Overall, I've been quite happy with my 2003 VW Jetta. I purchased the 1.8 Liter Turbo model brand new 15 years ago and have since put 200,000 miles on it. I have had no major problems despite my having fallen behind on scheduled maintenance a few times. It has been completely dependable as my daily driver.

I like the interior quality for a lower end vehicle. The materials used are decent and well put together. The cabin room is sufficient. The exterior is sub par. The paint chips easily and the clear coat hazed quickly and displayed scratches or swirl marks easily. The car is impossible to keep aligned properly which results in excessive tire wear. The drivetrain, though strong for a 2.0L, is outrageous to maintain for a lower end car. The car requires expensive foreign parts to maintain or fix.