Nice style, modern, lot sof safety features like ABS, side airbags, etc.

Too many times in the shop, check engine light goes on with no reason, consumes a lot of oil, make sure to check it at least every 500 miles.

And I thought German engineering was good, or is it the Mexican assebly line? It all started veru good, nice service, until the warranty is over. Check engine light goes on more than christmas lights, fuel pump changed, three time the oxygen sensor, they even kept the car in the shop per request of VW management to find out what was wrong with it. It is a lease and I am glad it is almost over, I am returning it.

good gas mileage, great style - nothing really cheap about it, great braking system

the cupholder does indeed suck - gets in the way of the stereo when in use. that''s all i can find so far!

i don''t have much to say about the car yet as i''ve had it for less than a week, but i can''t contain my joy over this car any longer! it purrs so quietly, and i''d rather be sitting in the driver''s seat with the key off than in my home - how comfortable and aesthetically pleasing the interior styling is. the braking system, i''ve noticed, is top-notch. it is definitely a car that requires some knowledge of "german vehicular handling," but that''s fine with me. i''m content thus far!!

Similar Products Used:

dodge neon - it was good while it lasted; minimal problems, but honestly just not up to par with my needs :)

Very fun to drive. Very attractive in style. Interrior very sporty.

Several problems with car: both rear electric windows broke twice in four years;interior very tight;rims very soft, major problems with electrical (alarm turning on will driving, windows malfunctioning, cruise control shifts crazy,dash lights half work, many other problems) If you buy get extended bumper to bumper

Would not buy jetta glx or VW again.

Fuel economy, VW warranty, HUGE trunk with cargo net (I don''t know how I lived without one for so long!), surprisingly powerful factory stereo, and ample headroom/legroom.

My negatives are minute: 1) We live in a rainy climate and the wipers only have 2 speeds: "on" and 1 delay setting. In a downpour (like we have so often in Vancouver), I have to really squint sometimes to see through the rain on the windshield. 2) Brakes squeal like a stuck pig! Dealer told me that the disc brakes are famous for this and I would have to live with it. 3) 115 hp, 4-cylinder engine lacks pep. I would suggest upgrading to the VR-6 if possible. 4) Driver''s seat has adjustable height feature but passenger seat does not. I''m 6''1", my wife is 5''7". When I drive, everything is fine, but when I''m in the passenger seat, I have to either scrunch down a bit or recline the seat to fit. 5) Cup holders in the front seat are useless for anything larger than small cup. I improvised and they now hold my sunglasses. The cup holder in the back seat is rubber-ized and can fit just about anything, but is definitely awkward to access from the front seat.

The ''98 Wolfsburg Jetta was my first new car and I was really happy with it. At the time, I had broken my choices down to an Accord (too squished inside), Saturn (UGH!) and the Jetta. My first car was a 1964 VW Beetle and my wife''s first car was a 1979 Rabbit. Her sister had an ''81 Rabbit and her Mom had an ''87 Golf. You could say we were destined to drive a VW! Overall, I have been very happy with my choice and I would not hesitate to buy a VW again in the future. For basic maintenance, I have driven about 60,000 km (37,000 miles) and in that time, I have only had to add oil twice. In terms of fuel economy, I had thought of getting the TDI but chose the standard engine. In retrospect, I should have chosen the TDI simply for fuel economy however the gas engine will get no complaints from me. The VW warranty is unsurpassed and when I took it into the dealer for its scheduled servicing, they were more than competent. I do have one beef for which I suppose I share partial blame. I put off getting the final service done that was covered under the warranty until as late as I could. Unfortunately, I could not get the service done at my dealer before the end of the warranty period because they were too booked up. By the time, I got the car in, they said that they couldn''t do the service under warranty and if I wanted it done, it would cost me $400! Now this was only about 10 DAYS after the warranty had expired and no matter how much explaining I did, they refused to budge. We leased the Jetta and when the agreement was up, we decided that due to the rather lacklustre reviews of the new design (''99 and later), we would pay out the lease and hang on to a good thing. Looking back, I think we made the right choice but those new Wolfsburg Jettas sure are nice!

Similar Products Used:

1987 VW Golf Wolfsburg, 1983 Honda Prelude, 1992 Honda Civic, 1993 Nissan Sentra

1. Stylish 2. Roomy trunk 3. Comfortable ride

1. Check engine light loves to come on for no reason. 2. Difficult to position the back of the seat with the knob they have provided (this is really annoying) 3. Oil usage is outrageous! I drive 100 miles a day, and I need to change my oil at least every 5 weeks.

I have had many problems with my Jetta. First, my alternator blew when the car was only a year and a half old. Luckily, it was under warranty. Within two weeks, I also had it in the shop to replace the oxygen sensor. However, the car has been doing fine since then (that was about seven months ago). Although minor, it is still annoying that my temperature controls do not light up when I turn on my headlights. And be forewarned, the OIL NEEDS TO BE CHANGED OFTEN!

60 miles to the gallon. It will go over 100mph on the highway, safely and comfortably. I know it will last a long, long time.

cupholders are "brutal" back seat is tiny. (who cares) maintenance is expensive.(but regular maintenance is scheduled for every 15000km)

I''ve owned about 20 cars in my life, and this is the first one I haven''t been bored with after the first year.

Similar Products Used:

There is nothing similar...only other German cars

From my observation of the reviews that have been posted, it seems that the majority of the bad reviews are for the 1999 and 2000 models. Most people before 1999 and after 2001 seem to have had more pleasant experiences with their cars. I''m not exactly sure how long VW has been producing the Jetta in Mexico but perhaps they have opened up their eyes and taken some kind of quality control initiatives at the plant. What this brings me to is that I am thinking about getting a Jetta very soon and have done quite a bit of research. For the most part, reviews for the Jetta have been very good except for the usual complaint that the back seat room is a little too small. My sister has the 2001 Jetta GLS TDI and has had it for nearly a year and has had absolutely no problems and the thing runs like a dream and is so efficient on gas. I have taken it out for a few spins myself and I am pretty impressed with it. I have not driven any other car that has felt that solid and had such great handling around curves. A friend of mine also has a 2001 Jetta 1.8T (another nice engine) and no problems thus far. This is merely speculation on my part but I suspect that the 99 and 00 models happened to be bad build years for the Jetta and VW went down to Mexico to shake some people up after receiving complaints. Even if the Jetta were built in the US it doesn''t guarantee that the quality would be better. It didn''t take Japanese car makers long to realize that quality was an important ingredient in making cars and not just the ability to make cheap (price) vehicles, something which North American auto makers failed to realize for many years even up until today. Hopefully if I do get a Jetta, I will not experience the same horrifying experiences that many people have had with their car.

Feel of absolute solidity, quiet ride, great torque, handling, German road manners, and zingy even in 5th gear. Monsoon stereo sounds fine, brakes are superb.

Again, stereo is too low on dash -- distracting from driving. Honda ergonomics in this area superior.

Just an addendum to my Sept. 19th review...Car is still essentially flawless with no squeaks or rattles. A joy to drive...5 speed is averaging 28-30mpg in 75%highway/25%city driving...32-33 on the highway. Traction control definitely helps in the snow -- it''s no Subaru, but it''s pretty good (didn''t drive it on the worst 2 days of Buffalo''s snow blitz). I know Car & Driver rates it too soft in the twisties, but it remains the most fun-to-drive car among my past Hondas, Subarus, Mitsus, Mazdas, etc

Similar Products Used:

Accord EX 4, Outback, Galant, 626.

Incredible handling and pep, had heard the 2.0liter was not enough but the turbo (which was not any real price increase) is very nice. This one was assembled in Germany and has been a solid car in Europe. At 1600 miles I am already getting 32 plus mpg and do not have to use premium. Drives like a sports car but holds all my stuff. Sports wagen indeed! Also love the huge warranty. And the dash lights the stereo and the looks, tires and .....

Yes the folding the seats down in the wagen could be made easier. And when the seats are down the front seats cannot go all the way back. This could be a problem for the very tall. Could use more leg room in the back but not a ''real'' problem. Cup holder very cool but is in the way of the stereo knobs when in use. This is really just knit-picking. What I didn''t get but would have: the seat upgrade with lumbar ajustment. As I get older the slightly bigger Passat looks nice in the roomy department.

Did my homework. VW had some bad years so I took 4 months to buy this and almost didn''t. Jetta Wagen 1.8T manual with monsoon, luxury and winter packs. Very happy with this but everyone should use the many online resources now available to sort out the good from the bad. No car company has had a perfect record.

Similar Products Used:

Golf, jetta, accord.

-New body Style -Great sound-system- The Monsoon with 8 speakers -Comfortable ride

Annyoances I have had to pay for: -New Transmission at 80k -New Timing Belt -Needed 2 new axles -leaks air coolant and oil -Check engine light on for no apparent reason -Cigarette lighter defective- if used too much the fuse blows that controls the radio and the internal trunk popping mechanism -slow pick up in 1st and 2nd gears

I wish I had done more research on this car because if I had I would definitely not have bought the car. Too many problems to even begin... I think if I had been given the choice now I would have stuck with a Honda or BMW for quality purposes.

Similar Products Used:

Honda Civic- typical Toyota Corolla- very nice