[PPS]

Originally Posted by jkdas

Looks wow even for the TrendLine

I have to disagree with you there! That Silver Trendline looks really sad.
Although i hate extra chromification in cars, but when the Trendline Vento gets the chrome grill what is stopping VW guys from giving it in the more expensive Jetta Trendline!
Even Skoda did not do that in their Ambient Laura's. From the front its very difficult to say which variant of the Laura it is,but that is clearly not the case with the Jetta.

[nkrishnap]

Awesome Pictures. Sir you indeed make a car look even better than it actually is, thats the high caliber of yours.

Do you hold photography lessons for newbie's like me

No ACC in the car, I've just lost words.

A well deserved 5* rating for this thread.

[sreejith1830]

How is the engine of the jetta better than the laura? They are one and the same,albeit in different states of tune.I guess just software gimmickry.The laura just requires a remap to bring it to par.
Regarding service,in certain cities in kerala you can service skoda cars from the volkswagen service center.So i guess service isn`t a clinching factor.
VAG is notoriously famous for its after sales service across all its brands at least in india (remember GTO`s post????).
Brand equity and volkswagen ?? Skoda ,VW and Audi are just examples of new age branding exercises thats all.Just an example,the ORVM of the skoda laura and audi A4 is exactly the same,if you remove the outer cowl,the audi symbol along with a made in germany stamp is visible.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by smartcat

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?

Top-end AT : Laura. Better interior quality & more equipment. Sitting inside, it feels a lot more "premium".

Manual : Jetta. 30+ BHP more. Plus, better handling, as the facelift Laura is too soft for how I prefer my Euros.

Neither will be as hassle-free to own as Japanese.

[sreejith1830]

Thats the right ORVM of the skoda laura,i was just trying to demonstrate the extend of part sharing in volkswagen cars.
Do brands matter?

[lamboguy]

I still don't get why so much fuss over ACC in this thread (am i missing something here apart from the fact that accessories are "always-on"?
About Bluetooth connectivity, doesn't the car come with an AUX port? Serves the purpose without the phone battery drain!

Originally Posted by GTO

Top-end AT : Laura. Better interior quality & more equipment. Sitting inside, it feels a lot more "premium".

Manual : Jetta. 30+ BHP more. Plus, better handling, as the facelift Laura is too soft for how I prefer my Euros.

Neither will be as hassle-free to own as Japanese.

As far as i see, the Jetta scores points on the "primary" functions of a car.

Correct me if I am wrong:
IMO After Sales:
Japanese > VW >>>> Skoda !

[Mpower]

Excellent review Rudy and Co. The superb shots only make it more tempting that otherwise.

Originally Posted by jkdas

[*]6 S ![*]Boot release from within boot! You cant kidnap people in the boot :P)

I think that's the seat release you see...

Originally Posted by S350L-E240

while they may feel rough, they are a lot more durable compared to the Jetta I have, trust me some of the soft touch materials have now started peeling off in cracks, and now it's all white under it.

I would much rather prefer the new plastics which will last longer than to make me smile for the first time I get the car.

Very interesting piece of information. Could you provide pictures please? All the cars mags make a big deal out of soft touch plastics without understanding the potential the long term issues.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by sreejith1830

How is the engine of the jetta better than the laura? They are one and the same,albeit in different states of tune.I guess just software gimmickry.The laura just requires a remap to bring it to par.

If you were referring to my post What I meant by better engine was better tuned engine. I am never bothered about the engine displacement. My Innova has a 2.5L engine but still is so under tuned. The Jetta gives you more power. As far as revamp is considered that may not be feasible for the majority specially when it comes to german cars with there warranty issues and also the drop in FE. Moreover if "modification" is on the cards then give the Jetta to DC and see it getting better then the L&K. If not that then the Xenons and Leather can be added easily by anyone who wants them a lot.

Regarding service,in certain cities in kerala you can service skoda cars from the volkswagen service center.So i guess service isn`t a clinching factor.

It isn't just about Kerala right? ALL the rest of the country has to bear with Skoda after sales. And that is a BIG issue. VW is no Toyota but anyday better then Skoda till now.

Brand equity and volkswagen ?? Skoda ,VW and Audi are just examples of new age branding exercises thats all.Just an example,the ORVM of the skoda laura and audi A4 is exactly the same,if you remove the outer cowl,the audi symbol along with a made in germany stamp is visible.

So by that standard you would not call Audi too as a "would love to own and flaunt" brand? Afterall it shares its parts with the Laura available at less then half its price. Sharing parts has nothing to do with the overall image of a brand. VW is considered a good, "luxury", german brand. It may be the common man's vehicle back home but here it is definitely more luxurious then the Honda and Toyota.

[JustCause]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

I still don't get why so much fuss over ACC in this thread (am i missing something here apart from the fact that accessories are "always-on"?
About Bluetooth connectivity, doesn't the car come with an AUX port? Serves the purpose without the phone battery drain!

ACC is Automatic Climate Control. It simple means you can set the desired temperature like your room A/C & the compressor cuts off on reaching the desired temp.

Bluetooth V2.0 compatible stereos (& phones) offer minimal battery drain, even lesser than when listening through AUX port.

No ACC in Jetta is a blunder as it is present on cars two segments lower. In this segment, one expects atleast ACC, if not dual-zone (passenger & driver)climate control


@ Rudra
The car looks ravishing in the snaps. VW might ask you to use some of the snaps in their official Jetta ads

[ajmat]

Am playing the devils advocate here

Xenons -while these are really nice and cool - the replacement cost of these are high - one knock and you are at least 30k down. Believe me, I keep my distance and avoid taking risks in my RS because of this.

Climate Control - While this is a big miss, there are issues with the climatronic and dust -the vents are operated by servos which can fail. Ideally, I would like the dual zone manual like the w124

Leatherette - agreed.

The issue is that the Jetta is priced a tad too high. It should have been priced about a 1 lakh lower

While I am disappointed with the initial showroom appeal, I have been told to drive it before making conclusions.

oh and all VAG cars have a lever in the boot to escape from , some hidden behine a removable panel.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by keyur

Great review!
Which cam? Which lens?

Its not the cam or lens that matters while viewing such amazing photography. Rudra sir has added ""Chaar chaand"" to the Best photographed ever TD on T-BHP.

Rudra Sir's photography eye takes all the cake here, and makes even a non VW fan to start liking it. Yes the new Jetta is a loooker, made to look much better with your photographs...

[Aurum]

The issue is that the Jetta is priced a tad too high. It should have been priced about a 1 lakh lower

I think you've got it bang on, Ajmat. The issue is that the pricing is a lakh off, especially at the top end. The core product is solid. The combination of space, power, and driveability has few comparisons. The interior isn't bad, by any means. The safety features are top notch. The only real comparison is the Laura, where (now this is personal) the lack of rear bench space and the high setup/ somewhat cushy ride (I echo what GTO said) were the deal breakers. I held out from buying the Laura for two years after testing the first Jetta. I also held out from the Jetta due to the engine and lack of space.

The additional lakh does hurt, and will hurt more when I pay for things like bluetooth (hopefully an option) out of my pocket. They never make it easy for you, eh? Thats why, like for drmohitg, the Corolla was the alternative for me as well. Either I go the full way (Jetta, DSG, Highline and all) or get a Corolla for now, and go for an Audi in a few years.

[lamboguy]

For the members complaining about the absence of ACC and leather seats (over Laura), I would like to say that while cruising on a highway or anywhere else at reasonable speeds, one would have a better peace of mind with 8 Airbags (including curtain airbags) ready to be deployed rather than having the knowledge that your car maintains a steady temperature at the push of a button!

P.S.: Laura Ambition and Elegance, both have dual airbags whereas Jetta has 8 airbags standard across all its variants (including the poverty spec Trendline).
Heck, even the Altis comes with only dual airbags in all its variants!

[Frontosa]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

For the members complaining about the absence of ACC and leather seats (over Laura), I would like to say that while cruising on a highway or anywhere else at reasonable speeds, one would have a better peace of mind with 8 Airbags (including curtain airbags) ready to be deployed rather than having the knowledge that your car maintains a steady temperature at the push of a button!

P.S.: Laura Ambition and Elegance, both have dual airbags whereas Jetta has 8 airbags standard across all its variants (including the poverty spec Trendline).
Heck, even the Altis comes with only dual airbags in all its variants!

That's so true! Also I had heard from someone that leather seats can't be added with cars that have airbags on the seats for rear passengers

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

For the members complaining about the absence of ACC and leather seats (over Laura), I would like to say that while cruising on a highway or anywhere else at reasonable speeds, one would have a better peace of mind with 8 Airbags (including curtain airbags) ready to be deployed rather than having the knowledge that your car maintains a steady temperature at the push of a button!

Exactly! The car drives like a gem and gives you the confidence of pushing her and enjoy those drives. ACC is a big miss for sure and may be a deal breaker for many. But if you look at the whole package then its a pretty solid one. Pricing of the car has been exactly similar to the outgoing model. Which car till date has come with a lower price tag on a newer model as compared to the older one? Jazz was a dud so we will excuse that.
VW doesn't intend to sell 500+ Jettas every month I guess. They are happy to place there car in the void between the Altis/cruze and the Starting models of passat/superb.

P.S.: Laura Ambition and Elegance, both have dual airbags whereas Jetta has 8 airbags standard across all its variants (including the poverty spec Trendline).
Heck, even the Altis comes with only dual airbags in all its variants!

The trendline and comfortline have 6 Airbags each. Only the HL gets 8 air bags. But even 6 is way more then anyother offering. How many do the 3,C and A4 come with?