Press the gas and you are gone...... I would not hessitate to take on any car on the road. Even a BMW has to work very very hard to beat it. You pay 20k to 30k less than them.

You don't have enough time for famliy because you are always voluntering to drive every body every where. I have put 24k miles on my car in under 8 months.

Every body who complains about Gears is a Morron. If you have a soft gear you kill the clutch. My gears are so crunchy that captin crunch fells limp in front of them. This car rides better if you ride it harder. I mean i have made 45 degr. turns at almost 55 and goten in the right most lane to beat the crap out of a cougar. My dream vacation would be to see the VW factory in Germany and to shake hands of the designers of the new Jetta.

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Audi S4. - This car is so good i would get a second job for just that car.

Great look, finish. Great A/C (high priority in Houston). Smooth and quiet for small car. Fabulous blue-lighted dash. Enormous trunk.

Front air-vent bumper is so low that it hooks on curbs and parking barriers - with no warning! I've pulled the bumper off twice now, once almost completely and once only a corner. It's very aggravating, very expensive. This would keep me from buying another Jetta. Less frustrating: stiff gearbox with large knuckles, surprisingly low gas mileage for 4-cyl - I expected better.

Except for the "Barbie" bumper problem, this is a great car. It just feels solid. It looks and handles like a much more expensive car. In the year I've been driving, I've had no repair required, except for the two bumper episodes. For a car this size, it's a great value.

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My prior car was a Honda Civic. To be honest, I would have bought Honda again, but the deal was better on the Jetta. No regret, except for the #$%//# bumper.

Styling and Value.
The silver paint and 16" wheels really set the car off, and so far the fit and finish has been high quality. The Monsoon Stereo worth the upgrade.
This car is not as good as a BMW, but at 10K less than a 323 and 20K less than a 328, it was an easy choice.

Manual Gearbox is mushy and it is easy to miss shifts. It will not go into reverse sometime without messing with the clutch and shifter.
The suspension is a bit soft, and the seats could be more supportive.
The front bumber air dam is arranged perfectly to catch on parking curbs, and then want to snag and break-off when reversed off!!! This is a bad design, as only the fender-well screws hold on the bumper.

Highly recommended if on a budget and like German quality and feel.
Get the sports package available for 2001.
Get the new BMW 330 with sports package if price is no object.

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1994 Z28 - cramped and cumbersome, but makes the VR6 seem lethargic.
1988 Jetta Carat - Fantastic handling and seats compared to the 2000 - how could they regress so far in 12 years?

Smoothly upscale V6. Interior refinement. Host of standard gadgetry. Fit and finish is above average.

Dealer service is not exactly top-notch. Ride is soft and comfy but almost too soft for a sporty car- stiffer springs would be appreciated.

I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who still enjoys the kick of an above average european sedan and appreciated a high concentration of creature comforts in the cockpit.
The motor in the GLX and the GLS VR6 is one that provides more than adequate hp and torque for almost any situation. While the numbers are not quite as good as say the Contour, it 0-60 is reached with seemingly less effort. Once handling is considered, one could make an arguement that the Ford or the Audi are a better buy-with Honda taking its usual "middle of the road" approach on all counts. Still the sheer number of features on the VW will draw those who appreciate heated leather seats, climate control and trip computer among other things standard on their vehicle into the showroom. With so many cars claiming BMW-like quality at an econo price. This one after 12,000 mi. seems to hit closest to that mark. Perhaps for a more accurate description you would need to imagine that a BMW 3 series and an Audi A4 mated, produced offspring, and named it Jetta.

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Ford Contour SVT (faster but unrefined), Honda Accord Coupe (plain jane conservative but strong on value), Audi A4 (more expensive once options are considered... still a valid choice).

This car can boogie!!! I drove it home to my parents house for the holidays in country and this car ate up those winding, sloping and curvy roads. Unbelievable power, which I am going to increase :), and acceleration. Interior is beautiful with the grey leather. Interior lights are pretty impressive. And like everyone else I love the heated seats. The silver look with the factory 17" make this car look mean, like a 3 series Beemer. Definately the car for your money.

None so far, she tip top!

I would recommend this car to anyone who is looking for a fine european automobile without the costs. The engine give plenty of power, in which I use on a daily basis, to the accelerator. After market possiblities are endless, you can easily jump your HP to over 200 with $1500. There are also tons of different body styles out there t give you car a special racing look with uniquness. The interior is unmatched by any American or Japanese car. The extras are too much, it makes you just sit there and smile the whole time your driving the car. Its definately a car for your money!!!!! Go ahead and get one, you'll feel the same!!!

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Civic and the Integra- which comes not even close to what you get with this car.

engine, HUGE trunk, cruises on the interstate effortlessly, seats are firm.

base stereo speakers will "blow" easily, cd changer is pretty cheap too as it skips intermittently and fails to recognize CDs at times, windnoise from sunroof can drive your eardrums crazy when open in certain positions, manual seat controls can quirky to operate, rear seat height is a little cramped for my friends taller than me (5'10"), Very poor and haughty customer service.

Great engine, intrumentation panel colors are a delight, nice window controls ( one-touch down and up), avg gas mileage.

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saab 900, ford probe.

Styling and

Same engine light issues as reviewer on 10/04/00, see below. Service at VW dealers and from VW customer service is horrible. Compared to service levels at Honda dealer, it is much worse. Other minor issues with rear window defroster, grease in doors (also mentoned below), gas gauge getting stuck, and interior light control panel going off randomly. Most issues required trip to dealer. Engine light issue took 9 days to resolve with a rental car promised and never delivered. VW's "guaranteed mobility" is a guaranteed joke.

Not recommended for reasons above.

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None

Powerfull and economical at the same time
Always starts and runs even when very cold
Great looks

Shifter notchy when cold, ok when warms up
Lost the water pump @ 20,000 miles, no hassle replacement...
couple of tiny flaws in black paint... I am being very picky here, but jeez... it was $23000 dollars after all

The jetta is a great car, I just wish it was manufactured in germany. Not that I have any specific problems with Mexico... It would be nice to have a GERMAN car though.

Also... I hit a deer with the Jetta this September at 60+ miles an hour. I barely felt the impact and even then it only created $3000 worth of damage
The jetta bumper exploded into pieces, but their was no frame damage and one fender was crumpled a bit.

The car is awesome. Especially when you compare it to the competition.

Is there any competition?

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nothing compares to a vr6 jetta for the price

It looks! It has great speed and passing power. Very sturdy and hugs
the road nicely. Love the remote entry system and interior safety lights.

Rattles in the door, Bose AMP blew, both the clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder had to be replaced at 23,000. VW service has been very disappointing at the dealers I have dealt with. I know use independent VW mechanic.

I would get the upgrades if you can! I love them. Leather, BOSE, VR6. I would find a mechanic first!!!! The oil changes are a hastle unless you use a german mechanic place or the dealer. It is difficult to find accessoried for the car on the web for the early edition 1999. Everything is for the new body style 1999.

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None

The handling is awesome. I've never driven anything like it. The engine, suspension and transmission have been solid. The horsepower is pretty standard for a V4. Peppy in the city, but could use more getting on the highway.

While the car has been relatively solid, expect the little things to break on the car. At 6,000 miles the O2 sensor went out and shortly after the radio broke. The muffler rotted out at 34,000 miles (not coverted under warranty), the driver's side lock fell out of the door one day last summer. Other repairs: cruise control quit working and the glove box is busted. Oh and finally, don't buy a black one. The thing scratches by barely touching it.

Ever since I was 16 I wanted a VW. I finally got one when I graduated college and have had good and bad experiences. If you are looking for a car that will be around after 100K miles, this is a good choice. However, you will run into an aweful lot of little things breaking. You are almost better off not getting any options on it at all b/c, in time, they all will break. Overall, my Jetta was well worth the lease.