2012 Volkswagen Jetta Reviews

Still a brand new car, so nothing has gone wrong.

I am really enjoying the car.

The TDI has abundant power, so there isn't any problem driving the car from Denver to the ski areas.

The steering is responsive, maybe to the point of being a little too sensitive.

The car handles well in the corners, not a lot of roll like some of the professional reviews say. How fast do they drive around the corners anyway?

The seat heaters get really hot! Which is nice when it is cold.

The brake pedal is a little close for my tastes. I seem to slam on the brakes when that isn't my intent. It is probably just something that I need to get used to. I guess you could say that the initial bite of the brakes is really good.

I don't like the fact that Volkswagen has its own motor oil standards. It makes purchasing motor oil in North America very difficult. Although Mobil 1 says they have an oil that meets the specifications.

I wish they had put the cruise control on the steering wheel, instead of the end of the turn signal arm.

The automatic transmission is super smooth. I like being able to down shift for coasting down hill. I drive some long hills. It's eleven miles from Eisenhower Tunnel to Silverthorn.

Getting about 36 MPG around town with the diesel. I have been able to nurse 40 MPG out of it on the highway.

The ride is firm, yet smooth. I like that.

The tires seem to catch on cracks in the highway, drift around a bit. That is probably just the tires though.

The first windshield cracked when I hit a pothole at 500 miles. Fought with 3 dealerships & VW (who refused to replace it) for several months, but one dealer finally did replace it after I had put 2000 miles on it.

The 2nd windshield just cracked again with 14,000 miles and only 9 months old.

The car is a 6-speed manual, but came with a 5-speed gearshift knob. It took two months to get someone at VW to understand why that was wrong. One time I was told that "Reverse is a gear, so the knob is correct".

Then the car stalled all the time. That turned out to be a bad fuel line pressure release valve, but took 3 months to diagnose.

With the sunroof open, there is a loud banging in the ceiling. It's partially been fixed by adding foam strips to the sunroof shade. But it still happens after it has rained or after going through a car wash. I believe the drains are loose in the headliner, but VW has refused to fix.

The front bumper cover is loose on the right corner, but VW refuses to fix it.

It's a good looking car, with poorly conceived mechanicals and sad build quality.

The ride is appalling, with VW using an old torsion-beam rear suspension.

The interior is very cheap, and only vinyl upholstery is available.

The GLI fixes the poor suspension, but is unavailable with a diesel.

My 2001 Passat was the best car I ever owned. After friends ride in the new 2012 Jetta, they ask if I can get my old car back.

No problems whatsoever.

Love this car! My previous car was a 2002 Jetta GLS. That car was the 6th car that I have owned, and it was my first car that I could ever say that I truly loved. In fact, I still have it, because I could not part with it (it will become my son's first car in about a year).

Anyway, it wasn't even a question that I would get another Jetta. I honestly don't think I will ever drive anything but VW's from now on. I love the quality and beauty of their cars.

Other than normal maintenance from time to time, my 2002 Jetta was so reliable. So that is my main reason for purchasing a 2012.

This car is fantastic! Runs so smooth, has great pickup, still corners beautiful, despite not having the multi-link rear suspension - really, I can't say enough about this car!

And the size difference is unbelievable! Everyone who sits in my backseat cannot get over the difference; it's like I have a Passat instead of a Jetta.

I highly recommend this car for anyone wanting a quality car with lots of features, for less money than the competition.

The wipers stop when the car stops, even in heavy rain. When I arrive at an intersection, I WANT to see what's coming towards my car, but if it rains, I can't. The wipers stop working. Linking the operation of wipers with the speed of the car is one of the stupidest things I have ever encountered. It is simply dangerous. Has the author of this "improvement" ever driven this car in heavy rain? I don't think so.

Also, AC and the air recirculation turn on automatically when the temperature knob is turned all the way left. Another very annoying feature. I would like to turn the AC on when I want, not when the car wants.

Milan Stolka

585-223 5309.