2005 Volkswagen Jetta Review

Name: 2005 Volkswagen Jetta Review
Brand: Volkswagen
Price: 926 USD
Rating: 4.4 (245 reviews)

+70

Used Jetta for sale

Not available nearby

See Cars for Online Purchase See All for Sale

Appraise This Car

Volkswagen Jetta model years

Volkswagen Jetta for Sale

Volkswagen Jetta types

See Edmunds pricing data

Has Your Car's Value Changed?

Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.

See pricing history

Edmunds' Expert Review

by the Edmunds Experts

Pros

Powerful turbo engines, fuel-efficient TDI power plant, fun to drive, comfortable ride, rich interior materials, loads of standard safety features, excellent crash test scores, solid build quality. Cons

Cons

Tight rear-seat legroom and weak base four-cylinder on old model, somewhat bland styling on new Jetta.

What’s new

A completely redesigned Jetta sedan has arrived as a midyear replacement, but some versions of the previous version are still available. The GLI VR6 version of the old model was dropped from the lineup, while the GLI 1.8T added an automatic transmission to the options list.

Read our Volkswagen Jetta TDI Long-Term 20,000-Mile Test

Edmunds says

The Jetta offers a near ideal balance between ride and handling, and premium cabin materials make it one of our top recommendations to small-car buyers.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.52 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

$182/mo

$180/mo

Avg. Compact Car

Calculate my fuel costs

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2005 Volkswagen Jetta.

5 (66%)

4 (18%)

3 (11%)

2 (4%)

1 (1%)

4.4

245 reviews

Write a vehicle review See all 245 reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

7 years and counting

walter67, 06/13/2012

2005 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)

1st owner of my 2005 Jetta Diesel, have station wagon auto trans. Travel from North East to Florida each year, so it has avoided winter salty roads. I've replace the timing belt at 85,000 miles to be on safe side. Will need new rubber on my struts both normal ware. Still have original brake pads at 90,000 miles at every oil change I expect to be told its time to change so far not …

Never again!!!

lslb40, 08/23/2011

2005 Volkswagen Jetta New 2.5 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

I have had my 2005 2.5L for 3 years now. I have had to replace the timing chain and tensioners once already. 4 months later I had to replace the tensioners again. Thank god my Husband works on VW's cause if you take it to a VW dealer to get fixed your looking at a $2,500 job and that's on the low side. Now my car has an intermittent starting problem which after days and days of research …

Decent investment

michman247, 02/08/2012

2005 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

I bought this car used, 2.0l, 5 speed manual, with under 95k miles. So far I haven't had any problems and it runs great. Overall, the exterior and interior are fine, nothing to brag about although it is a little snug in the back. The car handles well, the power is what you'd expect out of a 4 cylinder, 1st gear is almost worthless. As far as maintenance is concerned, I can do most of the …

Very disappointed

Elise, 01/26/2010

2005 Volkswagen Jetta New 2.5 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 6A)

My 2005 Jetta has 87000 miles, is serviced regularly, but now I have to get a new car. The timing chain, gears, spark plugs, and coil pack supposedly all went out last week and to fix it would be $3700 according to the dealership. While I have loved the design and the drive, it just isn't worth it. The worst part is they only offered me $1500 for a trade in. Why would I want another …

See all 245 reviews of the Volkswagen Jetta

Write a vehicle review

2005 Jetta Highlights

Type:

Sedan

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$17,680
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	24 MPG
Cost to Drive	$182/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	13.0 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Key safety features on the Jetta include:

Alarm
Stability Control

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Side Barrier Rating
OverallNot Rated
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front SeatNot Rated
Back SeatNot Rated
Rollover
RolloverNot Rated
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of RolloverNot Rated

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Not Tested
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Not Tested

People who viewed this also viewed

Honda Civic
4.8 average Rating out of 36 reviews.
Starting at $23,950

See Honda Civic Inventory

Volkswagen Taos
4.7 average Rating out of 3 reviews.
Starting at $23,995

See Volkswagen Taos Inventory

Toyota Corolla
3.0 average Rating out of 3 reviews.
Starting at $22,050

See Toyota Corolla Inventory

2005 Volkswagen Jetta Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.52 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2005 Volkswagen Jetta.

Trending topics in reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

7 years and counting

Never again!!!

Decent investment

Very disappointed

2005 Jetta Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2005 Volkswagen Jetta info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Volkswagen

Research similar vehicles

Join Edmunds

2005 Volkswagen Jetta Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.52 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.

Most helpful consumer reviews

7 years and counting

Never again!!!

Decent investment

Very disappointed

2005 Jetta Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2005 Volkswagen Jetta info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Volkswagen

Research similar vehicles

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.52 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}