VW's Jetta has really grown up.
The diesel is pretty expensive for a "budget car" but I will explain how its worth it.
VW's two "small" cars the Jetta and the Golf ( Rabbit for a short time) are extremely popular cars, especially their diesel counterparts (In most of the world). The Jetta and Golf have always been very similar vehicles, but they do have enough differences that I will split up the reviews. Focusing on the Jetta TDI for this review, it has come along way from being a small noisy car to essentially a midsize sedan with plenty of room, features, and a classy design inside and out. It was redesigned in 2010, so lets take a look:
Different Styles:
The Jetta comes in sedan form and wagon form. I will only be covering the sedan form as the wagon is quite a large car. There is the normal Jetta which, up until 2014, had a 2.5L 5 cylinder engine, but due to poor fuel economy it was replaced with a 1.8L 4 cylinder turbo engine. The normal Jetta also has a 2.0L engine available. These engines have either a 5 speed manual or 6 speed auto transmission. Next is the Jetta TDI Clean Diesel ( usually called just the Jetta TDI or diesel) with a 2.0L 4 cylinder turbo engine. This comes with either a 6 speed manual or 6 speed DSG auto transmission. ( I will explain the DSG later) Starting in 2013 there was a Jetta Turbo Hybrid added to the lineup with a 1.4L 4 cylinder turbo mated with a 27 hp electric motor with a 7 speed DSG auto trans. Finally there is the Jetta GLI with a 2.0L turbo engine and either a 6 speed manual or a 6 speed DSG auto transmissions.
Even though the normal Jetta is quite a bit less expensive than the TDI, I am covering the TDI as it offers superior fuel economy and can be found used at a reasonable price.
Styling and Comfort Impressions:
First off, lets get it out in the open, this car is quite a bit larger than almost every other car I will be reviewing for the economy/ budget minded. Most of those cars are subcompacts and compacts, this is technically a compact, but it should be considered a mid-size sedan. This difference in size means it also falls in an odd spot in both the compact class and the midsize class, as it's facts and figures seem to be closer to the mid-size class, but they claim it competes against other compacts, which to me seems a bit unfair.
Getting past that, this car is a great looking sedan. To most it might look a bit boring from the outside, it doesn't have a lot of super edgy lines and parts, its more of a straight-lined flowing design ( once again looking at mid-size sedans). It is also relatively boxy which gives it a larger, more luxurious look. It has large windows, an upright looking cabin, and a relatively low trunk lid, all giving it the impression of being large and roomy, which it is.
On to the interior. I've said it already, but this is a large car. Up front you have lots of head and leg room and the large windows offer great visibility. In the back its the same story, it has some of most legroom Iv even seen in a non luxury car. The radio is very good and in the TDI models the radio automatically is upgraded to the better media option. Unfortunately no matter how good the radio is and how much room you have, you will always feel like you got the short end of the stick when you look at the dashboard and center console. Its close to what I think happened with the new Subaru Impreza, they did a great job redesigning the engine and the car on the outside, but once they got to the finishing touches, they just ran out of budget. To me, for how expensive this car is, you should be getting a much fancier looking interior with high grade soft touch materials, but you don't. Its a lot of hard black plastic. This car more than others I feel really is helped by the optional lighter colour interior.
Take a look:
Now, Im not saying the interior is bad in any way, its actually quite functional and has a good layout and design. But some more flowing curved lines and different materials would definitely be at home in a car of this price. A nice feature though is standard heated seats when you go diesel!
One other compaint I have about the Jetta (all Jettas) is that I have been told by salesmen and other searches that if the battery dies, you cannot get into the trunk. Here's why; the trunk opens either from an electronic button from inside the car or on the key fob ( same as most cars) but here's the double whammy, the back seats fold down from a lever inside the trunk and there is no key spot to open the trunk from the outside. So, in the very real circumstance that your battery dies enough to the point that electronics dont even turn on or work in your car, and you have your jump cables in the trunk, your screwed. Plain and simple, there is no way to get into the trunk to get them besides physically taking the back seat apart. This, even though not a very common occurrence is just plain stupid in my eyes. But, if you can get into the trunk, it is quite large with a large pass through to the back seat.
Driving Impressions:
lets start by talking about a few quick points that make diesels different and better than gas engines:
- More torque. Torque is that feeling of getting pushed into the back of your seat from a stop light. Essentially torque = acceleration ( at lower speeds) and towing capacity. HP = higher top speeds and acceleration at high speeds
- This can all be had with a smaller engine. Usually diesel engines are about 1/3 smaller than their gas counterparts
- More room for turbos, which aid their lower HP
- Better fuel economy. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but diesel cars, with the same size tank as their gas counterparts, can easily go 1/3 farther on one tank. This is also due to a lower RPM than gas cars, especially on the highway.
- Diesels don't use spark plugs. Diesel combustion happens under pressure, so there is less need for electrical parts.
- This need for added pressure also means that diesel engines are built tougher and usually will last up to 500,000 KM without major work needing to be done ( as long as proper maintenance has been happening). While gas engines usually don't last much longer than 300,000 KM without major work needing to be done.
- In most places diesel is cheaper than gas, making these engines double as good, saving on fuel and money.
Now that those points are taken care of, how does the Jetta TDI drive? Quite nicely. It is smooth, quiet, and not much noise comes from the road or engine. When standing outside next to the car running you can hear a noticeable difference between the diesel and a gas engine, but its not enough to be bothersome. Under hard acceleration the diesel does make a bit more noise than a comparable gas engine but once on the highway ( where these engines excel) it is very quiet and revs much lower than a comparable gas engine. The DSG auto transmission is essentially like 2 transmissions put together, one has the odd number gears and the other has the even number, with clutch plates in between them. The result is a much faster gear change than a normal auto. * it does not have the third pedal like in manuals, this IS an auto trans.* A word of caution, this auto trans has a "sport mode" selected by putting the gear lever into "S". This sharpens the gear changes and makes the transmission change gears in a way that helps with acceleration rather than fuel efficiency ( what the normal drive mode does). The best way for me to describe the way the car drives in sport mode is "twitchy". It really wants to go when you even touch the pedal and downshifts faster when you take it off. If you are not used to this or are not expecting it, you may lose a bit of control over the car, don't use sport mode while in a parking lot! Now, on the highway or in the city, using sport mode would certainly be fun as it will make zipping into empty lane spaces much easier and more confident.
While in normal drive mode, some people might notice a bit of what is called "turbo lag". Since the diesels have much less HP than gas engines, they need help making up for it, that's where the turbo comes in. But turbos work in such a way that the faster the engine is running, the more effective a turbo is, as it uses the exhaust gases to turn a fan that in turn forces more air into the fuel / air mix, making more power. When going from a stop in a gas engine, the car predictably moves forward depending on how far you are pushing your foot into the floor, with the diesels and this occasional turbo lag, there may be a second where you are telling the car to go and it doesn't really feel like it is, then it lurches forward because the turbo kicks in. It may get some getting used to, but as long as you aren't trying to fly off the line at a stop light, you should almost never notice it.
Overall:
It might sound like I was tearing into this car a bit, and I guess in a way I am. As being new to diesels myself It took a bit to get used to the differences between them and the more widely used gas engines. But after getting to know more about diesels I am growing to love them more and more and its a shame that here in North America we only have so few to choose from. The Jetta TDI is a roomy, comfortable car to drive that looks nice, and gets great fuel efficiency. It has a few minor things that seem a bit odd which is why I would much rather choose its slightly smaller brother, the VW Golf TDI, which I will review later. But for someone looking for a solid, roomy car that will last them a very long time, the Jetta TDI is a great option, if you have the budget. Take a good look for used ones with less than 120,000 KMs on them and you should find some at a reasonable price.
Facts/ Figures:
Price ( for mid trim level): $24,000+
FWD
MPG (approx*): 31 city, 41 highway ( these figures have been proven to be very easy to beat)
Cargo room (approx*): 15 CuFt
Length: 182''
Width: 70''
Tank Size (gal): 14.5
Miles on one tank (using combined MPG figures): 507
Average used price with 100,000KM or less: $16,000+
* when I say "approx" I usually am using the numbers given by the actual manufacturer or Consumer Reports, minus 1 to be a bit more realistic.
Enjoy!
J.K.
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