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Permalink Reply by J. on December 5, 2012 at 1:11pm

I had an opportunity to drive a 2012 Jetta for a couple of days and I was less than impressed. The acceleration in Automatic is pitiful, more than 9 seconds from 0-60. I couldn't do much better when I threw it into Manual (the model I had offered the opportunity to switch between the two, don't know if that's standard).

A friend of mine has the Jetta Turbo-Diesel (I believe it's an '09, maybe a '10). He is happy with the performance and gets bonkers fuel economy, but his previous two cars were a '96 Nissan mini-van and a Rav-4 so I don't know how far I'd trust his judgement on that.

One car I'm really impressed by is the Fiat 500. The manual gear shifting does have a bit of a learning curve (the jump between 1 and 2 is very clunky even with experience and the one between 2 and 3 is also difficult to time well) 3, 4, 5 and 6 are significantly easier, and that's where this car really shines. It's a featherweight and bobs and weaves in traffic like a pro fighter. The interior is also quite spacious, given the car's very small profile. I think I got 40 mpg highway with her, don't remember the exact number. The best part of the Fiat is the price, reasonable even when buying new. Reliability is likely an issue as an Italian car one must keep a wary eye. I only drove mine for a week (rental) but experienced no problems.

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Permalink Reply by True on December 5, 2012 at 1:44pm

I own a 2010 Jetta TDI wagon and love the thing. I routinely get 520mi+ out of a tank of gas just driving to & from work here in Silicon Valley and I recently got 611mi on a trip to Southern California. It runs great, ride & handling are superb for a fwd wagon, smooth & refined power delivery, the DSG transmission is nice, the interior is fantastic and the electronics suite is great.

I brought it in for it's 50k service last week and they gave me a gas-powered jetta as a loaner. Awful. The engine was coarse, loud & gutless. The diesel version is a vastly superior car.

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Permalink Reply by Carl Monster on December 5, 2012 at 1:50pm

We have one of the last German-made Jetta wagons for my wife's car and she loves it.

Yes, it's a tad underpowered but for her it's fine. Otherwise it's been a great family car.

I drive a diesel-powered jeep Libertine, and the thing smokes. I love it.

I'm trying to get our next Jetta wagon to be TDI, wish me luck convincing the missus.

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Permalink Reply by True on December 5, 2012 at 2:00pm

The new ones (TDI Jetta's) really are astonishingly good cars particularly at their pricepoint.

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Permalink Reply by Pat Vandelay on December 12, 2012 at 9:43pm

Nice to see so many VW recommendations.  I was a VW tech from 2002-2011 so I know them well.  A TDI would be a great choice, but they can get spendy.  It all depends on your price range. 

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Permalink Reply by Karl Helweg on December 5, 2012 at 2:16pm

I have owned a diesel Jetta and a couple Golfs in the past and miss them.  They were perky and roomy enough (a little more leg room would be nice) and got wonderful mileage.   Sure beats a Prius. 

Because of your tag and trade situation you might want to look at going through a used car dealer since they can make the process look easy.  Dealers tend to be a little higher priced but they usually check their cars out mechanically before buying them and can offer reasonable trade in credit. 

You might want to send your car wish list to your insurance broker first.  Insurance rates can vary wildly between some car makes especially if you are younger.  Most insurance brokers will be glad to work with you. 

Have you looked at the Chevrolet HHR?  It has some room, gets pretty fair mileage, and seems to be sporty (to females - which is the point).  We rented one for a few weeks and were very pleased with it (would have been better with a sun roof).  I understand that they are discontinued(?) and the used prices have dropped.  Several are even migrating to Alaska recently and seem to get around OK for rear wheel drives.  It might not be as easy to find a standard as a VW. 

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Permalink Reply by Pat Vandelay on December 12, 2012 at 9:41pm

First, what is your price range?

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Permalink Reply by Tim on December 13, 2012 at 2:36pm

Last November, I bought a 2009 Jetta (manual transmission, 25+ MPG, reliable, small, maneuverable, $15K and used, so fits all your "must"s). Many of the more recents (2011 and since, I think) have gotten crappy reviews.

The 2009 rides like a dream, fun as hell to drive, looks good, and easy to park. Also considered the Mazda 3 but the Jetta I found fit the bill and was right place, right time. Don't go more expensive. Get a car that does the basics well. I considered the TDI (used to have a Passat TDI) but the average price was mid-$20s so I went regular gas, cheaper car, and figure I'm saving in the long run.

 

Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Splash on May 10, 2013 at 10:32pm

The Subaru range of cars in the four boxter engine range are all built proof and matched up to a turbo are a very quick car , the second hand prices are great also .

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