Review: Volkswagen Jetta- Frightful or delightful?

I actually really like the Jetta but it costs waaay too much money. Take a stroll on the VW lots. They have $30,000+ Jettas. You could really go get a larger fuly equippped Camry or Accord with a V6 for less money. FOr that matter you could make a step up to a Passat for the same money and get a bigger nicer car. Even better price one out on the VW website and see what its gonna cost. There are many alternatives that are just as nice, more powerful and even bigger. Think about it.
T

Hey no doubt they are swapping parts across platforms and we knew that. But better to design the upper end car first and then share down than the other way around. If you are going to do it, then that is the best approach.

I saw a Jetta GLI pretty decked out the other day for $28K and then right down the block and entry level A4 with no options for $30K.

You will find this with:

Toyota/Lexus
Nissan/Infinity
Honda/Acura

It is pretty standard for overlap to occur.

And it will probably happen with BMW/??? (sorry couldn't resist)

I just brought a 2006 VW GLI, It is:
* really fun to drive
* size is right.
* interior alumium trend is beautiful and simple (not mind blinding like Mercedes), even better then Audi A3 (a personal preference)
* paddle shift DSG is fun
* Audi like instrument panel, I love how it glows at night.
* fuel efficient 24/31 mpg
* comes with 6 disc CD-Rw MP3 player. Xenon headlight.
* steering is great.

Since I skipped the sun-roof,xm-satelite and leather option; and with the dealer promotion, out-of-dealer price brings to $2,5000 (tax and registration included) wow! I think the promotion is still on ($3000 off MSRP, at least in Northern CA)

So that was why I didn't buy Acura TSX. Just KINDA worried that since it is assembled in Mexico and previous Jetta was a quality assurance nightmare :-)

If this car has no quality problem in 3 years, I am gonna get Audi A3/4 next.

avanti, that's quite cynical. Care to offer some references to you insinuations?

VW has indeed had quality problems, especially on Brazil- and Mexico-built cars. I'd caution agains just repeating rumors blindly, though, because VW's issues have not been significantly worse than other vehicles in its class, including the Subaru Legacy, which I don't believe is in its class. But, i am not just looking at the number of reported problems -- i'm looking also at the severity and cost of the quality problem. Remember the 2006 Toyota recall where approximately 1 MILLION vehicles were recalled for faulty steering intermediate shafts? So much for Toyota's perfect quality reputation. You don't want to see the vehicles that were in motion when the steering failed, let me assure you.

Why does a VW generally cost more than Japanese counterparts? Superior materials are indeed a real factor. Hey, if you like cheap plastic, definitely go for the Corolla. The interior is not a moving part, so you can manufacture it out of cardboard if that's what you like. But if you care about comfort, you'll pick better materials and more ergonomic design. And let's be realistic, if you opt for a Subaru Legacy, which is indeed a fine car, it will set you back as much as a Jetta will, and you know it. The cheapest 2007 Legacy starts at $20,795 (it's AWD), whereas the Jetta starts at $16,490 (it's FWD). Pile on options and the Subie doesn't suddenly get "cheaper" than the Jetta -- you can just pile more features onto the Jetta than are offered on the Subie. Both are good cars, and both are different.

Please show us another midsize turbodiesel sedan that achieves 44 mpg on the highway, at any purchase price.

I was forced to drive VWs, I would drive an A3 2.0T