2001 Volkswagen Jetta - Reliable and Fun
My Jetta was the first manual vehicle I ever owned and I absolutely loved it. Although I had originally learned to drive manual on a different car my Jetta (Wolfsburg edition) is one of the easiest manual vehicles I have driven. I would recommend any first time manual drivers to buy a Jetta. The reason for this is that it is very forgiving, you could slow almost to a stop in second gear and still not stall out and be able to pick right up again, and for first time manual drivers this is a very good feature since figuring out when to shift and preventing stalling is the biggest tackle. It is also nice because you do not need to hold the clutch in in order to start the vehicle, which is really just added convenience. It shifts very smoothly and like I said before very forgiving if you do... (more)
My Jetta was the first manual vehicle I ever owned and I absolutely loved it. Although I had originally learned to drive manual on a different car my Jetta (Wolfsburg edition) is one of the easiest manual vehicles I have driven. I would recommend any first time manual drivers to buy a Jetta. The reason for this is that it is very forgiving, you could slow almost to a stop in second gear and still not stall out and be able to pick right up again, and for first time manual drivers this is a very good feature since figuring out when to shift and preventing stalling is the biggest tackle. It is also nice because you do not need to hold the clutch in in order to start the vehicle, which is really just added convenience. It shifts very smoothly and like I said before very forgiving if you don't have the RPMs where they aught to be.
I really enjoyed taking this vehicle to our local camp out/ music festival in our town. The car was big enough to fit all of our camping gear including tents, coolers, cloths, fishing gear, etc.
I really enjoyed taking this vehicle to our local camp out/ music festival in our town. The car was big enough to fit all of our camping gear including tents, coolers, cloths, fishing gear, etc.
The outer body of the car was well crafted and mostly metal and not fiber glass, although the bumpers were made of plastic which was disappointing. The trunk however was huge and could fit a variety of items, and the back seats could even be folded down to provide extra trunk/interior space. I used this car to move all of my belongings from home to college, and also used it to move everything into my new apartment including my fiancés belongings. So there is plenty of room in this vehicle. It seats up to 5 comfortably and has seat belts even for middle riders.
The sound system also worked... (more)
The outer body of the car was well crafted and mostly metal and not fiber glass, although the bumpers were made of plastic which was disappointing. The trunk however was huge and could fit a variety of items, and the back seats could even be folded down to provide extra trunk/interior space. I used this car to move all of my belongings from home to college, and also used it to move everything into my new apartment including my fiancés belongings. So there is plenty of room in this vehicle. It seats up to 5 comfortably and has seat belts even for middle riders.
The sound system also worked well and the speakers were always clear and never crackled. Interior lighting was also a nice feature and allowed you to access any button in the car at night without having to search in the dark.
I also only found myself filling the gas tank once a week, which was great since I was a student who frequently visited my boyfriend 30 minutes away as well as commuted back and forth from work several days a week. I once drove from NJ to FL and only had to fill up once along the way.
The only real problem I had with this vehicle is that it was hard to do your own maintenance such as change the oil filter and some other interior engine parts. Since it is German manufactured the engine is very tightly nit together and has a lot of coverings and pieces that have to be removed in order to access some areas of the engine. There was also the need for more specific tools to take certain parts off. Because of these things I had to look pretty hard to find someone with experience on VW vehicles, that wouldn't charge as much as a dealership.
The only real problem I had with this vehicle is that it was hard to do your own maintenance such as change the oil filter and some other interior engine parts. Since it is German manufactured the engine is very tightly nit together and has a lot of coverings and pieces that have to be removed in order to access some areas of the engine. There was also the need for more specific tools to take certain parts off. Because of these things I had to look pretty hard to find someone with experience on VW vehicles, that wouldn't charge as much as a dealership.
2010 Volkswagen Jetta - Sturdy
I bought the car new with 7 miles on it and have put about 120,000+ miles on it in 4 years. The car runs fine though I recently had to get the transmission replaced. There are no strange sounds coming from it other than when I plug in my mp3 player into the stereo while charging it. When I accelerate or use the blinkers a high whistle or static, respectively, will come through the speakers. It stops once the charger is disconnected. Its not a big deal, just weird.
I bought the car new with 7 miles on it and have put about 120,000+ miles on it in 4 years. The car runs fine though I recently had to get the transmission replaced. There are no strange sounds coming from it other than when I plug in my mp3 player into the stereo while charging it. When I accelerate or use the blinkers a high whistle or static, respectively, will come through the speakers. It stops once the charger is disconnected. Its not a big deal, just weird.
I was driving in the far left lane behind a truck on the freeway that had one of those big, grey, plastic trash cans rolling back and forth in the bed. I was thinking to myself, 'that would really suck if that trash can blew out'. Not two seconds later, the truck quickly changes to the middle lane and all I see is this other identical trash can (the trucks can was still in his bed) laying less... (more)
I was driving in the far left lane behind a truck on the freeway that had one of those big, grey, plastic trash cans rolling back and forth in the bed. I was thinking to myself, 'that would really suck if that trash can blew out'. Not two seconds later, the truck quickly changes to the middle lane and all I see is this other identical trash can (the trucks can was still in his bed) laying less than two car lengths in front of me (we're doing 60). There's no room to my right now, so I had to quickly change lanes onto the shoulder to barely miss hitting the stupid thing, and quickly switch back to my lane because there was some orange barrel sitting on the shoulder (no construction, just one, lone barrel). It was a little scary but kind of fun too.
I do a ton of driving and don't have the best paying job so I cant always get in the regular maintenance that it needs at the scheduled times. The car seems to handle the abuse pretty well and reminds me of my old Honda accord (i loved it). Its a very spacious car, including the trunk. I am an artist so sometimes I have to load good sized work into it (the Golf, however, may be better for this) but I always get what I need into the car.
I do a ton of driving and don't have the best paying job so I cant always get in the regular maintenance that it needs at the scheduled times. The car seems to handle the abuse pretty well and reminds me of my old Honda accord (i loved it). Its a very spacious car, including the trunk. I am an artist so sometimes I have to load good sized work into it (the Golf, however, may be better for this) but I always get what I need into the car.
Have to take the car in for transmission maintenance (no checking fluids for you!) The 2010 Jetta's have a transmission recall on them but even though my transmission was showing signs of the recall symptoms, they told me my car wasn't part of the recall. Otherwise I cant really think of anything really negative about the car. Well, the stereo display could have more features (like pause) but that's about it.
Have to take the car in for transmission maintenance (no checking fluids for you!) The 2010 Jetta's have a transmission recall on them but even though my transmission was showing signs of the recall symptoms, they told me my car wasn't part of the recall. Otherwise I cant really think of anything really negative about the car. Well, the stereo display could have more features (like pause) but that's about it.
2013 Volkswagen Jetta - Great car that's fun and saves you money!
This car is a 2013 VW Jetta Hybrid SEL. It has heated front seats, sun roof, 7 speed DSG transmission, and a turbo. This little car has zip! The turbo is electric, so it doesn't need any time to wind up- instant power! The hybrid electric/ gas motor gets great gas mileage, usually between 40-45 miles to a gallon on my long, mostly highway commute. It gets better gas mileage in the winter, than summer, I think because of running the AC. The car handles very well; it is very responsive and has the same bells and whistles as the GLI. This trim also has the in dash navigation, which is great to have, as well as Bluetooth capabilities, which I use every time I'm in the car to make hands-free phone calls and play music directly from my phone wirelessly. The engine is zippy and runs very well... (more)
This car is a 2013 VW Jetta Hybrid SEL. It has heated front seats, sun roof, 7 speed DSG transmission, and a turbo. This little car has zip! The turbo is electric, so it doesn't need any time to wind up- instant power! The hybrid electric/ gas motor gets great gas mileage, usually between 40-45 miles to a gallon on my long, mostly highway commute. It gets better gas mileage in the winter, than summer, I think because of running the AC. The car handles very well; it is very responsive and has the same bells and whistles as the GLI. This trim also has the in dash navigation, which is great to have, as well as Bluetooth capabilities, which I use every time I'm in the car to make hands-free phone calls and play music directly from my phone wirelessly. The engine is zippy and runs very well, with synthetic oil changes every 10k miles. One of the coolest perks of this car is the touch factor. You can unlock the front doors with the key fob in your pocket, just by touching the handle. You can also lock the car in the same manner. If you leave the window (or sunroof) open when you get out, simply holding your thumb on a spot on the handle will close everything up for you nicely. Additionally, you can use this touch function to open the trunk, and when you close it again, it automatically relocks the car- saving you a step. Love this functionality! The only thing I am disappointed in is that there is no feasible way to install remote start because of the key fob nature. Only the Passat has this functionality. The car size is also great, I went from a full size sedan to this, which is considered a compact, and it fits everywhere. It's really easy to parallel park, and is overall very roomy inside- even my over 6' husband feels comfortable both as a driver and passenger. It also has a wired connection for your iPhone in the glove compartment, which is great.
I honestly just love driving this car. It is so fun and zippy, I feel like I'm in a little racecar and it just makes me happy.
I honestly just love driving this car. It is so fun and zippy, I feel like I'm in a little racecar and it just makes me happy.
I love that it is a hybrid, that is a huge pro for me. I also love the keyless entry and touch functions on the car. The heated seats are a pro, as is the sun roof. The turbo is a totally fun pro! The added zip makes it feel like this car isn't a hybrid at all! This puts the Prius acceleration to shame!
I love that it is a hybrid, that is a huge pro for me. I also love the keyless entry and touch functions on the car. The heated seats are a pro, as is the sun roof. The turbo is a totally fun pro! The added zip makes it feel like this car isn't a hybrid at all! This puts the Prius acceleration to shame!
One con would definitely be the trunk- the space is mostly taken up by the large hybrid battery. The seats do fold down, but there is still the battery hump blocking most of the storage space. Also, the gas tank only holds approximately 11 gallons of gas. If you have a long commute you will find yourself filling up frequently, even with the amazing gas mileage. The car isn't very quiet either, and there is quite a bit of road noise. I would consider that a con.
One con would definitely be the trunk- the space is mostly taken up by the large hybrid battery. The seats do fold down, but there is still the battery hump blocking most of the storage space. Also, the gas tank only holds approximately 11 gallons of gas. If you have a long commute you will find yourself filling up frequently, even with the amazing gas mileage. The car isn't very quiet either, and there is quite a bit of road noise. I would consider that a con.
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