Wow, I’ve got the same car in black and a year older. Been a blast so far. You’ve echoed my sentiments exactly, a damn shame they killed manual transmission on the new SE. Just in case you didn’t know, there are rear passenger air vents. They’re located under the front seats. Enjoy the car and thanks for the great videos!
Congrats on the new car. Good Choice. Yes, I saw a VW commercial just yesterday for the new Jetta, and I remember thinking, yuck, I prefer the old one. I've had a 6-speed manual 2013 GTI now for a little over a year and I love it. Finding a 2-door , with manual trans and sunroof wasn't easy. I ended up driving almost 10 hours away to get one.
I work as a Lot Attendant at a Honda Dealership and we get tons of these 1.4t Jettas and they drive so nice! I have a 2013 Jetta TDI 6 Speed and love it! I think these modern Volkswagens have the best Manual gearboxes in the business
It’s interesting to see that in US you get the sun roof in most of the trim levels and in Europe costs a fortune, even for most top tier level trims. In Europe we have a Jetta sister car called Skoda Octavia which is a liftback and has a better value for money. God speed and best of luck with her!
Best review I’ve seen of this vehicle so far. I’m thinking of buying a 2017 but it looks exactly like this one, same colors and manual transmission. I found this review very helpful.
Love the new car! Interior looks lovely, honestly, a good mix of fancy new bits and sensible manual controls. Hope it gives you many years of fun and reliability!
Congratulations. Reminds me of my old 2013 Golf..best car I ever owned. My Golf had soft touch plastics on the front doors and hard touch plastics on the rear doors and the exact same steering wheel as yours. That 1.4 engine has a nice relaxed character.
I really like the clean and neutral look of German dashboards. Japanese carmakers often tend to design cluttered dashboards which have busy pattern and makes you feel uncomfortable.
Max Mustermann I’m glad you think that way. You and I are a dying breed of simplistic style lovers. Most people who drive cars dont care and they want that clutter dash.
I actually LOVE the looks on that car. The outside looks great and I thought the interior was very clean and nice. I'm a huge fan. The one I drove was a non-turbo and the only thing I didn't like was the lack of power. I'm sure the turbo model like you have is much better!
I'm with you on the Jetta styling. I made the same choice, for the exact same reason when I purchased a B7 model Passat. Nice looking motor your Jetta....
Congrats on the new car. Very nice looking car. Super drive train. Love cars that have independent suspension. The fit and finish on the exterior panels looks very nice.
Congrats!!! I drove a 2016 1.4T SE with an automatic, and was quite impressed with the infotainment system (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), heated CLOTH seats, and keyless access with pushbutton start... it was easy to drive and fun too... I LOVED it... I'd consider getting one. :)
I want something reliable for my 100 mile daily commute. I need a manual tho cause I’ve had a auto for the last 4 years and it’s absolute trash. This HAS THE POTENTIAL to look super cool. Been around long enough I hope they got this model right. Cause I’m lookin at them
I bought a 2017 GLI 2.0T for the same manual trans reason. I wanted all the goodies of an up market car and the ability to throw my own gears. My dash is soft touch though. I didn't realize that there were still had plastic dashboards on some Jettas. I got an enormous discount on my white GLI at the end of the last calendar year. congrats.
I love your Jetta, I really liked how contemporary it's design is, it's a very conservative approach to small sedan vehicles. It's exactly how a sedan should be, very nice congratulations 👍👌
I agree with you. I have a 2016 jetta sport manual and I love it. Not to crazy about the new 2019s (yet). And I remember that old commercial, haven't seen that one for a long time.
I have a 2016 1.4tsi 5 manual Silk blue metallic. Not as much features as this one, but all I really need. My absolute suggestions are, 1. A drop in K&N air filter. 2. An accelerator control module ( I have 'the Roar pedal' @ $ 150) simple install and really wakes up acceleration ! Next will be 16inch Austin style ( GTI look )wheels . Still under cpo warranty. All is great put 22,000 miles on since bought at 16,378 from dealer as an off lease. Enjoy !
This car is just like mine, With the 14.5 gallon tank, I filled it yesterday with 575 miles on the tank. New Jettas have the Golf 13.2 gallon tank (boo!). The newer GLIs have manual transmissions again, but you lose the fuel economy which I have really come to like. It has some power too, passing is not a problem. The blind spot monitor should be a blue color, the amber color is the same as the turn signal and that could cause confusion. The one feature I like on my car compared to yours is the Minnesota license plate. We don't have car inspections. Once I got a 50 mpg average, but I probably never went over 65mph that trip. Your review is excellent, I would agree with all of your points. I really like my '18 Jetta SE.
Hook up an OBD2 reader and watch the engine temperature in real time. You’d be amazed at how rock steady these engines stay around 190. Two or three degrees this way or that way, that’s about it. So that needle sticking straight up at 190 is surprisingly accurate. :)
Maybe so, but it's still deliberately programmed that way. Automakers have been doing that for a long time now, because people used to freak out and think their car was overheating just because the temperature gauge went up a little bit when they were sitting in traffic or climbing a long hill.
I drive a 2006 Civic Ex 5 speed manual and literally everything you said about the Civic you looked at I also feel the same way about mine. Notably the cramped feeling inside and the low feeling in the seat.
Very nice. Frankly, I'm surprised by the fuel economy. Like you said, no real need for a diesel (or even a hybrid) with numbers like that. I've had my 2017 Tiguan for 8 months and have less than 2500 miles on it. My commute is very short and I just don't go anywhere else. It's a bit of a shock to go from a 2000 model year vehicle (Land Rover Discovery II and Honda Insight) to something this new!
22:40 I have a Jetta GLX VR6 like this one since 2018. Exactly in black. 260,000 kms. We even brought this car to Germany. Can't think about another car to drive.
On my 2017 the center console extends up & out as an arm rest. You can make it higher than you showed in the video. In my car 2 levels avaiable. Great review & good luck with the car!! Ty!!
I love my Jetta....great review I also agree about the plastics on the dash and door...no one touches that area of the car. I also feel like the car is solid and handles well.
thank you very much for showing your car and the background/reasons for your choice. This is far more interesting than i expected it to be when i started the playback. some points, i learned from it- there are "non sports performance" orientated US drivers who like to have manual transmission- i understand now why the US models of VW cars are cheaper than their europe sold variants for example- there is no "letherette" seats. If you want leather, you have to pay for the real dead animal skin.- the dashboard/inner door covers look the same, but from the noise it seems not to have any "dampened/soft touch" surface, but is bare solid plastic- manual AC is unavailble in cars of this size - motorized (full way open/close servos) is now the standard even for Golf models. - individual suspension and disc brakes are not an extra, but standard. this list reads like "the US customers don't get the full car". But honestly... in europe you pay about 30% more for features you might not need or even want, but just have to take if you want the size/space of the Golf/Jetta.
Also in Europe most people buy small cars because of the narrow roads and small garages/parking spaces. So you can get a lot more premium luxury features in smaller cars, while in the U.S. the only reason why most people buy a small car is because they can't afford anything larger. So when the Mk6 Jetta was first introduced here, VW had a very low-cost base model that didn't even come with air conditioning or a radio: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6hgHyNrQW0s.html
When I got my Golf MK7 the first thing I thought is "why does it have to be so wide" compared to my Vectra which was the same length. It hardly fits through my Mothers front gate and there is no way it would fit in her garage.
I'm so getting this exact car whenever I upgrade. That's a sweet ride and will last you 500k+ miles if you maintain it properly. Give it a solid look over before each winter and don't forget about rust proofing! Use it in good health!
Mark M sorry but this car will is not a 500k mile one. Believe me when I say that the engine is not reliable at all. With the DQ200 DSG it becomes even worse
Looks like a nice car, and probably a good choice going with the manual. In my dad's 14 year old Passat the only major repair has been the automatic transmission (it was one of those "lifetime" filled ones with no dipstick). He got it rebuilt pretty cheap, but a manual would have probably saved him a lot.
Nice new car! About the hard plastic dashboard, some people may think it seems cheap, but it's durable, easy to clean, and it won't crack. My LTD has a hard plastic dashboard and after 44 years of age, I'd rather have that than a padded dashboard that would have looked like crap by now. Also, when it gets 40MPG, who cares anyway haha... I'd be happy with half that lol.
I always fancied a Jetta but in the UK we mostly have polos so I’ve had three of those and a golf. My 2003 polo lasted me until last year and was still going strong, I just fancied a change. Now on a Jeep Renegade.
We have a hatchback and it opens it by itself using a motor, upside is it's just a button, the downside however is it sometimes refuses to open when having a low battery charge but starting the car for a few sec does the job and makes that possible. Have fun with your ride
15:50 XM Radio usually only goes to channels below channel 300. Only the newer radios get the channels above 300. And about HD radio I havent used that since 2014 which I had an HD radio in my Jeep but ending up getting a new car in 2014. I did like it added some extra channels and was neat, But when traveling it did get a bit weird in some areas when switching back and fourth.
Very nice Jetta. Buying a new car is one of the most enjoyable things there is I think. When I bought my SantaFe it came with a free 3 month satellite radio subscription but they must have lost track of me because they didn't turn it off for 4 years. Maybe you'll get lucky with that too!
Sweet car. If that gets 40mpg stock you can push it to 60mpg with moderate hypermiling, tuning, aero improvements, weight reduction, upgraded tires, hot air intake, and high flow cat exhaust setup. For a midsize sedan gasser, this kind of mileage is just amazing.
It already came with Bridgestone Ecopia low rolling resistance tires. Right away when I got it I noticed that it coasts a lot longer than my Subaru did.
I agree on the 5 vs 6 speed thing. I use to always wish Honda would give the fit a 6 speed manual because the old 5 speeds were always over 3500rpm on the highway and Honda finally did! But..... 6th was the exact same as the old 5th gear so it accomplished nothing other than making you shift more
Enjoy! I have the Skoda equivalent (the Octavia 2016 model with the 7-speed DSG) and I'm very impressed with it. It's a 1.6TDi. It's pretty much an identical car to the VW Jetta inside and outside, except the boot is a hatchback and is cavernous even though it looks like a saloon. And you do get rear airvents!
I just bought a white 2016 Jetta SE w/5 speed. I like the feel of the manual in the Jetta. I too test drove the civic but I didn't like sitting so low. I sat low for 10 yrs in my previous civic. The Jetta is a nice all around car. The sound system is OK too. Mazdas are nice but 2016 & 2017s do NOT have apple car play or Android. YOu have to pay $450 to upgrade the infotainment system. The Jetta is quick & efficient. I just hope it's as reliable as my old civic. 10yrs and it never failed me.
woah nice car kevin hope u enjoy it :) i do have to say I was surprised you bought a brand new car rather than a classic but that new car smell and feel is the life.
I drive a mk4 Jetta Wolfsburg edition 1.8t I got a intake blow off valve and 3 inch catless downpipe and doing front mount inner cooler soon. A ton of fun and great first car I am 17
I have a 2001 Golf TDI that I purchased new. It has 380K miles on it and still looks and drives great. VWs are very durable cars when maintained properly. I'd love to get a replacement Golf with the 1.4L and a 5-speed, but they don't sell it with that combination in the states. Congrats on the new car!
I loved the older ones with the 5 cylinder it sounded great I had one as a company car and broke the flex part of the exhaust and I didn't want to fix it. Didn't go fast but the sound was awesome it reminded me of the VR6 growl a bit.
Huge fan of manuals myself despite how much people rag on them about being old and obsolete Enjoy the new car bro ... even if the steering wheel is on the wrong side!
People who complain about manuals just don't know how to drive them properly! I've drive automatics and manuals and in actual fact the manuals have smoother gear changes with my clutch control than a so-called sophisticated automatic box can do by itself.
When I was looking at a new car five years ago, I did look at Volkswagen, but where I live (Malta) that brand is extraordinarily expensive, compared to other brands. Meaning that, if you buy a Golf in mainland Europe for €X, and some other make for €Y, in Malta you still pay €Y for the other brand, but €X+20% for the Golf. So that was a no-no, apart from that I didn't like the black-on-black interior of the Golf I rented in the late 2000's. Loved the engine though. I ended up with a 1.4 turbo Opel Astra GTC, which is basically a previous generation Cruze, but then a three-door hatch. It looks like the latest Cruze, but better, with at least 18" alloys, voluptuous curves, and it has a very nice HiPerStrut front suspension. It means that you can accelerate, change lanes, turn into a curve, all at the same time, with the car going exactly there where you want it to go. The boot (trunk) is comparatively large, because it needs to fit those massive tyres if you have a puncture. That plastic interior of your Jetta would have been a turn-off for me. And it surprises me as well, because in Europe, Volkswagen is considered a somewhat up-market brand within its segment, and interiors are therefore nice (if a bit boring, as I mentioned before). But the engines that VW make are very nice. When I drove that Golf about a decade ago, and doing around 120 km/h (75 mph?) on the Dutch motorway in sixth gear, the car reacted quickly when I pressed the accelerator a bit. I believe it had one of those engines with both a turbo and a compressor. Short of going full electric or hybrid, getting a small turbo-charged petrol (gasoline) engine makes most sense these days. I'm truly puzzled why people on your side of the Big Pond so often want to drive something with a 3.5 litre engine. If you get a 3.5L engine in Europe, you can only drive it legally at full speed either in Germany or on a race track.
One more comment on the gearbox: GM gearboxes aren't that great, and mine is finicky, but having six gears is sweet. In second, I can easily reach 80 km/h (50 mph). In third, it'll do 135 km/h (85 mph). OK, that's right before your rev limiter kicks in, but third and fourth gear will get you pretty much anywhere.
Nice! I was never a VW guy, but I'm seeing Golf Sportwagen 4motions listed for $20k with a manual, and was considering one as a spare car since my daily isn't AWD or a wagon. 6yr warranty is excellent too.
Hatchbacks have remote open these days dude. Good choice too in my opinion...then again I'm a VW guy myself so I'm biased. My first car was a '69 Bug. Got it for $300 in 1993.
The Fuel gauge reminds me of the fuel gauges in Euro Truck Simulator Trucks where it has 1, 1/2 readings. One down fall of having a sun roof if it is not done correctly you can have water leaking from when it rains. That's an issue my sister has in her 2012 Ford Taurus.
My parent's own a 2010 Volkswagon Jetta TDI (hatchback). They bought it used, at around 30k miles. 5 Years later, it already has 112k miles on it. We have had several repairs done to the car that the components had issues with in the form of a recall.
+Corey You never heard of the VW emissions and fuel economy fraud related to their TDI engines? It almost took down the entire company and is a huge scandal both in Europe and in the U.S. Executives are in jail over it. VW has paid out billions in fines and recalls. The bottom line is that the car pollutes more than advertised and at a higher level than allowed by law. VW was forced to "buy back" and destroy all of their recent TDIs, because the issue could not be fixed through software update or changes to the engine.
I have a 2018 golf with the 1.8 and I've driven the 1.4 jetta as well. Very well built, sturdy and the shifter feel is on par with a Honda. Coming from a saab 9-5, I liked that VW stuck the ignition in the centre console. In the city I've been averaging about 9L/100km but I drive like an ass. I try to stay out of boost.
@VWestlife Does your Jetta cluck into reverse? How about any clicks while driving in reverse. Just got the same car and not sure how I feel about those sounds. Only 75 miles on the Vehicle so I expected it to be a bit smoother.
Love this car, the only thing I don't like is how the trunk carpeting only covers half the trunk lid, they should've covered the whole trunk lid. As for the dash not being soft-touch, don't listen to anything RedlineReviews says. He is probably one of the worst automotive-related RU-vidr's. His expectations are so unrealistic, he expects a $15,000 Kia Rio to have a glovebox lined with felt.
I have the exact same car but automatic. It's a 2018, i got it in early March. I noticed lately maybe 4 -6 times my volume on my radio lowers by itself than just goes completley silent. When this happens i can't turn it up wth the knob or volume on the steering wheel. Took it in to get checked out and they said they cldnt find the problem😒
