Topic: 13' VW Jetta Highline

[EV-Light]

I've always disliked VW, but after the disaster I had with a Fiat 500T I decided to give them a chance and took a Jetta for a weekend-long test drive. I enjoyed so much, that I ended up buying one. I've had it for about 4 months now and here are some thoughts:

The good
- Simple and easy to use interior. Really like the entertainment unit here.
- Leather seats feel really nice.
- Relatively quiet.
- Lots of space in front/back/trunk - honestly I don't know why anyone would need more space than it has.
- Refined ride, I'm actually amazed how well this thing drives/soaks up bumps and potholes.
- I like the exterior design, it's simple and looks refined.
- the 5cyl. engine has an interesting growl to it.
- Doors have a refined slump when they close - it sounds exactly like the 3-series I owned previously.

The bad
- Cheap plastics everywhere, they don't look bad though and are acceptable for the segment.
- Transmission is geared towards fuel economy - in D, it's always at the low power band and in S it's always at the high. VW could have programmed it to stay between 2k-3k rpm. Fix: use the manual mode!
- Slow to downshift - you floor it and wait a few seconds before the electronics get the message.
- Brakes are weird, you need to press the brake pedal a lot before the car starts breaking - very different from what I am used to.
- Not as fuel efficient as I'd expect. I have tried to drive in D for a couple tanks...S for a couple tanks and manual mode and have noticed little difference.

Summary
Overall the Jetta is a nice car and I'd buy it again. A family of 4 would definitely fit in it, the trunk is huge and the overall experience is towards comfort! I have already bought a set of winter tires and excitedly (SURE!) waiting for winter to see how it will handle.

[Solstice2006]

I've always disliked VW, but after the disaster I had with a Fiat 500T I decided to give them a chance and took a Jetta for a weekend-long test drive. I enjoyed so much, that I ended up buying one. I've had it for about 4 months now and here are some thoughts:

The good
- Simple and easy to use interior. Really like the entertainment unit here.
- Leather seats feel really nice.
- Relatively quiet.
- Lots of space in front/back/trunk - honestly I don't know why anyone would need more space than it has.
- Refined ride, I'm actually amazed how well this thing drives/soaks up bumps and potholes.
- I like the exterior design, it's simple and looks refined.
- the 5cyl. engine has an interesting growl to it.
- Doors have a refined slump when they close - it sounds exactly like the 3-series I owned previously.

The bad
- Cheap plastics everywhere, they don't look bad though and are acceptable for the segment.
- Transmission is geared towards fuel economy - in D, it's always at the low power band and in S it's always at the high. VW could have programmed it to stay between 2k-3k rpm. Fix: use the manual mode!
- Slow to downshift - you floor it and wait a few seconds before the electronics get the message.
- Brakes are weird, you need to press the brake pedal a lot before the car starts breaking - very different from what I am used to.
- Not as fuel efficient as I'd expect. I have tried to drive in D for a couple tanks...S for a couple tanks and manual mode and have noticed little difference.

Summary
Overall the Jetta is a nice car and I'd buy it again. A family of 4 would definitely fit in it, the trunk is huge and the overall experience is towards comfort! I have already bought a set of winter tires and excitedly (SURE!) waiting for winter to see how it will handle.

Have you not read reviews, or check out forums on the 5 cylinder engine?  It is not very fuel efficient, or powerful.  About time VW got rid of it...

[EV-Light]

I've always disliked VW, but after the disaster I had with a Fiat 500T I decided to give them a chance and took a Jetta for a weekend-long test drive. I enjoyed so much, that I ended up buying one. I've had it for about 4 months now and here are some thoughts:

The good
- Simple and easy to use interior. Really like the entertainment unit here.
- Leather seats feel really nice.
- Relatively quiet.
- Lots of space in front/back/trunk - honestly I don't know why anyone would need more space than it has.
- Refined ride, I'm actually amazed how well this thing drives/soaks up bumps and potholes.
- I like the exterior design, it's simple and looks refined.
- the 5cyl. engine has an interesting growl to it.
- Doors have a refined slump when they close - it sounds exactly like the 3-series I owned previously.

The bad
- Cheap plastics everywhere, they don't look bad though and are acceptable for the segment.
- Transmission is geared towards fuel economy - in D, it's always at the low power band and in S it's always at the high. VW could have programmed it to stay between 2k-3k rpm. Fix: use the manual mode!
- Slow to downshift - you floor it and wait a few seconds before the electronics get the message.
- Brakes are weird, you need to press the brake pedal a lot before the car starts breaking - very different from what I am used to.
- Not as fuel efficient as I'd expect. I have tried to drive in D for a couple tanks...S for a couple tanks and manual mode and have noticed little difference.

Summary
Overall the Jetta is a nice car and I'd buy it again. A family of 4 would definitely fit in it, the trunk is huge and the overall experience is towards comfort! I have already bought a set of winter tires and excitedly (SURE!) waiting for winter to see how it will handle.

Have you not read reviews, or check out forums on the 5 cylinder engine?  It is not very fuel efficient, or powerful.  About time VW got rid of it...

LOL I did, but $6k in discounts I got from the dealer helped alleviate any concerns I had...I also thought it was a little more torquey than the turbo during different test drives.

[aquadorhj]

VW 5 cylinder is a GEM!  Ask Snowy!   

people slag it because it's not so fuel efficient, but there's really no fault other than that particular issue.



And Tauri13, i think the transmission adapts to your driving style over some period of time.   mine drops gear as soon as i tip my toe.  (as quickly  as it mechanically can anyway, which is still not lightening fast but not as slow as you describe either).

[lebowski]

Great review! 

I had similar impressions when I tested a 1.8Tsi Jetta a few months back. The 2.5L 5 cylinder is a fine engine, even if MPG is mediocre, and with a $6k incentive, it seems like a no-brainer indeed - happy motoring 

I'm curious about your doomed Fiat 500 - is there a link to a thread?

[EV-Light]

Great review! 

I had similar impressions when I tested a 1.8Tsi Jetta a few months back. The 2.5L 5 cylinder is a fine engine, even if MPG is mediocre, and with a $6k incentive, it seems like a no-brainer indeed - happy motoring 

I'm curious about your doomed Fiat 500 - is there a link to a thread?

Oh I didn't post anything about that one.

[lebowski]

Oh I didn't post anything about that one.

Ah gotcha - well onward and upward 

[Julie]

Thanks for the review!

Yeah, it seems VW programs their "D" a bit too docile, and their "S" gears a bit too aggressive. You kind of wish there was a middle setting. Yes, you can use the paddles, but I don't really bother. When our GTI is driven in "D" mode, it is quite efficient. Drive it in S mode, and it noticeably sucks gas.

I have not really noticed a lag either. Well, not an appreciable one at least. Like aqua, if I step on it, it goes. But you do know when the turbo steps in. That said, I drove another GTI before buying mine which had similar mileage (14-15k, I bought used), and mine felt notably peppier from the get-go, such that I also believe it adapts to people's styles. I'm thinking the lady who had it before me stomped on it quite a bit, lol.

[Solstice2006]

Great review! 

I had similar impressions when I tested a 1.8Tsi Jetta a few months back. The 2.5L 5 cylinder is a fine engine, even if MPG is mediocre, and with a $6k incentive, it seems like a no-brainer indeed - happy motoring 

I'm curious about your doomed Fiat 500 - is there a link to a thread?

Oh I didn't post anything about that one.

He only posts about his good experiences, 

[EV-Light]

Great review! 

I had similar impressions when I tested a 1.8Tsi Jetta a few months back. The 2.5L 5 cylinder is a fine engine, even if MPG is mediocre, and with a $6k incentive, it seems like a no-brainer indeed - happy motoring 

I'm curious about your doomed Fiat 500 - is there a link to a thread?

Oh I didn't post anything about that one.

He only posts about his good experiences, 

LOL definitely no.

[Blueprint]

Was that a NOS (new old stock) Jetta, or a demo for it being a 2013? 6k$ off is pretty nice for a highline!

[Bubba]

The 2.5 seems to do fairly well in real world tests when against the competition.

Here, it's within 1 mpg in this test of the Passat. (Car and Driver 300 mile trip)
http://tinyurl.com/c3trsd7

And, then tied for the best mpg on a 650 mile trip.
http://tinyurl.com/nlcjyl9

I found this surprising.

[EV-Light]

Was that a NOS (new old stock) Jetta, or a demo for it being a 2013? 6k$ off is pretty nice for a highline!

old stock...

[EV-Light]

It has been a year or so since I bought the Jetta, so I thought I'd come back here for an update:

I am sitting at 16k right now, so I have gone through my first oil change and service at the dealer. The service was extremely disappointing because it was pricey! I paid as much for the first service as when my 3-series ran out of warranty and free oil changes! So something to keep in mind if you are planning to own a VW.

So here it goes...I copied my first review and added new comments in bold.

The good
- Simple and easy to use interior. Really like the entertainment unit here.
Entertainment unit is sluggish at times and the interior is quite outdated when I compare it to my Taurus and other competitors - so yes, it lost its charm
- Leather seats feel really nice.
- Relatively quiet.
- Lots of space in front/back/trunk - honestly I don't know why anyone would need more space than it has.
Trunk opening is quite small making it difficult to fit bigger objects. E.g. I traveled to Europe in January and my suit case didn't fit through the trunk opening
- Refined ride, I'm actually amazed how well this thing drives/soaks up bumps and potholes.
- I like the exterior design, it's simple and looks refined.
- the 5cyl. engine has an interesting growl to it.
- Doors have a refined slump when they close - it sounds exactly like the 3-series I owned previously.
doors sound cheap now, I raised the issue with the dealer but they didn't fix the issue

The bad
- Cheap plastics everywhere, they don't look bad though and are acceptable for the segment.
- Transmission is geared towards fuel economy - in D, it's always at the low power band and in S it's always at the high. VW could have programmed it to stay between 2k-3k rpm. Fix: use the manual mode!
the transmission drives me insane here! it's just not well designed - it definitely needs a 'normal' mode that isn't geared towards super economy or super sport
- Slow to downshift - you floor it and wait a few seconds before the electronics get the message.
this behavior persists and only happens in D
- Brakes are weird, you need to press the brake pedal a lot before the car starts breaking - very different from what I am used to.
I have no confidence in the breaks and often times find myself using a mix of brakes + engine braking to stop the car
- Not as fuel efficient as I'd expect. I have tried to drive in D for a couple tanks...S for a couple tanks and manual mode and have noticed little difference.
Fuel efficiency is non-existent...my Ford Taurus is as efficient as the Jetta, at least in my regular commute
-Low paint quality - it's amazing how much wear it took in the past year...definitely not happy with it
-It sits too low for my taste. Ingress/Egress are both painful tasks...I've been comparing VW with other competitors and looks like their cars always sit too low
have had a couple of electronics issues that fixed themselves
gas tank door broke!!! fixed under warranty.

Summary
Overall the Jetta is a nice car and I'd buy it again. A family of 4 would definitely fit in it, the trunk is huge and the overall experience is towards comfort! I have already bought a set of winter tires and excitedly (SURE!) waiting for winter to see how it will handle.

...And no, I wouldn't buy a new Jetta again. I am planning to get rid of it by end 2016 or early 2017

[rrocket]

^^Wow...the brakes are that bad??

[quadzilla]

I am sitting at 16k right now, so I have gone through my first oil change and service at the dealer. The service was extremely disappointing because it was pricey! I paid as much for the first service as when my 3-series ran out of warranty and free oil changes! So something to keep in mind if you are planning to own a VW.

So how much did this service cost and what province/city are you in?

[EV-Light]

I am sitting at 16k right now, so I have gone through my first oil change and service at the dealer. The service was extremely disappointing because it was pricey! I paid as much for the first service as when my 3-series ran out of warranty and free oil changes! So something to keep in mind if you are planning to own a VW.

So how much did this service cost and what province/city are you in?

sorry quadzilla, I am not going to engage with you on this subject again. We talked about it many times in the past few months. :-)

[aquadorhj]

does your jetta have drums in the back?

i find the brake pretty weak on my VW, but i mostly attribute that to the eco tires i got on... 

[quadzilla]

I am sitting at 16k right now, so I have gone through my first oil change and service at the dealer. The service was extremely disappointing because it was pricey! I paid as much for the first service as when my 3-series ran out of warranty and free oil changes! So something to keep in mind if you are planning to own a VW.

So how much did this service cost and what province/city are you in?

sorry quadzilla, I am not going to engage with you on this subject again. We talked about it many times in the past few months. :-)

If you don't want to discuss this that is your choice but saying "pricey" really isn't anything future buyers can use as reference as it means something different to every person.

I've paid between $80-110 for oil changes depending on location and that is in Toronto.

[Solstice2006]

I suspect there was more to it than that.  Oil change plus any 16k service, inspect this and that, rotate tires, check fluids.  Maybe an air filter.  Probably close to $300...