First MKV Jetta sighting

I saw photos when it first came out - my gut reaction was the same as many people have described: Corolla. I later heard people describe it as much better looking in person, so I was eager to get a look at one up close, and felt like my knee-jerk initial reaction had to be wrong.

I noticed a couple parked at the dealer this afternoon, so I pulled over to take a look. I made sure to walk all the way around, peer inside, underneath, etc.

I cannot describe how underwhelmed I felt - disappointed, even - with the sheer, sheer ugliness of that car. Parked 40 ft away was a CPOed 2001 Jetta - it was like night and day. A solid-looking beefy german car to my left, and an overtall pointy-looking wannabe rice rocket on my right.

At this point I now realize it's extremely unlikely that my next new car will be a VW. This just makes me sad. I'm sure that the Jetta will be an efficient and reliable machine, but it's a big let-down for someone who once was a loyal customer.

Perhaps this is how former BMW 5-series enthusiasts feel?

I think I had the opposite reaction to you at the showroom... initially I was the same "oh no, they've built a Corolla"

then I saw the MK5 right next to the MK4 in the showroom... All I could think was, boy the MK4 looks out of date - MK5 looked wider, lower, and bigger - much more presence to it.

Yah the rear end looks like a Corolla, and the rear lamps works in the same useless way as a Chevy Impala's (well a little better) - Main ring for brakes, main ring for running lights, outer half of main ring for turn signals (and they're NOT amber!!!)

But overall the car's nice... the interior is a nice step up - I love Jetta's (MK4's) but they are too damn small.

All the VW's are going to start looking like the Jetta - hope you can get over it.

Well, I guess if you're hung up on looks, then yeah. It's still a VW underneath.

However, in the case of the 5-series, the changes were not just cosmetic. iDrive, active steering, etc. - all conspire to the make the

5-series less than what it used to be, and not just in the looks department. It's good to see that they've apparently learned their lesson (belatedly) with the new 3-series.

-- Mike Smith

Where I dirve, I might not. Talk to me after you've tried to do the 405 to 101 interchange, where you get dumped into the fast lane where traffic is probably coming up your ass doing 75-80 MPH and you need to get up to speed. Can't do it? BOOM! Of course this interchange has been done in slow cars, god knows there's plenty of them about. It's just that a really slow car sometimes means an extra prayer before you leave the house. ;-)

Something tells me your tractor doesn't spend much time in the fast lane on major interstates. Look, I'm not saying we all need Farraris, but when a similarly priced vehicle with a larger engine (the Jetta

2.5) can't come within 2 seconds of my 1.8T's 0-60 time, I find it a bit unsatisfying.

I love the new Jetta's interior, and I liked the GLI quite a bit with the GTI's honeycomb grill and slightly lowered stance (I hate the rims though, why they did away with the 18-inch BBS beauties is beyond me). The standard model, albeit nearly identicle to the GLI, is just to much like a Corolla for me, I can't get into the exterior styling. I've been whining about some of VW's choices for over a year myself. And while I love my MKIV GTI, I'm also at the point where I don't think my next car will be a VW product unless I can afford the upcoming B6 Passat or they make some sudden styling changes to the MKV GTI and Jetta GLI, which would have been my first two choices as replcements for my GTI assuming I'm stuck in the same price bracket. Otherwise, it's probably gonna be a new A3 2.0T or a BMW 1-Series, if I can afford them, or a used 330i if I can't.

You will never be convinced but you pretty darn fast 1.8T is faster than a lot of cars that were considered fast cars in to 60's and 70's. You should always pray if folks thnk 80 mph is acceptable in left merge lanes. We have some in Atlanta and they spook me all the time when i have to use them. Atlanta has plenty of dumb butt drivers that think driving 80 in a 55 during high traffic count is ok. If course you see smoke and sparks on occasion when they screw up. Kind of funny when 3 and 4 lanes of traffic start making u-turns in the middle of the highway because all lanes are blocked and the exit is a half mile back. The time it takes to scrape up bodies because they were too stupid to wear seat balts along with speeding makes for annoying traffic jambs. Maybe not as epic as where you live but there have been

4 and 5 hour blocked highways.

D>big gap and go as fast as those 53 hp will let me go. Heck, I have had

Jim B.

VW has ALWAYS made cars which were aesthetically "different" and instantly recognizable, the Jetta being no exception. Until now.

Sure I'm hung up on other things than looks, and the new GTi's specs look impressive. But does anyone ever spend 20,000+ bucks on a car when it makes them sad to look at it?

Yep - but I'll bet they drove more than one buyer away on looks alone. I certainly wouldn't buy one, even at a non-BMW price. And no - I'm not an anti-BMW snob.

People for the most part seem to agree with me - the BEST view of the new Jetta can be had from the driver's seat. That's just freakin' sad.

I've never been to Atlanta, but my father had family there (they've all passed now except one of them) and he's been a few times. The last time he and my mother were there was in late 1982, and even back then my father says traffic was pretty bad. Of course it's always fairly bad in major cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, New York and Atlanta all have their various traffic problems.

On 28 Mar 2005 01:45:25 -0800, "Steven Grauman" wrote:

>

Not to bad looks wise, better than than the 5er. But if you want navigation you're stuck with iDrive again and I simply won't have it. I'd have to forgo navigation if I got a 3, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that navigation sans iDrive will be avaliable on the 1-series along with a slightly bigger motor than what they're currently selling in the European 120i. The 1 and the MKV A3 are my preliminary choices as replacements for my GTI, but it's got another 1 to 1 and 1/2 years with me so it'll be awhile before I'm seriously looking. Of course, I guess the upcoming Passat 3.6 and the G35 could be considerations as well if I can afford to move up a price bracket in another 18 months.

**Ever thought about leasing or do you drive your cars into the ground/too much mileage? I'm in the same boat as you. A couple of weeks ago, the Jetta went for the 15K oil change at my VW/Audi dealer. I saw the new design Audi. Now, while I didn't think much of the pictures, seeing it for real made me do a 180. It looked pretty awesome. Of course, that planted the seed and I started looking at lease deals and so on. I really shouldn't but once I start, it's hard to stop. I think I've managed to subdue the desire, however :)

My bro-in-law and I talk cars a lot and I was making plans to look at the BMW 1 and 3-series, Subaru Impreza WRX and the A3 (in about a year or two). When is the BMW 1-series supposed to be here? He has an STi and an M3. He's trying to talk me out of any BMW and into an Impreza. We also like the Mazda 3 and 6. I don't like the look of the new Jettas (I say that not having seen them in front of me). They look like they sit really high for some reason. And, yes, there's the Corolla bee-hind. I also want to see what the new Passat will look like.

Oh, and I wanted to mention to anyone who's interested that there are DVD brochures available at VW dealerships on the new Jetta MKV. Pretty cool, I have to say. You can take a tour of the new vehicle and build your own, etc.

kaboomie

Lease deals usually end up sticking you in the butt, plus I'm already right at the 15,000 mile per year limit that most lease deals come with and I'm not dealing with any 25 cent per mile overage charges. I'd rather use the trade-in value of my GTI as part of a down payment and buy again.

I test drove the WRX before I bought my GTI and have driven both the STI and Mitsubishi's Lancer EVO. Their very quick, but they can't match the handling balance, or luxury apointments of a BMW (maybe the new A$ too if it handles as well as Audi claims) and both Audi and BMW have subaru squashed for interior quality. Car and Driver got a 5.6 second

0-60 time from the new 330i sedan, that's .3 quicker than a WRX and only .6 slower than the STI, and I'd bet that with the mtahced tires the 330i would post better times around any road course in the world. I'd rather put myself into a used M3 3.2 or a B5 S4 than a new STI or EVO. The Legacy sedan with the 2.5 litre turbo motor is much nicer, far better interior and build quality than the STI and it's only maeginally slower, 0-60 in 5.2 instead of 5.0. It's also got a better ride, and if skidpad numbers are any indication it handles roughly as well as the STI too. With the 5-speed and some minor upgrades to springs, shocks and tires, it'd be a better match to the BMW, but both German marks would still in any interior comparisons. Plus we have no idea yet if an S3 and M1 are on the way..

I test drove the 3 a few months ago when my brother was car shopping - GREAT little car. It's very well appointed, fairly priced, has very good handling, and surprisingly good build quality. Get the 2.3 litre motor though. I haven't driven a 6 but I've ridden in a 3.0 w/ manual and I liked it. I'm really into the new Mazdaspeed version too, and I'd be willing to look at it when I get my next car.

**Yea, my sister has a 325xi wagen. She would take the babyseat out of it and go race it at Limerock. It was pretty funny when the MomMobile scorched some dude in a Porsche. He was pretty pissed. Now that there's two babyseats in it, she uses her hubby's STi. Fun! In 2003, I bought a Jetta 1.8T with a 5-speed and taught myself how to drive stick. Now, I can drive her car :) No, ulterior motive there! It was pretty sweet, by the way. It shifts so cleanly. My Jetta has a 2nd gear crunchiness. It's a standard feature. ;)

I was thinking of leasing so that I could snag one before the redesigned 3-series but then I heard that the new design might be slightly larger (hopefully in the backseat). Anyone know?

kaboomie

**The sticking you in the butt thing is what worries me. I've never leased before, and I'm afraid that I won't recognize when I'm being taken advantage of. I've started doing research on leasing though. Edmunds.com has a pretty good forum on leasing. I only do about 11K a year in mileage and that's with 3 MI to CT and back again trips every year. **Isn't the 3.2 going to be here a bit later than the 2.0T? Are the new Audis any larger than their predecessors? Also, have you ever seen/driven the new Golf? Hmmm, there's a question barrage going on here. :) **It's worse than squashed. It's more like pummeled into sub-atomic particles (at least for the STi). I remember when I got into it and looked around (also remember that the 1st year didn't come with a radio) and thought it looked like the inside of an '88 Hyundai Excel. My sister and I took it around some twisty CT back roads. I think we were busted when we rolled in the driveway with huge smiles and our hair was sticking straight up. Seat isn't very comfortable either. She has a 325xi wagen that I enjoy driving, though I'm a little nervous with the nieces in the back. Oddly, she really likes my car esp. the interior.

On one of the vw forums, I was reading some reviews for the new Audi and there were a few complaints on the handling. Doesn't it have the steering that tightens up as you go faster? Is it the new electronic steering of the new MKVs?

**Honestly, I would only get the xi BMW sedans simply because they don't care of the roads so well in the winter where I live. I know it makes the car heavier and slower but it's a tradeoff that I prefer to make. Bro-in-law puts the M3 up for the winter but he's slowly having it 'enhanced' ;) by Will Turner Motorsports. I've never driven it but he took on a back road trip last summer that saw some VERY naughty speeds. **Oh! I forgot to mention the Legacy. There's been a huge amount of Legacy commercials on TV. I don't think it's selling so well. It kind of looks a little milquetoast so it does score some stealth points. **Really, you like the 3? I've been seeing them around more and more. The 3s are very nice looking. I would shoot for the bigger engine with a manual. Ever since I learned how to drive standard, I think I've become a snob. Driving is so much more fun! Though there was that time I was stuck in Windsor Ont./Detroit Ambassador Bridge traffic for two hours...creep...stop...creep...stop...My clutch foot was numb :-/

kaboomie

Huh? Even an early Boxster 2.5 should post better track numbers than any 325. And even a 330i with the sport package would have a hard time besting the newer Boxster 2.7's times.

There are two main types of lease, ones that are bad, and ones that make you wish you'd never set foot near a dealership in the first place. Hidden fees, mile overage charges and all kinds of other tricky shit abound. If you can afford a decent sized down payment, financing is usually a little less rough.

It's a really great car for the money, although I prefer the 1.8T to Mazda's 2.3 litre naturally aspirated four. If a Mazdaspeed version with higher output (maybe aided by a lower pressure turbo) came out I'd like it even more. The Mazdaspeed 6 is going to use the same 2.3 litre motor, but with direct injection (a la Audi's FSI system) and a turbo. I wouldn't be surprised to see FSI find it's way into the N/A version of the 2.3 as well, which would boost low and mid range torque output and make the engine a little more desireable.

When was the last time you drove a 914? Even with the slightly bigger

4 they are not particularly fast. 80-95 hp in a 2900 lb car.It makes a 944 seem fast. Not every car is a new car. Did you know that Porsche has been build>scorched some dude in a Porsche>>

Jim B.

2900 lbs? maybe if the driver and passenger both weight 500 lbs. each but it would require a hydraulic press to get 'em both in there :)

but yeah... 914 isn't lightning quick nor is the 944 but that's not what they're all about... handling is a good thing...

nate

(actually still own > When was the last time you drove a 914? Even with the slightly bigger