Used 2012 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews
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FIRST VW PROVES COMFORTABLE, QUIET, QUICK
openwheeler, 06/15/2012
2012 Volkswagen Jetta SE 4dr Sedan w/Convenience, Sunroof (2.5L 5cyl 6A)
45 of 45 people found this review helpful
Picked it up 5/31 and this Candy White with Corn silk/Black accent interior has proven to be a handsome, comfortable second family car. Critics of the interior materials were too harsh. The leatherette is more attractive and comfortable than we expected. Just returned from a round trip to PGH. My 6 foot plus son did not find the rear seats tiring or cramped. Very smooth ride and honestly quieter than our Accord on the road. The engine is a bit "throaty" but the slight rumble doesn't sound weak or cheap. Solid feel. In 'S' mode you get all the kick you need for passing fun. Low end torque takes a bit of getting used too but that comes quickly. Confident handling. Touch screen radio is cool.
great car so far
Eric, 03/25/2015
updated 03/27/2017
2012 Volkswagen Jetta SE PZEV 4dr Sedan w/Convenience (2.5L 5cyl 6A)
26 of 26 people found this review helpful
Bought a certified pre-owned 2.5L SE Convenience w/18K miles on it and am very happy with it so far. For the price, I feel this car is a great balance of a sporty but safe family sedan, with a large trunk and roomy backseat, good handling and power (with the 2.5L engine), and decent fuel economy. Its well-styled and comfortable (i'm 6'1 and my wife is tall). A few very minor complaints (see below). Was concerned about the lack of independent suspension, but my wife and baby are totally fine even in rough city roads in winter.
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SE, Same old VW!
jkali860, 02/17/2012
2012 Volkswagen Jetta SE 4dr Sedan w/Convenience (2.5L 5cyl 5M)
41 of 42 people found this review helpful
While the Base and S (4 cylinder 115-hp) models are not like previous VW's, the SE model (5 cylinder 170-hp) holds up the VW's reputation. I am extremely pleased with my purchase (2012 SE manual W/ Convenience) . I was a bit hesitant to look at new Jetta's due to the awful reviews. After I did some research, the SE model and above is a totally different car than the S and Base models. You get a low price for an extremely basic car. But the SE, SEL, and TDI all have a lot to be pleased about. Don't believe the bad reviews stand for all the Jetta models, only the Base and S. With a different engine, transmission and interior, the SE model and above is a totally different car.
Why so many bad reviews?
vic40, 04/15/2012
2012 Volkswagen Jetta S 4dr Sedan w/Sunroof (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
38 of 39 people found this review helpful
I don't understand why there are so many complaints about the New Jetta. After looking at everything, I settled on the smartly priced Jetta S with Sunroof and manual trans. Admittedly, it's no speed merchant, but it does just fine, has no trouble keeping up, and returns decent mileage in the process. I just don't see how you can look at most of the direct competition and find the Jetta lacking. The Americans are either too small (Fiesta and Sonic) or more expensive (Focus and Cruze). The Japanese competitors are just crappy. Complaints about the Jetta's interior??? Seen a Civic lately? Yikes! And perhaps most importantly, all 6'3" of me fits in the Jetta with room to spare in back.
This car saved my life
skappler1, 04/27/2012
2012 Volkswagen Jetta SE 4dr Sedan w/Convenience, Sunroof (2.5L 5cyl 6A)
80 of 85 people found this review helpful
I loved my Volkswagen Jetta, bought a new 2012 SE with Convenience and Sunroof. It was a dark, rainy, and foggy night and i was traveling at around 40mph when i failed to see a stop sign and went right through an intersection. My Jetta was hit on the left side causing both driver and passenger side airbags to deploy. The vehicle then struck a tree and spun around once again before coming to a halt in someones front lawn. The car had immediatley shut itself off, activated the hazards and unlocked all the doors. My friend and i both walked away from the incident. The police all had agreed that had i not been in a car as safe as the Jetta, my friend and i could have both been easily killed
Fun and Fuel Efficient
tdilover3, 05/27/2012
2012 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6M)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
I have 13,000 miles on my 2012 Jetta. This is my third Jetta and my second TDI. I love this car. It is amazing for the money. I drive 55 miles everyday in mixed driving in this car, and I have fun the entire time. It only costs me $90 a month in fuel to drive this amazing car. It has power for days, the torque is amazing. It handles great and has plenty of space. I have two kids in car seats, no space issues. I love this car and I plan to keep it forever.
Nice car for not a lot of $....
cavwguy, 03/12/2015
2012 Volkswagen Jetta SEL Premium PZEV 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 6A)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
Owned this vehicle for about 3-yrs. & 45K miles (bought it new). Overall impressed with quality, comfort, value and performance. I stayed away from the TDI because of diesel fuel pricing and the intercooler issues (well documented here). Very happy w/my decision. While this vehicle is not a "sports-car", it does have that "German car feel" to it. Even w/the mileage, it is still pretty tight feeling drives smoothly. I also get around 28mpg (combined driving), about 1/2 and 1/2. Free maintenance service was nice for the 1st 36K miles.
Perfect first car to own!
Shannon Nesterowicz, 12/31/2017
updated 07/01/2020
2012 Volkswagen Jetta SE 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 5M)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
This Jetta is my first car, and I honestly could not be happier. I drive between Syracuse and Albany about twice a month, as well as around Albany day to day. This car is reliable and worth the ~$8,000 I spent. I've purchased a rust undercoating, as well as top-of-the-line snow tires, to handle Syracuse winters, so those purchases have definitely positively impacted the reliability and durability of the car. The only issue I've noticed is that the acceleration is slow for the first 20 minutes or so within starting the vehicle, but it is by no means a deal breaker. To summarize, this car is phenomenal and I would easily consider buying another when the time comes to purchase a new car. *update: I’ve had a new car for a year and a half now and I still talk so so lovingly about my Jetta. Hands down still the best first car I ever could have asked for!!
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An excellent car, but do your homework
calex905, 06/05/2012
2012 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 4dr Sedan w/Premium (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
27 of 30 people found this review helpful
This was the most reasonably priced car in this kind of fuel mileage range that did not feel like a toy. True the interior is not flashy, and I am a bit heavy for the standard seat bolsters, and it is not an independent rear suspension, but this little car is a kick to drive. I have 12,000 miles on and I have no complaints. I just got my first 50MPG trip this last weekend. In mixed driving I get 38 on the low side and can always depend on 44 to 45 MPG highway driving with cruise control on 65 or 70 from Fresno to Los Angeles and back. The DSG transmission does take a while to get used to but its a great car. Lots of torque and a huge backseat.
Lemon Car
g_simpson, 08/03/2014
updated 08/05/2017
2012 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
27 of 30 people found this review helpful
At 12,000 miles, the high pressure fuel pump blew up, destroying the whole fuel system. ($7500) That was bad enough for a one year old car, but then it did it again at 23,000 miles. Search the internet for articles about this problem, but VW has covered it up well. The dealer said they fix about 2 per week. The car suddenly lost power going 70 mph on I-5, then died. Just barely made it to the shoulder. Very scary. I hoped the new fuel pump they installed would be a better design, but obviously it was not, since the car blew up again 6 months later- same thing- high pressure fuel pump. We sold the car, and lost $10K. My friends Jetta did the same thing. Big rip off by VW. Smartest thing we ever did was sell it. Glad we sold before the big emissions scandal.
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