The 2022 Jetta Sport--Does Anyone Need More Car?

[robg]

Originally Posted by JST

The Jetta, it turns out, is nearly as much car as the W8 Passat:



https://www.theautopian.com/listen-t...e-model-jetta/



I think the performance tests here are bit goofy, given the altitude, but it's interesting to see physically how the Jetta matches up to the Passat. Spoiler alert: it's large.



After a few hundred miles, though, I can report that we're averaging over 30 mpg in almost entirely urban driving, which is probably not something that a W8 Passat could claim.

I wonder why they never used the w8 in an a4 or a6 (think they both used the same platform as the Passat back then).


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[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by robg

I wonder why they never used the w8 in an a4 or a6 (think they both used the same platform as the Passat back then).


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Maybe because the V8 was so bad they went back to 6-cylinders?

[wdc330i]

It was super problem-prone, according to a friend of mine who knew a VW executive with one. Reliable hearsay!

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by wdc330i

It was super problem-prone, according to a friend of mine who knew a VW executive with one. Reliable hearsay!

But was it worse than the V8?

[wdc330i]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

But was it worse than the V8?

Doubly worse?

[robg]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

Maybe because the V8 was so bad they went back to 6-cylinders?

For sure....but back in the days when Piech ruled the VW empire with an iron fist I'm surprised he didn't decree that everything with a V8 should get this W motor instead (since it was his brainchild). Also pretty sure that anyone who brought up any reliability concerns about it back then would've been fired or banished to a small hut somewhere.

[3LOU5]

Originally Posted by JST

It's amazing to me that people have abandoned sensible cars.

The 2022 Jetta is among the last of a breed that used to utterly dominate the automotive marketplace--the midsized sedan, sized to carry 4 adults and their luggage.

It addresses all of the familiar concerns. It has a big trunk. It has decent interior room. It has comfortable seats. The interior materials aren't expensive, but the design does a good job of disguising how cheap the plastic is. Most people wouldn't notice or care. It's not fast but it can keep up with traffic, and for a non-hybrid it gets remarkably good gas mileage. 1.5 liters and 157 hp isn't a lot, but the upside of the basic spec and smallish engine is a curb weight of less than 3000 lbs.

The Jetta doesn't handle like a sports car, but the damping is reasonable, the steering is light but accurate, and the braking is competent. It has a manual transmission, which is itself something to write home about. Shift throws are longish and the clutch is very light, but it's easy to drive and the small engine and tall gears means you actually have to shift to keep things moving, which is kind of fun.

Does it have a lot of features? Not really, though it's got more than you might expect. CarPlay, (manual) AC, a key fob that remotely unlocks the doors. Power windows, of course. The one I bought is missing some blind spot monitoring features because of the supply chain, but it has a back up camera. It has a brake-based eLSD, which you won't notice except maybe in the snow. The digital dash display is a basic, smaller, and way less flexible than the Audi-esque units on the upscale Jettas, but it looks nice and is legible.

All of this is 22K. Five or 10 years ago, when GTIs were 22K, this would have seemed insane, but these days it represents perhaps the best value in the automotive world. Other companies have walked away from this market completely, and those that still play in it (like Honda) don't actually have cars to sell you. And in all honesty, the Civic sounds like it might be a better car for similar money, if you can find one. Which (spoiler alert) you can't.

Most people are shunning these cars in favor of the Taos, which shares the same platform and engine but weighs a few hundred lbs and costs a few thousand dollars more. For the life of me, I do not understand this. The Jetta is all the car you need.

I've rented a Passat before and was pretty impressed with it. In addition, my nephew bought himself a VW CC in a stick a few years back and I enjoyed driving that as well.

I can see myself owning a VW such as these, but reliability is suspect when compared to the Japanese counterparts, imho.

[lemming]

Whenever I drive by the dealership, the lot is pretty empty. Which deters me from looking any further because I get the sense I will be met with ADM and a whole lot of attitude.

If supply could loosen up, I’d love to drive a modern VW with a manual.

Everything JST is mentioning here just keeps goading me to stay interested.

[robg]

Originally Posted by lemming

Whenever I drive by the dealership, the lot is pretty empty. Which deters me from looking any further because I get the sense I will be met with ADM and a whole lot of attitude.

If supply could loosen up, I’d love to drive a modern VW with a manual.

Everything JST is mentioning here just keeps goading me to stay interested.

For some reason VW dealers seem to be better about not charging ADM (except on the Golf R). Maybe VW has some policy in place to deter it. I actually ordered a GTI back in september on a lark; no idea when/if it will come (some forums say 8+ months!)

[JST]

I didn’t pay ADM; in fact, I got several hundred bucks off sticker. I wouldn’t describe it as exactly a pleasant buying experience, and there was a fair amount of BS to navigate (like having to finance through them at a not very good rate), but I’ll pay the car off in a few weeks and total interest cost will be about $50.

I’ll keep everyone updated on reliability, though this car is unlikely to see heavy mileage. Other than the bad clutch on the Mk VII R, my recent VWs have been pretty solid. I’m hoping we won’t have the clutch issue on this car because it has so much less power (and no AWD).

Lemming, I’m not sure whether anything from VW would fit in your fleet, but if I were looking for a commuter car a GLI is something I’d definitely check out.