problem, you would know it. Engine lights galore would be lighting up. As we all know, VW's engine lights WORK VERY WELL
The Jetta wagon is another nice proposition.
jetta wagon is nice. rather have the C320 SportWagon though
I was with you back in 2001, like I said. But I broke down and bought a 2002 Jetta because I wanted the car badly. So I just leaped and did it.
The Jetta wagon is a very good compromise in this sense. The practicality of the wagon design and the fun factor of a sporty sedan. I am also considering a BMW 325i Sportwagon as I would like to get into the RWD bandwagon. I am in South Florida and therefore traction issues due to snow, etc are not an issue here.
If I can't get a good deal on the Bimmer I might consider the Jetta 1.8T Wagon. Of course, the Impala LS is a keeper .
Secondly, a check engine light is generally related to emissions. Your engine may malfunction mechanically in sundry ways and no light will come on to inform you of impending disaster. To rely on a dashboard light is asking for trouble in the long run.
Vocus' best bet is to contact his service department and ask them about his odorous engine. They may not be truthful but at least he's made the inquiry with supposedly knowledgeable people.
The big difference between the Civic and Jetta is the "feel"....and standard feature content. The Jetta does have it's "cons".....but it also has more than enough "pros". The Civics just don't have anything. For a family though, the Civic might be just what you need.
Good luck.
They are manufactured in Brazil and both are very nice, practical cars. They are Jettas with a better trunk.
I haggled the price down on my sister's brand new 2002 Golf GL 5-door hatchback, equipped with the 2.0L engine, automatic, power locks, alarm, remote keyless entry, premium 8-speaker stereo cassette, ABS, Tilt/Telescopic steering wheel, Manual mirrors and crank windows for $16K even. We got it for almost $200 below invoice. It was an easy deal, it was the only new GL 5-door left in the lot!.
The Golf GLS 5-door adds Power windows, power mirrors and cruise control and CD Player over the GL model. The GLS Luxury package in the Golf adds 15" Alloy wheels and moonroof.
Leather is not available in the Golf. Only 2 grades of cloth interior.
If you don't mind owning a hatchback and can live without leather, I highly recommend for you to take a good look at the VW Golf 5-door hatchback. You can save some $$$ over the more popular Jetta sedan.
The Golf is more unique and therefore I like it better over the similar Jetta sedan which is a Golf with a separate trunk.
Good luck.
If getting a GLS with cloth, then it would be a good idea to get a new set of seat covers.
Bad move VW.
How can a trunk be so bad anyway? You have an Impala. The farthest thing from a hatchback on the market today!
I agree - Golfs are nice. But then again, I like all VW's
Sorry but the Golf is more practical.
Americans have a general dislike of Hatchbacks since they often associate them with poor people's cars. However, hatchbacks are coming back due to the success in part of the Golf, Focus and other players in the field.
Americans often favor sedans as they seem more luxurious and have a separate trunk, but they are also more impractical in comparison to a Hatchback or wagon.
Ever been to Europe Justin?
Hatchbacks rule over there and for a good reason. Go to Paris, London or Milan...the most popular hatchback is the VW Golf. The VW Bora (Jetta) are very few and far in between. Europeans are not completely sold to the idea of small sized sedans when hatchbacks often offer more cargo room and practicality.
the Jetta/Bora is simply a Golf spin-off. Is the Golf with a separate trunk. The Golf is more unique here, hence I prefer it over the more mundane looks of the Jetta sedan.
Trust me, the Europeans are MASTERS at making hatchbacks.
they figured that the 1.8T would made better sense on the 3 door GTI, a dumb move in my opinion.
And the Jetta's trunk is like 15 cu. ft. I think. I never have had a problem with it. I often thought about all the crap I could put in a hatchback though..
One reason I dislike hatchbacks/SUVs, etc, you can't put valuables out of sight. Sure many have those cheesey vinyl/leather covers but I'm not fond of those things when compared to a good old trunk.
I've had my Jetta 1.8 for about 2 months now (2k miles) and except for a problem with the remote key, I LOVE everything about this car! (Well, except the dirt that collects on the beige floor, but that's what I get for having a light color interior!)
the new civic si is made in england and it's suppose to drive a lot better and feel more solid than the regular civics. also, the fit and finish is suppose to be better too. you may have a point.
the civic and other econo sedans really shouldn't be compared to a VW Jetta/Golf. the jetta/golf is a high quality and all that other stuff kind of car and those econo sedans are economy cars. the fit and finish, quality of materials and for the most part available features on the jetta/golf are the same as the more expensive passat. the certainly isn't the case with the civic compared to the accord.
Keep living in that dream world. They're nice cars, but they're still econo-boxes, only econo-boxes with leather and turbos/six cylinder engines.
the jetta (more so with the golf) could have better sound insulation and a more sophisticated rear suspension. the only time i think economy car with my jetta is when i'm driving over 80 mph. i have too much wind, road and engine noise for my tastes.
does anybody have a jetta gls with the new cloth design? it looks like it would be less of a lint collecter. i want to know if this is the case.
newsflash: we live in the U.S.
VW obviously saw fit to NOT sell the 5 door Golf with turbo anymore. do you think it is possible that they know just a little more about the market here than you do? they are about making profits. the golf is not nearly as profitable as the jetta. or trust, they would still be making the 5 door turbo golf.
that is all i said, and all i am saying. and again, if you are now on this know-it-all-high-horse hatchback kick, why are you driving a Chevy Impala? you are driving a chevy impala because AMERICANS LIKE TRUNKS. otherwise, you would have bought a focus or elantra or golf. and the practicality award does not automatically go to the hatchbacks of the world anyway. wanna talk about rattles? drive a 96 Integra GSR 2 door for two years. Even Acuras, made in Japan, rattle non-stop in hatch form.
Let's talk about the Jetta:
I agree about Jetta colors. No decent ones. They need the sedan in a maroon color, gold, a DARK green, and a pearl white. My opinion
Actually, the 2.0 makes up the bulk of the engine sales, so lets NOT negate the bread and butter of the Jetta lineup. The 2.0 engine, the car's size and the price point of the GL and GLS put it squarely in comp with Civics, Focuses, Corollas and Proteges.
<< the quality of materials and the fit and finish are the same as the passat.>>
So it has nice switchgear. Laudy-da. It's still mainly a competitor to the econo-box line up.
<< same stereo. same 1.8t engine (highly appraised engine at that).>>
Wrong. It's a different 1.8T. The Passat's 1.8T is akin to the A4's longitudal design.
<< how many econo boxes are available with a 5 speed tiptronic?>>
I wouldn't know how many cars are equipped with hokey "sportronic"/"sportshift"/"tiptronic" doohickeys to make lazy drivers think they've got some measure of sportiness in their slushboxes.
<< eventually the 201 hp vr6 will be available in gls models.>>
Actually, from all I've read the 201 HP VR6 will come in the GLI and never the GLS. I could have sworn that's what I've read and heard at the the LA Auto Show.
<< the solid feel these cars exhibit are not those of econo boxes.>>
Weight = solid feel. Yes they "feel" solid, but then again, they're porky little buggers (nearly 3000 lbs!) when you consider Jettas are EPA rated as compacts.
<< price wise, these cars compete with accords, camrys and altimas.>>
Jettas are priced from 17-25k, so that falls across the spectrum of prices for econobox Fords, Mazdas, GMs, hondas and Toyotas. Yes, the price creeps into Camcord/Altima territory but on no planet on heaven's creation can you compare a compact solid-beam axle Jetta to midsize fully independent suspension equipped family sedans. Heck, if a Jetta is a competitor to a 3.5SE Altima, why not just hold up a Jetta as competition to an Explorer or a Celica. LOL
Sorry if you read the post and mistakenly thought the tone of it was "aggressive" in any way.
I am glad that, even though it has not been formally stated, Teo has realized that VW's are kickbutt cars. Or he must really hate his sister
Blueguy:
Just curious - you have mentioned this horribly outdated solid beam axle rear suspension thingy that the Jetta has. What does that have to do with anything? I am confused. I know your car rattles, and that stinks. The rattles were not their when you bought your car, and I guess I understand your frustration there. However, the rear suspension has always been there. You knew it when you bought it. You took a thorough test-drive in your Jetta, for sure, and it handled just fine. How can this suspension set up be so inferior all of the sudden?
Honestly, in my opinion, the beauty of the Jetta is that is has no competition. The old 150 hp Turbos had one competitor - the 145 hp G20 by Infiniti and the VR6 GLX had the Integra GSR sedan. Everything else was in a different class or price range. Now, it has no real competition at all.