1996 Volkswagen Jetta

Pros: Comfy seats, good power, great gas mileage
Cons: Fixing it is expensive and too often

I have had my 96 Jetta for 5 years. Bought it at 90,000 miles and it now has 170,000. Yeah I drove it around a bit, but that still doesn’t explain random things breaking. 1. Trunk lock (making my trunk useless, I have the back seats permanently down) 2. Sunroof motor (luckily in the closed position) 3. Alarm system (Forcing me to install an ignition switch directly to my starter) 4. Drivers side door doesn’t lock (leaving my car constantly unlocked) 5. Power steering pump (Cost $300.00 for the part) as well as a new timing belt at 130,000 where they had to take out my whole engine and four oil leaks. Currently, I am dealing with the power steering pump which is going to die on me any second and my leaking coolant lines. And yes the coolant is expensive.
Oh yeah and the exterior starts falling apart too. Just stop to look at all the side panels on all the old Jetta's.
My opinion- the VW Jetta sucks

Pros: Keeps your mechanic gainfully employed
Cons: Keeps your mechanic gainfully employed

I traded in an '88 Jetta for a '96 back in 200. What a bad mistakes. This car, in my opinion isn't even remotely the same as my '88. I could list what has gone wrong, but I think that listing what hasn't gone wrong would be a much shorter list.
What has not gone wrong;

The car has not exploded.

I was once a huge vw fan, said that is all I would drive. Now, I no longer drive anything since my jetta, which has fallen so far in value that selling it is useless, is never on the road. This car is like being in a bad relationship that is impossible to get out of. I keep thinking that after this next repair, I will be all set for some time, everything will be good. Wrong. It is never ending, the car will be a never ending drain on your bank account & patients. Get a Subaru instead, vw has plummeted in quality. I have contemplated having a bumper sticker made that says "I have a Jetta; can I bother you for a ride?"

Pros: Incredible engine/tranny (5-spd manual)Cavernous trunkAmazingly fun to driveCan go the distance
Cons: Not for the person that doesn't love what they drive.

Bought the car in '99 with 54k miles for $12,500.  It's been my daily driver ever since.  Over the last decade I've driven it ~140k miles and probably put $15k in maintaining it.  The VR6 motor is an incredible piece of engineering that has provided years of enjoyable driving.  The rest of the car has held up well but is showing it's age.  I find this car to be a great value for it's level of performance and longevity.
VW engineering does not come cheap.  Bad experiences at private VW shops and with non-OEM parts has forced me to use the local VW dealer and OEM part distributers.  This adds to the maintenance costs but ultimately led to the car's  longevity.

Rust is also an issue on these cars.  Mine was undercoated at the factory which has added years to the chassis.  However, every 2-3 years I put the car into the body shop for inspection, rust removal and undercoat reapplication (typically runs $200-$300).


Final words:This is a car-guy's/gal's daily driver.  Non-stop fun to drive that can go the long haul, if you're willing to take care of it.

Pros: gas mileage, trunk space, reliable
Cons: side moldings

I walked into the dealership, straight to her on the showroom floor and picked her up 2 weeks later. I drove her out the lot and across the country to my new home in AZ. I stay on the road and I could not have been blessed with a better vehicle. When I went looking for a SUV to deal with the snow in the area I was moving to, I refused to trade in my VW. The salesman stated that he understood why. It has given me pleasure every time I take a ride. No major problems. My goddaughter is looking forward to driving it as her first car in 5 years, that makes it 15 years for me, time to pass on the blessing.