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Jetta vs Civic vs TDI vs GTI

22 messages,  Last post on Dec 26, 2007 at 11:19 AM

You are in the Volkswagen Jetta Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Jetta, Honda Civic, Volkswagen GTI, Sedan

Messages Page 1 of 3

#1 of 22 Jetta vs Civic vs TDI vs GTI by andreg

Aug 03, 2007 (11:02 pm)

I’m looking at a few different cars, and would like some feedback from VW owners. Probably the top 2 on my list are the 07 Jetta Wolfsburg and the 07 Civic EX. I drove them both in the last couple of days and have to say I was a lot more impressed with the Jetta. I also have to say for an almost even 20 grand, the Wolfsburg edition is a very impressive value. But I’m hearing that VW’s are plagued with problems, and sites like Consumer Reports report engine and transmission issues on the 2.5, as well as worse than average reliability. Do any of you out there own a Jetta 2.5? Any problems? What kind of mpg are you getting?
 
Separately, I see the Jetta TDI is returning next spring. Will this be a new model, or just reintroduced in the States? I don’t like buying a car in its first year, and am regretting that I violated my own rule when I purchased my current Lexus IS 350. Anyway, back to the TDI, is it worth the price difference to buy this model over the 2.5? I’ve read some impressive stuff about the engine and also really like the mileage. But why don’t we get the same kind of mileage on a TDI that Europeans get? I was on the VW UK site today and see the Jetta TDI is averaging 53 mpg in mixed driving. I don’t see anyone here talking about that – more like mid 30’s.
 
The car that took me to the VW dealership in the first place is the GTI. I drove it and really liked it, especially since I’m definitely more of a sports car kind of guy – I’ve had 2 BMW 3-series, a Mini Cooper S, my current IS 350, and a BMW motorcycle thrown in for a little fun too, all in the last 8 years. I should probably mention I just bought my wife a BMW X3 last month too. Starting to see a trend?  I definitely like BMW’s and it would be very easy to go buy a 335, but I’m thinking of trying something less expensive for a while. So if there are any GTI owners out there, my concern about it is that it is a stiff ride, and the whole reason I got rid of my Mini is that it was beating me up on my freeway drives from San Diego to LA, which I do once/week. Does anyone out there have any idea of how the stiffness of the GTI compares to the Mini? I think I’d be a lot happier with the GTI over the Jetta because it’s sportier, but I don’t want to get beat up on with the stiffness. Any feedback on any of these issues is appreciated.
 
Thanks, Andre

#2 of 22 Re: Jetta vs Civic vs TDI vs GTI [andreg] by pat

Aug 06, 2007 (8:00 am)

Replying to: andreg (Aug 03, 2007 11:02 pm)
We have individual discussions on all of these vehicles which may give you a lot of the information you're looking for. You can use the Browse by Vehicle search on the left to find them, or drop me an email and I'll be glad to try to help you find anything you need.

#3 of 22 Re: Jetta vs Civic vs TDI vs GTI [pat] by andreg

Aug 06, 2007 (9:06 am)

Replying to: pat (Aug 06, 2007 8:00 am)
Thanks Pat. I actually read a bunch of posts on the Jetta, which were very helpful. I was really hoping to hear back from either Jetta Wolfsburg or TDI owners. And it's always interesting to hear from real owners rather than "experts". I read a ton of posts on MSN from owners reviewing the Jetta and all loved it, whereas the "experts" only moderately liked it. I think the issue was because of the reliability of VW, hence my post to see what real owners were experiencing.
 
Andre

#4 of 22 Re: Jetta vs Civic vs TDI vs GTI [andreg] by pat

Aug 06, 2007 (11:25 am)

Replying to: andreg (Aug 06, 2007 9:06 am)
We have a lot of "real owners" posting in the Jetta discussions here. That's where you'll find them. They may or may not find this discussion, but we'll see.

#5 of 22 Andre by caaz

Aug 07, 2007 (7:34 pm)

My Next door neighbor has a TDI...i go in it with him all the time. It's as quiet as a regular jetta, much more plush than a Civic, And he always gets around 42 to 45 mpg on the freeway, City he gets around 37.He drives from Phoenix to Cal. every other week, Has never gotten under 42.
 
As far as the BMW 335...what a machine...go drive one..Did you know the new one is faster than the M3?....its blistering fast and would be a kick to drive.
 
P.S. he drives about 75 MPH with a/c on when he gets the 45 mpg

#6 of 22 Re: Andre [caaz] by andreg

Aug 07, 2007 (7:53 pm)

Replying to: caaz (Aug 07, 2007 7:34 pm)
Thanks for the info caaz. I've found out the TDI will come back in Feb/Mar. That might be good timing depending on when I sell my current car (IS350).
 
I'm very familiar with the 3 series - I've owned two of them - and BMW in general. I just bought my wife an X3, and in addition to the two 3-series I've owned, I've also had a Mini and a K-1200 motorcycle. They are great machines. I'm afraid to go drive the 335 because it would probably come home with me. I'd really like to try to down size my payment for a while, and if I could do that while I increased my mpg then all the better.

#7 of 22 TDI by esteeze

Aug 28, 2007 (7:53 am)

I've had an 06.5 Jetta TDI for the past 4 months, and I've really like it.
 
About 80% of my driving is hilly urban commuting, and I get about 33MPG (better than the 21 MPG with the Honda CR-V I used to have). I've taken it on a couple of long distance interstate trips, and I've gotten upwards of 45MPG then.
 
I have had zero problems with mine so far (knock on wood).

#8 of 22 Re: TDI [esteeze] by andreg

Aug 28, 2007 (8:06 am)

Replying to: esteeze (Aug 28, 2007 7:53 am)
Thanks for the reply. I'm definitely leaning toward the TDI, unless I sell my current car before the TDI comes out. I appreciate the info. I've yet to hear anything negative from anyone who owns a Jetta - that speaks volumes about the car.
 
Andre

#9 of 22 Re: TDI [andreg] by cz75

Aug 28, 2007 (10:22 am)

Replying to: andreg (Aug 28, 2007 8:06 am)
Or they just haven't owned it long enough to have anything go wrong yet.

#10 of 22 Re: TDI [cz75] by esteeze

Aug 28, 2007 (10:43 am)

Replying to: cz75 (Aug 28, 2007 10:22 am)
That very well could be the case for me... hopefully not.
 
One thing that is very different about the TDI vs the Honda gassers I had been used to is that there is a very specific, hard to find oil that you have to use for your oil changes. It's also turbocharged, so the performance characteristics are different than that of a normally aspirated vehicle; there's not a lot of power from a stand still... but there is a whole lot once it's wound to about 1500 or 2000 RPM.

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