One cool (5 degrees Celsius) morning had the engine sounding particularly rough for 30 seconds or so. Shortly after I left, the transmission was having a rough time trying to find 2nd gear; it almost
seemed like it was hunting for a gear. This only occurred on one occasion throughout my days with the car even when the temperature dipped to the same level.
The ride is a nice compromise between comfort and sporty handling. All but the nastiest craters derange the Jetta's composed road manners. The limits of the car's lateral grip are first attained by the less-than-ideal Michelin 4-season tires. This Volkswagen chassis is very solid and stiff. It is evident that it can and will be able to cope with more power.
The electro-mechanical steering is light and easy in the city. It weighs up nicely once at highway speeds. Regardless of the level of assistance, it is always precise and makes the car feel nimble. The brakes work very well although they require a fraction of a second to warm up to really perform. The pedal feel is nice and firm and reassuring.
Safety
The Jetta has standard dual front and side air bags, optional rear side
and side curtain air bags, ABS brakes, traction control and seatbelt pre-tensionners. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the car 5 out of 5 stars (a perfect result) for a frontal impact for both driver and passenger and 4 out of 5 stars for the front and rear passengers in lateral impacts. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has rated it "Good" for frontal impact and "Good" for lateral and a best pick.
Conclusion
The Volkswagen Jetta is as pleasant to drive as ever. It reminds me more of the old A2 Volkswagens and the interior is one of the best appointed in its category. This is a great package. Like any major revision of a popular car (think 2003 Corolla, 2001 Civic and 1999 Jetta for example), it tends to be more difficult to accept the looks of the new version. I have found that the more I look at it, the more I see them on the road, the easier it is to appreciate what Volkswagen has done with the mk5 Jetta.
My biggest gripe with the Jetta is the pricing. For the price of a base model plus a few options, I could purchase a Subaru Legacy 2.5i. The Legacy may not be as involving to drive, however it is a larger car and is equipped with AWD. At the other end of the spectrum, for the same price as a fully loaded Jetta 2.5i (leather, automatic...), it is possible to purchase a 2005 Honda Accord EX-V6 (240 hp 3.0L V6, more room, reliability...). It must be noted that Volkswagen barely increased the prices of the 2006 versus the 2005.
Volkswagen reliability has been very sketchy in the past. Electrical problems were and still are very common. Volkswagen has revised much of its circuitry to avoid repeating the "burnt bulb" syndrome. It is difficult to dislike this car however I would recommend that potential buyers wait a while for the bugs to be worked out, for more engine options and negotiable prices.
Good stuff:
Fantastic chassis
Beautiful interior
Not so good stuff:
Expensive
Reliability?
 |
The ride is a nice compromise between comfort and sporty handling. All but the nastiest craters derange the Jetta's composed road manners. The limits of the car's lateral grip are first attained by the less-than-ideal Michelin 4-season tires. This Volkswagen chassis is very solid and stiff. It is evident that it can and will be able to cope with more power.
The electro-mechanical steering is light and easy in the city. It weighs up nicely once at highway speeds. Regardless of the level of assistance, it is always precise and makes the car feel nimble. The brakes work very well although they require a fraction of a second to warm up to really perform. The pedal feel is nice and firm and reassuring.
Safety
The Jetta has standard dual front and side air bags, optional rear side
 |
Conclusion
The Volkswagen Jetta is as pleasant to drive as ever. It reminds me more of the old A2 Volkswagens and the interior is one of the best appointed in its category. This is a great package. Like any major revision of a popular car (think 2003 Corolla, 2001 Civic and 1999 Jetta for example), it tends to be more difficult to accept the looks of the new version. I have found that the more I look at it, the more I see them on the road, the easier it is to appreciate what Volkswagen has done with the mk5 Jetta.
 |
Volkswagen reliability has been very sketchy in the past. Electrical problems were and still are very common. Volkswagen has revised much of its circuitry to avoid repeating the "burnt bulb" syndrome. It is difficult to dislike this car however I would recommend that potential buyers wait a while for the bugs to be worked out, for more engine options and negotiable prices.
Good stuff:
 |
Fantastic chassis
Beautiful interior
Not so good stuff:
Expensive
Reliability?
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