This or That... Mulling over Jetta replacements

Started by MX793, June 17, 2018, 12:55:35 PM

68_427

Quote from: MX793 on June 19, 2018, 05:28:05 AM
Your snobbery is showing.  The Jetta is a POS.  The interior is falling apart at 75K miles in ways I've only seen in early 1980s American vehicles.  The headliner is completely detached.  All of the enamel has come off of the buttons for the stereo and the door controls.  The washer line is patched with duct tape because Ze Germans thought it was a good idea to use brittle convoluted plastic instead of something more rubbery and flexible for the lines and it snapped (common on those cars).

It gets horrible fuel mileage.  Like I routinely get 18-19 mpg in my normal driving.  I don't drive it aggressive, either.  It seldom sees more than 2500 RPM and the auto does its damnedest to keep the engine running at 2000 rpm or less.  I used to keep my Mazda in gears where it never dropped below 2500 with 3000-3500 rpm shifts.  Never got below 23 mpg.  Hell, my last Mustang with 2x the power of the Jetta only recorded below 20 mpg on a tank once, and that was with a double-header auto-cross weekend on the tank.

It has irritating electrical gremlins that are apparently common for the model.  The worst of them is a rear defroster that blows the fuse if I let it run for more than 90 seconds.  This is after I upsized the fuse to one with a higher amp rating.  That's hugely inconvenient in a winter car where I would use the rear defroster a lot.  It has an intermittent, temperature-related short in one of the tail light assemblies that takes out one of the turn signals and brake lamps when it gets hot.

People who think VWs are great cars have never owned a good car.

Holy fuck.  I get 20-21 avg in my truck.  Are those cars just that bad from new or does other shit go wrong that makes them chug like that?
Quotewhere were you when automotive dream died
i was sat at home drinking brake fluid when wife ring
'racecar is die'
no


MX793

Quote from: 68_427 on June 19, 2018, 08:09:27 AM
Holy fuck.  I get 20-21 avg in my truck.  Are those cars just that bad from new or does other shit go wrong that makes them chug like that?
EPA city is 19, so they're just that bad.  Toss in that much of my driving is in winter conditions with the AC on for defrost and running winter gas, I'm actually probably doing better than EPA.  The fact that the torque converter doesn't lock until like 28 mph is probably a factor.  0-40 stop and go means you spend much of your time slipping the TC.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

MX793

Quote from: MrH on June 19, 2018, 08:05:51 AM
Pretty sure we can't import things in from Mexico unless they're 25+ years old.

Yep.  If it wasn't sold in the US in the first place, can't import vehicles newer than 25 years old into the US thanks to a bunch of crybabies at Mercedes Benz.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

HurricaneSteve

WOW! I had no idea things were that bad. I remember when you first got that car you were impressed with how nice it was and how it would be a shame to use it as a winter car. While your anecdote is just one story, it doesn't help dispel the reputation of the iffy quality of VAG products. I had an opportunity to buy a brand new Mk7 GTI a couple of years ago for a little over 20K and just couldn't pull the trigger because I had a feeling that it would likely come back to haunt me in repair bills and general inconvenience. Anyways if it's not too rusty underneath I would go with the Fit no question.

Quote from: MX793 on June 19, 2018, 05:28:05 AM
Your snobbery is showing.  The Jetta is a POS.  The interior is falling apart at 75K miles in ways I've only seen in early 1980s American vehicles.  The headliner is completely detached.  All of the enamel has come off of the buttons for the stereo and the door controls.  The washer line is patched with duct tape because Ze Germans thought it was a good idea to use brittle convoluted plastic instead of something more rubbery and flexible for the lines and it snapped (common on those cars).

It gets horrible fuel mileage.  Like I routinely get 18-19 mpg in my normal driving.  I don't drive it aggressive, either.  It seldom sees more than 2500 RPM and the auto does its damnedest to keep the engine running at 2000 rpm or less.  I used to keep my Mazda in gears where it never dropped below 2500 with 3000-3500 rpm shifts.  Never got below 23 mpg.  Hell, my last Mustang with 2x the power of the Jetta only recorded below 20 mpg on a tank once, and that was with a double-header auto-cross weekend on the tank.

It has irritating electrical gremlins that are apparently common for the model.  The worst of them is a rear defroster that blows the fuse if I let it run for more than 90 seconds.  This is after I upsized the fuse to one with a higher amp rating.  That's hugely inconvenient in a winter car where I would use the rear defroster a lot.  It has an intermittent, temperature-related short in one of the tail light assemblies that takes out one of the turn signals and brake lamps when it gets hot.

People who think VWs are great cars have never owned a good car.

CALL_911

FWIW my GTI is 8 years old/66k and has been perfect


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

MX793

Quote from: CALL_911 on June 19, 2018, 01:10:24 PM
FWIW my GTI is 8 years old/66k and has been perfect

Maybe it's something about where the cars are produced (GTI and I think Golf are not built in the same place as American market Jettas), but the problems with my car are not unique.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

Galaxy

Quote from: MX793 on June 19, 2018, 02:23:14 PM
Maybe it's something about where the cars are produced (GTI and I think Golf are not built in the same place as American market Jettas), but the problems with my car are not unique.

E-Golf, and R are from Germany, the rest, including the GTI, are from Mexico, hence the complete color list being available on the E, and the R. 

MX793

Quote from: Galaxy on June 19, 2018, 02:28:31 PM
E-Golf, and R are from Germany, the rest, including the GTI, are from Mexico, hence the complete color list being available on the E, and the R. 

Not sure that was the case for Gen V production.  Believe all Gen V GTIs were built in Germany.  Jettas, for America at least, I think we're built in Brazil.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

2o6

Man, the listing for Rochester, NY are absolute ass.

CALL_911

Quote from: MX793 on June 19, 2018, 02:33:00 PM
Not sure that was the case for Gen V production.  Believe all Gen V GTIs were built in Germany.  Jettas, for America at least, I think we're built in Brazil.

Golfs and GTIs came from Wolfsburg until MkVII.


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

Galaxy

Quote from: MX793 on June 19, 2018, 02:33:00 PM
Not sure that was the case for Gen V production.  Believe all Gen V GTIs were built in Germany.  Jettas, for America at least, I think we're built in Brazil.

Yeah, I was talking about the current Generation.

Char

Quote from: MX793 on June 19, 2018, 05:28:05 AM
Your snobbery is showing.  The Jetta is a POS.  The interior is falling apart at 75K miles in ways I've only seen in early 1980s American vehicles.  The headliner is completely detached.  All of the enamel has come off of the buttons for the stereo and the door controls.  The washer line is patched with duct tape because Ze Germans thought it was a good idea to use brittle convoluted plastic instead of something more rubbery and flexible for the lines and it snapped (common on those cars).

It gets horrible fuel mileage.  Like I routinely get 18-19 mpg in my normal driving.  I don't drive it aggressive, either.  It seldom sees more than 2500 RPM and the auto does its damnedest to keep the engine running at 2000 rpm or less.  I used to keep my Mazda in gears where it never dropped below 2500 with 3000-3500 rpm shifts.  Never got below 23 mpg.  Hell, my last Mustang with 2x the power of the Jetta only recorded below 20 mpg on a tank once, and that was with a double-header auto-cross weekend on the tank.

It has irritating electrical gremlins that are apparently common for the model.  The worst of them is a rear defroster that blows the fuse if I let it run for more than 90 seconds.  This is after I upsized the fuse to one with a higher amp rating.  That's hugely inconvenient in a winter car where I would use the rear defroster a lot.  It has an intermittent, temperature-related short in one of the tail light assemblies that takes out one of the turn signals and brake lamps when it gets hot.

People who think VWs are great cars have never owned a good car.

Bbut muh soft touch Plastics!
Quote from: 565 on December 26, 2012, 09:13:44 AM
... Nissan needs to use these shocks on the GT-R.  It would be like the Incredible Hulk wielding Thor's hammer.... unstoppable.

12,000 RPM

MX793, how long is your commute?

Could you do an EV? They are dirt cheap used. Just don't know how well they would hold a charge in those Canadian winters
Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs

MX793

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 19, 2018, 10:13:03 AM
MX793, how long is your commute?

Could you do an EV? They are dirt cheap used. Just don't know how well they would hold a charge in those Canadian winters

My commute is short (7 miles each way), but I do visit family ~60 miles away somewhat frequently, particularly during the holiday season.  There are also no outdoor charging solutions at my condo (1-car garage houses Mustang and bike during the winter), so I'd be reliant on public charging stations.  There are a few in the area, but they are all several miles from home and would require I go out of my way if I wanted to stop and charge up on my way home from work.  There aren't any stations particularly near where my family lives out in the country.  I also question range in the cold weather.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

12,000 RPM

Oh thats definitely out then. I thought you were in a single family.

Still seems like there are a lot of options. Corolla? Elantra? *gulp* Sentra SE-R?
Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs

2o6

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 19, 2018, 11:06:18 AM
Oh thats definitely out then. I thought you were in a single family.

Still seems like there are a lot of options. Corolla? Elantra? *gulp* Sentra SE-R?


Nissans and Hyundai's rust like hell


Corollas can be expensive

CaminoRacer

2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

MrH

2023 Ford Lightning Lariat ER
2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD
2023 BRZ Limited

Previous: '02 Mazda Protege5, '08 Mazda Miata, '05 Toyota Tacoma, '09 Honda Element, '13 Subaru BRZ, '14 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0, '15 Toyota 4Runner SR5, '18 Honda Accord EX-L 2.0t, '01 Honda S2000, '20 Subaru Outback XT, '23 Chevy Bolt EUV

Char

Quote from: 565 on December 26, 2012, 09:13:44 AM
... Nissan needs to use these shocks on the GT-R.  It would be like the Incredible Hulk wielding Thor's hammer.... unstoppable.

MX793

Quote from: Char on July 25, 2018, 06:50:42 AM
Corolla with a manual, Mazda 3

Had a Mazda.  Great car, but never again as a winter car in this climate.  Too prone to rusting.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

12,000 RPM

Any car you drive in those Canadian winters is basically gonna need a galvanic anode to last any reasonable amount of time.

Have you considered travelling to a more populous region to buy a car? You should be able to find something easy in NYC.
Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs

MX793

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 25, 2018, 07:00:47 AM
Any car you drive in those Canadian winters is basically gonna need a galvanic anode to last any reasonable amount of time.

Have you considered travelling to a more populous region to buy a car? You should be able to find something easy in NYC.

Not necessarily.  Mazdas, and a few others (the Korean makes), are notoriously bad.  Corrosion issues starting after 3-4 years from new.  For all its faults, the VW's body is remarkably clean for a car that's lived a decade or more up here.  Not even a blister on the body anywhere.  Been a while since I crawled under it, but it was remarkably clean underneath when I bought it.  I thought it was a southern car after I inspected it up until they showed me the Carfax.

My experience with NYC cars is they are frequently beat to shit.  Scratches (rust seeds), dents, suspensions, lots of stop & go.  I'm willing to drive a little ways, but I just don't have time to go looking at cars 4+ hours away for a winter.

With some other major expenses that hit this year, I may end up postponing another year.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

12,000 RPM

Ah, you are right about used NYC cars. I forgot. There was a huge gulf between cars I bought locally and cars I either bought or that were transferred from out of state.

I will never forget how I howled and winced when I took what I thought was my smooth riding Z up to NYC. The roads up there are awful.

Still shocked you had such an awful experience; my wife's Rabbit was flawless outside of a vacuum pump
Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs

Char

Quote from: 565 on December 26, 2012, 09:13:44 AM
... Nissan needs to use these shocks on the GT-R.  It would be like the Incredible Hulk wielding Thor's hammer.... unstoppable.

MX793

I'd consider a Corolla if I could find one.  Camry is a bit bigger than I'd want.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

CALL_911

Ok GTI isn't perfect anymore. The passenger window switch on the driver's side stopped allowing me to lower the window. But I can still raise it from that side.


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

AutobahnSHO

Will

MrH

Dude, you can't find a used Corolla for sale?

Take a single day off work and go travel to some sort of civilization and buy a decent used car. This is crazy talk
2023 Ford Lightning Lariat ER
2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD
2023 BRZ Limited

Previous: '02 Mazda Protege5, '08 Mazda Miata, '05 Toyota Tacoma, '09 Honda Element, '13 Subaru BRZ, '14 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0, '15 Toyota 4Runner SR5, '18 Honda Accord EX-L 2.0t, '01 Honda S2000, '20 Subaru Outback XT, '23 Chevy Bolt EUV

MX793

#58
Quote from: MrH on August 12, 2018, 07:25:33 PM
Dude, you can't find a used Corolla for sale?

Take a single day off work and go travel to some sort of civilization and buy a decent used car. This is crazy talk

Haven't really been looking for any specific models.  Basically looking for something relatively rust free, under 100k miles, and under $9k.  Haven't seen any Corollas pop up in my search yet that meet those criteria.

How big of a city/metro do you consider "civilization"?
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

MrH

Somewhere where a used Corolla is readily available :lol:
2023 Ford Lightning Lariat ER
2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD
2023 BRZ Limited

Previous: '02 Mazda Protege5, '08 Mazda Miata, '05 Toyota Tacoma, '09 Honda Element, '13 Subaru BRZ, '14 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0, '15 Toyota 4Runner SR5, '18 Honda Accord EX-L 2.0t, '01 Honda S2000, '20 Subaru Outback XT, '23 Chevy Bolt EUV