Used Volkswagen Jetta For Sale

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.

I swore I'd never buy one. Too expensive, too unreliable. Well, in a pinch, a tornado red SE Jetta jumped out at me at the dealer on an evening I had gone to see a different car. Over the last 3 months and 6,000 miles I've had a mostly positive experience. This is a compact sedan with a solid build quality feel. The interior and trunk room, along with the ride, are more like a midsize sedan, but the parking and handling are more like a compact. VW found a great balance here. It's really the perfect size car. Few cars find this balance, except maybe Dodge Avenger/Chrysler 200, and I wasn't about to buy one of those! If you have a turbo you'll also see why I entitled the review, "The Red Rocket." It drives like a V6 (at minimum) and still returns 40 MPG. Visibility is great. Car is great looking, with classic, timeless VW looks inside and out. Seats are firm but comfortable, and the heated seats rock. The seat bottom and back both heat, not just the bottom like a lot of cars. I'm not without complaints, though. The worst so far is maintenance costs. Even with no true "problems," every ounce of preventative maintenance will cost more on this car because of special oil, filters, etc. - many of which are proprietary and cannot be obtained other than from VW. I do hear some squeaks and rattles from time to time. I also have issues with my stereo, the AUX will randomly shut off and I have to go in and turn it back on. This happens about once a week. Not a huge problem, but an annoyance. Display between the instrument panel gauges is hard to navigate without using the manual. Dashboard and interior door plastic reminds you that it's an economy class car also. It's more like what you'd expect in a low-end Chevrolet than anything with a German nameplate. Overall, this has surprised me and has been a great commuter car with the comfort and fuel economy. The powertrain is also amazing. At this point, longevity and reliability will be the determining factors as to whether this will go down as a great or a lousy car for me. Crossing my fingers for the best, hoping for many happy years, but if it turns into a stereotypical European money pit, it's back to Japanese cars for me!