At the ripe old age of 21, I finally threw in the towel and decided to buy (well, lease) my first brand new car. I’ve always obsessed over cars, and have owned a ridiculously broad selection, ranging from a Fleetwood Brougham to a Mazda Miata and everything in between, but sadly my mechanical aptitude only went far enough to get myself injured. So when I got hit with the final repair bill for my fourteenth used car–no, that’s not a typo–I snapped. With over a year left of undergrad, not to mention grad school, the anxiety induced by surprise $300 to $700 repair bills every other month just wasn’t sustainable: who will give me a ride to the shop? What will I drive to work and class in the meantime? How will I pay for this?
Back in high school, I didn’t mind spending ridiculous amounts of my income on cars, and I had the free time and resources to deal with it all. But at 21, asking your single parent who lives across town for rides to the shop on a semi-regular basis begins to elicit some very heavy sighs, if not a straight up “no”. My friends were equally swamped with work and school and hardly had time to spare, either. It was clearly time for something new and under warranty, but it had to be very cheap.
I always saw Volkswagen as a premium brand, so I was surprised to find that their $149 monthly deal on the manual transmission Jetta S was the cheapest new lease on the market. It included a down payment, of course, but my trade-in would cover that easily. The Nissan Versa lease was priced about the same, but (putting aside its ungainly styling) it came with crank windows and without a radio, making the larger, vastly nicer driving, and better-equipped Jetta the obvious choice.
Of course, things never end up being as cheap as they are in ads, so when I went to Williams Auto World to test drive the Jetta and get the paperwork started, the price ended up coming to $195.45 per month after taxes and fees. Still, that was peanuts for a brand new car, especially considering I had sometimes spent that much on some of my used cars in a single week. It fit my budget, and I manually shifted away in a brand new gunmetal gray Jetta S the same night (I wanted red, but this being a loss-leader special of which only two were in stock, none were available).
This process might sound routine to some of our older readers, but to a young college dude from a somewhat lower-middle-class background, this cheap-but-new car was incredible: that smell, the perfect interior, the huge weight off my shoulders from never again having to worry about getting to work or paying for repairs. As it worked out, the lease ends the same semester I’ll finish my grad program, so I may never have to have carry that anxiety again (until my car obsession inevitably resurfaces in middle age and I buy another old Fleetwood, of course).
For the stripper stick-shift special, the Jetta drives very well. The suspension and steering are very German–somewhat firm but never harsh. Having driven almost all the competition, this is actually one of the most of comfortable and stable riding compacts on the market. The doors close with a solid thunk. The A-pillars are as thin as it gets these days, the visibility is amazing and best of all, it strikes the perfect balance of contemporary and classic with its no-frills, three-box styling. Some call it bland, but I like the idea of a brand new car that could easily pass for a 2005 model which, in my book of humility, is a plus in this stage of life. I didn’t buy it so people would know I had a new car, I bought it so I wouldn’t have to drop hundreds of unexpected dollars every month. Yet, despite the old-school styling, it still has the only two modern conveniences I need–an AUX plug for my iPhone and keyless entry.
For as much hate as it gets, the archaic 2.0-liter engine is downright charming in how utterly basic it is. Open the hood and it looks like 1993. So much SPACE. No huge plastic engine cover. No ridiculous accessories or motors. Just an honest to gosh 4-cylinder engine. 115 horsepower. A delightfully raspy exhaust note similar to a ’98 Honda Civic with a rusted out tailpipe. Coupled to the excellent shifting manual transmission (albeit with gear ratios clearly geared towards fuel economy), power is fine around town, but it’s deathly slow on the highway. Combined with no cruise control, freeway driving any distance further than about ten miles can become irritating. At least it gets an incredible 42 MPG if you go 70 or, in other words, slower than any other Michigan driver ever.
A few months after purchasing the Jetta, I lined up a new gig as a delivery driver for a popular Chinese restaurant that pays shockingly well. Compensated in straight cash, I consistently average $17.00 an hour combining tips with base pay and delivery fees–easily enough to cover the car payments and my various other bills, even while working part time during school. The Jetta is the perfect car to deliver in–small, nimble, not flashy, but not an unreliable junker that puts my job in jeopardy either (I’ve seen that all too many times). With 27 MPG in the city, my gas expenses hardly cut into the pay at all. I removed the hubcabs for now, partially for protection from the endless curb-scraping and suspension-snapping speed bumps that come with delivering, but mostly because, well… I really like the look. I feel it fits the car well and, it’s probably in my mind, but I’d like to think I get fatter tips when the car looks a little crappy and broken-in. And yes, using it as a delivery vehicle violates the lease in just about every way, but I’m committed to purchase at this point. The buyout price is a measly $9,000, and the 36-month term is finished right when I complete my Master’s in HR Management and will easily be able to purchase it, possibly outright.
We’ll see how reliability pans out, but the car has 6000 miles and has only needed a new key fob covered under warranty (broke the first month) . I’ve heard the endless horror stories about how Jettas self-destruct in every way around about 80,000 miles, but with the archaic-but-robust motor and manual trans, I can theoretically avoid the maladies of the typical 2.5/auto combo that people seem to have the most trouble with.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. With the endless slog of transporting thirty-two orders of Midwestern Chinese food across the city on the daily, then heading to the library to crank out endless term papers, so far I couldn’t ask for a more stable companion. If I were 40 years old and had a fifty mile commute to an office every day, the lack of cruise control, tall fifth gear, and tractor-grade passing power would make me hate this car. But for my station in life as a 20-something student trying to make it day by day in a relatively compact urban area on the cheap, it couldn’t be more suited to my lifestyle and budget. So thanks, Volkswagen, for continuing to build no-frills, solid-driving base-model cars… even if no one else actually buys them.
Something about a car so basic that I totally get behind. It has what matters, lacks what doesn’t – and the kicker is that it’s better equipped than most ‘high end” models from the ’80s and ’90s. If it only had cruise, I’d be (very) tempted at that price. My wife needs an upgrade and I’m starting to approach the point where I’m tired of tinkering with our daily drivers. Starting to.
That said, the allure of the Fiesta ST is compelling too. Lots of good choices in the low price ranges these days.
When the current Jetta came out for 2011, the reviews almost universally panned the car as cheap and chintzy. Having spent time in several Jettas both as a driver and passenger, I don’t get the criticism at all. It’s a great little car with a lot of room, and it feels very solid on the road. Sure, the interior materials aren’t those of a more expensive Passat or CC – nah, really?!? I would have never guessed! I’m glad to hear you’re happy with it.
Like Max, I wanted a reliable car with no surprises. It’s a lot easier to budget for a monthly note than a monthly note plus unexpected repairs like on my last car! I shopped VW and Ford at the time I was looking, but the VW reputation scared me and the Versa had a CD player in the radio and the Fiesta didn’t. I like my manual stick Versa. It’s stable on the curvy stuff – I like to do what the yellow signs recommend plus half so about 35-38 mph into a turn marked with 25 mph warnings – and none of the frills that break. Mine came standard with A/C, Nissan’s lease loss-leader must have really been decontented. My only complaint, like Max’s, is no cruise control. I really needed that on my trip from Little Rock to Vancouver. I just checked my Portland/Vancouver fuel economy averaged over my last three tanks. 37.1 mpg. I hypermile a lot.
No iPod/USB port either. I burn a lot of blank CDs and charge down my MP3 player listening to it thru the AUX cable port. I will have to say this for Portland/Vancouver, they have plenty of radio stations to listen to that aren’t clear channel corporate minions.
A Jetta’s on my short list for my next car. There’s tons of VW shops here.
Like your remark about yellow speed signs; I suspect they’re for absolutely worst-case conditions, like a Conti Mk IV on wet pavement. Usually it’s +10mph for me, or more if no cop’s around.
Must be. I’ve generally found that between 5 to 10 over is the sweet spot if I’m in the Crown Vic, which is getting on in years (’97) and probably could use new front shocks. So the posted limit must be assuming a “how is this heap still on the road” situation.
(Though a full-on Brougham on wet pavement is a pretty good analogy…)
In a previous life I determined these speed plaques for many curves.
It’s based upon tangential velocity as you are driving around the curve. The reason for the seemingly low speed is that the standard used nationally uses assumptions based upon 1930s era tires and suspensions.
So a 1970s barge is a good comparison. My 1975 Thunderbird took curves best at these advisory speeds.
We car guys tend to think about cars only. What will the DOT guy have to think about when posting a speed limit? How about that top heavy tractor trailer?
That occurred to me, but maybe even 25 is too fast for a worst-case like an Oversize Load semi carrying concrete culvert sections, or a moving van hefting a compulsive packrat’s worldly goods.
Should Ford get the prize for building the worst-handling Broughams ever? I mean the Malaise Era, not necessarily Panthers, which had to be in the ballpark for Police Intercepter upgrades.
Yellow speed advisory signs here pertain to fully laden live load trucks they are gauged by inertia developed and have no bearing on cars at all, I suspect yours will be the same I dont back off from the speed limit unless the speed warning is really dire.
The good Portland stations seem to not broadcast very strongly, but a few good ones do. 106.7 is good and 80s weekends on 97.1 are also good. I think Seattle has much better radio station choices.
I can theoretically avoid the maladies of the typical 2.5/auto combo that people seem to have the most trouble with.
The 2.5/auto has been the most common powertrain for the last several years. Actually, the 2.5 has a better reliability record than about anything VeeDub has made with a turbocharer. The timing chain issues were resolved in 08. Only real bug is oil leaks from the vacuum pump. Looking at high mileage Golfs as potential beaters, two out of two cars at 80K+ have had a significant oil leak, and of course $$$$ to repair, though no more that the idocy involved in replacing a water pump in a Ford 3.5 V6
I loved that 2.0 in a 97 Golf I test drove. In a new Jetta, not so much. especially with an automatic…loathing is more like it.
Good thing you plan on buying the car at the end of the lease, because you would probably be in for a huge mileage penalty having used it for deliveries.
From the lease blurb on VeeDub’s site:
At lease end lessees responsible for $0.20/mile over 36,000 miles and excessive wear and tear.
Just hope they don’t try to sting you for the “excess wear and tear” charge in spite of you’re buying it.
From what I understand, buying it means I don’t deal with any of that. I could show up at the lease end with 50,000 miles and dents in every panel, but as long as I buy it, I’m good to go.
Thanks for the info – I admittedly don’t know much about the 2.5 and its various pros/cons as it ages, but I can’t imagine the simpler, older 2.0 could be much worse, durability-wise. I definitely know I want the manual over the automatic, but that goes for any make and model.
There is nothing wrong with basic spec VW products- every minicab (not a ‘london black cab’) in the UK is a Skoda Octavia in ‘S’ trim and they hold up to the abuse. The Octavia is a slightly larger hatchback built on the same floorpan as the Jetta.
Indeed, I’ve ridden in many of these with 300K miles on them, and they don’t clunk and clank like Mondeos, Peugeots and Vectras with 150K on them. Dare I say the Octavia is the European Panther for its ability to survive heavy fleet use. I’m sure that your Jetta will stand up to delivery work admirably.
VW products in the USA get a bad name for a few reasons, but mainly its the electrical system and the sophisticated engineering on the higher spec versions that give the line a bad name, combined with the neglect that comes from the examples bought for spoiled kids by their parents. The fact yours is a manual also bodes well for longevity, especially as I think the petrol models didn’t have that stupid Dual Mass Flywheel like diesels that costs a bomb to replace every 40K miles.
Remember, the Jetta is Mexican, and is designed for the more demanding conditions south of the border, and you are very smart in buying the old tried and tested drivetrain.
Service it to the letter of the book, find forums that identify weaknesses and address these before they fail, and it will last.
The Brussels city police uses Jettas of both this and the previous generations in very basic spec with diesel engines. They hold up well against the abuse that comes with the beat in a big city with narrow, potholed streets, the worst congestion in the EU, high crime rates, occasional riots, and officers eating waffles and chips in the cars.
I like your philosophy, attitude and thinking. It will take you farther than this VW in the long run.
It is almost hilarious the extent to which this brand new car blends into the typical food delivery look just by removing the wheel covers, adding a delivery sign, and wearing a little dirt. If you delivered to my house, and I looked into the dusk to see your car at the curb, I’d probably assume it was another somewhat sorry delivery car – the conservative styling, that as you put it, worked in 2005 (possibly 1995!), makes it the perfect stealth car for your purposes.
I really like VWs in the showroom, and almost lust after a new Passat, but the horror stories of VW cars, and for that matter dealers, as some of the worst in the business keep me away. Think about that buying it decision when the time comes.
That’s right– be afraid, be very afraid! Nothing could be worse than risking your whole self-image and future on a new VW Jetta. According to truedelta.com, the owner of a 2012-13 Jetta has a one-in-four chance of some kind of a repair per year. Only a fool would risk such a fate! For my Tiguan, the factory-installed defects were three: a misaligned bumper cover, an untightened windshield washer fluid cap and one key with insufficient range. Oh, the humanity! Never mind that all were performed under warranty for free, with the dealer providing shuttle service to my door. No, I should have bought a car I didn’t really like, just so it might have not even one trivial defect… except being boring.
Seriously, folks, the chance of a major fault in any new car from any maker is too small to be a major consideration to me. So I buy what I like, within my capacity for risk. Right now, that’s two VWs, an ’09 GTI and a ’13 Tiguan, and both have been trustworthy and true for the past two years heavy use. Please consider my limited results with as much weight as any thirdhand horror story about some 15-year-old VW, ok?
I like it better without the hubcaps! It sounds like you will get your money’s worth and the extra peace of mind is always worth a few extra bucks.
This article makes the $199 down/$199 a month lease for my loaded (esp when compared to this Bare Bones Jetta) Camry LE quite the bargain.
My Camry LE has NO problem passing slower traffic on the highway.
I think most of us would agree the Camry is the better and more logical choice, but remember the writer is a college undergrad. VWs have more street cred among younger drivers and he probably didn’t want to drive a Corolla or Camry like everyone 20-30 years older.
Good point, Eric.
“Life IS a compromise”.
Sometimes the safe and reliable option isn’t the best way.
I bought a new 2007 Corolla when I moved to a downtown neighborhood. It was the most unreliable car I’ve owned. It certainly did not live up to my expectations having owned Tacomas over the prior 11 years.
Three years ago, I traded it for a two year old base Mini Cooper. The Mini doesn’t have the reputation for reliability that the Corolla has, but it is a lot of fun to drive. 35 MPG is a bonus too. On road trips, I routinely get 40 MPG and I never hypermile. Thus far, the Mini has been bulletproof over the 40,000 plus miles I’ve driven it.
Funny you mention that… I borrowed my dad’s 2010 Camry LE for a (rare) 700-mile road trip just this weekend precisely for its cruise control and highway ride. It’s fantastic on miles of broken freeway – cushy, quiet, fast. The 2.5-liter four feels like a V6 compared to the Jetta. But having gotten used to the VW, I can’t stand the Camry in the city anymore. I delivered in it for one day afterwards and couldn’t wait to get my Jetta back. The sofa-like seats in particular hurt my back after only a couple of hours, and it’s just too big and cumbersome to hustle around town.
For a larger, softer car though, it’s hard to do worse than a Camry.
Please make sure you dump the Jetta before the high mileage curse kicks in.
Jettas just don’t seem to have the 150/200/300 mile lifespan a Toyota has.
I “had the hots” for the last generation Jetts SO bad!
But after researching it and talking to owners I passed.
So can we expect to see COAL articles on the other 14 cars? 15 is a pretty impressive number for the age of 21…
If you are the same Marauder-owning Chris M. who was on Flickr a few years back, you probably already saw most of my COALs on my now-defunct account (under my old handle ‘taxiguy’)
The majority were boring in retrospect, and I don’t even have most of the pictures anymore, but an article on the Fleetwood would definitely fit this site… especially what it was like to own after I had it painted pink.
One and the same (former Marauder owner by now, sadly); expected you were the same Max but I didn’t want to be presumptuous. So I did see some of the early ones but I didn’t think you were into the double digits yet at that time…
The Fleetwood would definitely be a worthy candidate! Hopefully you’ll regale us with that tale at some point. And the Grand Marquis was a shade of pink too, was it not?
I keep meaning to write up a couple of my own, at least the original Malibu and the Marauder.
I do some running errands around town for my job, and I love it when I get to take the Deville. Yes its big and cushy but nothing beats running errands as if you were just oozing around town in your luxocruiser.
42 MPG at 70 on the hwy is amazing. I get 36 MPG with AC on running 70 in my 2500lb 1.8 Jetta 5 speed. About the same around town as you are getting. I have been wondering what one of the 2.0 new Jetta’s are like in the real world. Probably the same or more power then my 90 HP, considering the weight difference. I would be fine without cruise, I never use it in my truck anyway, only when I first bought it and then when the warranty was about to run out to make sure it still worked. Too bad the 86 is running so well right now, or maybe I would pick one of these up. Nice write up, would be interested to hear how it holds up after a couple of years of delivery’s. Too bad you cant get manual windows and locks, especially with VW’s track record on them.
There is certainly something to be said for that routine monthly payment and no repair expenses. A subsidized lease deal thrown on top, and you have a deal that’s hard to beat. And the modern strippo is not a really painful place to be these days.
My only caveat, make sure your insurance won’t be voided by your delivery job. Nothing worse than having to pay $200/mo on the lease of the undrivable smashed car that is sitting in your back yard.
I bought a Jetta TDI in 2011 and so far no “first year curse” problems(touch wood). I’m surprised you get the KESSY keyless entry and power windows on an S model. I guess they don’t build Jetta with crank windows at all?
Like you I was drawn to the simple yet somehow timeless styling of the car (all generations of Jettas seem to have it), the space, excellent visibility and TDI mileage
I wonder how aggressively VW gioes after the student market, based ion your story it seems like a natural fit for the brand and a chance to earn buyer loyalty as they trade up in the future.
A glace at the spec sheet confirms your more positive impression of this engine than one could expect. The gear ratios for the Jetta/Golf using this powertrain from ’93-’04 were quite low, resulting in about 20 mph/1000 rpm in top. About you’d expect from an Integra or something else high-strung, not a car with the low-end biased 2.0.
The torque peak has been moved up for this revision and the gear ratios made taller; that probably dulls response, but curb weight is actually slightly less than it was for the Mk4 with the 2.0, and automatic versions now have six-speeds. That explains the improved economy and passable performance. VW should’ve done this a while ago.
With drive-by-wire, it should be easy to get aftermarket cruise.
It seems that throttle by wire would make aftermarket cruise more difficult
Perry might be right- If the PCM includes cruise control software, all you need to do is add the cruise control switches. The computer already receives wheel speed data, and the drive by wire feature provides the needed throttle movement.
However, I looked into adding cruise to my wife’s Honda Fit and discovered the base model and the Sport model use two different PCMs. Based on that, I believe the base model PCM lacks both Cruise Control and VSA software.
I bet that If I upgrade to the Sport PCM, I’ll end up with a trouble light, since the ABS control unit and PCM now talk two different languages.
Since the steering wheel switches are pretty cheap, I might buy them and see what happens, but if the result is a null program, I’m not interested in pursuing the project any further.
Aftermarket cruise… I hadn’t even thought of that. It’s such a 1970s-sounding add-on that I completely forgot it existed. Might look into that eventually.
OT, but I chuckled when I read the article and saw that you changed “paper thin” to “as thin as gets these days” when editing the part about the A-pillars. I suppose sitting in my old ’87 Accord would give me quite the reality check; I’ve spent too much time in post-2000 cars lately.
That’s what I bought and installed on my 2005 xB, which didn’t have factory cruise. Took a couple of hours, and it works like a charm. I can’t live without it.
Aftermarket cruise… I hadn’t even thought of that.
Several guys on VW Vortex have retrofitted their Jetta Ss with OEM parts.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5823336-I-did-it!!-Cruise-Control-on-my-2011-S!!!!
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5828888-Jetta-S-cruise-control
Found an aftermarket kit for $300, but it’s for automatic trans only.
Hacking around in there yourself might void the warranty.
Seems like a solid choice that should dodge some of the more common VW “reliability” complaints. Can’t get much more basic in a modern car than that engine, but it really does sound right for around-town use, espcially with the manual. There’s definitely something to be said for the peace of mind of a warranty and good mileage–in my case the wife gets to drive the “new” car, but at least I know that one of my three cars isn’t going to nickel and dime me!
A friend of mine bought one of these when they first came out, in dark blue. At the time, she had a fairly substantial commute each day for work, and was attracted to the milage the 2.0/manual combo offered. At the time, there was an option group for the S that added a sunroof, cruise control, and center armrest (she passed on it). Unfortunately, VW’s website does not let you configure models anymore, so I’m not sure if they still offer it.
I love your post! See here for my equivalent one a generation (of people) ago:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1995-volkswagen-jetta-gl-that-new-car-smell-wears-off-quickly/
I did the same exact thing as you but 19 years ago. The lease price was almost the same, it was a Jetta, it was my first new car, I believe it had the same basic engine (size and power the same anyway), mine had hubcaps as well, except I did get the red one.
Happy motoring!
Congrats on your new car. The new car smell is a nice smell to behold(even though I am sure that the state of California has found it have chemicals in that causes cancer(seriously what consumer product has CA not found to have chemicals in that cause cancer? I am starting to think it is the state od Cali that causes cancer and not the products) )
Be happy about your loss leader Jetta having AC, as current as 2012 the loss leader Jetta did not have A/C(I saw a couple in the local Carmax last year that only had 700 miles on it and was priced at $9998 due to nobody in Maryland wanting a car without A/C)
I do think that VW should be ashamed at offering a Jetta(even the stripper model) with an engine that puts out only 115HP when other cars in its class have more HP especially since the Jetta seems to cost more in every trim level then a comparable competitor. For instance the stripper Ford Focus sedan has a 160hp engine standard a base model Corolla gives you a 132hp engine, a base Civic gives you a 143hp engine and Elantra gives you a 145hp engine.
Heck even a base model 2014 Kia Rio gets more horse power then the base Jetta.
Sadly that is one of the reasons that VW seems to stagnate sales wise in the USA because why buy a VW when you can something more reliable and more powerful for less?
It is a lesson that VW should have learned in the 1970’s when cheaper, more gas friendly and more reliable Japanese cars came to the USA and dethroned VW as the king of small cars.
But anyway congrats on your new car. the lack of hubcaps on a dark painted car seems to look much better then on a light painted car(such as white) perhaps because the black painted steelies seem to blend in more on a dark painted car then a light painted car?
Max P: Pleased and gratified to read of someone from your age group displaying the intelligence, common sense and fiscal responsibility as you have done here.
I too am scared of the specter of VW unreliability. The last VW I bought new was a 2001 Beetle turbo, and it was a turd from day one. My wife is a die-hard Honda fan, and when we can lease a new Civic LX for $199/mo, or a new Accord LXfor $235/mo, why look anywhere else? The fleet, such as it is, consists of 2 2013 Civics, an LX and an EXL, and a 2014 Accord LX that we got a week ago. I truly would be shocked if we bought anything but Honda and Acura products, unless something went seriously off the rails. And, for made in USA fans, the Accord is built in Ohio, the Civics in Indiana.
I want to like VW’s products, but they just don’t seem to get the US market.
Congrats on the nice car and doing well. How does the Jetta like the snow? I like the Grey, but I do not know if I like it enough to live with it everyday. Surprised the Jetta does not have cruise control, thought that was mostly standard these days.
Wish the 4 cylinder in my 03 Caravan got that kind of fuel economy.
Congrats on the nice car and doing well. How does the Jetta like the snow?
I bought my wagon last January. Was just overcast in the afternoon when I was out looking. By the time I drove it home that evening, it was snowing like crazy.
Mine has the cheezy Bridgestones on it that people hate on Tirerack.
So there I was in a brand new strange car, in the dark, snowing like crazy, streets completely snow covered.
It didn’t miss a beat. Mine has the 2.5/auto. Traction control, stability control and it imitates limited slip diff. Granted I was driving on egg shells, but I never noticed any slippage.
I have heard that VW’s traction control is a little slow to react, which I call a good thing. A coworker had a Saab, with hyperactive traction control and no “off” switch. He would get stuck on the ice that forms at traffic lights. Car refused to move because of the TC, and his did not have a switch to turn it off. My Ford’s TC kicked in from time to time last winter, with the subtlety of someone hitting the engine with a sledgehammer. My wagon has an off switch for the TC, but if I never have to use it, I’ll figure the folks in Wolfsburg got it right, a good thing as the newer VWs don’t have the off switch. The Bimmers, Mercs and Volvos I looked at at the auto show last winter didn’t have an off switch either.
I love my 02 Jetta Wagon. 2.0L and crank windows and cloth seats. Just a basic rig. 180,000 mile her and loving it.
I always enjoy hearing car stories from people who genuinely love their car. Thanks for sharing Max.P!
For manufacturing purposes, it may be cheaper now to just have all the cars on the line have power windows. But Ford still puts cranks in rear doors of Focus S, while Cruze LS has pw.
The Civic DX, which was last sold here in 2012, but still available in Canada, had power windows, but no A/C at all. I heard this trim sells well in Quebec.
“Donnt get it in the US market” . They do in the rest of the world.Every one wants a Golf.You cant give a Jetta away.Even the Jetta Wagon is Golf Estate in Europe.
What was the down payment on the car to get it for 195 bucks am month?.
Jetta Wagon is also a Golf in Canada, and will be in the USA with the arrival of the Mk VII.
Jetta Wagon is also a Golf in Canada,
Yup. I did a double take several months ago as I drove into Wendy’s in my wagon, and saw another wagon, but then noticed the Golf nameplate.
Down payment was about $2k, similar to most other entry leases. If you don’t have a trade-in, rolling it in to the payments adds about $50/month. Still not terrible, and really, most places will give you $2k on trade for a semi-junky car these days.
Max, you are wise beyond your years for sticking to your guns and not getting a top-end VW.
These S models have had an odd appeal to me as they are so basic, as you state, but as the 40 year old who will drive long distances, the 115 hp is not quickening my pulse! 🙂
Take care of her and she’ll return the favor. Oh, and the gray color works so well on this car – it was a good choice.
Actually I think long distances with 115hp in a VW is not bad, especially if the drives are mainly flat. VW’s tend to have decent torque and a relaxing ride that pays dividends over long drives. I think the engine is a bit underpowered for around town if anything.
Oh, and the gray color works so well on this car – it was a good choice.
With VeeDubs, you don’t have much choice. Take your pick of black, white, gray, two shades of sliver, and rarely, light brown or dark blue. Supposedly red is available, but I have never seen one.
When I bought mine, urged on by the extra $500 off ducat I picked up at the auto show, the dealer in Livonia had 1 gas engined wagon, silver. I can’t stand silver. The dealer in Ann Arbor had one gas engined wagon, silver. The guy in Farmington had one gas engine wagon, black. I like black just fine.
Mine is also an S, because I prefer fabric upholstry. Why VeeDub thinks vinyl is an upgrade excapes me, so the extra $$$$ for an SE would have come down to gaining alloys and a compass, and, to my eye, a downgrade of upholstry. Fooey.
I see quite a few of the bright red S models on the road, then again, I am looking for them now.
The irritating part is that not two weeks after I got this gray one, a bright red S model showed up on their elevated display platform at the entrance to the dealership lot. It was probably an automatic, though, so I still wouldn’t have had a choice. Still, it was like they were dangling it in my face.
Although, to be honest, the flashier red wouldn’t have fit well with my “I want this car to look old even though it’s new” theme. There’s another red one driving around in Lansing with bare black steelies, and it doesn’t look very good in that state compared to dark gray.
I see quite a few of the bright red S models on the road, then again, I am looking for them now.
Actually, VW’s red is too bright for my taste. Ford has some excellent rich dark reds.
I would have grabbed a blue one, if there had been one around. The guy in Livonia had had one. It dissapeared from his web site the day before I went shopping, replaced by a sliver one. The guy in Farmington had had a blue one, but swapped it to the guy in Ann Arbor who had a buyer, about 4 days before I went shopping.
So far, my build quality issues have been:
-passenger side windshield washer nozzel not snapped into position.
-little plastic filler piece between defroster nozzels at base of windshield not entirely snapped in.
And one bit of wierdness: jumped in one day to find the driver’s side seatback fully reclined. Pulled the switch and it cranked itself back up. Has not happened again in several months.
So far, 4500 miles, so good.
You are so correct on lack of color with these. I will admit to having scoured the VW website quite often the last few months. There have been a few reds floating around here as well as a hideous tobacco stain brown on Jetta’s.
A month or so ago I test drove a new Passat S; it was black as night.
Hey, my Jetta resembles that remark!
They had one of these for sale a while back in the STL area. No AC, basic radio, 5 speed. It was stickered at ~$15000. Not a bad price, but lack of AC in the midwest is a no-go for me!
I share your obsession for cars and your mechanical ineptitude. My answer was to buy an old, clean toyota. Working so far.
That under hood shot reminds me of my friends 1996 Jetta. It performed well until about 70,000 miles and then it slowly started to disintegrate piece by piece. Never made it past 120K
I have a 98 Cabrio with a 2.0/auto and it seems pretty peppy, probably because it is geared low. There’s 162,000 miles on it and the thing still works like a top. It is not rattly at all and seems like it was nailed together pretty good.
VW’s seem to be hit or miss – if you get a good one it’s a corker, and a bad one is pure misery. All the older ones around here for sale seem to have a ton of miles on them, especially the diesels.
I should have noticed the sign, but figured out you were local when you mentioned Williams VW.
My Dad owned a Beetle in the mid 60’s but back then the dealer was on the far West side of Lansing, and he found it very inconvienent to get it serviced.
I should have noticed the sign, but figured out you were local when you mentioned Williams VW.
Yup, that Spartan decal in the back window is pretty hard to miss. The green “S” danging on the keyring takes a bit sharper eye.
Nice ride. I’m one of those weirdos who prefers the plain versions of cars. I can’t fathom why cars have carpet, alloy wheels, etc. They are machines used in harsh conditions, not living rooms.
I bought a 2001 Jetta TDI new back in the day. My recollection was the engine choices were a 2.0 L four (same engine?), VR6, and TDI. I drove all and preferred the drivability of the TDI. Acceleration was adequate, but what I loved was it’s ability to torque it’s way up the hills of upstate SC and western NC where I live. No incessant downshifting. This may not matter to flatlanders, but can dampen the drivability and enjoyment of an automobile elsewhere.
The only problems my Jetta had were a bad brake light switch and poor finish durability of the touchpoints on the doors and controls. No biggie. It kept it’s value very well which I appreciated when my daughter was born a couple of years later and I got rid of it for a
Ford Explorer family truckster.
Happy driving.
Looks like a solid deal to me!
I like steel wheels. They are getting to be an endangered species. It would look cool with some sort of center caps and maybe trim rings. Oreilly sells 15″ trim rings.
In a former life I was a dedicated VW owner. One of the curious things about the VW warranty back then is that it didn’t exclude commercial operation. The three year unlimited mileage warranty ended up covering a bunch of cars used for courier service for things like new engines and head gaskets. I assume their lawyers would have smartened up on this by now. Note that I usually refer to VW’s “Warrenty” in quotation marks, because there was always a full court press to blame problems on me, the owner. Have they figured out how to get the silver to stay on the side rear view mirrors yet?
Thanks for telling it like it is about the 2.0L, it suffers from the same misunderstandings as the Olds 307.
$195 is a really low lease payment out the door, even for a Jetta. Those subvented lease programs make it smarter to lease than buy and more people go that route than they typically would. This in turn dumps more three year old vehicles on the used car market than you would normally see and residuals can take a hit. If this happens the cost to the manufacturer for subventing future leases goes up.
Therefore an OE can’t offer lower lease payments than everyone else indefinitely, there is too much residual risk. VW has no choice right now because the Jetta and Passat have been such huge failures. Both are too big, too nothing and too much alike.
Toyota is killing it with the new Corolla. I rented one and it sucks to drive but the thing looks great for what it is. All of their cars are looking better these days. I can’t believe I’m saying this but the Avalon is particularly attractive. You don’t see $159 lease deals on Toyotas.
BTW for your future Brougham or other purchase: Uber has changed everything. No need to bum rides any more or pay through the nose for a taxi.
To add a little more Jetta love, I rented a 2016 Jetta last week for a 1600 km (1000 mile) trip into the interior of British Columbia.
Based on the presence of a sunroof and electronic climate control, my guess is that it was a Comfortline (mid-level) model with the 1.8 turbo engine, although the rental agreement indicated the engine was the (entry level) 1.4 turbo. Regardless, I was impressed by the comfort, quiet, and power of the car.
But the real eye-opener was fuel consumption. With cruise control set at about 5km/hr over the posted highway speed limits the car turned in an average 5.5l/100km (42 mpg US / 51 Imperial) on regular gas, a number I’ve never seen even when renting smaller cars for the same trip.
My few criticisms would include one or two small ergonomic issues, and a slightly disappointing steering/road feel. Overall though an impressive encounter.