2004 Volkswagen Jetta TDI review from North America

Nothing yet... I haven't actually purchased the car, and will not be purchasing it either! This was just a story about my test-drive!

I love Volkswagen's more than any other car ever made! I grew up in a VW household... everyone in my family drives them and they are all as crazy for them as I am!

I own 2 VW's at the moment. An 89' Jetta GTX 16 Valve and an 83' GTI. Both of these cars are amazing... they drive well, feel solidly built and have been extremely reliable (knock on wood!) I finally decided to buy a new car, and I wanted a turbo diesel Jetta for 2004...I did my research and finally made an appointment with the dealer and this is what went down!

After being ignored on the lot for about 15 minutes (Speedway Motors in Victoria is not known for their service!) I finally approached someone and got on the road. I love the performance of the new 100hp diesel engine... the car was beautiful looking and surprisingly powerful! However, the interior (again, beautiful looking) seems to be made from cheap material... every time we went over a groove in the road, I could hear something inside the dash rattling. When I got onto the hi-way, the wind noise was so loud that it felt like the windows were going to implode. The whole time the sales person sat there saying that the sounds were normal and she drives a Jetta too and that this one is superior sounding to hers! I personally couldn't stand it My 89' Jetta is way smoother and quieter and never makes a sound when I go over bumps in the road! Then, already unimpressed, I turned around and went back to the dealer. When I was turning into the dealership, I depressed the clutch and it stuck to the floor! I couldn't even get it up the slight incline until a minute later when it slowly returned to normal position... the sadDest thing is that the sales rep did not looked surprised. After I parked, I looked at her, handed back the keys, thanked her for her time and marched straight to my car.

I am so disappointed... this is not what I would expect from a car that is $30,000 CAD! VW quality has diminished and when I was researching them, I was assured that their factory in Mexico was among the best in the world! I don't think so, I think they should inspect their factory! What am I going to buy now... I can't stand Honda's or Acura's. Guess I will drive my old school VW's forever!