2006 VW JETTA

the basic VW is a very good car. I only had one friend with a diesel. It was new at the time and no trouble. It was not a very fast car as I remember.

My opinion would be it would be a good car under 300k miles and hopefully less.

Best

Lee

 

My good friend has a 2013 diesel Jetta and he has had quite a few problems. He has had the high pressure fuel pump replaced twice under warranty as well as a wheel bearing and a few other odds and ends. IMO if you desire basic transportation and decent fuel economy you'd be better off with a Civic or a Corolla.

As always, YMMV, Caveat Emptor

 

my gf has a 2011 Jetta diesel and *big knock on wood*, it's been flawless.

now, the 2002 Jetta and 2007 GTi I owned were gigantic pieces of crap with wiring that would make Lucas cringe.

so I think it's feast or famine.

 

40 mpg in something that isn't a hybrid is tempting, but yeah....Civic with a manual will be close, more reliable (theoretically), and probably more fun.

 

Get a Civic. Even my mother in law couldn't break hers. 97 Civic. Sold it about year and half ago, at 120K miles to some young friends who needed a cheap DD. They commute 100+ miles per day . It's still going like a champ. Upper 30s mph. You can find a kajillion on Cars.com. Good luck going back to school.....T

 

Buy some Scuderia shields, attach to fenders. It'll remind you what you're in school for!
T

 

About 97-98 to 2007 seemed to be a bad run for VW. The new ones are much more reliable from what I've seen.
They can be boring, but you really can't go wrong with a Honda or Toyota. I'd look for a 4chl Camry. More room, mileage is close to the Corolla, and they are everywhere.

 

Get a civic. What you'll lose in mileage you'll make up for in less maintenance

 

I have a 2011 Jetta TDI. I have only had it for 6 months but haven't had any problems. I have about 70K on it right now. I bought it for the gas mileage (I average around 45mpg in mixed driving). Lucky for me, 2 months after buying the car my commute changed from 80+miles per day to 10 miles per day. So my time with the Jetta will be short lived...

If you are looking for a comfortable, cheap car, the Jetta is a good option. If you are looking for something to entertain you, it is not. I find that VW products feel much nicer than Honda, Toyota, etc..

 

Just make sure you either replace the timing belt or verify it was replaced with quality parts. Also check if possible to see what oil was used. TDIs have very specific diesel quality requirement.
A stock TDI is boring but a simple chip can turn it into a little torque monster while increasing your mpg.

 

I've owned three gas-powered Jettas and one diesel model.

Although the diesel had superior fuel mileage, four disadvantages I experienced were:
1. not every gas station carried diesel - admittedly, this situation has improved in recent years
2. self-service means that you get that diesel smell on your hands, unless you wear rubber latex gloves
3. spilled diesel at the gas state can get on your shoes, since it doesn't evaporate like spilled gasoline does - this smell gets tracked into the car
4. acceleration is somewhat disappointing, even though newer models have better torque that they did in the old days.

If I were buying a Jetta today, I'd buy a gas-engined model.

 

LMAO.

Whatever you're doing, you're doing it wrong. Way wrong.

 

So far I have only encountered 2 gas stations that did not carry diesel. I haven't had any issues getting diesel on my hands or shoes, or maybe I just haven't noticed. I did hear that as a concern from other people as well.

 

I drive a diesel daily, and know quite a few people that own or have owned diesels and they've never had an issue.

 

Apologies for the mild OT, but I heard (from an auto dealer) that diesel autos need to get oil changes twice as often as gasoline powered cars. Anyone know if that is true or urban legend? Or, did I plain just mishear?
T

 

I get one each service.

 

VW recommends 10K interval for oil changes for my TDI. You do have to put in synthetic though.

 

I DD a diesel for about 4 years (Excursion). Never washed my hands after filling, they didn't stink, never spilled diesel and therefore never got any on my shoes.

I only like two VW's, one is too expensive over a Jetta and that's the Toureg (sp?). The other is the very underrated Corrado VR6, these go forever, you can pile on the miles. With leather, the seats are very nice Reccaro sports. The 6 gets decent gas mileage. Not diesel good but good enough. Lastly, I saw one the other day, it still looks modern.

Good gas mileage might save some money, but it really isn't all that much in the grand scheme of things. You might as well get cheap and fun!

93 to 95 Corrado is only $4800 to $8000 for a really nice one.

 

We own a 2006 gas Jetta and the thing is a rock and a piece of crap all at the same time. When it runs, which is most of the time, it is a great car. Pretty good gas mileage and just requires periodic maintenance. When it acts up though, get out your wallet. It will eat your CD and ruin the radio (well documented for this era Jetta) and the A/C literally blows. I mean you have to monkey with it every day to get it to work. Don't even ask how you need to fix the thermostat. Left turn signal rear light goes out every 4 months, too.

Stay away, very far away.

 

One other thing to mention if you are considering a diesel to save money, you may also be considering a hybrid. I briefly looked at civic hybrids as an option to the Jetta TDI. What I found was the hybrid battery packs ate up at least half the trunk room on the hybrids. Gas mileage is similar, but the difference in storage capacity made me rule out a hybrid.