Volkswagen Jetta : Test Drive & Review

[W.A.G.7]

Awesome review and superb pics! Looks nice indeed, but in the looks department I would still prefer a Laura anyday. And I will still prefer a manual transmission over the auto-box. But this my opinion only. Also, if you see the boot pictures, the LHS hinge is black in colour while the RHS one is body coloured. Why is this so? Is it me, or is it some photographic effect?

[RGK]

Wonderful report Rudra.
Last week, I was in my friend's fuel station when a new Jetta came to the pump. The driver could not locate the fuel lid opener. The pump boys called for help. I was not able to locate it and I left. Where is the fuel lid opener in the new Jetta. .
The interiors of the car speak quality. The exterior should have been made more classy and prominent than Vento.

[smartcat]

Photos have amazing clarity, Rudra - especially the closeups. Isn't this your first team-bhp review? Looking forward to more!

Originally Posted by GTO

VW needs to get its dealers & their pre / after sales attitude in order. Lastly, more back seat space aside, the Skoda Laura L&K makes a compelling case for itself versus the Jetta.
.

If you leave out pre/post sales experiences and even spare part costs, reliability issues and so on, which is a better car to drive and own - Laura or Jetta?

Ignore even the feature list - because if Jetta loses out to Laura on features, it wins it back in spades in the looks department.

[Abhi_Automobile]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Photos have amazing clarity, Rudra - especially the closeups. Isn't this your first team-bhp review? Looking forward to more!



If you leave out pre/post sales experiences and even spare part costs, reliability issues and so on, which is a better car to drive and own - Laura or Jetta?

Ignore even the feature list - because if Jetta loses out to Laura on features, it wins it back in spades in the looks department.

IIRC, this was the top runner to be your next car, isn't it?
Now that mods have touched the topic, our fellow bhpins will have e tendency to lambaste the interiors of being inferior quality. Guys, keep in mind that although the interiors may be a step down on the outgoing Jetta, its design is much better.

BTW, I think that even the so calle 'inferior quality standard of Jetta' is waaay better than the 'top quality interior standards' adopted by cars like Corolla Altis and Cruze.



MODS: 2 questions-->

1. Do you think that all factors included, is the Jetta best diesel C+ segment car money can buy? I ask this questions as most decisions are taken in totality, no isolation. All factors included...

2. Do you think that Fluence makes any kind of case for itself as a cheaper alternative to Jetta. Jetta Trendline OTR Ggn (after corp discount)--> 15 lacs. Fluence OTR Ggn-->13.5 (after discounts). Or the quality difference simply too big for the French. I actually found the quality levels on Fluence okay.

[ethanhunt123]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

IIRC, this was the top runner to be your next car, isn't it?
Now that mods have touched the topic, our fellow bhpins will have e tendency to lambaste the interiors of being inferior quality. Guys, keep in mind that although the interiors may be a step down on the outgoing Jetta, its design is much better.

BTW, I think that even the so calle 'inferior quality standard of Jetta' is waaay better than the 'top quality interior standards' adopted by cars like Corolla Altis and Cruze.



MODS: 2 questions-->

1. Do you think that all factors included, is the Jetta best diesel C+ segment car money can buy? I ask this questions as most decisions are taken in totality, no isolation. All factors included...

2. Do you think that Fluence makes any kind of case for itself as a cheaper alternative to Jetta. Jetta Trendline OTR Ggn (after corp discount)--> 15 lacs. Fluence OTR Ggn-->13.5 (after discounts). Or the quality difference simply too big for the French. I actually found the quality levels on Fluence okay.

Not a Mod, but my 2 cents. If money is no issue, nothing can beat Laura L&K. Otherwise if you are self driven, Cruze is VFM pick and Laura DSG is my pick. For enthusiast driver, hard to look beyond Laura Tsi. If you are keen on MT, Jetta MT scores over Laura MT with better tuned engine. For chauffer driven vehicles, Corolla Altis has unbeatable reliability and rear bench comfort.

[Abhi_Automobile]

Originally Posted by ethanhunt123

Not a Mod, but my 2 cents. If money is no issue, nothing can beat Laura L&K. Otherwise if you are self driven, Cruze is VFM pick and Laura DSG is my pick. For enthusiast driver, hard to look beyond Laura Tsi. If you are keen on MT, Jetta MT scores over Laura MT with better tuned engine. For chauffer driven vehicles, Corolla Altis has unbeatable reliability and rear bench comfort.

Good points. IIRC though, the review marked the Fluence as rear seat comfort benchmark. I personally think that Altis D-4D is a highly over rated car. It does all things okay and none special. Typical Toyota.

[smartcat]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

IIRC, this was the top runner to be your next car, isn't it?

I have a small file on my computer titled MY_NEXT_CAR.txt and it contains a list of cars I would like to own in the future. And Jetta tops the list for now! Cars enter and exit the list quite frequently though.

[Abhi_Automobile]

Originally Posted by smartcat

I have a small file on my computer titled MY_NEXT_CAR.txt and it contains a list of cars I would like to own in the future. And Jetta tops the list for now! Cars enter and exit the list quite frequently though.

I like it

How do you think that the interiors of the new Jetta match up to your Civic? Have you seen the Jetta in real?

[999]

Nice review Rudra. But frankly I don't see one good reason to buy this over a Laura. It is new I agree, but everything else is sad. May be I should get a skoda before VW mess with them as well. Rounds are going around claiming thet the next superb will be smaller ans crappier, just to make passat look good!

[bala80]

There isnt a seperate fuel cap release lever in jetta/vento etc. The fuel lid is also controlled by the central locking and once it is dis-engaged, a gentle push on the lid opens it.

Originally Posted by RGK

Last week, I was in my friend's fuel station when a new Jetta came to the pump. The driver could not locate the fuel lid opener. The pump boys called for help. I was not able to locate it and I left. Where is the fuel lid opener in the new Jetta.

[prateekpsingh]

I have read a few reviews on X-BHP as well (of-course for bikes) and always thought why we didn't have such picture quality in our T-BHP reviews. Am immensely glad that dada finally decided to chip in with his magic wand.

Even though the particular car or segment is way out of my reach unless I suddenly inherit huge loot from some distant uncle/aunt, I went through the entire post for the simple reason of the magical feeling of such crisp writing coupled with jaw-dropping visuals. Amazing teamwork GTO and Mr Rudra Sen.

If there is 1 rule that we should live by on T-BHP, it is to make it compulsory for dada to do his thing on all reviews, certainly not taking anything away from GTO for his thoroughly detailed reviews.

[sreejith1830]

Originally Posted by 999

Nice review Rudra. But frankly I don't see one good reason to buy this over a Laura. It is new I agree, but everything else is sad. May be I should get a skoda before VW mess with them as well. Rounds are going around claiming thet the next superb will be smaller ans crappier, just to make passat look good!

The only thing skoda has to do to gain the upperhand is to release the 140bhp manual version of the laura 2.0 Tdi CR .Existing owners (myself included) should be given the option of upgrading to the 140 bhp version.

[drmohitg]

What is the Jetta missing vis a vis the Laura? And please stop mentioning L&K. For me its still a Laura. How many people buy the L&K for 21-22L is my question. Thats dangerously close to the 320d CE ( 25-26 OTR Delhi) and no level of stupid gadgetry can match the beemer. Freshness in everything is nice and Laura is boring to look at now since its been around from so long. The rear of laura still has that resemblance to the old octy. The Jetta will get you a lot more interested second looks. The side profile and the rear profile look total drool material. And yes I just came from a TD of the Jetta.

Secondly the Engine is way better then the Laura MT. Lets compare apples with apples. The jetta doesn't come with an AT in the lesser variants and we all know that. So anyone who wants to go the AT way is more then welcome to look at the Laura or Cruze.

If gadgets are so big on your list then why don't you buy the Cruze LTZ? Its got all those gadgets, has a stonker of an engine and comes with AT which is probably more dependable then the dsg box.

Coming to the so called inferior plastic quality now. Which part of it is inferior? It might be hard at some places but inferior? No Way! And its a lot better then the Cruze and Altis. The plastic in them feels cheap when you compare it to Jetta.

The best part is we are all trying so hard to find faults with this car and VW in general over the last couple of months. I have seen this on the forum everywhere. We are quick to say that there is no leather and xenons. But no one notices that even the trendline comes with 6 airbags, esp, abs and the equipment. I am getting a car with a MT, great engine, awesome looks and the best safety features available - Isn't that an enthusiasts dream?

Most importantly are you ready to live with the Skoda after sales? VW is way better then Skoda. Till now on the forum none of the members using a VW car have criticized the work carried out during there services!

[Abhi_Automobile]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

What is the Jetta missing vis a vis the Laura? And please stop mentioning L&K. For me its still a Laura. How many people buy the L&K for 21-22L is my question. .................... I am getting a car with a MT, great engine, awesome looks and the best safety features available - Isn't that an enthusiasts dream?

+1000 to that. Exactly how I feel. The only places where I could figure out difference in quality between the Laura and Jetta are the doors plastics (the Laura gets 'soft touch' plastics at the top and the rest is not so hard). The dashboard and central console is of similar quality.

And what about that dollops of extra space? Or extra 30 horses? Or extra cog? and better styling (my personal opinion) with that Audi backside? And the general freshness in a new design? And the stronger brand equity than VW has compared to Skoda.? If your are going with the bottom versions (Tredline/Comfortline v/s Ambiente/Elegance), I will go with the Jetta.

Corolla?: I am not 40 yet
Cruze: Almost everything good about the car other than space and interior quality. True VFM.
Fluence: Actually quite and under rated car. Not a match for the German/Czech cousins though.
Altis: My fav whipping boy Average written all over it.
Civic: Petrol.
Laura: Same car as this one. Just that it has hung for while now. Although it still looks fresh.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

+1000 to that. Exactly how I feel. The only places where I could figure out difference in quality between the Laura and Jetta are the doors plastics (the Laura gets 'soft touch' plastics at the top and the rest is not so hard). The dashboard and central console is of similar quality.

The texture of the plastics might have been changed for a reason. One reputed member mentioned some posts above that the soft touch plastic of his older jetta has started to peel of at places. The Indian summer is a formidable force and may be VW took a conscious step. Anyways personally the dashboard plastic on the new Jetta is still soft and crisp. Its the one along the door panels which is slightly rough. But honestly its not a deal breaker. Rather its more of me trying to feel every part of the car to find something to criticize about.

And what about that dollops of extra space? Or extra 30 horses? Or extra cog? and better styling (my personal opinion) with that Audi backside? And the general freshness in a new design? And the stronger brand equity than VW has compared to Skoda.? If your are going with the bottom versions (Tredline/Comfortline v/s Ambiente/Elegance), I will go with the Jetta.

The space is really nice. I am contemplating between the Altis diesel and the Jetta CL. Will buy one of the two or maybe both. But the point is that Altis was the best on inside space till now. But the new Jetta matches it or may have bettered it. The Altis did feel slightly more Airy inside due to more amount of glass. The Jetta looks awesome to look at. And the TL and CL variants are total paisa vasool even over the Laura.

Cruze: Almost everything good about the car other than space and interior quality. True VFM.

I had shortlisted it right at the top. But yes the space inside made me want to run back in the comfort of my humble Lancer.

Fluence: Actually quite and under rated car. Not a match for the German/Czech cousins though.

Huh! Does it still exist?

Altis: My fav whipping boy Average written all over it.

Its a nice car to drive. Ofcourse you must be above 40 and my Dad fits the description of the typical Altis buyer. Also the toyota reliability and much lower service costs come into the picture ( approx 5k/year for the altis vs 15-20k for the Jetta).

Civic: Petrol.

And hence not considered. Also the GC is a big issue.

Laura: Same car as this one. Just that it has hung for while now. Although it still looks fresh.

Boring to look at, shoddy and suspect after sales, quite common on the street. Jetta all the way wrt to this.