Used 2015 Volkswagen Jetta for Sale in Cedar Rapids, IA

I'm a 30-year VW-Audi fan that this time around needed to go cheap, but without leaving VW. I also wanted a TDI to match my mostly highway commute/driving. It was easy to get a deal on the Jetta, considering how much they're piling up on the dealership lots; now I know why. This is the cheapest, dullest car I've owned since the "old GM" product I owned years ago. It's a slick powertrain wrapped in bland styling, numb driving, slow-torture seating, missing creature comforts (we don't even get rear-passenger door lock switches), all riding on Flintstone wheels. Not to mention a real low point in VW quality (e.g. carpets that are cardboard sprayed with hair-in-a-can) and quality control (e.g. embarrassingly poor body panel alignment). This is the worst VW since the Westmoreland, PA Rabbits of the 1980s. It's sad to see VW fall from near-Audi-lilke at the start of the Millennium to sub-Kia-like today. Never mind that the car's only strong suit - its engine - is now a deliberate, bald-faced lie.

Leased this Jetta about 1500 miles ago. So far OK. Biggest complaint is the transmission is not smooth at all. Can be a little jumpy. Kinda weird that the sticker price for this car was $26k (I didn't pay that though) and it doesn't have auto headlights, climate control A/C and auto seats . It has heated seats, but not auto seats. Weird to me. Front buckets seats are OK, but back seat is awesome. Lots of legroom for a small car. The leatherette is OK but can get a little swampy on really hot days. Averaging 30 miles to the gallon right now, which is OK. I do mostly freeway driving with surface street driving on weekends, but I do have a bit of a lead foot to be honest. Acceleration is pretty good and much better than other small cars I have driven, then again with the TSI that should be expected. It's pretty fun to drive, but probably more a young person's car than a family car. I guess I'm a young 44 because I think it's fun, though I do prefer the interior room and comfort of my Volvo S60. Instrumentation and touch screen entertainment/nav system is pretty user friendly after a very small learning curve. I am not a fan of the shiny chrome/black interior look but that is very typical of sporty cars nowadays. Navigation doesn't come with real time traffic so I am not really using it much. Love the blind side monitor on mirrors--very useful and makes me feel safer. Love the remoteless entry, exit and push start. I never use my keys and remote now and I love that. Exterior styling on this car is outstanding. It's a really cute car and I get tons of compliments although there are lots on the road. We did a 4 year lease and will be happy to keep this car for that entire time. Especially with the all-inclusive maintenance.

The interior room of the Jetta is pushing the size of a mid-size car, especially the rear seats. I'm 6'4" and my 5'11 son can sit behind me comfortably without nagging me to move the seat up. The car handles confidently at high speeds; I can tell this was built for the Autobahn. It seems to be more sure-footed the faster you go. The acceleration of the 1.8 turbo is exceptional. Granted, a good-sized V6 would be able to pull away, but I've gotten out of some tight spots because my car had the yank to put me ahead of cars and trucks whose drivers were probably playing Bubble Witch on their phones. To be honest, I am a bit concerned about the long-term reliability though. Compared to a Honda or Toyota, I have a feeling it might be more costly in the long run. Time will tell. Some people seem to have really good experiences; others, not so much. For now, it seems to be very solid. No rattles or squeaks. It's more fun to drive than a Corolla or a Civic, and it's much roomier, so I'm happy for now. I'm going to take the advice of other VW owners--stay on top of maintenance. German cars don't seem to handle neglect well.