Great Looks, fun to drive, comfortable seating, stereo sounds great, handles great, unique interior lighting, lots of safety standard features, lots of features, full size spare tire, huge trunk, great on gas, great in bad weather, and the VW service was good.

let me taken a deep breath,
warranty only 2 years
check engine light turned on the first week bought the car, turned out to be the brake line.
drivers side window fell out of socket.
drinks oil as if it were gas.
glove compartment hinge broke, don't know how but it did.
had to replace the rear brake pads after 18000 miles.
tires began to make a vibrating noise after 16000 miles.
trunk light went out.
air conditioner was busted the moment we bought the car.
Cheap paint job. scratches for anything.
AND on the week that I am going to trade it in the check engine light turned on, took it in, results some type of sensor that determines how much regulate fuel in the fuel injector. after they fixed the problem the car is now a gas guzzler. good thing I TRADED THE CAR IN!

I've had this car for almost 2 years.
Took good care of it, washed the car once a week, Wax once a month (yes it's black). Checked the oil all the time (burns alot of oil).
Yes, there are lots of cool things about this car but there's also lots of bad things. If I bought this car used is one thing, BUT IT'S A BRAND NEW CAR!!! I've had many compliments on this car but little do they know what a piece of crap it is.
If I were leasing or buying a car every 2 years I could care less about the problems. But, because I planned to keep this car for along time, this car wasn't for me. I will never buy another VW again. The bad just out weigh the good! AND in the service area at the dealer there were many disappointed customers their as well.


ps I know some people may be curious on what kind of car I bought
Subaru Outback L.L. Bean edition (so far so good) look for my post in the subaru section in a couple of months.:)

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'89 honda accord did not come with all the standard equipment but never gave me problems!

The performance of this car is outstanding. The suspension is tight, the ride is smooth and the five speed shifts sweetly. Controlling it on the highway is a dream at high speed. The monsoon sound system is a winner but I passed on the CD player. Volkswagen's way to expensive there are too many after markets that will do just as well. The trunk is very large for a car this size. All in all this is a superb car.

The cupholders are disapointing. The velour seats are hard to keep clean especially with an all black interior..but looks good.

This is a drivers car that is just plain fun to drive. Turns a few heads especially in black if you want an Audi A4 or a BMW 300 series but you are not rich this is the car for you.

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Grand Am decent ride in 6 cyl. but not a very solid feel, looked at the Focus..but still no comparison

The car is absolutely gorgeous.. the dash lighting is unique...the stereo system is great... the handling is wonderful...Oil/Gas- no problems...it's comfortable and cozy...the trunk is spacious...

Where to start, where to start...I got the 2000 jetta Aug.99 and there have been nothing but problems.. i am very disappointed in it's reliability...No wonder why the warranty on these cars are incredible, cause you are constantly in the shop...It all starts with the check engine light... that light has been on more times then it's head-lights...And when i go to get the problem fixed, they shut off the light and forget to fix the problem... this has happened about 6 times...Brakes--my one break went the 15th month i had it... i don't drive crazy, and if i did -wouldn't both brakes go...Well-whatever, i had to pay for it...Windows-HORRIBLE..i have power windows.. The car isn't even two years old, and i already had two window motors but in the driver window and the driver rear window..The Pick-Up- it used to be fast and quick, now it is slow and tired... The car is supposed to be young and engergetic... it's just getting lazy on me...

This is my first car that i picked out, and bought...I thought i would love it forever...As much as i wish i could rely on it, and really feel happy with it, i can't...I don't trust it, i never know when a problem is goin to arise, or when the next window might not go back up... It's a shame... I spent a pretty penny on this pretty car, and it's pretty much a piece of YUCK...And i feel bad cause i talked my friends parents into buying one and they did... i hope they don't have the same LEMON problems as i do mine...This car is for people that actually have time to sit in a dealership and wait for their cars problems to be looked at and not fixed... I would highly recommend steering away from Volkswagen ! ! !

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My 1993 Eclipse had less problems then this car

Great standard safety features and excellent sounding stereo system.

Very poor quality. Put together in Mexico, not Germany. All VW's come with only a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty. The worst of any car manufacturer.

Where do I start? Lets see:
1. The whole dashboard just stopped working one day while driving. A few months after it was fixed, the airbag check light came on and is still on.
2. The transmission clunks and thumps randomly.
3. The factory battery died after one year and 12,000 miles.
4. The CD changer died, was replaced, and now just skips constantly.
5. The rubber coating on the inside door handles is peeling off.
6. The trunk light flickers on and off randomly.
7. The vanity mirror light stopped working.
8. The engine burns oil and you have to add a quart every 1,000 miles.

These types of problems should not happen to a car less than 2 years old!
I have owned 1 Honda and 2 Acura's and never had any problems with them. They are engineered to last and give pleasure to their owners, not grief.
I will never buy a VW again. I know two people that own a Passat and a Jetta and have had similar problems. These cars are a terrible value and I would not recommend them to anyone. Buy a Honda!

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Honda Civic, Acura Integra

Looks Good, when it isn't in the shop.

It is a piece of junk.

Almost from the day I drove it off the lot it has been falling apart. The CD player malfunctioned, the transmission slipped, the engine would quit for no reason, the electronics were (and still are) possessed by an evil gremlin. It feels as though it has been in the shop more than in my driveway, but as I look at the repair records I see that it has only been in the shop for about a month overall. Not bad, considering that I have only owned it for ten months. Stay away from VW!

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Almost anything would have been a better choice. I test dove an Altima and wish I had purchased that instead

great looks
large trunk
blue lights
many std features

2.0 engine
paint job (easily scratches)
door panel rattles a little

overall it's been an enjoyable car. I would buy a jetta again but the next time I'm getting the turbo or the V6. 2.0 has no accleration. some panels vibrate or rattle while I'm driving. Sometimes it rattles and sometimes it doesn't. Every two weeks there seem to me more scratches on my car.

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honda civic

-Engine, it pulls like a locamotive above 3500rpms all the way to redline
-Great looking car (I think)
-Has a lot of mod potential
-Very few 4dr sedans can touch it acceleration wise in the price range/year.

Poor stock suspension
Even worse stock tires (Eagle GAs, horrible).
The suspension and tires cant handle the power of the engine. My 90 Passat felt 100x more secure on the highway.
But its easy to drop 600 bucks into a suspension, which will make a night/day difference in the handling.
Shifter has no feel, and is about as solid as a spoon in mushy Jell-o

Anyone that wants a quick 4dr sedan should consider this car. Very practical, although the VR6 is known to be a pig with only 12valves (i avg around 17mpg city, yet i can get as much as 30mpg for hwy).
There is a huge after market for this car, and being a VW, there are a bunch of clubs and such all over the internet.
I would consider a GSR, Maxima, Contour SE/SVT, and 325i, if your looking for 4drs.
If you dont care about 4drs, and want something even quicker and more nimbel, than go for a GTI-VR6.

I am only giving an average rating, because VW should of made this car better from the factory (suspension wise). I love my car, and plan on keeping it for a while. It just disapoints me that my 90 Passat with 213k miles handled better, and had a better shifter and steering feel.

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Maxima, Coutour, GSR, 325i

Great car, great value, great gas mileage and performance from the 1.8T, great service from Alexandria VW.

After 6 months and 6,000 miles, the only problem has been an inoperative seat warmer. I can't believe the problems reported by others on this site. I've never had a more reliable vehicle besides my old Toyota. And the dealer has been great with service and free maintenance.

I simply had to write this review after spending a week's vacation driving a four-door Ford Focus SE all over south Florida. The focus is the car most commonly referred to in comparisons with the Jetta. I can only imagine that this is because they are in the same EPA class. But that's where the similarities end. First, any attempt to option-up the Focus to the point where it can truly be judged against a Jetta GLS or Wolfsburg Edition will bring the Focus' price up awfully close to the Jetta's, so no real cost savings there. Next, the Focus is a terrible car: it feels cheap, sluggish and unsafe. It's a good thing that a nice stereo is standard because the wind, tire, and engine noise are deafening at highway speeds. The interior finish and ergonomics are awful, the slushbox tranny is an unpredictable mess, the doors and trunk are light and tinny, and the handling is uninspired and sloppy. Driving down Aligator Alley at 95 mph, I thought the engine would explode. Meanwhile, I have to constantly mind my speed in the Jetta or I will find the needle nudging 100 when I think I'm only going 75. If only the Jetta 1.8T came from VW in a version with slightly more turbo boost and rear- or all-wheel drive (yes, there's always the A4), Jetta could respectably compete with BMW 3-Series. Are you guys in Wolfsburg listening??

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My girlfriend's 2001 Nissan Sentra... nice car but can't compare to Jetta for power, finish, luxury, refinement and the sheer pleasure of driving.
Ford Focus... no comparison (see below)

I love this car! It is my third VW Jetta (1985, 1996). I have always loved the reliability and dependability and now I love the economy. With over 110,000 miles, I am still getting over 50 mpg on the highway. The car has never been in the shop for other than scheduled maintenance.

I moved to WV from SC, still driving the gasoline Jetta and have been surprised by the amount of torque that the TDI seems to have. You can downshift and pass a log truck while climbing one of the many mountains. I do not recall being able to do this so easily in the gasoline model.

Seems much improved over the '96. I had the cladding replaced on all 4 doors of the '96 at least twice. The driver's seat also broke in the '96. All problems were corrected under warranty.

No such problems with the TDI! It was difficult to find. I waited a long time to get it and get it how I wanted it (not a loaded GLS model). Cup holders suck. The Germans don't seem to realize that Americans live in their cars, not just drive them. Paint on the TDI doesn't seem to be as high as quality as the '96. Started chipping soon after purchase.

For the dollar, I don't think that a more reliabile, economical vehical is made. The new models are getting a little price, but they are much better looking.

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None

Good pick up and Handles wellbut not worth risking your life for.

This is the most expensive piece of unsafe of junk I have ever purchased. My jetta consumes 4 quarts of oil for every 4000 miles. The power just went today and I completely lost the use of my brakes. Fuel intake something or other needed replaced at 12000 miles. My radio broke and the dealership wanted me to pay for it while the car was still under warranty. I have been reporting problems with this vehicle from the time it had 13000 miles on it with no satisfaction from Volkswagon Corporation or the dealer. Check engine light and ABS light consistently flash on and off and dealer continues to tell me there is no problem as long as the light goes out. However, VW dealer service manager recently told me he attended a seminar, where he learned that VW has received numerous reports of valve seal rings being placed in backwords, yet no one is willing to look into this for me. Volkswagon corporate official directly told me that if I am unhappy with the service I should shop around. Give me a break Volkswagon backs these dealers and certifies them. All I have received from contacting the dealership and the corporatyion is lip service. They continually tell me they will replace the engine if there is a problem, and clearly there is, but then refuse to take any action. The car is completely unsafe and unreliable I will NEVER buy one again and I am searching for other people who have experienced similar problems because I would like to form a class action suit to force the company to take corrective action IMMEDIATELY.

Horrible product

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I have purchased Toyotas in the past and I will go back to purchasing Toyotas after this terrible experience.