2016 Volkswagen Jetta TSI 1.4T S from North America

Summary:

An overall pleasure to own and drive, with just enough edge to keep it from being a boring sedan

Faults:

Nothing at all mechanically. Smooth ride from the beginning.

Things that I dislike about this car:

(1) You can NOT take off the traction control. As someone who drives in snow frequently in the winter, traction control sometimes is a hindrance and completely has halted my car and I've gotten stuck, whereas if I could have just given the car some gas, I would have easily cleared the area.

(2) The car has very low ground clearance and is not the easiest to get in and out of as someone who is 6'5". Also does not help if driving through extreme weather conditions.

(3) The OEM roof rack causes the door seal to leak.

(4) The rear seats fold flat to clear a space through to the trunk for loading long objects, which is great, but there is no button from the interior to do so, which is odd. You have to go around through to the trunk and reach down in to release the seats.

(5) The car has a horrible turning radius for its size IMO.

(6) Tires that came on it rated for 50k miles only lasted 30k miles.

General Comments:

I would definitely recommend the manual transmission on this car. The car is light, and fast with the turbo, and this makes it a very sporty feeling car to drive around in.

VERY comfortable for a tall person, especially for such a little car.

Nicely styled all around... interior does not feel "plasticky" or cheap.

Decent amount of features for the year considering it is the "base" model including bluetooth, decent sound system, power locks and windows.

Extremely economical - avg 35 MPG.

55k miles with no dash lights, no mechanical issues, nothing rattling apart, car still looks and feels great. An overall pleasure to own.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th November, 2019

5th Nov 2019, 02:41

Just would like to comment on the folding seat. Historically, all car makers until 5-10 years ago were installing the handle to fold the seats inside. However, this presented a security hazard. I saw myself a few times that thieves just broke down the rear door glass, folded down the seat(s) and pulled away whatever was in the trunk. Computer, umbrella, toolbox... whatever.

It's not just VW, nowadays all brands do the same, as in your car, the handles to free up folding seats are in the trunk. I have two euro cars from 2002 and 2008 and they have the handles built in the seat rest as you would wish. But this is kind of old fashioned these days.

5th Nov 2019, 10:29

Re: (4) this is so that breaking a rear door window will not give a crook easy access to your luggage compartment and its contents.

2016 Volkswagen Jetta Sport 1.8 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Quick, reasonably priced, handles very well, stylish, and gas efficient

Faults:

Check engine light came on, flat tire, and a windshield chip from a passing motorist.

General Comments:

I did not care for the 2016 1.4T SE model with cloth interior and a windy smaller 4 cylinder. Therefore I went with the 1.8T Sport model with more juice; nothing compared to the 2.0T GLI model though. Overall I am satisfied as it rides smooth, is very stylish with the 17" rims, gets great gas mileage (35 - 40 MPG on long road trips), and it has pretty good acceleration once the turbo kicks in. It hugs the road tightly and the sport suspension is a big bonus.

The leatherette interior is very nice, and it has front heated seats which is an added bonus. The stereo along with navigation is also very nice.

I spent a little over $18000 for this car brand new, and I thought it was a good buy for the money in comparison to Toyotas, Hondas, etc. Granted this is kind of a poor man's Audi, but German engineering is always awesome.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th May, 2017

2nd Feb 2018, 13:30

After 4500 miles and 13 fill-ups: the 2017 VW Jetta S 1.4 liter turbo - via Fuelly.com - has a calculated average MPG just under 40.

Sure, it's a small displacement 4-cylinder (smaller by 24 cubic inches than the 1.8 reviewed earlier).

But the torque rating between the two is identical (plus the 1.4 achieves maximum torque at slightly lower RPM).

De gustibus non est disputandum.

View 4 more comments

2016 Volkswagen Jetta SE with Connectivity 1.4L 4 cylinder turbo from North America

Summary:

Performance, good looks, and great mileage at a reasonable price

Faults:

Nothing yet.

General Comments:

I just bought this car after owning BMWs for years. I have to say that you get a lot for your money with the VW. The Jetta has great acceleration and gets awesome gas mileage. Even with a mid-range package it comes with a beautiful interior, and Apple Carplay. Can't speak to reliability yet, as I've only owned it for 200 miles, but the car is awesome so far.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th May, 2016