I have only had this car for a little over a month, however so far I am pleased with both the way it looks as well as it's performance. When test driving the different Jetta models, I remember being pretty disappointed at how sluggish the base engines felt on the road... so sad. That was until I got into the 1.8t! I'm so glad I test drove this car last, because what a difference! Hard to believe this is a 4 cylinder. With 180 horse power turbo engine, this car feels more like a healthy V6. Acceleration is absolutely wonderful! Turbo lag (although evident)is minimal and not even complainable. I have never been in a 4 cylinder that pulled me back into the seat like this (174 lbs of torque!). Braking, on the other hand, is unfortunately a chore and is often a brutal experience regardless of what speed or conditions you are traveling in. It seems as though the brakes are tweaked a little too much on the aggressive side and require some practice and getting used to.

Now that I have a VW, I have started to notice just how many there are on the road... I never realized. I think that if you are going to buy one, you better go the extra mile when getting the upgraded packages... I see a lot of people don't do this and they don't look quite as nice (although they are nice cars without all the extras). The sun roof is absolutely fabulous. The winter package keeps your mirrors, butt, and your sprayer nozzles heated... very nice. The sport package includes a fairly decent suspension and 17 inch alloy rims with really low-profile GoodYears (there is nothing worse than a nice car with little pee-pee tires and aluminum hubcaps...) The Monsoon stereo is every bit as loud as you have read elsewhere. For 200 watts, you have to get the stereo upgrade. For a stock radio, this is a pretty decent system. On the bad side, some CD's sound a little "tinny", and can give you a headache. Oh, and my shiny stainless steel dual exhaust looks so nice!

Bottom line is that this is mostly a well thought out vehicle. You feel as though you are sitting in a car that cost more than you paid. The interior cabin has nice quality materials. Nothing in this car feels cheap (except the cup holder). The Jetta (with all the extras) is almost a little wanna-be luxury sedan. The handling and suspension are nice with the sport package and the acceleration is outstanding for 4 cylinder. Trunk space is outrageous. There is probably more room in the trunk than there is in the back seat. I know that the 1.8t and the Audi A4 have the same engine, but personally I think the Jetta is a lot cuter car and think that you get a whole lot more for your money.

Some of the things that particularly annoy: the way the wind blasts in your face when the front driver's side window is down. The sun roof (although fabulous)only automaticaly opens 3/4 of the way and you have to manually hold the button to make it open the rest of the way... also feels as though it is blowing straight down on your neck. I have discovered that cracking a back window helps save you from what could possibly be a bad hair day in the making (I'm totally serious. It's practically a small tornado). Also, what is the deal with the flimsy cup holder that obscures the stereo when deployed? And where are my blue tinted mirrors? Apparently the new 2002 models don't have this feature... that was always a neat little extra when buying a European car.

I recommend buying this car. Probably the best part about the Jetta 1.8t is that it is totally fun to drive. I think a lot of people buy cars because that particular model is what they can afford and not becuase it is what they want. I think the Jetta offers something that is desirable as well as something that is in a price range that most people can deal with.
Amount Paid (US$): 24,000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: GLS 1.8t, sun, winter, sport, tipronic, Monsoon, 17 inch alloys