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Volkswagen Jetta 2006+
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Comments
The Westmoreland facility was closed over 20 years ago. The quality methods used and quality expected by the marketplace was no where close to today's standards in place in Mexico.
According to this article:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3165/is_n12_v23/ai_6247455
UAW workers in Westmoreland achieved the same quality as in then West Germany.
The reason for closing the plant was lack of sales - by 1987 VW sales in the US had dropped dramatically and the plant was running at less than 30% capacity. VW couldn't afford to keep the plant open.
But to compare the quality of Westmoreland from 20 years ago to the quality of Mexico today is a poor comparison. That would be akin to comparing the quality of Japan from the 1950's to the 1990's - it's not a valid comparison.
The quality of today's VW's from Mexico is on par to the quality of VW's from Germany or Brazil. The products and processes are developed so they can be transplanted anywhere. Location and human involvement are the least important factors in the manufacturing process - the latter being negated by training. I feel the same way about Asian marques as well - I've never owned a Japanese made Honda, only NA made and all have been high quality products.
I've been looking for a used car and didn't find anything interesting. Earlier in the day I drove a BMW 325i (2002) with a 5spd (non sport). It drove nice and handled really well but there was a definite lack of "oomph" in acceleration. It left me wanting more.
On my way back to work (lunch break) I stopped by and drove the Jetta Fahrenheit...what an amazing vehicle.
It handled much better than the 325;(the bimmer was the prev-gen...but still). The acceleration was also much better...plus there were two more people in the VW.
We hit twisties with multiple elevation changes and there was never any over-steer or torque steer. The car did not seem front heavy at all. The DSG was amazing; I had to learn to keep the gas down...bad habit of lifting throttle when shifting (hard to unlearn manual tendencies). Even from a stop there was no torque steer. If I didn't know I never would have guessed it was FWD.
The 325 was much smoother at higher rpm 5000+ but the VW had a nice exhaust note that was more noticeable at lower rpms. It sounded nice and throaty.
It even came with launch control (and of course we tested that out)...perfect wheel spin.
The interior was really well laid out with nice quality. The car had absolutely no creaks and no body flex...even with the low profile tires and the aggressive driving. The size of the interior is large enough for all but the largest of people.
the bad...
I had expected more equipment for the price...such as power seats, auto climate control (although those are options I'd personally leave off of the check list)
...the price was 27K...
at that price there are a number of other automobiles (new and used) that are very competitive. If they were asking 24 and the price was negotiable I would have been tempted to write a check.
Overall it left me with a "WOW" impression.
looking quite common! not just on jettas too, theres this beatle in my apartment complex missing its, yep you guessed it, right front hubcap as well. Maybe its hitting speed bumps, prolly not, i BABY that car.
anyhoo.. i found at pep boys a replacement hubcap that looks real close to the original. nobody notices! and dirt cheap there too! just missing its VW emblem. food for thought.
Cant comment on the right front as the SE i drove had alloys. Besides, I'd rather pay the few extra $$$ for the alloys. Not only do they look better, but they also don't fall off in obscene places. (without a huge accident)
I want to drive the 06&08 TDI back to back. If there isn't a huge difference, I'd get the 06 (IF I CAN FIND ONE! and one thats neither white nor silver)
-Cj
raymondl1166
Is anyone having mechanical problems?
http://www.vw.com/myvw/yourcar/carinformation/technicalliterature/en/us/
Favorite features:
Extremely comfortable seats-- were these seats designed my a chiropractor? Crank up the seat heaters to level 5, and you have a therapy seat for a tired back. Leatherette fools everyone and is extremetly easy to clean. My yellow lab is my most frequent back seat passenger, and seats clean up will little effort
Car is extremely stable at high speed, and the ride/ handling mix is perfect. Extremely roomy cabin. Engine is not a barn burner, but is gusty enough for me because of the ample torque. I'm very happy with my MPG, too. I upgraded to 17 inch aftermarket wheels, and average 28 MPG with 70% highway driving 70-75 MPH.
I love the unique touches not usually found at this price point like the interior mood lighting, the "tap to pass" blinkers, "smart" wipers that stop wiping when in intermittent mode and you come to a stop. the trunk is HUGE!! Seriously, it's actually kind of humorous when you see how much gear the trunk can swallow.
I get a LOT of positive comments about the looks of the car in Wheat Beige with the 17 in rims, rear spoiler, and dark window tint.
The interior material and the overal fit and finish are amazing for a car at this price
Dislikes:
Isolation from wind and road noise could be better. The clutch takes a while to get used to. I have driven manual trans. cars for my entire life, but the Jetta can be tough to launch. After 55k miles, I've got it down, but I would stall the car at least weekly for the first 30k miles! The steering is also a little odd. The on center feel is not good. I find that I'm always compensating when trying to drive straight on the freeway. This bothers me the most, and if improved would make the Jetta a homerun.
Overall, the Jetta is a screaming bargain! The overall driving experience is very rich and engaging, and I love every moment behind the wheel. The interior has anextremely rich feeling, and the overall felling is one of a much more expensive car.
Did I mention the car has been trouble free? My Accord was in the shop 4 times in the first 6 months I owned it. Built cheaply with lousy materials that kept breaking. The Jetta feels like it is built to last. I just hope the 2.5 engine is durable enough to be trouble free to 200k.
Jeff
Luckily, my accord has been Great until now.
If i could get any jetta, It'd be the 05-07 in Northsea green or new in Salsa Red w/beige or that Dark blue color that had a name change.
I was heavily debating on a TDI but now i'm to the point where if one I like is available, I'll get it. Otherwise, I'll get the 2.5 that I like. I just want my next car to have better MPG than my current car(1995 Honda Accord EX V6).
Currently, I'm averaging 18mpg 90%city. I have a huge 17gallon tank and before my odometer broke, I could go about 260miles on a tank of gas... BUT at fillup, it stops at about 12gallons which brings me to my question.
The jetta has a 14.5 gallon tank but how much do you actually put in when you go fillup from near E? Whats the MPG like? And is there a big performance difference on the 2005.5-2007 vs the 2008 with +20hp?
-Cj
I, too, was holding out for an 09 CleanTDI Jetta, but I couldn't hold my breath any longer. Last night I took delivery of an 08 Jetta 2.5 SE Auto Salsa Red with Beige Leatherette!
My 06 2.5 5 speed (with 17 inch after market wheels) gave me 27-29 MPG with 80% highway at 75-80 MPH. I often got 30-31 driving more conservatively BEFORE I bumped the wheel size up. A co-worker has an 07 Wolfsburg Auto and gets 29-31 regularly. I can't report on the MPG on the 08 yet as I'm still on my first tank.
The low fuel light comes on when there is 1.5 - 1.8 gallons left in the tank. If I stretched it "Kramer" style, I would go 70 or so miles after the light came on. I tear up when I think about the 03 Golf TDI I had...drove from Boston MA to Yorktown VA on a single tank of diesel once. 600 + miles to a tank always.
The peformance difference is hard to feel because my 06 was a stick and the 08 is an automatic. The auto is smart and shifts great especially in Sport mode, but the PZEV designation makes takeoff painful...it's hard to launch the car smoothly...not enough juice and nothing happens...too much and you screech the tires. I've only had the car for a day, so I'm sure I'll get used to it. I noticed the same thing when driving my parent's PZEV Toyota in Florida this summer. You need to drop the hammer hard in order to accelerate from a stop. Maybe this is just an auto tranny thing? My 08 Jetta is the first auto tranny car I've owned since 1999.
Thanks for the information! So you went from an 06 to 08? Wow! Its a pain to get my dad to go from an 03 expedition to something that doesn't cost $80 to up the tank every week :sick: . Did i mention its his daily driver and he has on max 4passengers on a random triweekly friday eve. But I'm still working on that with him(even with no progress whatsoever :sick: )
I cant wait until i have one of my own! Or maybe a rabbit as i think I'll need a hatch in the future. Too bad rabbits dont come with at least leatherette but i can still get those heated seats on the 4door model.
As a (dreams of being a) future edmunds employee, I should say that you should/could rate your dealership experience. Oh and to write a review on you new car in about a week! Also adding pictures/videos to your carspace is a good option as not many jetta things are there and i luv drooling at jettas .
-Cj
Let's provide some links to go along with your excellent recommendations:
Dealer Ratings & Reviews
Consumer Vehicle Ratings & Reviews
and everyone can access their CarSpace page using the handy dandy "My CarSpace" link on the upper left. :shades:
I accept Cash checks and money orders jk
I'd so work at edmunds but thats about a 42hr drive literally across country. Hopefully, edmunds will have an East coast HQ in the future! Still, its an interesting idea for a road trip....
-Cj
I wanted an 08 SE for the auto trans and upgraded interior and exterior bits. The dealer made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I had my 06 for exactly 15 months and put 53,000 miles on it, Because the 08 SE was about $2500 less than my 06 2.5 pkg 1, I was able to get into the 08 for not a lot of money. Only downside is I now have another 6 year car loan. :sick:
I'm feeling melancholy about giving up the stick shift though... I miss having the control and the sporty feel of shifting myself.
Just got the windows tinted today... dark. I'll take some pics tomorrow and put them up on carspace. Now I need to find a set of hot rims and a GLI lower rear valance (with reflectors). Also need to decide on the Wing or lip spoiler.
for my unpurchased jetta, i want the euro taillights. I'm not sure how they look on the red, but they look good with silver (which i despise), discon. green, black, and blue.
for viewing entertainment, i suggest covering keyboard in saran wrap:
-Cj
-cj
Hey if anyone has cash, checks, money orders, or extra vehicles to share, hit me up! I'm suffering from after new years/christmas blues... :sick:
Hey on a jetta testdrive i did, is that clicking in the engine supposed to be normal? I heard it on a few cars on the lot. They were all 08s though.
What did VW do to get the 170hp from the 2.5? I may just end up with a 2006 jetta, but not anytime soon. This is like after september advice.
-Cj
This was more than likely accomplished via ECU (Electronic Control Unit) software upgrade to add the 20 hp and raise the redline from 5900 rpm to 6300 rpm.
"Volkswagen answered this concern by adding variable valve control to what is essentially the same 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine, adding 20 horsepower and 7 lb-ft of torque to the new Rabbit."
With vws new 7speedDSG, think vw will offer it on th new tdi or base 2.5 or both?
-Cj
I want to know if removing my catalytic converter will reduce my performance, because I heard that this cars need some back pressure to operate properly.
thanks...
Plus I think they're pretty expensive...so I wouldn't go throwing it in the trash.
Not being an engineer...I don't think anything would be wrong with removing it. I think most cars would make a "little" more power with it removed...I don't think the ECU would adjust the fuel settings...i think there is a front O2 sensor for that (before cat).
However, I would expect the check engine light to stay lit.
Pros: Cheaper, lighter, replacement tires are cheaper, less friction (possibly better gas mileage), less unsprung weight might actually mean better handling.
18"
Pros: Looks cool
I know, I know.... still a tough choice..
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I'm sure the 18" wheels are great too, but I would only get them if I did not have to buy anything else.
Exactly 1/2" more rubber between the road and the edge of the rim..
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