2006 Volkswagen Jetta Reviews

Graham Smith reviews the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 VW Jetta as a used buy. A three-box version of the Golf, the Jetta is best driven with a clutch pedal. New VW cashed in on the soaring popularity of the Golf by adding a bootlid and rear window in 2006 and calling the variant the Jetta. For all intents and

Volkswagen Golf, a solid and sensible German car, is a major player in the European car market and in the last decade has made its mark in Australia as well.Those who need a practical car, but who enjoy driving will find the Golf goes a long way towards meeting each of these conflicting needs. Golf is a pleasant car to drive with good handing and sharp steering feel to let you get involved in what the car is doing, and with plenty of road grip even when pushed hard.These cars remain comfortable even on rough bush roads, though they are more at home in the suburbs than the far outback. These days Golf is a medium-sized car, having grown in size over the years, mainly to provide the extra space needed for occupant crash protection.There's some more interior room as well. In Europe, Golf is often seen as a full-sized car and it’s not unusual to see them carting four large adults about.Aussies tend to regard them more as transport for a family with preteen children, but if you live in an inner city area in Melbourne of Sydney you may need nothing more than a Volkswagen Golf to fill all your motoring needs.Golf is sold as a three- or five-door door hatchback. A ‘Golf’ four-door sedan was called the Bora from 1999 until the launch of the fifth generation model in 2005, when it was renamed Jetta. Boot space is substantially better than in the hatches and the four-door models are certainly worth consideration.VW Golf Cabriolet was sold until 2003. It has good roll-over protection for an open-top car and still offers a reasonable amount of space in the back seat. Access to the boot is difficult due to the odd location of the hinges. The Cabriolet was replaced by the New Beetle Cabriolet, but in a surprise move, VW reintroduced the Golf Cabriolet in 2012.Engines come in various guises: petrol and diesel; with four-, five- and six-cylinder units. Four-cylinder petrol engines are the most common, coming in capacities of 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 litres. The 1.6 will suit most drivers, but those who like to drive hard may find it a bit dull. The 1.4-litre is a brilliant, relatively recent, design and the little turbo unit provides performance with economy.Volkswagen in Australia started a big push in the diesel field several years ago and these engines are now far more common than in the past. With capacities of 1.6, 1.9 and 2.0 litres they provide plenty of grunt and turbo lag isn’t too bad.Those who enjoy a really good drive should consider the VW Golf GTi. A fun machine for the keen driver, it’s rapidly becoming regarded as a classic in the Australian hot-hatch market.Then there's the Golf R range of extreme hotshots. These traditionally had a large V6 engine – 3.2 litres in a smallish car gives plenty of performance. These are tagged as Golf R32. The latest model, launched in 2011, takes a different tack, going for 2.0 litres and a high-pressure turbo. Disguising the smaller size of the engine is the change of name to simply Golf R.Six-speed manuals arrived with the fifth-generation Golfs in 2004 and are popular on the used scene. The DSG gearbox, also launched in 2004, is a self-shifting manual gearbox. It provides far better performance than the old-style four-speed automatics used until 2004.This VW is a relatively easy car to work on and spare parts are not overly expensive. The dealer network has expanded from a low point during the mid-1990s and nowadays we hear very few complaints about parts availability or servicing.Insurance charges are about average for an imported European vehicle on most Golf and Jetta models. The high-performance Golf GTi may attract higher premiums, the Golf R32 and Golf R almost certainly will.Interiors generally stand up well, but some older Golfs that have been kept in the open continuously may suffer from sun-dried dashboard tops. Feel and look for uneven tyre wear, particularly on the front wheels.Look for scrapes on the bottom edges of the front mudflaps, they will often drag on the ground if the car has been cornered hard. New mudflaps could be a suspicious sign. Engines should start quickly. Listen for untoward engine noises, especially when it’s cold.Look for smoke from the exhaust when the engine is driven hard, particularly on long uphill runs. Make sure a manual gearbox doesn’t crunch on fast downchanges.Check that dual-clutch transmissions are positive in their shifts and don't hesitate too much at very low speeds. Be sure the brakes pull the car up evenly. If ABS is fitted you should feel a pulsing through the pedal during hard stops.Rust isn’t common in Golfs and is more likely to be the result of bad crash repairs than vehicle design. If you do come across any have the car inspected professionally or pass it up for another one.If there’s a problem in a used car get it fixed before you buy it. Don’t fall for the sales persons’ trick of saying you can bring it back later and everything will be sorted out then. It can be a lot harder then...

Diesels are becoming dream cars for a growing number of Australians. They promise better economy, lower running costs and a much longer run between stops at the pumps.But diesel sales are still only a tiny fraction of the showroom action in Australia. Most of the mainstream brands, with the exception of GM Holden with its Astra, have not jumped on the bandwagon. Yet.Honda does not have its diesels in Australia, and the other Japanese companies are still running only predictable stuff in the four-wheel-drive and workhorse classes, which means most of the action is coming from Europe.Those cars are doing well, and anyone who has been reading the CARSguide in the past year would have noticed the glowing reviews of the new breed of diesels.The new self-igniters have been praised for their performance as well as the economy that is taken for granted with diesel engines, but are they really as good as the reviews say, or are they just a passing fad?The drive reports on the new-age diesels — including Peugeots, Audis, BMWs and Benzes — are usually done on their own, comparing them only against other cars that have been through the CARSguide test garage, without lining them up against direct petrol-powered competitors from the same company.So this is the time. And the place.We wanted a realistic assessment of this new breed of diesels and decided to compare the latest Volkswagen Jetta using one car with a 2.0-litre TDI turbo-diesel engine to a similar vehicle with a 2.0-litre FSI turbo-petrol engine.Unfortunately, we couldn't source cars that were exactly the same apart from the engines, so we made one or two compromises.We'd prefer the same transmission in each car, but it simply isn't possible. So the diesel Jetta has a six-speed manual gearbox; the FSI is available with the six-speed DSG transmission only. And the non-turbo FSI engine would have been our first choice.Despite those little niggles, we still believe the comparison stands up.Diesels have been popular in Europe — where diesel fuel is generally cheaper than petrol — for some time, and some governments provide tax incentives to drive them.Against that background, carmakers have offered diesel engines across their model ranges, from the smallest to the largest.Here, the picture is a little different. Diesels have been available only in passenger car models from European makes that are marketed as prestige brands with premium prices that put diesels beyond the reach of many cost-conscious motorists.Add to that the price of diesel fuel here, which has often been a few cents a litre more expensive than regular unleaded, and it has been hard to mount a case for the diesel engine.In the Jetta the TDI diesel model costs $35,490, $2500 more than the non-turbo FSI petrol model, but $4500 less than the FSI Turbo DSG.That means the diesel buyer has to recoup $2500 in fuel consumption savings before they break even with the non-turbo FSI model.Of course, they have a healthy head start when compared to the FSI Turbo.Recovering the cost was made easier at the time of the test when the price of diesel was about the same as regular unleaded — about $1.39 a litre, or just a cent or two more expensive, depending on which servo you bought the fuel from.The fuel price picture was even brighter for the diesel because the FSI petrol Jettas use premium unleaded, which at the time was seven cents a litre more expensive than diesel at $1.46 a litre.Our assessment is made over 400km of mixed driving, which takes in some city traffic, some freeway running and some secondary roads in the country that were speed limited to 80 km/h.Though we don't set out to get the best fuel consumption, we stuck to the speed limit and drive with safety in mind.It is no surprise then that the diesel is the better in terms of fuel consumption over our drive, but that it did so well, returning 4.5 litres/100km average, is a pleasant surprise.The FSI Turbo also proves a surprise in returning 6.7 litres/100km.Each car is a revelation, but the diesel comes out on top when it uses 33 per cent cent less fuel. The results line up in a similar relationship to the official factory figures issued by VW, which claims the FSI Turbo is 2 per cent more economical than the non-turbo FSI engine.Using our figures, and making a 2 per cent negative adjustment to the FSI Turbo figure, we calculate fuel consumption at 6.8 litres/100km for a non-turbo Jetta.Thus the $2500 price premium of the diesel would be recouped in 7000km. That's about six months of average driving. After that you're laughing all the way to the bank.Though that's impressive it's not unexpected, because diesels have a reputation for being fuel misers.What they're not renowned for is smoothness or performance. In fact they've generally been regarded as being rough-running and slow compared to their petrol cousins.They're the compromises diesel buyers have had to accept in the past, but reviews of recent models would have you believe they're not such a compromise.Using the sporty FSI Turbo for our comparison put the TDI to the toughest test of performance.The FSI Turbo boasts a very flat torque curve with 280Nm on tap between 1800 and 5000 revs; the TDI delivers 320Nm between 1750 and 2500 revs before tailing off, but it still has as much as the FSI Turbo at 3200 revs.The non-turbo FSI has a peakier torque curve with 200Nm between 3000 and 5000 revs.The diesel has mountains of torque, but needs to be driven in a much narrower rev range to take full advantage of it. Drive the diesel with that in mind and the performance is almost equal to that of the regular FSI petrol engine, the diesel needing 9.7 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint, the FSI petrol 9.2 seconds. The FSI Turbo DSG is a clear performance winner with a sprint of 7.2 seconds.It's a little slower that the rest, but the diesel's flexibility comes into its own on the mid-range overtaking sprint from 80-120 km/h when it takes 8.5 seconds, compared to 9.5 seconds for an FSI manual.In terms of refinement the TDI is a little noisier and little less smooth than the FSI Turbo, but it is still quite acceptable and certainly not enough to reject it out of hand.At the end of our head-to-head comparison the TDI comes out a clear winner over its closest petrol cousin with superior fuel consumption and better mid-range performance and flexibility, only losing our marginally in refinement.If performance is your prime consideration the FSI Turbo is the car to own, but it comes at the cost of a higher purchase price and a higher fuel price.INSIDE VIEWVolkswagon Jetta TDIENGINE 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-dieselPOWER 103kW at 4000 revsTORQUE 320Nm at 1750-2500 revsTRANSMISSION Six-speed manualDRIVE Front-wheel drivePRICE From $35,490VOLKSWAGENJETTA TURBO FSIENGINE 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrolPOWER 147kW at 5100-6000 revsTORQUE 280Nm at 1800-5000 revsTRANSMISSION Six-speed DSG semi-automaticDRIVE Front-wheel drivePRICE From $39,990

Two grades are offered with a choice of three engines including a 2.0-litre turbo diesel and two petrol fours, one a turbo. All are used in other VW (and Audi) passenger cars.All Jetta engines use direct fuel injection for low emissions and low fuel consumption - including the diesel TDI.The Jetta range has a Euro4 emissions endorsement, something still a way off in Australian Design Rules.The test vehicle was a six speed manual TDI but a six speed auto direct shift gearbox is optional.Why would you opt for the diesel?Because it will go about 1200km on a tank of fuel and probably last a lot longer than a petrol engine.On top of that, engine performance is surprisingly strong with potent roll on acceleration from just above idle right through to peak engine revs.Maximum output is 103kW but there's a hefty 320Nm of torque lurking within and its there from just 1750rpm staying through to about 4000rpm.That amount of torque bestows Jetta with a gorgeous forward thrust pretty well on demand.Used to be this amount of grunt was only available from a 4.0-litre petrol engine.However, it's noisy at start up and at low revs but once up and running, the TDI is just like a petrol engine.The manual transmission is nearly perfectly geared for the engine's output with closely spaced ratios and a useable sixth cog. There is no need to downchange for faster acceleration at highway speed.Now, to the subject on everyone's mind - fuel economy.On one 150km run comprising urban and highway driving, the Jetta TDI recorded an average fuel consumption figure of 4.7-litres/ 100km (60mpg in the old money).This is the best I have ever recorded in any car including a number of hybrids and some mini-cars.What is most impressive is the Jetta did it without a conscious effort to drive economically.Do that and it might approach 4.0-litres/ 100km. Other aspects of the Jetta are impressive too, the massive boot with full size spare, indicator repeater lights in the exterior mirrors, Light Emitting Diode (LED) tail lights 16in alloys, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) rain sensing wipers, park assist, premium audio - the list is large.It's a comfy thing to drive offering sporty ride and handling and accommodation for five. The interior is a little conservative but is good to look at and functional.Styling follows the Golf front end with a Passat rear treatment _ it looks the business.Is the Mexico-made Jetta at $37,990 worth the extra $5.000 spend over Golf 2.0 TDI?There's more in Jetta and it has arguably more prestige value but the Golf's good too - a difficult one to answer.

But while it's stylish and, lowered by 15mm, has you feeling closer to the ground, the Jetta doesn't feel quite as sporty as it claims to be. Rather than appealing to young drivers, it seems to be better suited to an older, more sophisticated demographic — a car parents or grandparents are more likely to drive.A glass sunroof is available for an extra $1890, which might jazz it up and make it a bit trendier but its appearance is still more elegant than sporty.Given it is such a nice-looking medium-sized sedan, complete with a small spoiler, chromed-frame radiator grille, rear LED lights and a stylish shape, it seems fair to expect the comfort of the vehicle to be in the same class. But this is the Jetta's main problem.Even a 20-minute trip leaves your body a little sore, not helped by the bumpy ride, with the stiff sports suspension failing to cushion the driver from pot holes and dents in the road.The seats are too hard, as are the armrests, and no matter how much you try, you just can't seem to get comfortable.Perhaps spending the extra $2000-$3000 for leather upholstery would solve the problem.Space, on the other hand, is more than sufficient. The Jetta is longer than its predecessor, the Bora, and the Golf, on which it is based. There is plenty of storage space, with separate compartments under the front seats, and an impressively large and deep boot. Cabin space is also roomy and comfortable, although with three adults in the back, legroom can be a little squashy.The interior is dressed up with all the perks of a luxury car, including a leather steering wheel, leather handbrake lever grip and gear knob, cruise control, maximum-speed warning, reverse sensors, six-stacker CD, dual climate control and doors that automatically lock when you drive. The red and blue lights on the dash and stereo are a little too bright and distracting, and become irritating over time, especially on longer trips.Six airbags come as standard.The Jetta is available in three models, all 2.0 litre, four-cylinder engines, with six speed transmission. The first test car was the base model manual FSI, valued at $35,290.It handled quite well and gear changes were smooth with 110kW of power at 6000rpm and 200Nm at 3500rpm, but it wasn't until we tested the Turbo FSI that the excitement really kicked in.It is a little pricier, at $39,990, and available only in automatic, but it's worth every cent for that extra boost in power. Once you accelerate and feel the torque of 280Nm at 1800-5000rpm, and the power of 147kW at 5100-6000rpm, you won't want to turn back.There was a bit of a lag, with the torque coming on abruptly, which actually made the ride more enjoyable as the car flew once the turbo kicked in.Apart from the hard seats, the only complaint came from a passenger who shall remain nameless, who claimed the driver was "hooning". Hard to resist, though.The turbo is also available in diesel and starts at $37,790. Braking is good, with ABS as well as electronic stability.Overall, the Jetta is an impressive car, but because of the comfort factor, it was hard to feel truly satisfied.

After a little delay, the DSG punches the front wheels into action and the Jetta squeals away, stability control fighting the turbo FSI motor and the super-slick double-clutch auto.Torque steer is minimal, thanks to VW's driveshaft setup that is aimed at counteracting the differences between the left and right wheels' driveshafts.There's still a little tug at the steering wheel – to be expected – but it doesn't detract from the experience, and the electronics don't completely kill the speed off in a straight line. Turning corners under full power can prompt some wheel spin but the electronics temper it. The six-speeder is a great automatic, with the shift-direction being the wrong way the only issue – one day uniformity will be found, or car makers will allow drivers to choose which way they want to shift.It's a dual-clutch automatic, although VW likes to call it a "manual gearbox in which the gearshifts are controlled electronically".Either way, the DSG is quick and smooth, with two separate gear sets operated by two wet multi-plate clutches, one gear and clutch driving the vehicle with the second lot waiting to kick in on the gear change, which is completed in four one-hundredths of a second, according to the manufacturer. Hill starts can catch the driver out as it will roll back a little on takeoff, but it's only a small complaint about an otherwise effective and enjoyable substitute for a manual.Combined with the smooth, well-spread and considerable torque of the two-litre Golf GTI engine, it's an attractive package – particularly given its relatively low thirst.Volkswagen says its combined average Australian Standard figure is 8 litres/100km which, according to VW's figures, makes the sports model more frugal than the naturally aspirated petrol base model.The trip computer showed 10.9 litres/100km at the end of our time in the car, with most of that time spent on metropolitan roads – and the rural road trips often included some more enthusiastic stints.The two-litre turbocharged 16-valve four-cylinder produces 147kW and the peak torque of 280Nm is available between 1800rpm and 5000rpm. It is an entertaining engine, with some of the sporty throatiness carried over from the GTI donor car, but it's that near-flat torque curve that provides the Jetta with quick, yet efficient cross-country abilities.The Jetta flagship has plenty of in-gear acceleration on the back of that torque, which allows sixth-gear cruising on the open road, when trying to drive frugally, as well as the ability to maintain speed in top gear on the hills as well.Jetta has grown significantly when compared with the Bora it replaces, with better rear leg room the most noticeable in-cabin improvement. The cabin space is good, allowing four adults to travel in comfort, although three in the rear seat might struggle in terms of width. There's also no shortage of in-cabin safety gear, with dual front and side airbags as well as front and rear side-curtain airbags.The occupants are well looked after, with a decent 10-speaker sound system and dual-zone climate control, as well as a sports suspension system that doesn't tighten up ride quality beyond the realms of comfort.Some of Adelaide's nastier bits of bitumen aren't ideally suited to the Jetta's sports-tuned MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear end, set 15mm lower than the rest of the Jetta range, but it's a small price to pay for the cornering capabilities that see the sedan easily hustled through a set of corners with nice balance and decent cornering behaviour.The front buckets are comfortable but supportive enough to keep the driver well located behind the reach-and-rake, adjustable leather-wrapped, three-spoke sports wheel, which has audio and trip computer controls. The boot has a claimed capacity of 527 litres and is cavernous. Falcon and Commodore offer 504 and 465 litres respectively. The Jetta receives plenty of kudos for clever packaging given it's 300mm shorter in overall length with a wheelbase that's 200mm shorter than the full-size family offerings from Broadmeadows and Elizabeth. The tallish rear end makes the standard rear parking radar worthwhile to prevent parking mishaps.As VW makes a concerted effort to price sharply and grow its volumes, those in the market for a medium-sized sedan should have the Jetta near the top of their shopping list.SMALL TORQUEVW Jetta 2.0 Turbo FSIPrice: $39,990Engine: Two-litre DOHC 16-valve in-line turbocharged four-cylinderPower: 147kWTorque: 280Nm between 1800rpm and 5000rpmTransmission: Six-speed DSG only, front-wheel driveFuel consumption: 8 litres/100km combined. Test 10.9 litres/100kmSuspension: Independent, MacPherson struts with lower A-arms, anti-roll bar, sports-tuned (front); independent, four-link with coil springs, anti-roll bar, sports-tuned (rear)Dimensions (in mm): Length 4554, width 1781, height 1459Brakes: Four-wheel disc brakes, front ventilated, with anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-pressure distribution and brake assist

That's why the Jetta — a Volkswagen Golf with a boot — is VW's mainstream US market small car. Americans wanting a hatchback VW get fobbed off with the old model Golf, still on sale in the US. In any other country — including here — the Jetta is well and truly medium sized.The Jetta replaces the Bora in Volkswagen's local line-up. It's based on the Golf 5 as the Bora was based on the Golf 4, which means it's got bigger as the Golf has grown.At 4.55m from stem to stern it's a significant 18cm longer than the Bora and 15cm shorter than the superseded Passat. Most significantly, it's 35cm longer than the Golf on which it's based. The result is a 527-litre boot, comparable with that of many large cars, as often happens when a hatchback is redesigned as a sedan.The Jetta's hefty boot symbolises some marketing baggage. It sits a little higher on the prestige car totem pole than the Golf, not offering that model's entry-level petrol and diesel engines and carrying a little more equipment. The most important inclusion is electronic stability control, the system that recognises the beginnings of a skid and takes partial control of the throttle and brakes. Other minor niceties include standard reversing sensors (much appreciated because the boot is invisible from the driver's seat), optional Xenon headlights — for a hefty $1890, they must be an insurer's nightmare — and a neat little inverted T-handle in the boot to hold plastic shopping bags.The view from the driver's seat is identical to that in a Golf. There's the same agreeable combination of textures, lights and colours giving the impression of expense and quality although there were a couple of rough road buzzes in the test car. For ease of use many of the controls are better than those of Volkswagen's sister marque Audi. But having no radio tuning button as part of the steering wheel audio controls is a puzzling omission, and the old-fashioned indicator stalk mounted cruise control is not the best.The diesel emits an industrial sound for the first few seconds after start, but once under way is hard to tell from a petrol engine. At freeway speed its muted drone is covered by road noise and a little bit of wind roar.It drives either a six-speed manual or Volkswagen's Direct Shift Gearbox twin-clutch automatic. The TDI's abundant torque and the DSG's smooth and efficient action are made for each other. It's the only auto-clutch gearbox that really does work as a substitute for the less efficient conventional automatic transmission. The only criticism might be how the first burst of torque can come on a little abruptly from very low revs, although once you get used to that it's a nice way to drive.On the open road the 2.0-litre TDI showed an unexpected ability to rev every bit as well as a typical petrol engine from not so long ago. Part-throttle and overtaking response was very impressive — by the seat of the pants it feels like a V6-engined petrol car of about 3.0-litres. Only a purist — and a hard-driving one at that — would complain about its speed and throttle response.Back-roads driving took a toll on fuel economy, which at 7.4 litres per 100km was not as good as VW's advertised 6.2l/100km for the DSG TDI, although there's little doubt the TDI would do at least that well on a constant speed highway run. It still beat the best figure for a petrol engined Jetta of 8.2l/100km and would give a range of 750km.The Jetta shares its fine handling with the Golf. Roadholding is impressive with a stable feeling at all times although Jetta feels more like a big car rather than a nippy hatchback. ESC, while standard on the Jetta, is unavailable on the Golf — a difference that would instantly put the booted version ahead of the hatch on our shopping list. Briefly switching it off revealed plenty of part-throttle wheelspin on damp surfaces as the front driving wheels struggled with the diesel's 320Nm. But even then torque steer was never intrusive. The electro-mechanical power steering on both cars is one of the better examples of its type, with accuracy and reasonable degree of feel.Considering the Jetta's role as the main US market Volkswagen its firm, at times almost harsh, ride comes as a surprise. American cars are usually at the other extreme: soft and flabby as a fast food-fed stomach. US road tests mention no concerns with the ride on their version. But Australia's Jetta has a typically European feel with disciplined compliance, but little plushness, over bumps. Its noisiness over coarse or broken road surfaces is also typically European.Combined with hard seats the result can be less than luxurious. In their favour the seats have more side support than some found in more overtly sporting cars, but they are not an ideal place to spend a day — particularly in the optional leather trim, which seems to emphasise their firmness. They let down a car which in other ways makes an excellent long-distance tourer.Range, luggage space and a roomy cabin are among its assets. There's plenty of back seat headroom for adults although realistically there's only room for four full-size occupants.The Mexican-built test car had a couple of minor quality problems. One of the radio tuning buttons stopped working and looseness in the transmission selector meant the key could be hard to remove from the ignition. Minor glitches sure, but they raise the nagging suggestion that more might be in store.However, two petrol models driven later had no obvious quality flaws. When the Golf 5 arrived here in 2004 every press car we drove had some kind of flaw so with two chances in three of getting a good one, the Jetta seems to be a better gamble, if not quite an acceptable improvement.But driving those petrol Jettas sowed the seeds of confusion. The 2.0 TDI is an excellent diesel engine but so are the 2.0-litre FSI direct-injection petrol engines. They make the petrol or diesel question a difficult one. Low fuel consumption, excellent touring range and a desire to commune with the authentically European version of the Jetta might tip a buyer towards diesel. However, the FSI models are better for refinement, top-end power and have better than average fuel consumption for petrol engines of their size.The 147kW turbo FSI engine shared with the Golf GTI makes the Jetta genuinely lively and while the 110kW non-turbo feels almost slow, even by comparison with the diesel, it's both torquey and nicely refined.But if diesel's your thing the Jetta is the cheapest diesel sedan on the market and by no means nasty. Although we hate to agree with advertising copywriters it does indeed feel more expensive than its headline price. However, selecting from a costly extras menu soon fixes that. If it rode a little more loosely and was screwed together a bit more tightly it would be outstanding rather than merely very impressive.