As part of its quest to become the world’s largest auto maker, Volkswagen decided to design and engineer a pair of sedans specially for the American market. Compared to VW’s traditional, Eurocentric products, the new sedans will be larger, less sophisticated, and cheaper. The first of these, the new 2011 Jetta, has now arrived. It starts at $14,995 (plus $770 for destination), a substantial $2,590 less than the 2010 Jetta and also less than many other compact sedans. A German-engineered sedan for less than $15,000 certainly got everyone’s attention. Which was of course the point. But is it a good value?
TrueDelta.com has a price comparison tool designed to answer such questions. Compare the cars using this tool, and you’ll find that the 2010 Jetta included about $3,200 in additional content—even without considering its larger base engine. (Volkswagen has resurrected the MkIV Jetta’s antiquated two-valve, 115-horsepower 2.0-liter four for the 2011 car’s lower trim levels.) Among the deleted features: air conditioning, the audio system, cruise control, rear disc brakes, remote keyless entry, power mirrors, and power seat recliners. Suddenly the new $14,995 special doesn’t seem so special.
The 2011 Jetta S costs $1,000 more than the base model, but includes about $1,600 in additional features, including A/C and an audio system. It’s a better value, and probably the least expensive trim level dealers will actually stock. The 2010 Jetta S cost about $1,600 more, but had about the same amount in additional content—again disregarding the smaller, weaker engine in the 2011. So here as well the 2011 Jetta actually isn’t as good a value as the 2010 was, despite its lower price.
Equip both the 2010 and 2011 with the 170-horsepower 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine, six-speed automatic, sunroof, and nav, and the sticker prices are nearly identical. But the invoice prices, more indicative of what buyers actually pay, are not. VW cut dealer margins from about 5.5 percent of MSRP to four even, good for a “hidden” $350 price increase. A small adjustment for feature differences (this time in the 2011’s favor) leaves the 2010 SE with a $382 value advantage over the 2011 SEL. The 2011 is aided in this calculation by a new, decontented, value-priced nav system that is standard on the SEL (and that has fans of the brand less than happy with its lesser functionality).
How does the new 2011 Volkswagen Jetta compare to the competition? First let’s look at base trims, with A/C if available:
| HP | MSRP | Invoice | Adj. Invoice | Diff. | |
| 2011 VW Jetta Base* | 115 | 15765 | 15165 | 15165 | N/A |
| 2011 VW Jetta S | 115 | 16765 | 16125 | 14538 | -627 |
| 2010 VW Jetta S | 170 | 18355 | 17699 | 14594 | -571 |
| 2011 Chevy Cruze LS | 136 | 16995 | 16344 | 13747 | -1418 |
| 2010 Honda Civic DX* | 140 | 16365 | 15144 | 16178 | +1013 |
| 2010 Honda Civic VP | 140 | 17115 | 15832 | 15756 | +591 |
| 2010 Kia Forte LX* | 156 | 14390 | 14125 | 14438 | -727 |
| 2010 Kia Forte EX | 156 | 16690 | 15925 | 13638 | -1527 |
| 2011 Mazda3 i w/AC | 148 | 17105 | 16079 | 15237 | +72 |
| 2010 Toyota Corolla CE | 132 | 16200 | 15195 | 14820 | -345 |
* no A/C
For the reasons noted above, the Jetta S is actually more competitive than the advertised special once the level of content is considered. This situation isn’t unique to the VW; with both the Honda Civic and the Kia Forte the base car without A/C seems a poor value compared to the next trim up. These trims exist for advertising purposes; the manufacturer wants to sell as few of them as possible.
The new Jetta S, Mazda3 i (with optional A/C), Chevrolet Cruze LS, Honda Civic VP, and Kia Forte EX all have invoice prices around $16,000. The Corolla CE, with an invoice price around $15,195, is an outlier partly because of the fatter margins enjoyed by Toyota dealers. Adjust for feature differences, and the 2011 Jetta S emerges mid-pack. The Honda comes in considerably higher than the others, while the Chevrolet’s and Kia’s relatively high feature content results in much lower adjusted invoice prices.
Next, the same models with uplevel engines, automatic transmission, sunroof, and nav:
| HP | MSRP | Invoice | Adj. Invoice | Diff. | |
| 2011 VW Jetta SEL | 170 | 24165 | 23229 | 23229 | N/A |
| 2010 VW Jetta SE | 170 | 24035 | 22679 | 22847 | -382 |
| 2011 Chevy Cruze LT* | 138 | 24685 | 23464 | 22461 | -768 |
| 2010 Honda Civic EX-L* | 140 | 24515 | 22619 | 22759 | -470 |
| 2010 Kia Forte SX** | 173 | 19790 | 18825 | 20911 | -2318 |
| 2011 Mazda3 s | 167 | 23965 | 22249 | 21706 | -1523 |
| 2010 Toyota Corolla XRS | 158 | 23725 | 21511 | 22828 | -401 |
* adjustment includes $900 for leather upholstery
** no nav
When equipped with a competitive engine, the new Jetta remains more expensive than all of these competitors once feature differences are accounted for. Even before this adjustment it’s more expensive than all but the Cruze. The Forte is priced much lower than the others, but doesn’t offer nav. The Mazda emerges as the strongest value, thanks largely to a value-priced nav system.
A common pattern emerges in these competitive comparisons. The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is priced on par with or below the competition, but usually includes far fewer features. On top of this, the new Jetta has been decontented in ways that TrueDelta’s price comparison tool does not take into account, most notably cheaper materials and a less sophisticated rear suspension. VW seems to be betting that American car buyers, their attention captured by the substantially lower base prices, will not notice the feature deficit or cheaper materials. If buyers do notice these things, then there’s little reason (with the possible exception of a roomier rear seat) to expect the new Jetta to sell better than the old one did.
Even if sales remain the same, Volkswagen will benefit. The 2010 Jetta’s prices were already much lower than those VW is able to charge in Europe. Even with assembly in Mexico, the 2010 Jetta was probably marginally profitable—at best—in the U.S. The 2011 car is clearly much less expensive to produce, and so should be much more profitable even if the hoped for sales increase does not materialize.
Volkswagen is taking a huge risk by going down market with a Jetta name plate that they’ve built up over 30 or so years into an (somewhat) affordable premium car. Add to that the discontinuation of the Passat nameplate and the potential return of the Phaeton, and I’m not sure what direction VW is going in.
Well, at least they know they’ve got a sale to Jack Baruth.
That’s a pity. a 15k or so jetta with 5 cylinder 2.5 would be really tempting. My girlfriend’s 08 rabbit has that engine, and we love it. Gives me serious buyer’s remorse on my 06 civic.
Actually in a lot of cases some de-contenting is a good thing, especially if options are available individually rather than in packages. Some options liek climate control and navigation just aren’t worth the money. Reagular a/c and aftermarket nav are just as good and a lot less expensive. I hope to see the way when I can walk into a dealership and order the exact car I want without having to buy a lot of stuff I don’t want in an option package.
“When equipped with a competitive engine,”
does VW even have a competitive engine? I mean an engine as reliable, low-maintenance, cheap to repair, fuel efficient and powerful as any of the other competitors?
consider how i highlighted maintenance and repair in judging competitiveness :)
you have a point, however, when we were car shopping for a smallish hatchbacky car, we tried everything, from the versa, to the fit, the various scions, and the elantra touring. The only one that I would describe as fun to drive was the rabbit (golf), and I’m guessing alot of that comes from the big honkin 2.5L engine. Primitive or otherwise.
A boring German sedan for a cheap price, why not? I wonder if the resurrection of the old engine had to do with it being more reliable, I don’ know if it is or isn’t. Too bad they removed rear disc brakes. I like the design compared to other compacts, but the engine seems like it will be incredibly anaemic. The Cruze seems to be the best one for an average compact buyer and the Mazda3 the best for the sporty compact buyer.
Can someone please tell me where people would buy a car without A/C? Even our rental car in Alaska had A/C, though I admit that’s not a fair example.
I could live without it around here… if it was an older (80s-90s) vehicle that either didn’t have it, or the parts are broken/made of unobtanium. In a new car though, it’s worth it for the humid summers here in the Philly area.
Here in Puget Sound, we have less than 30 days a year, even in a hot summer where I would say you actually NEED air conditioning. I would go as far to say that the total count is less than 10 days.
Actually, I think Alaska’s a fair example — the A/C probably gets plenty of use in the winter for defrosting and dehumidifying.
The only places that make sense to me are the northern half of the West Coast (and even then, in Washington and Oregon, you still might need it in the winter) or Hawaii.
I can see Hawaii…anywhere else you’d want A/C for resale value alone. Just in case someone buys a car and plans on driving it elsewhere. Or selling it elsewhere. Only people buying cars below $5000 will stomach a car without A/C. (busted or never installed)
FYI: I used the A/C in the rental when we were in the Yukon Territory in July. Not that I needed to, but I was going fast and didn’t want the windows down.
It’s a fair question, and not just in hot climates. Up here in Canada, my A/C probably gets more use on mild winter days – defogging the windshield – than any other time of year.
I live in Vancouver, in the Great White North. I specifically bought my 2008 Honda Fit without A/C, a Canada only model. I only drive short trips in the city with it and the time I actually need A/C would maybe be a week a year and in that case I can use my wife’s Accord.
No A/C reduces service costs and the Fit is 80 lbs lighter without it.
When talking about compact cars over $20,000, the elephant in the room has to be the Hyundai Sonata. Why buy any of these cars at $23,000 when you can buy a well-equipped Sonata with at 198 horsepower engine, 6-speed transmission, full safety features and 35 MPG highway?
Perfect!
And $20K with a stick shift no less. Sure you get steel wheels but who cares?
I was going to take you guys to task for performing an apples-to-oranges comparison, loaded compact vs. stripped midsize.
But then I ran a Jetta 2.5 vs. Sonata comparison on the site. Before adjusting for feature differences the VW’s price advantage is only $1,000. After the adjustment, it’s only about $200.
So, pretty close.
http://www.truedelta.com/prices.php
A Sonata GLS with Navi is $23,500, as is the Sonata SE without Navi. Why would I want a smaller, slower car that gets less mileage is a question many should ask. But some people don’t consider that, and some want a physically smaller car. Most people don’t buy the loaded versions of the compact cars anyway.
And $20K with a stick shift no less. Sure you get steel wheels but who cares?
I dunno, I was under the impression that not even economy cars ship without 20″ low-profile alloys these days…
Good point if all you care about is price, but the Mazda3 would be more fun to drive than the Sonata.
When talking about compact cars over $20,000, the elephant in the room has to be the Hyundai Sonata.
An even bigger elephant is the 2011 Optima. Probably will be at least $1k cheaper than the Sonata. For under 23k you get features like heated and air conditioned seats. It will be here in November so we should see the final pricing soon.
I’m just shocked to find out they still sell cars without A/C. I honestly didn’t that they did that anymore.
Advertisement gimmick. Low price. You come to the lot and…. there is no such car. Pay more $$$
Manufacturers are trying to fool you into higher trim levels. This is it. Look at Honda. They don’t have disk brakes and split folding seat in LX. But if you go EX then you suddenly pay for the sunroof. Come on people. This is may be the reason I don’t consider Honda.
And this VW is same thing. They say, here is your meat, it is cheap. But it is also not 100% meat.
In any case. If you buy a VW you must have some extra $$ for the repairs. And they age horribly. After 7 years they feel loose, they shake, rattle, make noise.
I don’t know what is the love with it? In Europe it is a basement car, popular in the masses. Best of the worst. Just above Fiat, Renault sort of thing. Besides, driving a Hitler’s car…
“Hitler’s car”? That’s hardly fair — unless you’re also going to Godwinize GM due to Alfred P. Sloan…
@slavuta, if you plan to keep (lease) a car for only three years, the warranty will cover any repairs. Seven years, though, yes, you’ll need to pay for repairs, but many (most?) people don’t keep their cars nearly as long.
In most countries in Europe VWs are considered to be at a level above Fiat and Renault (including reliability!) and they can accordingly charge higher prices, but maybe in your country this is not the case.
th009,
This is what I said, just above Renault.
I am not saying that here, this is how reliable car should be. I just say here, there are cars that hold so much better then VW. My Mazda Protege ES. up to date is 12 yo, 172K miles, required <$1000 of repairs. It has original antifreeze, cv-boots, clutch, basically all but AC clutch and 2 pieces of exhaust. It rides nice and smooth, it feels tight and has no rattles or noises, the seat fabric is fantastic still. The engine never needed any attention besides normal spark plug/filter changes. this is quality. Even with rusty suspension, this car simply worth it. VW can’t do that.
If you’re gonna deep-six VW for nazi connections, you’re gonna have to forego anything from Bayer, Bosch, BMW and Mercedes (obviously), and IBM, among others. IBM was particularly bad, turning to the side and whistling innocently while making the very specifically designed punched card machines that ensured an efficient and waste-free mass murder.
That said, I don’t necessarily think it’s fair to penalize companies now for what they did then. In the ’60s or ’70s, when the execs responsible for those decisions were still running the show – that’d be a different story; anything that helped them out would cross the line for me. But I doubt there are any first-degree links back to that time anymore.
And don’t forget Mitsubishi, Subaru or any of the other Japanese manufacturers that were involved directly or indirectly with war production.
Don’t buy a Ford. Henry Ford penned “The International Jew” which one Adolph Hitler praised. And, if you don’t like GM because of the bailouts, check out what they pulled with their Opel division during the war. See Wikipedia’s History of General Motors, World War Two. Sickening.
IBM automated the death camp rail network.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,99249,00.html
Laughable. No A/C on a car like this today and 115 Hp out of 1.8 liters was ok in the 90’s bad in 2005 and a pure joke in 2011. I highly doubt VW dealers will even stock this stripper. Most will be the S and above versions with the 2.5 engine and automatic which, when combined with a few options, suddenly brings this bland genric Corolla look alike within spitting distance to the far superior Sonata which is selling at a local dealer for $19495 base with automatic, 19995 with alloy wheel/pseat and dlx trim package and 21500-22000 for the fully equiiped SPort versions. The upcoming 2011 Optima will probably be slightly less making me really wonder about the value of these compacts. Chevy is certainly very daring charging almost 25 grand for an LT Cruze with leather and only 138 HP. I can think of 10 other larger sedans with more powerful engines for that kind of money that I would much rather buy starting with the Fusion SE and Sonata SE.
Even worse, it’s 115 horsepower from a 2.0-liter. And it’s also the engine in the S. For the 2.5 you need to step up to the SE.
just for fun I calculated that this car produces less than one HP per cubic inch, the engine displacement in cubic inches is 122 cid.
Man, my Saab gets 220hp with another .3 liters to work with – and it’s not even the hot version of the four, which spat out 268 by the time they got done with it. Chip it, and it’s good for 300 with a new intake and a catback, too. It does seem kind of odd – what advantage do they gain from such a low hp:l ratio? Apparently not reliability…
Did VW sell off the tooling for the old 16 valve head? Those made at least 134 horsepower way back in the day. And what about the 2.0T, like in my wife’s Passat? 200 horsepower right there on the shelf.
I hope that this a light car, because my old 2.0L Ford Zetec makes 130 horsepower and its a ten, plus, year old design.
They don’t call it the 2 point slow for nothing.
At least you’ll have the ever-lit CEL to keep you company while you sit in decontented, painfully slow, euro-snobby bliss…:) (while you wait for the tow truck)
Don’t forget the drubbing you’ll get at (most) VW service departments. That’s the really fun part.
I know I sound like a broken record here, but a key component of VW increasing their US sales will be to flood the rental fleets with the 2.0S model. Goodbye, resale value!
What sticks out most to me in this comparison — in addition to VW’s total failure to understand and accept its role the compact car market — is how absurdly overpriced the Daewoo Chevy Cruze is.
Do we really expect buyers to spend a grand more than a comparable Honda or Kia, for the privilege of driving a Gov’t Motors compact? I mean, really?
As someone who rents cars on a rather regular basis, I absolutely dread the day when base model Jettas with no options but air conditioning and automatic transmission abound on rental lots because they can’t give them away at the stealership. It used to be that, on the rare occasions when they were offered to me, I’d gladly take a Jetta/New Beetle/Golf with their better driving dynamics and higher levels of standard equipment over any of the domestic equivalent base models. However, against this model, that Malibu, or even Cruze, sure is starting to look pretty good . . .
Wagen- the Jetta S 2.0L automatic will likely be the slowest car on the rental lot, but you could do worse…Avenger, Sebring, Cobalt and Crapolla all come to mind!
Michael, is it possible to add max torque @ rpm numbers for the base engines?
If you are comparing 8v against 16v and considering the way the family compacts are driven and especially with not too great gearboxes, I would say torque numbers are more important for they determine the power on the lower down rev range where these cars are driven almost exclusively.
I bought a Mazda3 in 2007 for just over $15,000. It is the base model but came with AC and CD player/radio. The 2.0 liter engine puts out 150 horsepower, and handling, steering, mileage, and acceleration in this car are great. I have had absolutely no trouble of any sort with my little “3”. Hail destroyed the body this summer, but I am keeping it anyway.
Hail destroyed the body this summer, but I am keeping it anyway.
Hey, rough-surface boundary layer control is the hot area in aerodynamics now.
They could call it the “Jetta-Fox”
Or the “Forget-a-Jetta.” Or the “Dread-a-Jetta.”
Or follow another VW tradition, call it the “City Jetta” and keep the current car as well.
Mrs. W was adamant a sunroof was a must have. Her first choice brand bundled it with a $5,000 option package.
Are you frickin’ kidding me?
Bought an alternate brand. After she had it for a while she said she liked the alternate brand better!
Nissan comes to mind there. Used to be that you had to get a completely loaded (with pricey option package) $30k V6 Altima to get stability control.
That’s what I like about Europe. If I want an E550 with a manual, cloth seats, roll up windows, navigation, no A/C, and radar cruise control – damn it, that’s what they should sell me!
I wonder how many people who buy a 2011 Jetta would choose a Suzuki Kizashi instead if they knew it existed and actually test drove one???
It will be interesting to see if Golf (and Jetta Sportwagen) sales increase in the coming months. I’d be willing to bet that some would-be Jetta buyers will end up buying a Golf instead!
If you think you’ll have a hard time finding a decent VW dealer out of town, try finding a Suzuki dealer.
I’m not sure where a surviving Suzuki dealer is in town.
The Kizashi was DOA, unfortunately.
I just looked up the closest Suzuki dealership to my house. 16.7 miles. The next nearest one is 70 miles away.
It’s a shame that the Kizashi is DOA. 19K without destination charges gets you a 180 hp 2.4L and A/C. Resale value in 3 years time versus a VW? Who knows.
I don’t understand how most options aren’t dealer installed bits anyway. Nav system/radio comes to mind. There is NO reason why this has to be part of a “package” since (if designed correctly) it can be stuck into the dash in all of 10 minutes. Same goes for leather – swapping out seats and door cards might take 2 hours of labor but dealers will not do it.
I too have burned by Honda’s DX, LX and EX system back in 1994. I wanted the basic options (A/C, cruise, power windows) so I had to get the Civic EX which also gave you the VTEC engine, sunroof and spoiler too. My wife would have been fine with LX but there we just too many compromises.
Contrast this against my Dakota SLT which I had to custom order because the number of combinations made your head spin, yet it was impossible to find one with ABS and towing package but no leather back in 2002. Dodge assumed anyone spending $24K on a truck must want leather, but I didn’t.
Seems the options game is more a marketing trick than anything else. I was hoping Scion would change the game with their customization options, but they are too small of a player and those parts are pretty much cosmetic anyway.
There are numerous reasons why most options should NOT be dealer-installed! On items such as leather seats, inconsistent quality would be a major issue and the manufacturer would have little control over quality control. Pricing would also be inconsistent from one dealer to another and consumers would be unable to determine the dealer’s cost of an option for the purposes of negotiating a price. Features such as leather seats would also be more expensive if dealer-installed rather than factory-installed during the manufacturing process.
For years, I thought that Honda’s DX/LX/EX with no options offered was a great setup. I bought quite a few of them, even though I now realize that I always had to compromise on features. I either paid for features that I didn’t want/need to get something that I wanted OR I didn’t get a feature (or features) that I wanted because I chose a less expensive trim line. It isn’t very customer friendly, though…and I have a real issue with certain safety features only being offered on a top trim level! To get Stability and Traction Control on a Civic, you have to get the EX-L (EX with leather)…not cool.
Mazda seems to have the best balance of factory and dealer-installed options. They tend to group factory options in one or two packages, a Bose/6CD/Moonroof package and sometimes a Tech pkg on higher level models. The Tech package typically adds Nav, push-button start, Bi-Xenon headlamps, alarm system, etc. The cool thing is that they offer the Bose/6CD/Moonroof on several trim levels (at least on the Mazda3)- you can get it on all ‘s’ models, which is expected, but you can also get it on an ‘i’ Touring model. Most everything else from aero body add-ons, spoilers, remote start, cargo tray/mats, upgrade floormats, etc. are dealer-installed accessories.
Having spent a rather too large part of my life working at dealers, I can say without reservation you DO NOT want dealer installed anything if you can avoid it. At the risk of flames, dealership mechanics are often poorly trained and even more poorly able to do ANYTHING electrical.
Trust me on this at thy own peril…..
Canucklehead- The worst experience I had with dealer-installed options was on my ’96 Accord LX. Until Honda started offering leather interiors, you couldn’t get a leather-covered steering wheel from the factory. Honda offered a dealer-installed leather cover as an accessory for a reasonable price, about $80 at the time. BUT the dealer charged $150 labor to install it and the lace-up/stitching was so sloppy and nasty looking that I refused to pay a penny for it and made them take it off! Then I fought the parts dept to get a refund for the cover itself, which they finally did just to get me to leave! =)
Eventually, I bought the Honda leather cover again BUT I took it to a custom upholstery/interior shop to have it installed. They charged me $75 and it looked like a factory-install for several years (until I totaled the car). A lot of hassle to add a rather simple feature. When I bought my ’06 Mazda3 s, the first thing I noticed when I opened the door for the test drive was the thick, leather-covered steering wheel and leather shift knob…I was sold. So much simpler…
Is there going to be a version with the IRS? There was a rumour that the eurospec Jettas still had it. If so, then it is theoretically available. Maybe on the TDI’s?
Jetta GLI, available in spring 2011.
Just rebadge Suzukis for North America.
I’d love to see a comparison test between a 2011 Jetta SEL and a 2011 Kizashi SE along with one where a 2011 Jetta S goes against a 2011 SX4 Sport S sedan.
You know that wouldn’t be such a bad idea, because in reality the Suzuki Kizashi is much more of a driver’s car than this upcoming North Americanized Jetta will ever be.
Has anyone in Wolfsburg ever heard of brand management? VW has spent numerous dollars over the years advertising the brand as a “driver’s car”. I dare them to try to sell this North Americanized Jetta in Europe with its single overhead cam 2.0L and torsion bar rear suspension. The automotive press would skewer them alive. To think that this decision made past the marketing and engineering managers back home in Germany. It will take VW a decade to pick themselves off the floor from this debacle.
To take it even further – the next generation Hyundai Elantra will probable be more of a driver’s car than this Sebring’d VW. Why even offer an engine that is not one, but two generations behind your competition. Dual overhead cams were the norm 10 years ago and variable valve timing with dual overhead cams became the norm five years ago in North America. Make no mistake about it, this will turn out to be another Chrysler Sebring versus its competition.
@OldandSlow, what VW engineered was a modular design that can accept multitude of different options, including different rear suspensions. VWoA wanted minimum cost so they’re using the torsion beam and rear drums on nearly all models. VW Canada is using four-wheel discs on more models, and in Europe it’s unlikely that you’ll see a Jetta with a torsion beam suspension.
That said, most of the reviews actually make positive comments about the handling in spite of the torsion beam (which does save substantial weight); most of the complaints in the reviews are about the downgraded interiors.
I still can’t believe that VW resurrected the 2.0 (aka- the “two-point-slow”) for a 2011 model!?!? An 8-valve 4-cylinder that makes 115hp in a car weighing 2900lbs, wtf?
I had to search quite a bit, but I found some performance stats for pre-2005 Jetta/Golf models tested with the 2.0L engine. With a 5-speed manual, 0-60 takes at least 10.9 seconds. With the 4-speed automatic, a 2003 Jetta took 12.5 seconds from 0-60. The 2011 modes a 6-speed automatic, but a transmission can only do so much. The new Jetta S 2.0L with AT will take at least 12.0 seconds to reach 60mph. The only stoplight drag race it could win would be against a smart fortwo….or a riding lawnmower! Imagine getting your ass kicked by a Kia Rio or Chevy Aveo….
I also find their terminology for the seat material used in SE and higher models- “leatherette”! At least the slow S model has cloth, rather than naugahyde or pleather. Mercedes-Benz installed fake leather interiors in numerous models for many years, but at least they were honest enough to call it what it is- VINYL! They referred to it as “MB-Tex Vinyl”…but not leatherette!
These are just two examples of how hard the Jetta is trying to “keep up appearances”…oh look, I’m a Jetta….never mind that I’m built in Mexico, my seats are covered with a material that might fool some folks into thinking I can afford leather (if they don’t touch or sit on it)…
Mazda and Nissan options pricing leaves a lot to be desired. If a Jetta isn’t nicer than a Civic EX and is priced the same or higher, why bother!
We can complain all we want, but BMW did a survey and a significant percentage of owners thought the 1 Series was FWD. Most buyers don’t care if discs, drums or tractor beams stop the car. Torsion Bar ? What’s that ? Is it the bar you pass under while dancing the Limbo ?
VW is correct in thinking the CamCord buyer won’t notice or care.
The problem is that VW is for the non-camcord buyer. They won’t touch it as Consumer Reports ranks it lower…and they don’t “drive” (see any highway near you) so that part is wasted.
Now the “driver” won’t go there and the “camCord” buyer won’t go there.
Good deal guys.
Note the IRS and discs are still in the version for those who do care.
It’s astonishing to see that, after 60 years of doing things the right way and shoving their way into the US market by stolidly refusing to do things the GM way, suddenly VW is playing GM games – amazing to see such a one-time quality focused marque bowing to the profit margin like this.
I cant imagine a less appealing item – an expenisve, under-optioned car with questionable reliability that is expensive to repair. I’m worried someone got the wrong idea during a meeting when someone offered ‘we need to start competing with General Motors’
Bring on the Koreans!
Dear Jetta,
I know, change is hard. You never considered making efficiency, reliability, and fun available in every model. So it must be hard for you to hear Detroit Free Press say that you are dull, lacking excitement and character…or have J.D. Power & Associates annually place your brand near the bottom of its quality surveys. Don’t worry Jetta, most people won’t even notice after you’re gone.
The all new Chevrolet Cruze. Starting under 17,000. Get used to more.