2000 Volkswagen Jetta GLS review from North America

Glove box door replaced twice under warranty due to faulty right hinge. Third one is a bit dodgy.

02 sensors replaced twice out of warranty.

Just replaced temp and mass airflow sensors, out of warranty.

I have been generally happy with this car. It's quick, sporty, and economical.

The torque comes on quickly to launch you from a stop; in fact, you have to take a bit of care to start smoothly with the short-geared manual transmission, but it's something you get used to.

Has been more reliable than my low-mileage Nissan ever was, and those cars were always supposed to be so trusty. My Jetta has been better to me. I don't feel ill about the service history since it seems like a lot of cars made in the last 5 years suffer from bad sensors. The most expensive repair I made was the air flow/temp sensors for about $130.

Front seats are very comfy and are quite supportive over a long haul. Even with the moon roof, I have plenty of headroom.

Luxury appointments and thoughtful details in a mid priced car are appreciated. The heated mirrors and seats are a boon in Wisconsin.

With the folding rear seats, this car can swallow plenty of cargo if you load it right. I have moved in and out of two dorm rooms and five houses with this car, not to mention hauling a large bar/small club-sized PA system regularly for two years.

One point to note is that with the short gearing, the engine revs high from 80 MPH on. Nice for passing power, bad for engine noise. I would also add that this car loves to cruise naturally at around 80-95 MPH on highways--so be careful around speed traps or use the cruise control!

Finally, the bumpers are excellent. One winter, I got rear-ended by someone skidding on ice at about 20 MPH and my Jetta had no damage whatsoever. The high headrests worked wonderfully and spared mine and my passenger's necks.