2011 Volkswagen Jetta Reviews

While nothing is really WRONG with the car, it feels as though it is rapidly deteriorating.

The two plastic trim pieces that cover the C-pillars over the back doors have both come loose. One refuses to remain flush when popped back into place.

Black plastic trim piece in the passenger door fell off. I popped it back into place.

The car had a HORRIBLE rattle in the fuse box area. I had to thoroughly investigate it, and remedied that situation by tucking a folded cigarette box between two plastic bits (classy).

Interior plastic scratches easily. Exterior bits made of plastic lose their paint in the car wash (bumpers, mirrors, etc.)

Minor occasional vibration at idle.

Snow/ice buildup on window seals causes the windows to freak out, going up, then down, then up again. When this happens the one-touch auto up/down feature is disabled and needs reset. Also, something in the window-winding mechanism has etched a deep line in the driver's window glass.

Windshield spontaneously cracked when pulling out of the driveway in very cold weather (-26 F). This cold snap also made the blower motor for the heater very buzzy and loud, but that went away as the weather warmed.

I have had many older European cars. I love them. I have had old Saabs, Volvos, Audis, Mercedes, BMWs, and even the odd Jaguar XJ6 and a Peugeot 505. I have also had three Mk2 Jettas. The two Jettas I had the longest were silver, and so, when I finally decided to grow up and get a "real" car, I bought a new VW Jetta, in silver. It just felt right.

This car is becoming like my old Jettas too quickly. It is beginning to buzz/rattle like they did. It is beginning to vibrate at a stop in drive like the 88 did. Things are falling off of it like my old VWs. However, I paid no more than $1500 for either of the old ones. This new one was $15k. All I can hope is that it runs for a long time like my old ones, despite their "quirks." However, I don't foresee this car running in 15-20 years. I don't foresee it becoming a cult classic, or being fondly remembered. The car is mediocre at best, and even I, the king of 'quirk', cannot forgive it. But I see tons of Volkswagens on the road, duct tape holding up windows, brake/tail/headlights out, dashboards lit up like Christmas trees from all the warning lights, just going and going and going... that's the best I can hope for from this car, I think. It's falling apart in typical VAG fashion, but I hope it continues to run for a long time, in typical VAG fashion.

The car has intermittent rattles in the driver's side instrument panel, the center console, and the front driver's side door. The dealer is working on fixing them, but is having trouble.

This is my third Jetta. 1st was an '01 Wolfsburg 1.8T, 2nd was an '07 Wolfsburg 2.5, and now this '11 SE.

The exterior styling of the car has been noticeably improved. The 18" alloy rim upgrade with low profile tires greatly improves the appearance. I highly recommend the lip spoiler to improve the lines on the back of the car.

The car is bigger. The car is several inches longer, and the back seat is now big enough to fit full size adults. The trunk is still big, although cheapening is visible here as well - the hinge mechanism is much cheaper and now obstructs the trunk opening (was not the case in the '07).

Unfortunately VW chose to focus on a sub-$16,000 price point for the stripped model. In order to accomplish this, they went "cheap" on the inside. The soft-touch dash material is gone and replaced by cheaper and unattractive hard plastic. Of particular insult is the removal of the adjustable arm rest. Basically the car no longer has a functional center arm rest unless you sit all the way back and reclined. That is a HUGE negative, and really has a negative effect on the cockpit comfort. The "leatherette" (vinyl) seating has been vastly improved since the '07. It is much more convincing.

The base stereo is only 4 speakers (another downgrade - they pulled out the A-pillar and rear door tweeters)... really wish I had gone for the SEL instead, since the stereo is really lacking in mid-range sound quality.

If you are used to a quality interior, you will not be happy in the "SE" model. I am certainly not.

The car has an engine made in Mexico, and has a 40% Mexican parts content, plus it was assembled in Puebla Mexico. This shows in the build quality. The parts are cheap, the car rattles in several places with under 3,000 miles on it, and the "finer details" are lacking... think things like sheet metal seams that aren't 'quite' flush or even... Little things like that, which would keep a Mercedes from passing QC, but made the cut with VW. I really think it is false advertising to call this car "German Engineering" -- it is NOT. It's a Mexican car with Mexican engine, Mexican parts and built by cheap Mexican labor in Mexico. And you can tell.

Nothing so far.

Solid, comfortable and roomy car with lots of options, and features not even available in more expensive cars in the same class, like navigation system and push button start. So far it is getting 25 MPG around town and 32 MPG @ 75 MPH on interstate trip. Leg room, both front and back, is impressive.

Only complaint is that it feels a little sluggish accelerating from a stop, unless you put your foot into the throttle hard enough to rev over 3000 RPM. Would prefer the torque of a TDI over the gas engine, but TDI is not available yet in US market. It's my wife's daily driver though, and acceleration is not as important to her as features and economy.