1996 Volkswagen Jetta GL review from North America

A skilled foot on the clutch is required to avoid a 'bucking' sensation when engaging gears.

The driver's wiper arm loosened enough to collide with the passenger's wiper.

The power door locks are stiff, and have begun to squeak when going down.

The coolant reservoir mysteriously emptied itself once, setting off the temperature light.

The silver paint on my plastic wheel covers is chipping badly.

My cruise control switch sometimes does not engage.

My car looks and rides like a new little black Mercedes.

The turbo diesel lacks spunk at the starting line, but will happily overtake slower vehicles at highway speeds without shifting from overdrive.

The air conditioning is ice cold, and cools my black interior with haste.

The factory 'premium' cassette stereo is impressive.

My cloth interior is immaculate, but seriously lacks without a sunroof despite the white headliner.

I can achieve close to 900 kilometres of combined driving on a tank of fuel.

At highway speeds, I often feel that a sixth gear is needed to reduce cabin noise and curiously high engine revolutions per minute.

The cabin is spacious, and the controls are well organized.

This little car is tight and as straight as an arrow.

I look forward to driving my car, and being seen in it.