2015 VOLKSWAGEN Jetta

The Red Rocket

Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 3 Value Rating: 4

I swore I'd never buy one. Too expensive, too unreliable. Well, in a pinch, a tornado red SE Jetta jumped out at me at the dealer on an evening I had gone to see a different car. Over the last 3 months and 6,000 miles I've had a mostly positive experience. This is a compact sedan with a solid build quality feel. The interior and trunk room, along with the ride, are more like a midsize sedan, but the parking and handling are more like a compact. VW found a great balance here. It's really the perfect size car. Few cars find this balance, except maybe Dodge Avenger/Chrysler 200, and I wasn't about to buy one of those! If you have a turbo you'll also see why I entitled the review, "The Red Rocket." It drives like a V6 (at minimum) and still returns 40 MPG. Visibility is great. Car is great looking, with classic, timeless VW looks inside and out. Seats are firm but comfortable, and the heated seats rock. The seat bottom and back both heat, not just the bottom like a lot of cars. I'm not without complaints, though. The worst so far is maintenance costs. Even with no true "problems," every ounce of preventative maintenance will cost more on this car because of special oil, filters, etc. - many of which are proprietary and cannot be obtained other than from VW. I do hear some squeaks and rattles from time to time. I also have issues with my stereo, the AUX will randomly shut off and I have to go in and turn it back on. This happens about once a week. Not a huge problem, but an annoyance. Display between the instrument panel gauges is hard to navigate without using the manual. Dashboard and interior door plastic reminds you that it's an economy class car also. It's more like what you'd expect in a low-end Chevrolet than anything with a German nameplate. Overall, this has surprised me and has been a great commuter car with the comfort and fuel economy. The powertrain is also amazing. At this point, longevity and reliability will be the determining factors as to whether this will go down as a great or a lousy car for me. Crossing my fingers for the best, hoping for many happy years, but if it turns into a stereotypical European money pit, it's back to Japanese cars for me!