Used 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan Consumer Reviews
Had my 2011 Jetta SEL since 6/11/11
I believe that your car will be good to you if you are good to the car, it's been my experience in over 25 years of driving......That is unless it's a lemon...Thankfully this car wasn't .......I don't always baby the car but 7 times out of 10 prefer normal driving vs. aggressive driving. I bought the car in Stratford CT. This was a bad idea. At first they let me leave the lot w/ a damaged paint job(that had some awful touch up job that looked noticeable.) I paid in full the car and expected more so naturally, I yelled at the guy who sold me the car. Essentially he didn't do anything for me but his job(swap the car for a perfect vehicle). The next car I just took frustrated, I looked it over briefly, no damages and drove off w/ a different color combo so I didn't need to return to pick up an exact swap....No apologies from the dealership, not a freebie or anything. The car had 22 miles on it and the steering wheel was actually off center. The alignment didn't feel out. I called them once I was home and told them they would get no further anything from me. I got my servicing local to my house in LI NY. This dealership made up for all earlier bad experiences. They gave top notch timely service on time every time and I paid nothing as the warranty provides. They were helpful in changing my phone info on the car system as I switched phones. The check engine light went off at 50,000 miles. Turns out to be secondary mass air flow sensor. The mechanic explained that fixing it was optional and chances were the car could continue driving just fine as it was. He was and is right. The repair couldn't be very expensive and it isn't essential. I've gone about 10,000 miles since and no breakdown or malfunctioning w/ the car at just over 60,000 miles now. Everything still works....The car still starts up like it did when new.... ....If you switch climates your leatherette seats will crack and tear . It's just very likely....Started up North and moved deep South...Switched all tires once and headlights on each side once... The brakes have never been replaced and still brake nicely...The SEL has disc brakes front and back.. Braking performance has always been outstanding. Car handles very well in snow and is great for long trips.. The steering can be odd w/ hydraulic pump but can also be adapted to....This model also came w/ upgraded suspension. Ultra stiff for handling and over uneven and bumpy terrain it holds to the road confidently..... I have driven the car foolishly every now and then to test brakes and performance but it can take the hard driving ..... I assume not if always driven hard but I expect any car to have issues under constant hard driving....At 60,000 miles, the tranny and engine both still feel strong....Perhaps the most redeeming quality of this car is the strong engine and tranny feel. I do understand that if the car was designed to make it to 250,000-500,000 miles....These parts of the car probably were paid most attention to....My last car was a brand new Toyota Camry.. I'm ok w/ VW but maybe ready for another Camry...The cars drive very differently..Reliability was better in that car although this car still feels quite reliable....The Jetta is w/o a doubt more fun to drive and hugs the road better than Camry..I remember being all over the road in the Camry..It's referred to as "Toyota drift".... I don't mind driving it to the ground or until epic and costly failure occurs.....I suppose I've already gotten my money's worth from it......Resale value isn't great at all for this era Jettas..... Seems that only 5-10% of VW Jettas for this era have proven reliable...Just lucky I guess or karma from earlier issues self correcting....
- Safety
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Just what I needed...
After looking for a reliable, economical and affordable car, the Jetta was just what I was looking for and needed.
- SE PZEV SedanMSRP: $3,495100 mi away
- Base SedanMSRP: $5,950104 mi away
- SEL PZEV Sedan w/SunroofMSRP: $6,493104 mi away
Great bang for the buck
The build quality and comfort of this vehicle far exceeded my expectations, and cost significantly less than comparably equipped camrys, accords and elantras. In the short time we've had it, we've been very pleased. Engine noise is minimal, the sound system is excellent, and the overall handling is great. When in S mode, the extra responsiveness of the engine is clearly felt. Its like a family sized sports car. Haven't tried the Tiptronic mode yet, but can't wait for the opportunity. Though other reviews complain about the hard surfaces of the interior, I found that these were well done (not like cheap American hard surfaces) and were not a step down from the 2010 interior at all.
Step Backward
My wife and I currently own two Jettas (2009 SE and 2010 TDI Sportwagen) and had a 2011 Jetta SE as a loner. While the handling of the new Jetta was superior to the previous sedan, the interior quality was a huge step back from the older models. Everything inside is hard to the touch and very cheap feeling. I really like the exterior styling (wife does not), but the interior is a disappointment compared to VW's of the past. Even my father-in-laws 2004 Golf has a nicer interior feel...strange.
Great car
I have had Hyundai, Acuras, Volvos and Lexus before this and I am very happy with this car. I will be buying VW from now on. It is a fun car to drive and big. We have 2 little children and no problem on back seat. The trunk is huge took all our stuff to beach trip with no problem. The pickup is great on the 2.5 5 Cylinder engine. I wish I had the sunroof and automatic headlights but that is all that is missing from this car. I have traded 3 cars in the last 3 years but this one is a keeper! Great gas mileage too