If you want a six in a small sedan, and don’t want to pay the kind of prices charged by BMW and Audi, then the VW Jetta in your only option. The Jetta costs considerably more than its Japanese and American competitors, but still much less than an Audi A4, BMW 325, or Mercedes C-Class. (Click on the blue hyperlinks to read my reviews of related vehicles.)

The six used in the Jetta is unlike any other in the world. Most V6s have their two banks of cylinders spaced sixty degrees apart to maximize smoothness. Some have banks ninety degrees apart, like nearly all V8s, either to share tooling with a V8 or to fit under a low hoodline. VW’s V6 has banks only fifteen degrees apart. This was done to permit the engine to fit in the same space as an inline four cylinder, and to cut costs as this way only a single cylinder head has to be machined instead of two.

Last year, the Jetta became its own worst enemy. The 1.8-liter turbo four received a boost from 150 to 180 horsepower, making it a bit more powerful than the costlier VR6 engine. (My review of the Jetta fitted with the turbo four can be found here.) Later in the model year this inversion was rectified, when the VR6 received four valve heads for the first time. The improved airflow boosted horsepower from 174@5800 RPM to 200@6200. Torque went from 181 ft-lbs. to 195, both at 3200 RPM. With 3000 RPM between the torque and horsepower peaks, the revised VR6 appears to have a very wide power band, unlike many four-valve engines. Perhaps owing to the extra gear in the six-speed manual, fuel economy actually improved one mile per gallon over the old engine, to 21/29. Like the turbo four and European cars in general, the VR6 requires premium gas.

With the introduction of the new engine VW shuffled the Jetta’s trim lines. The top-of-the-line GLX became available only with a five-speed automatic. For those who prefer a manual, VW resurrected the GLI moniker. The GLI loses many of the GLX’s standard features, wood trim, power seats, leather, and a sunroof among them, but gains a standard sport suspension with low-profile 17” tires on unique alloy wheels. The wood trim and power seats are not even available as options on the manual-only GLI. VW assumes that performance-minded drivers don’t care about wood trim and don’t mind manually adjusting the height of their seat. I’d like to think they’re right, but am sure some will miss the full lux treatment.. Traction and stability control are standard on both cars.

Before the power boost I suggested that the turbo four was the best engine in the Jetta, as it cost less, produced more power, and got better fuel economy (24/31 with a five-speed manual). Does this change with the revised six? I drove the resurrected GLI to find out.

VW Jetta Reliability

Want better reliability information? Want to really know what difference it will make if you buy a Audi TT rather than something else? It's coming in the form of "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats. From these you might learn that your first choice, compared to your second choice, is likely to make 2.7 extra trips to the shop in its first five years. You might decide its advantages compensate for this, or you might not. Either way, you'll be able to make a much better informed decision.

To gain access to this information you have a choice: sign up to help provide the data now or pay $24.95 later. For the details, visit my website, www.truedelta.com.

At this point, all I can advise is that if you care about reliability, you don't want a Jetta. My sister's 2002 was nothing but trouble, and judging from the boards she wasn't alone.

Styling and Accommodations

The Jetta’s popularity owes much to its unique exterior styling. The Jetta’s shape is rounded enough to have much of the cuteness that made the New Beetle a hit, but mixes in just enough edginess to avoid the toy-like quality of that other VW. With alloy wheels (the wheel covers that come standard with the base model just don’t work with this design), the Jetta has a sophistication about it that makes it a plausible small car for someone who would find a Honda Civic too entry level and insufficiently adult. Nissan would like you to think that the Sentra is a “destination car,” a car bought for itself and not just because you cannot afford more. Few small cars are destination cars. The Sentra certainly isn’t. It’s simply too basic transport vanilla in terns of looks, and too cheap in too many areas in terms of materials. The performance versions are less vanilla, but then they are blatantly boy racers. In contrast, the Jetta can plausibly be a destination car. I can see someone buying this car even though they can afford the VW Passat, or even an Audi. It very nearly matches those more expensive cars in sophistication and quality, while having a much more “fun” look about it. It’s what the New Beetle becomes when it grows up a little.

There is one aspect of the styling I don’t like. The wheelbase is so short (four inches shorter than that of a Honda Civic or Ford Focus) that it throws the proportions a bit off around the rear wheel. This wheel looks like it intrudes too far forward into the rear door. As a result, the rear door cutline just doesn’t look right to my eye. This is much more a problem for me with the base car’s wheel covers since these lack the ability to distract attention from what the body is doing just above them. At least I suspect this is a reason. At any rate, I don’t notice this element nearly as much when the Jetta is shod with alloys.

The interior styling is less unique. It is quite conservative in the German idiom, with no fancy curves or eye-catching (or irritating) stylistic details. That said, this interior, especially in leather, has the look and feel of a German luxury car. It has this feel by design. VW’s CEO told the company’s product development organization to forget about the cost, he personally wanted all VWs to have high quality interiors, and that’s what they have. VW does end up charging quite a bit more as a result—the Jetta, though smaller, is thousands of dollars more than a Civic or Focus. It also weighs hundreds of pounds more than other small sedans. But if you want a car with that rock solid feel commonly found in German luxury sedans, there is no cheaper or lighter game in town. Even more than its styling, the Jetta likely owes its popularity to its German luxury sedan ambiance.

Unlike those of the larger VW Passat, the Jetta’s beltline and cowl (base of the windows and windshield) are low enough to lend the cabin an airy feeling and afford excellent visibility. I personally prefer this combination: just enough room to be comfortable along with lots of glass. It helps you feel connected to both the car and the road, without feeling cramped. Some people probably shop the Jetta against the Volvo S40, the next least expensive European sedan sold in the U.S. The S40 has a very tall dash that makes me, at least, feel buried in the car, and I would not consider it for this reason alone.

The driver’s seat in previous Jettas I’ve driven lacked sufficient bolstering for aggressive driving. This problem is rectified with the GLI, which includes more heavily bolstered seats. The Recaros in some past Jettas were better yet, but these are certainly a significant step in the right direction. Though very firm, I found the driver’s seat both comfortable and properly supportive whether cruising on the highway and charging hard through curves.

The situation is less happy in the rear seat. The Jetta is pretty much a 2+2 that happens to have four doors. Anyone over about 5-9 is going to have scrunch a bit to avoid contact with the ceiling. Despite a pleasantly high cushion offering good thigh support, legroom is also tight—and very tight with tall people in the front seats. A Ford Focus offers far more rear seat room. So if you’re going to have anyone approaching six feet in height in the rear seat often, this is probably not the right car. If you might be carrying a baby back there, make sure your child seat will fit. It’s that short wheelbase thing again…

Trunk space is quite good for a small car, and the rear seat folds down in two parts to hold even more. The trunk includes metal tie-down hooks. I’m not sure how often people use these, but they’re a nice extra.

On the Road

Four engines are offered in the Jetta. I’ve never driven the 115-horsepower base four or 90-horsepower diesel, but really can’t see getting so little power in a car that weighs and costs what the Jetta does. Opting for the 180 horsepower 1.8 liter turbo four adds $1,650 to the price. A sizable sum, but quite small compared to what the other German brands charge for a 65 horsepower boost. Even adding the optional sport suspension and stability control to the GLS 1.8T, it remains $1,430 less expensive than the GLI. This money gets you a leather wrapped wheel, better bolstered seats, and two more cylinders good for another twenty horsepower. Judging from the leather package pricing, the leather on the steering wheel seems to account for $250. Kick in a couple hundred more for the seats. Does the GLI’s engine perform well enough to be worth the grand still unaccounted for?

For me, yes. For you, maybe not. The GLI with its improved VR6 is a bit faster than the 1.8T, but either is plenty fast even for driving enthusiasts. Generally a turbo engine performs better in around town driving than a naturally-aspirated four-valve engine because it produces more mid-range torque. But as I’ve already noted, the revised six has a fairly low 3200 RPM torque peak. Though the 1.8T’s torque peak was much lower still, at 1950 RPM, with the six speed’s short gearing 3200 RPM was always well within reach. Where the VR6 starts to pull ahead is in more qualitative areas. Though the turbo four doesn’t suffer from much boost lag, the non-turbo six of course suffers from none. Consequently, throttle response is much sharper with the six. Of greatest importance to me, even as weird a six as the VR6 sounds and feels richer and more refined than even the best four—and VW’s four isn’t the best in sound quality and smoothness. I had a hard time justifying more money for a less powerful if smoother six, but more money for a more powerful and smoother six presents less of an issue. Especially with its better fuel economy I can still see that many people will prefer the 1.8T, but the GLI with its VR6 is my favorite Jetta.

It doesn’t hurt that the GLI is only available with a manual. I personally prefer a manual, and frequently lament that there are so few V6/manual cars available for under $30,000. Now, I’ve rarely met a VW shift linkage that I really liked, but the stick in the GLI is the best I’ve found in this mixed lot. Throws are moderate in length, and the feel going into gears in pleasantly notchy. Some people think of notchy as a bad thing, but I like the tactile feedback it provides. The clutch resembles those in other VW products: light effort, overly long throw, little feel as the clutch engages. Something I could get used to, but a shorter throw and more feedback would make this a better car for those who like to drive—VW’s self-espoused target market.

The extra gear in the tranny compared to the 1.8T and past VR6s doesn’t do much to cut RPM on the highway. The GLI turns 3300 RPM at 80 (2500 at 60). This is on the upper edge for engine noise and fuel economy. The payoff is tight spacing and short gearing in the lower gears, so there is always plenty of grunt for any situation. Given the engine’s wide powerband, is such tight gearing necessary? Probably not, but it does slightly enhance the energetic feel of the car.

In general the Jetta’s handling falls well short of perfection. Though the steering is nicely weighted and provides good feedback, in aggressive driving torque steer rears its ugly head, the chassis gets a bit bobbly and skittish, and things generally feel a touch unsettled. Thankfully, the sports suspension optional in the GLS and standard in the GLI settles these unwelcome dynamics down a bit by reducing lean in turns and keeping the body more steady. Still, this is relative. There are much more stable and composed chassis to be had among performance-oriented compacts. I’ll be the first to admit that the Jetta’s handling quirks can add to the fun personality of the car, as they make the car feel more responsive to your steering inputs, but from the standpoint of technical perfection they’re undesirable.

The GLI is not even the best-handling Jetta. One minus with the VR6 is that it weighs about 140 pounds more than the turbo four. All of this weight is situated just ahead of the front wheels, exactly where you don’t want it in an already nose-heavy front-wheel-drive car. Consequently, the GLI does not handle as nimbly as the GLS 1.8T fitted with the sport suspension, and understeer is more pronounced.

Some of the Jetta’s handling flaws can be credited to its short wheelbase. However, the suspension settings also contribute. Even with the firmer sport suspension these settings are much softer than those in a Focus SVT or Sentra SE-R.

But perhaps I’m being too hard on the car. First, as I’ve already admitted the faults on the chassis lend the car a fun personality. The Audi A4 3.0 is definitely a better handling car on any objective basis, but I had much more fun driving the much less expensive Jetta. Also, these lapses in chassis refinement mostly occur during aggressive driving. Driven in a more sane manner, the Jetta’s chassis feels as solid and buttoned down as much more expensive German sedans. Thanks are due the well-weighted steering and stiff body structure (you do get something for the extra poundage this car is toting). In short, many people will find the chassis near perfect.

There is a payoff for the relatively soft suspension. Despite the Jetta’s very short wheelbase, it generally rides well, with none of the hobbyhorsing that can accompany a short wheelbase. Though the optional 17” low-profile tires coupled with the stiffer sport suspension do degrade the ride a bit, even they do not result in a harsh ride. You hear the tires hit the bumps, but it’s a conventional German sedan type of sensation, heard more than felt. As German suspensions often are, this one is firm yet compliant. As with many quasi-affordable European cars, road noise can be prominent on some road surfaces, but overall noise levels are usually low, especially for such a small car. Overall, the Jetta generally rides and feels like a larger, more expensive car.

The tire and wheel choices require a bit more comment. With the turbo four, the only available wheels are the standard 15s and the optional ($800, including the otherwise $200 sport suspension) 17s. The GLI comes standard with the 17s. Aesthetically and dynamically, the first have a bit too much sidewall while the latter have so little that wheel damage is a definite possibility with potholes. Sixteens would be a good balance, but these are only available with the GLX. I wish they were available, perhaps even standard, on the 1.8T and GLI. Some people think that larger wheels are always better, but even from an aesthetic standpoint I feel the 17s, nicely styled as they are with either trim, are so large relative to the small body of the Jetta that they border on cartoonish.

Pricing

For quick, up-to-date pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created: www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in one swift pass.

The following is from when the review was originally written:

The base GLI stickers for $23,525. Heated leather seats and the sunroof with upgraded sound system package, the only options, bring the price to $25,565. Edmunds suggests that the typical car is discounted about $300.

Both the car and options seem reasonably priced. A four-door Nissan Sentra SE-R costs about $18,500 and a five-door Ford Focus SVT about $20,000, but they feel like less expensive cars—in the case of the Sentra much less expensive. The Focus also has a German feel to it (though not so strongly as the Jetta) and offers leather, but even when the four-door version is introduced (probably about $20,000) it will remain a hatchback. I like the functionality of a hatchback, but VW customers who want a hatch will be buying the Golf and not the Jetta. Also, while the Focus SVT handles much better than the Jetta, it does not ride nearly as smoothly. Finally, the Focus is quick, but in the usual four-valve manner—you have to keep revs up to make it go. So the choice between these will depend on lot on your willingness to trade off ride quality for sharp handling, and the value you place on mid-range torque.

The Mazda Protégé has been frequently praised for its handling, but like the Focus suffers from mediocre ride quality. It has often suffered from a horsepower deficit, but this will soon be somewhat rectified through a 170 horsepower turbo model. At $20,500, this car will be significantly cheaper than the Jetta, but it will also feel cheaper. Beyond this, see ride vs. handling tradeoff above.

Hyundai offers the Hyundai Elantra GT with standard leather for a much lower price. But it's not in the same league with these other cars.

Alternatives among six-cylinder, manual transmission compacts are all considerably more expensive. A BMW 325i equipped like a loaded Jetta GLI costs $34,070 and Edmunds suggests dealers don’t discount them. The BMW handles and rides better, but $8,800 is a large enough amount of money that few people will seriously compare the two cars. If you can afford the BMW, then by all means go for it. If you can’t afford the BMW, but want a six-cylinder compact sedan, or simply a powerful German sedan, then the Jetta GLI is the clear choice. You can save a few bucks by going with the GLS 1.8T, but the GLI will be worth the extra money for most people.

Aside from the Germans, a six-cylinder engine requires going with a larger car like a Nissan Altima or Maxima. Despite their cheaper interior appearance and overall feel, these larger sedans cost about about two thousand dollars more than the Jetta. The upcoming Mazda6 might be a worthy alternative, but only a future test drive will tell. (Click on the hyperlink for my review. Better than the other Japanese sedans, but still much larger in feel than the Jetta.)

Update March 2004: Two recent cars that more closely compete with the Jetta are the related Mazda3 and 2004.5 Volvo S40. Between the two I much prefer the Mazda, especially after its much lower price is factored in, but anyone considering a Jetta should probably look at both.

Reliability (March 2004)

My sister has continuously had minor electrical problems with her Jetta GLS 1.8T. She's had to replace a number of bulbs in the instrument panel and turn signals. All in all, judging from consumer reviews on Edmunds and various quality rankings the Jetta is one of the most troublesome cars you can buy right now. Not for the faint of heart.

Last Words

If you are attracted to the Jetta’s styling, interior ambiance, and German character, do not mind the German price, and do not require a larger rear seat, then this is the car for you. With its smaller package, airier cockpit, and sports suspension the Jetta GLI is simply much more fun to drive than the larger, more expensive Passat. The chassis has its quirks near the limit, but you may either rarely venture there or actually prefer this sort of entertainment. Overall, a uniquely appealing package that has become even more appealing in GLI form.

To learn more about my reliability research and sign up to participate in it, or to perform thorough up-to-date new car price comparisons, visit www.truedelta.com. A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Amount Paid (US$): 25,565
Model and Options: GLI with leather and sunroof