[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

Hi Guys,

Can someone tell me how do the leatherette seats feel in summer as i have no idea what is the difference between the leather and leatherette seats and what maintenance measures are required for these seats? Also did any one of you get any transparent sun films for summer ??

I was also skeptical about the leatherette to begin with. But I have driven the car in places close to 40 degree centigrade without absolutely no problem. In fact, it just feels like any other leather - Compared to the one I had on my Polo..

[YakubKC]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Hiya. Strangely, even though you quoted me and I was intimated by email, I never did see your post on the thread. Ah, well...



Zoiks, an owner quoting that much? Can't blame them for trying to get the best price, can you? Even so, it's good to see you're dealing with an individual owner, I just prefer it that way. I was thinking 12.5-12.75 at most after beginning negotiations at 12L, but it all really depends on the condition of the car.

The price though depends on so many questions being answered. How does she drive? Has she been regularly serviced? How many nicks/cuts/scrapes/dents does she have? Is the paint completely original? The tyres will need changing soon if they haven't been changed recently, so you'll need to factor that into your negotiations too.



I understand your concerns against the Elantra, sometimes no matter how good a car is you just don't feel that connection to it. It's just a car then, isn't it? Sometimes you want something to move your soul, not just you from point A to point B. A Skoda Laura with MT would be a great option too from a purely fun to drive perspective, but it is a Skoda so that's something to be wary about, and space at the back isn't as good as the Jetta.



Let me play the Devil's advocate here; a diesel Vento with DSG will be a boon really, but if you've driven a Vento and come away displeased for whatever reason, why would you then go for it at a later point just because it comes mated to that (frankly superb) DSG? I sense you want something more plush than a City/Vento/Verna, and while Starscream is absolutely right in saying a newer car is better, but pound for pound you're getting a lot more than the Vento by paying a price not much more than it. That's value that's hard to resist.



That's a very valid question, and one I've tried to answer above. On a separate note, I'm not sure I'd go for that 36k kms Jetta unless it's been very lovingly maintained. It has been run a fair bit given how many months it's been around.



It's not necessary to spend that amount of money on the Extended Warranty at all, but it will give you extra peace of mind and is recommended. For what it's worth, I will be picking up the Extended Warranty in some months once finances pick up. The car is certainly reliable enough for you to take it sans the Extended Warranty, but it (the Extended Warranty) is like a protection program that will shield you from any troubles and big expenses if something fails.

Chethan BG has a Jetta Highline MT and he too is going for the Extended Warranty for the peace of mind it offers. I think his Jetta too is about 15 months old, give or take. Nothing's gone wrong with his ownership experience, it's just that paying that extra amount is worth it for the peace of mind it offers.

Hope that helps.

Thanks a ton for your views. It really helps getting an opinion from others, when you can't find answers to your own questions! Anyway, the deal is off for now. He's sticking to his price leaving me with no option but to let go. Will try out the Elantra soon and then take a call (will still be keeping an eye out for Jettas meanwhile! ).

[YakubKC]

Congratulations graaja. She looks beautiful in grey. Wish you miles of happiness. The roads of Ooty, Munnar and Sathyamangalam will surely be a delight. Do keep us posted.

[Amarendranath]

Hi Guys,

Can you also help me with a few questions you have

1. How much will be the resale of the Jetta AT after 2 or 3years from purchase ?
2. Will the mileage drop down year by year if the vehicle is used economically and some fun( spirited driving )
3. Will there be any problems from the AT cars, if any what are they?

My questions can be very amateur as I have very minimal knowledge on these automatic cars.


It'll be really helpful if you guys can sort out my questions

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

1. How much will be the resale of the Jetta AT after 2 or 3years from purchase?

Unfortunately, I've misplaced my crystal ball, so I'm reduced to making intelligent guesstimates on this front.

If you were to use the Team-BHP Used Price Check tool, you'll see it says 11.5-12.5 for a 2 year old Jetta that has run 24000 kms (average of 1000 kms a month). I feel that number is grossly pessimistic, else I'd have snapped up a 2 year old Jetta at that price. That number means a drop in value of about Rs. 9-10 Lakhs in 2 years, which I feel is a bit much.

What we know for sure is that the Jetta is not a popular choice in the marketplace, so that does affect its resale for sure. What I can also say with certainty is that resale depends on so many things (Has it been in any fender benders? Is the paint completely original? Are there any scratches/dents on the car? What was done at the last servicing, and what expenses are coming up soon?) Those are just some of the questions you ask to arrive at the resale value of the car. It's a very broad question you ask.

Let me try to give you an answer though using Mumbai prices as an indicator. A brand new Jetta is about Rs. 22 Lakhs OTR, I'd say a flawlessly maintained Jetta should fetch about Rs. 14-15 Lakhs after 2 years if it's run about 24000 kms. That's my guesstimate.

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

2. Will the mileage drop down year by year if the vehicle is used economically and some fun( spirited driving )

I don't believe it will, don't see why it should.

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

3. Will there be any problems from the AT cars, if any what are they?

Although a rare occurrence, the DSG gearbox in the diesel can fail, more specifically its mechatronic unit. This has been more common in the DQ200 used in the petrol automatics, with its diesel brethren failing a lot less in comparison. If you buy the car, ensure you take the extended warranty (about Rs. 47000 if availed in the first year of ownership) for complete peace of mind for 4 years.

Do read up on how to drive an automatic car and care for it, let us know if you want some help on that front too.

[Amarendranath]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Do read up on how to drive an automatic car and care for it, let us know if you want some help on that front too.

I am aware of the basics of the Automatic Drive, When to use which mode and all, All i am not aware of is how the vehicle will respond on the inclined surfaces and i have no idea on the Kickdown mode i guess. You have cleared my doubt on how to use it in long traffic signals, Shift to N and use hand brake.

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

In fact, it just feels like any other leather - Compared to the one I had on my Polo..

Can you let me know the maintenance required ? I heard the soap water wipe is generally used for cleaning the leather seats, Put i'm not sure if perforated leather can be treated the same way.

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

All i am not aware of is how the vehicle will respond on the inclined surfaces.

On inclined surfaces, don't use D to hold the car in position even if it seems tempting. The same rules apply; if the wait is short, stand on the brakes with the car in D, else put it in N and use the handbrake to hold her still. The Jetta has a hill-hold function which will hold the car steady for 2 seconds after you release the handbrake with the car in N, so you have enough time to slot it into D, no worries on that front.

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

I have no idea on the Kickdown mode i guess.

When you need big bursts of power you could always give it a generous helping of your right foot and get the car to sprint. The "kickdown" is available in any mode (D, S, Manual) and is activated by pressing the accelerator completely to the floor. When you do this, you signal the transmission to drop down to the lowest possible gear for maximum acceleration.

However, if you use the "+" paddle on the right side of the steering wheel and hold it before the kick-down button is activated (and continue to hold it), the DSG will not downshift and will simply go all out in the current gear at the time.

There's no need to be too heavy-footed to induce the kickdown, if that's what you're wondering.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by YakubKC

Congratulations graaja. She looks beautiful in grey. Wish you miles of happiness. The roads of Ooty, Munnar and Sathyamangalam will surely be a delight. Do keep us posted.

Thank you for the wishes, YakubKC. Just did the Valparai route with 80 hairpin bends today. Looking forward to the other ones

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

All i am not aware of is how the vehicle will respond on the inclined surfaces and i have no idea on the Kickdown mode i guess.

Today, I went on a 280km drive from Coimbatore to Valparai and back. There are 40 hairpin bends one way. Below are some of my experiences with the AT which may answer your questions.

When I had to stop on inclined slopes by pressing the brakes, releasing the brakes does not cause the car to roll back. This is the hill hold control in action. You just take your foot off the brake and press the accelerator and the car moves forward without any fuss. It is as simple as that!

On level roads, I was just using D mode and was driving very sedately. At 80kmph, the car was in 6th gear with the RPM at around 1200 or so. When I had to overtake, all I had to do was press down the accelerator and the car drops a couple of gears and surges forward. There is a slight hesitation of a second after flooring the pedal, but after that it is as if some beast inside has waken up!! Pure adrenalin rush!

When descending, D mode did not work (it works perfectly while ascending) as there was no engine braking at all. So, I changed to manual mode and used the paddle shifts. Found a couple of problems. When you rotate the steering by 180 degrees, it is very difficult to remember which paddle is up and which is down. Many times, I pressed the up shift instead of down shift. So, I stopped using paddles and used the stick shift. This worked very well. The second trouble is that when you have selected 2nd gear and are descending a hairpin bend, half way through the bend, the car shifts to 1st gear as the RPM drops below 1000. This needs getting used to.

Overall, the AT was absolutely fantastic

[pande_monium76]

Not sure if this is the case in other cities, but of late I have been noticing a lot of the new Jettas on the Mumbai roads. Clearly a great sign and also very reassuring for a co owner. VW seems to have really ramped up deliveries of the car and haven't head of too many complaints on the forums from owners.

Makes one also wonder as how how differently the Indian market is being handled by two divisions of the same auto group!

[Amarendranath]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

When you need big bursts of power you could always give it a generous helping of your right foot and get the car to sprint. The "kickdown" is available in any mode (D, S, Manual) and is activated by pressing the accelerator completely to the floor. When you do this, you signal the transmission to drop down to the lowest possible gear for maximum acceleration.

However, if you use the "+" paddle on the right side of the steering wheel and hold it before the kick-down button is activated (and continue to hold it), the DSG will not downshift and will simply go all out in the current gear at the time.

There's no need to be too heavy-footed to induce the kickdown, if that's what you're wondering.

This is what i wanted to know,Then the 'kickdown' was something i already experienced but didn't know it was called the same. Also i believe long pressing of the + button on the paddles will make the car handle the gears on its own in whichever mode the car is in?

Originally Posted by graaja

Thank you for the wishes, YakubKC. Just did the Valparai route with 80 hairpin bends today. Looking forward to the other ones


When I had to stop on inclined slopes by pressing the brakes, releasing the brakes does not cause the car to roll back. This is the hill hold control in action. You just take your foot off the brake and press the accelerator and the car moves forward without any fuss. It is as simple as that!
Overall, the AT was absolutely fantastic

Thanks graaja! This is what i wanted. I was afraid if the car may rollback when on a inclined surface like the parking lots of few shopping malls, When cars are continuously lined up. I thought the hill hold button has to be activated for the car to not roll back. Like turtles said i guess hill hold button can be used when changing to 'D' from 'N' when stationary at a inclined surface.

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

The 'kickdown' was something i already experienced but didn't know it was called the same.

What's in a name?

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

Also i believe long pressing of the + button on the paddles will make the car handle the gears on its own in whichever mode the car is in?

Yup, when you're in manual mode one long press of the + button will switch it back to fully automatic mode. Even if the car is in D and you're using the paddle shifters to manually change the gears it will handle the downshifts on its own, the upshifts are all yours to play with.

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

I was afraid if the car may rollback when on a inclined surface. I thought the hill hold button has to be activated for the car to not roll back.

Naa, rolling back is not a concern at all, have no worries buddy. There's no button for it as such, it just automatically kicks in when the vehicle is at an incline, even slight inclines, so using it doesn't require any input from your side and becomes second nature to react to.

[VW2010]

Another experience with Jetta service. My ABS and ESP light came up intermittently. I took it to the service centre and they came back with faulty connector pin which is unfortunately not plug and play and they will have to fix the pin in those connectors along with wiring. Total cost around 6K including Labor.

Here comes the tricky part which can be argued but i am leaving the country and i am taking the cost on my head.

Warranty covers the sensor but not the connectors. Sanity does not prevail with these guys for they are sure the wires and connectors are not covered.

A simple question of how can these connectors be termed as wear and tear has no answer. I didnt want to escalate. But be aware of such incidents to ensure you know what can go wrong at the wrong time for these cars are full of sensors and all it takes is a small 2mm pin to fail and you will be left with hefty bills.

For your information the ABS sensors will cost close to 1.5L in the service centre from what i saw for a 1.9TDI ABS sensor replacement out of warranty.

If you have an option to get extended warranty, please opt for it. If you are out of warranty, scout the parts from Germany and get it replaced from one of your local service guy.

VW service centres are vultures waiting for a prey after i saw the cost for that 1.9 TDI

[Chethan B G]

Extended warranty whenever available is highly recommended for any German car. IMHO, there should not be any second thoughts about it.

Right now, it is the chicken or the egg scenario for these dealers. Volume reduces cost to a certain extent - But volume can be attained only with satisfactory services.

[B747]

Originally Posted by VW2010

For your information the ABS sensors will cost close to 1.5L in the service centre from what i saw for a 1.9TDI ABS sensor replacement out of warranty.

Did you mean ABS unit? ABS sensors can't be so costly.

[Amarendranath]

I have cancelled my booking on Honda City Diesel, The delivery time is not acceptable by me and also the dealer attitude made me change my mind and now looking out for other options, Jetta being one of them. My car buying process was going on for a while now. But recently all of a sudden we went ahead with Honda city, now it being out of the picture i hope things workout on this. Being skeptical shall head the showroom this weekend and do negotiations.
Color of the car is another dilemma. Even after going through every Jetta thread available starting from Ayedongivadam's Silver color, Turtles's black color, Ajmat's Toffee color, Graaja's Grey and Chetan's White. Even after going through all your threads, Alt+ Tab to check all the colors i'm still in dilemma on which to opt for. The car looks very different in real than in pictures, Also not all colors are available to check in person. I absolutely loved the Toffee Brown color but also the white color has a few advantages.
White
1. Easy Maintenance
2. Easily available at spares
3. Cost or Repaint is cheaper (54k entire car, Toffee costs 96k)
4. Doesn't shade with time ( Or does it ?)
5. In white the car feels bigger than it actually is.
But even the smallest of scratches might be visible on white? I never had a white colored car before
Toffee
1. No other car in my colony has this color
2. Looks Rich and Classy ( I feel white is common )
3. Scratches may not be visible from a distance.
4. White is common, Toffee is different.
But being a darker color it may fade over time, though it is a six layer coat of paint. ( We have no choice but to park in open sunlight ) Also the car somehow looks smaller in this color.
May be different opinions from you guys might help me, i'm so confused on this


Im not able to upload pics from My iphone via the team-bhp app, it says no rights or something. Had few pics of how i compared the colors.