Team-BHP - Volkswagen Jetta : Test Drive & Review

Just came back from Elantra Test drive (got one as the dealer is close friend-straight off the transport truck even before it was washed)-frankly speaking it was a let down.On bad roads rides like Verna. Missus straight away said no to the unpremium interiors (she had earlier sat in the Jetta-my mistake).Well now have to either up the budget to Jetta comfortline (trendline is in budget) or go for cruze.How stressful to buy a car nowadays.

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Originally Posted by MandarMax

With the new Hyundai Elantra prices announced, the Jetta suddenly looks even more expensive (almost 3 lakhs variant to variant). Should be interesting to see how Jetta sales get affected. Wondering if this will force VW to correct prices in the next couple of months.

I think the Elantra should be able to steal many customers away from VW, Skoda, Chevy and Toyota. Good to see more competition in the D1 segment.

The relatively underpowered engine options offered on the elantra with respect to its weight (it is essentially the diesel motor which powers the verna too), the ride and handling characteristics (excessive softness and body roll abundance i.e. Hyundai-ish) point out that the target buyers are very much different for VW Jetta/ Skoda Laura vis a vis Hyundai Elantra. In my opinion, it may be successful in biting a chunk off Altis sales. But the demand for Jetta may not be as elastic as it may be for the Altis with respect to the Elantra

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Originally Posted by drchernish (Post 2870441)

Having been a hyundai (I20 crdi) owner for the past 3 years, I can say this about a hyundai. Buy it if you want a jack of all trades. It will do everything you want, just don't expect it to excel in one particular area (acceleration is one area where i20 is tops). With the Jetta, you get class leading ride and handling combination, quality (barring the L&K Laura),fit & finish and the best gear box (manual & auto). But it comes at a price. So its a toss between your heart and mind when choosing between these 2. I went with my heart (and my requirement of wanting a very good handling car) and booked a Jetta CL. The CL is the most VFM amongst the jetta variant. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by lamboguy (Post 2870444)

I agree that the buyer for the Jetta would probably be different than the Elantra. Personally I like the Jetta not only for the understated looks but also for the engine and the solid build quality. It is just that not all people think in the same way. The average buyer might find the Elantra better looking than the Jetta which to some (not me) looks like a grown up Vento with a heftier price tag. Also the Elantra AT version is competitively priced, the AT is also available in petrol.

Also consider that the Verna has been selling well despite its poor ride/handling characteristics, so I think not many people care or understand these factors. Some people might find the Elantra just as premium, but sportier looking and comparing the list of equipments, safety features it probably matches the Jetta at least on paper. So my opinion is that there definitely will be some impact on the Jetta. We just need to see how much that's going to be.

As a potential Jetta buyer, I hope that there is some impact and VW offers better price/discounts in next few months.

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As a potential Jetta buyer, I hope that there is some impact and VW offers better price/discounts in next few months

3L difference is huge and the current Elantra has features highly comparable with Jetta if i pick feature by feature.

The feature list is huge and the full alloy 5th wheel is just something very attractive..

The car is safety packed, feature packed while it may not be exactly a german vehicle when handling and highway driveability is concerned.

Also depends on where one starts at while starting a purchase. If its a stretch to reach for a Jetta these buyers may opt for the elantra. That is my personal take on this.

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Originally Posted by drchernish (Post 2870592)

A request to Jetta trendline owners or any person knowing Jetta inside out-what is the difference in central display of trendline n comfortline ie between the dials is there the car pictogram which shows which door is opened?also fuel efficiency and dte details?

AFAIK - Trendline has the MFD display which is just like the display you get in Laura Ambient/Elegance. CL/HL get the full MFD+ (Maxidot in Skoda Lingo) which you find in Laura L&K.

MFD posts all FE/DTE details etc - missing is door close/open signs and a lot of other setting which you can access via the buttons on the steering wheel in those variants.

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Originally Posted by ethanhunt123 (Post 2870633)

AFAIK - Trendline has the MFD display which is just like the display you get in Laura Ambient/Elegance. CL/HL get the full MFD+ (Maxidot in Skoda Lingo) which you find in Laura L&K.

MFD posts all FE/DTE details etc - missing is door close/open signs and a lot of other setting which you can access via the buttons on the steering wheel in those variants.

Hi not sure where you gathered that. MFD in my car (HL) does show the individual doors as well as boot & bonnet if it is open.

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Originally Posted by vb-san (Post 2882740)

This was there from day 1 right? I believe Climatic AC is VW’s nomenclature for regular airconditioning, and the ACC is called Climatronic auto airconditioning.

I don't know but that Climatic air condition doesn't make any sense to me. It's like any other regular AC as I see. What's the difference between this AC and ordinary AC?

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Originally Posted by Rudra Sen (Post 2882751)

I don't know but that Climatic air condition doesn't make any sense to me. It's like any other regular AC as I see. What's the difference between this AC and ordinary AC?

Just a fancy name for the regular AC I guess. Here is what VW website says about it :)

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'Climatic' air conditioning
Climatic air conditioning produces a pleasant, consistent temperature throughout your journey. It's extremely user-friendly, automatically achieving your required cabin temperature quickly and efficiently, and regulating it automatically. You can decide the air distribution and blower speed you want and set it manually. The Climatic system includes an interior sensor to measure the current temperature inside the car. The electronic control regulates the temperature of the fresh air intake to reach the set value as quickly as possible and then maintain it.

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