With the prices of gas going up and up my wife and I were forced to look at options to the full size pick-up and our mid size car. During the search we bought our first VW, a New Beetle (which we love and I've reviewed here on Epinions). Some where along the way the Jetta TDI (Turbo Diesel) caught my eye; not necessarily the looks, although it's an attractive car, but the MPG estimates on the sticker!
Well, I went home and did a lot of research online and went back and test drove a 2004 Jetta GL TDI. It happened for the second time; after a drive I fell for it. Volkswagen seems to have a knack for building solid, responsive, fun to drive vehicles. I had also test driven a Pontiac Vibe (6-speed Sport model) and the VW just felt like a notch above. I've had it about 3 weeks now, so here is my review thus far:
First, as they say VW is looking for drivers and it's evident when you get behind the wheel. While the Turbo Diesel is certainly nowhere near as quick and responsive as our Turbo gas Beetle, it holds it's own. I find it to be adequate, if not quick when you get into it, although this will be my family car as well as my 100 mile per day commuter and for that I prefer a smooth comfortable acceleration, which the Jetta delivers. You can literally not depress the gas and the car will gently accelerate as you lift the clutch (I have a 5-speed-obviously). You get excellent power range, especially between 2,000 and 3,000 rpm. And in 5th gear on the highway you can cruise comfortably quiet at about 2200 rpm doing 70+ mph. These cars are really build for the Autobahn.
I'm still running my first tank of gas and can't report back on mpg yet, but I'm at 460 miles thus far and still well over 1/4 tank. I believe with a mix of highway and stop and go I'll be in the neighborhood of 40-45 mpg. I don't care how you slice it, that's awesome. I've done a lot of reading and participating in discussion groups and have seen several people reporting 50+ mpg when on a straight highway trip. I'm looking forward to our visit auto vacation (I'm sure I'll regret that soon after we depart as my 7 & 10 year old children will commence with the "are we there yet" comments! :-)
I find the ride to be relatively quiet but still firm. It handles very well taking corners and rainy conditions with good agility. Doors are firm and close with a nice solid feel. I have the base model GL and although I wish I had the GLS, it's still nicely equipped. Power group; tilt with telescoping wheel; cruise control (a must have for me with a back problem); remote opener and the clever VW "switchblade" like key. My interior is black cloth that I see the kids have gotten filthy very easy and very quick. Seats are firm and fairly comfortable but I really miss the heated seat option that my wife has in the New Beetle (another GLS upgrade). I do love the look of the dash, especially at night-very classy!
My Jetta is silver, which I'm normally not a big fan of, but I have to admit it stays remarkably clean looking and when it's really clean and sitting in the right light, it almost has a pearl look to it. It's really appealing. I settled on the GL, as this model had a couple thousand miles on it that the dealer had demo'd, so it was the right car for the price. With that said, here are my negatives:
This being a very rare new car purchase for me, I would like to see more gadgets. While the car has an attractive simplicity, I like to play Tommy Toggle and play with switches and novelty items. I see in my owner’s manual that other models have the multi-function controls, like outside temp, current mpg and others. I miss these types of features. Again, I really love the heated seats and will be buying an aftermarket upgrade. No moon roof on mine, also a nice feature. All these things could be addressed by spending a little more and getting the GLS model.
Other complaints, very little storage space! No center console or overhead space for sunglasses etc. I think there is a missed opportunity here and this ties into the gadget or lack of gadget problem.
Bottom line, I like my new Jetta a lot. The gadgets don't mean much when you’re driving and that's the best way to enjoy a VW! I'm really excited about our fuel savings. Between our 2 new cars and our prior ones we will save about $160 per month!! Yes, we drive a lot. If you do as well, you'll do well with a Jetta TDI!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 17000
Condition: New Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: GL TDI
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