The 2002 Jetta TDI is a great car to own. The mileage I get from the turbo-diesel engine is outstanding. When I first got the car, I would get 45 MPG + on long road trips. It is a little bit less now that the car is a bit older but still beats my other vehicle. The car is fun to drive, when clean, looks outstanding and has not failed to get me from point a to b yet and there are 140,000 miles on it. I have a few caveats regarding the vehicle. One, the drain tubes for the sun roof get clogged quite easily. There was definitely some issue in how they are produced. I ended up snipping the ends of them off and they are fine now. Before that, during heavy rain, water would leak into the driver's side foot well. The electrical system in the car is flaky as well. I have had numerous issues with the radio stop working and the only fix is to pull the fuse and re-insert it. Also, the headlight on beep disappeared one day along with the dashboard lights. Finally, the creature comforts are not the best. Germans are known for utilitarian design and this fits the bill, the cup holder is in the stupidest place on the dash. When you open the holder, it places the drink in front of the stereo controls. Overall it is a great little car.

The Jetta is a great quality car that will last a long time as long as you do regular maintenance on it. I like that it's on the smaller size, so it's easy to park and navigate even in small city lanes, but it still has ample room on the interior to comfortably use it as an every day commuter car, fit two friends in the back seat, and have plenty of room in the trunk to go shopping or run errands. The design is pretty straightforward and no frills, which is nice because I don't want a ton of fancy stuff that has to be maintained and cleaned, but it has everything you really need in a car. Performance-wise, it has good pick up, and has a lot of pep in it when you need to pass someone or merge lanes. Everything shifts pretty well, and I like that it is automatic. My friends have complimented me on the car, as they know it is a reliable, multipurpose car that is great for a daily driver for most needs. Overall, I enjoy using this car, even after 7 years of owning it. It is efficient and makes decent mileage, as I only have to fill it up once per week most weeks. The mileage hasn't decreased over time as dramatically as some other cars I have had either, so that is a plus. The electronic elements in the automatic windows have held up over time, however I have had multiple issues with the cooling system sensor in the on board computer as well as the mechanisms in the doors that control the locks.