Used 2003 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews
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Needed at least one review for diesel
rcplaneman16, 04/11/2014
2003 Volkswagen Jetta GL TDI 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 4A)
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
Looked through some of the reviews and noticed not one for a diesel and everyone main complaint being MPG. Well just wanted to state that the TDI Wagon for my family has reliably gets 35-38 mpg depending how one drives on the highway and has had no major problems for 225k miles. Only things replaced was 2 alternators, original died and its replacement died while under warranty and had to clean the carbon out once so far out of the engine. everything about driving is like the gasoline that everyone has talked about.
Fun little car with some quirky issues
Andrew, 07/25/2015
2003 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
First thing, I love my Jetta. Despite it's tiny 115hp, it is a blast to drive thanks to the manual transmission, great steering and fun ride. I have owned my Jetta for three years now, and have had very few issues. I live in Wisconsin, and this car surprised the hell out of my friends who had trucks and SUVs by its' performance in heavy snow and ice. For some reason, it is unstoppable in winter weather. I am also 6ft 1 and have plenty of head and legroom while driving. I am disappointed with the gas mileage, I usually average 26 mpg combined, but have gotten 31-32 mpg on long highway trips. The biggest downside with this powertrain is undoubtedly the engine. I frequently have difficulty passing or I have to downshift 2 gears to make it up a small hill. I wouldn't mind if the return was excellent mileage but the mileage as I mentioned is somewhat mediocre for a car of this size. My only truly negative experience was an EPC censor that would put my car in limp mode. The censor randomly would go off when I would start it, and acceleration was limited and the car would max out at 50mph. I took it to several mechanics and a dealer and eventually found out that a botched repair from a previous owner was to blame. Just be careful with these cars though, as the electronics are really touchy and can be expensive to fix. Other than that, I love my car and have had no other mechanical issues to speak of. I highly recommend this car as a cheap, fun to drive car that isn't as vanilla as a Ford, Chevy or Hyundai.
- Safety
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Value
Diesels Yes, Gasoline No
irwin, 06/16/2008
2003 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I have 73,000 miles on the car and have had no maintenance needed other than the standard periodic checkups and oil changes. I have better than 50 mpg'total (I have not added it up since 50K but at that time it averaged 50.83). I have own 5 V.W. diesels and put on nearly 150K on three at 10, 12 and 17 years old. I would stay away from the gas version of the cars but I intend to keep this one and would purchase a diesel again.
2003 and STILL kickin'
oldvolkshome, 08/16/2011
2003 Volkswagen Jetta GL 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
I purchased my 2003 1.8T Jetta 5-speed new. Aside from a new water pump at 60k miles (normal) and a faulty coil over arc this car is the best car I have ever owned. It is now 2011 and have 100k miles with original brake pads and original clutch and trans. The car runs beautifully.. It helps A LOT if you drive your car gently and DON'T "over tach" and screech your tires! When it comes to having a good or bad car, it's a 50/50 thing. Just getting lucky and picking a good one combined with how you drive it and maintain it. I highly recommend using synthetic oil. I have used Mobil 1 from day one and my motor doesn't burn a DROP of oil 100k miles later. Love your car & it will love you back!!
TDI Rocks
Clay Brechter, 07/29/2003
2003 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI 4dr Sedan (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
I work at Bob Lewis VW. In March I bought a Jetta GLS TDI 5-speed. I love it. It gets about 47.88 miles per gallon and I drive about 80 miles per hour. The torque is 155 meaning I usually don't even have to down shift when going up hills. The car is a diesel so I won't have to get it smogged every 2 years and I smile everytime I pass a gas station. I am getting about 600 miles per tank. If you would like to contact me you can e- mail me at ClayAtBobLewisVW@aol.com.
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