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Used 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
52 reviews

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Pros
Cons
5 out of 5 stars

Bought new 2-2013. Now 9-2016. No problems at all

Michael Atlanta, 10/01/2016
2013 Volkswagen Jetta SE 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 6A)
22 of 23 people found this review helpful

This has been a great car. I am 45 years old this week, only owned 4 cars prior, 1 Nissan and 3 Volvos. VW Jetta has been great, no issues at all. Very affordable(Volvo out-priced me and stopped selling 4 series). So good that husband bought a 2015 Passat. Husband owned about 1cars since we married 24 years ago. Passat not as good as Jetta, sorry to say. Never had any maintenance issues with Jetta. Only issues are it is sometimes hard to get key out of ignition and sometimes difficult to see out of rear window. Gas mileage exceeds what is printed on invoice.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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4.63 out of 5 stars

8 Month, 25,000 Mile Review

bailey08, 04/30/2014
2013 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 4dr Sedan w/Premium, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
19 of 21 people found this review helpful

I traded my 2004 Infiniti for a new Jetta TDI 8 months ago and currently have 25k miles on it. I bought it because of the gas mileage since I commute/travel 3k miles a month. With that said, I average between 38-40 mpg on my commute to and from work. Volkswagen advertises that you can get 609 miles to one tank and that is an understatement. I made it home from NC to the NJ on one tank of gas: 625 miles. (avg speed 70 mph). The DSG transmission is a lot of fun to drive. It offers every-day "Drive" mode or the more exciting "S" mode or for maximum power, you can switch to manual mode. If you are looking for a daily driver/commuter car that offers much more, you should definitely consider.

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4.88 out of 5 stars

JETTA TDI is the best car i have ever owned.

rp4042, 03/20/2015
2013 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful

I bought my jetta tdi on July 30 2013 and have loved it ever since. i have 27904 miles on it and have not had a single problem with it. i consistently get over 50mpg driving to work in the morning. the return trip home is stop and go about half the way and I average 40-42mpg.to obtain the best mpg try to keep rpm at 2000 rpm or less. when i have the car loaded with hundreds of lbs of gear and an additional person and driving 75-80 mph i still get between 45-47mpg. with the extra cost of diesel over gas i still saved $1500.00 over what it cost to run my old 2 liter gas trade in for 20,000 miles.

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4 out of 5 stars

Fuel Efficiency Without Sacrificing Torque

Marcelo Murillo, 09/08/2015
updated 03/10/2021
2013 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 4dr Sedan w/Premium, Prod. End 4/13 (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
15 of 17 people found this review helpful

I've own this Jetta since December 2013 when I bought it "used" with about 10K on the odometer, it now has close to 130k miles on the odometer. Here's what I think so far. Pros: -Handling -Lots of torque, low end torque, the useful type. -Fuel economy -#dieselgate (yes may be a con as well but this is more of a fault on VW than the car design and I received a juicy settlement from VW and Bosch) -Build quality, It has no squeaks or rattles, paint is chipped from road debris but not faded, no rust (I live in Florida, car is garaged 90% of the time) -DSG Transmission makes driving a pleasure and not boring (see cons as well) -Still have the original brakes, rotors and shocks, no replacement needed yet. -Cabin noise levels are very quiet for this segment -Sound system (I have the Fender edition one) -Interior design, it has aged very well and does not look outdated, simple German design nothing gimmicky about it. -interior materials seem to be holding up well to use, interior is tan colored and it does not look worn out, I do take care of my cars and clean them regularly. -Trunk space is decent for this segment, we've taken long road trips and fit everything we needed. -stable at high speeds, makes you feel safe on the highway. Cons: -Proper maintenance is expensive compared to my wife's Toyota Scion iM for example -Diesel Maintenance is more expensive than the regular gas version -DSG transmission can be jerky at low speeds -VW dealership maintenance departments are awful in my area, stay away. Find a trusted euro car shop instead. -Ride quality may be uncomfortable to some that are used to softer tuned cars, this car is tuned the German way which is fine with me. -lacks tech such as a backup camera and apple car play (this was 2013 after all) -OEM headlights are awful, not very bright. Upgrade yours ASAP -back seat space may be limited if you have more than 1 kid, specially with rear facing car seats -my wife complains the rear seat is too low and may give you a backache if you are taller. Scheduled Maintenance, problems and replaced parts: -AC compressor went out at 100K miles, replaced for $1200 -Alternator went out at around 115K miles, replaced for $600 -Tensioner pully and service belts replaced at around 100K miles -2 battery replacements, one under warranty early on and one at around 100K miles -Horn replaced at around 20k miles, under warranty at no cost -ignition switch replaced at around 80k miles, a recall and under warranty no cost to me. -Scheduled maintenance replacement of timing belt and water pump at 110K miles. $1200 - As of 115k miles the front passenger lock seems to be sticking, sometimes it will not unlock. Per shop the motor may be going bad, recommended replacement about 2 years ago but still working on and off, have not replaced yet. Shop quoted me $250 -wipers motor making noise when in use, shop recommended replacement 2 years ago, not done yet, still working so far. -regular maintenance is every 10k miles or 1 year. lowest $100 for a regular oil change and up to $300 if full service needed (DSG service+oil change+fuel filter) Conclusion: Overall it has been a pleasant experience owning this car, at near 130K miles it is still rides and drives like new, maintenance is not cheap but if you do it properly you can drive this car for a long time. I plan on keeping mine for at least another 100K miles if possible maybe more, not having a car payment and excellent fuel economy outweighs the maintenance costs. I will recommend this car to anyone that is willing to follow the scheduled maintenance for this car but if you are used to cars that require little maintenance or you just want to put gas in it and go I would suggest getting a boring but less expensive to maintain Toyota Corollas or Honda Civics.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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3.63 out of 5 stars

Great so far

kristin124, 08/07/2013
2013 Volkswagen Jetta SEL 4dr Sedan w/Navigation (2.5L 5cyl 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful

I've only had my 2013 Jetta SEL for two months, but it's been pretty great so far. I like that it's got a sporty look inside and out, and I like the leather interior. The acceleration is pretty good for 170HP and the ride is smooth overall. My main complaints are some cheap aspects of the interior - for the price I paid and having the premium trim line, I can't believe it doesn't have power seat adjustment. Also, to tilt the chair back, you have to pump this plastic pedal up and down (tacky). Also, even when you move the front seats all the way back, there isn't enough leg room for tall people over 6 feet. Not much head room for tall people either. Could have designed that better!

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