Jalopnik: This is what a new $14,000 VW Jetta actually looks like

I want a Volvo. This thread should be about Volvos.
 
Aaaaand to add insult to injury, apparently there is a recall on the new Jetta for having a defective Horn on some models.

FAIL.

Not just a defective horn, but one that could stall the engine if you honk it. :lol:

The problem is that the same fuse is used for the horn and the antitheft system, Volkswagen told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If there is an electrical short in the horn, Volkswagen said, it would blow the fuse, shutting off the engine management system. That would cause the engine to stall or might turn off the headlights or windshield wipers.

If a driver was ?using lights, wipers and then pushing the horn the fuse could blow,? said Sheriece Matias, a Volkswagen spokeswoman. But she said that would be ?an extremely rare combination of events.?

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/201...1-jettas-in-which-horn-can-make-engine-stall/

Yeah, because God forbid how many people drive at night in the rain! And might have to honk at someone!
 
Wow, that seems monumentally stupid.
 
wow this thing's Interior is worse than the one in MY new car, and its a Hyundai

112_0808_13z+2009_hyundai_genesis+interior.jpg


(I love my new car)
 
I'm sure yours costs more than $14k new, no?


More importantly, why is there no post your car thread for it? :shakefist:
 
Why would anyone buy this?

I've been asking that question ever since I was aware of American cars :p

Don't get me wrong, though. I also think, that the U.S. version of the Jetta looks awful but the U.S. market seems to demand this. Forget about this car-enthusiast's forum for a moment: Cheap plastic interior is successful in America. It's easy to clean, when your family spilled the contents of several McDonald's maxi menus over it and that obviously is, what the American customer wants.

Don't be so naive and think, that VW hasn't actually analysed the market, before they lauched their market offensive. And indirectly you are confirming this superficial philosophy with your comments: It doesn't seem to matter how the car drives and feels, if it is practical, has real build quality or saves fuel, as long as it looks good on the surface :p

There is only one thing, that will decide about success or failure of VW's attempt to win the US market: Sales figures. If they are bad, they did wrong. If they are good, reality proves them right. Let's wait and see.

The opinions in this forum, however, simply do not count, I'm afraid. We are a bunch of car nuts after all.
 
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It's price, more than anything else. VW's have always cost more than comparable Japanese and Domestic offerings, while usually returning worse performance and sometimes even worse fuel efficiency. Factor in the dodgy build quality that seems so good on the surface, but are infamous for being temperamental and unreliable. And you're left with a car that only appeals to a small group of buyers. So VW is lowering prices, but I'm not sure it's going to be enough. I saw one of these new Jetta's at my office the other day. It was a base model with hubcaps and a spartan interior, although not like the one in the OP. The funny thing was that it was parked next to a 2000-2002 Mitsubishi Lancer OZ and looked down market in comparison.
 
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Cheap plastic sells well in America but not lack of radio. You know what moms terrible PT Cruiser did well? Stereo. The base stereo on the PT Cruiser was better than the premium monsoon one in my bug, and blows the one in the outback so far out of the water is is ridiculous. Considering the radio is the only electronic thing that functions properly in my bug it would have been a lot smarter to put in cranks and leave the radio.
 
Cheap plastic sells well in America but not lack of radio. You know what moms terrible PT Cruiser did well? Stereo. The base stereo on the PT Cruiser was better than the premium monsoon one in my bug, and blows the one in the outback so far out of the water is is ridiculous. Considering the radio is the only electronic thing that functions properly in my bug it would have been a lot smarter to put in cranks and leave the radio.

That's down to that weird American dealer who ordered them without radio, the base model by VW comes with a radio/mp3/cd thingy.
 
If it calms you down, the Jetta's basic price in Germany is 20.900 Euros. That includes a 1.2 liter engine with 105 HP and a 6-speed manual. It only comes in white for that price and if you wanna have a radio, the cheapest option costs 485 Euros. It has absolutely no features, except power windows and air condition.

So I really have no idea, what you are complaining about.
 
I've been asking that question ever since I was aware of American cars :p

Don't get me wrong, though. I also think, that the U.S. version of the Jetta looks awful but the U.S. market seems to demand this. Forget about this car-enthusiast's forum for a moment: Cheap plastic interior is successful in America. It's easy to clean, when your family spilled the contents of several McDonald's maxi menus over it and that obviously is, what the American customer wants.

Don't be so naive and think, that VW hasn't actually analysed the market, before they lauched their market offensive. And indirectly you are confirming this superficial philosophy with your comments: It doesn't seem to matter how the car drives and feels, if it is practical, has real build quality or saves fuel, as long as it looks good on the surface :p

There is only one thing, that will decide about success or failure of VW's attempt to win the US market: Sales figures. If they are bad, they did wrong. If they are good, reality proves them right. Let's wait and see.

The opinions in this forum, however, simply do not count, I'm afraid. We are a bunch of car nuts after all.

Sadly I think your right mostly. Look at how many people were like "'ZOMG YUGO!" back in the 80's here. Even today, just look at Camry and Corolla sales. The interior in that thing is atrocious, it drives poorly, there are much better values, yet people gobble them up like candy mostly because of the name and massive amounts of incentives Toyota's been giving recently for obvious reasons.

It is changing though, there are plenty of American market cars with stunning interiors in the Jetta's class. Since it sort of straddles the smaller mid-size segment, one could argue that the 200/Avenger competes. Now the driving dynamics of them might be a bit blah (I've actually heard great things about Avenger, surprisingly) but the interior's are anything but cheap:

2011-Dodge-Avenger-interior_54.jpg


Yes...that's a leather wrapped gauge hood...in an Avenger. :)

Considering there's some pricing overlap between high end Jetta's and entry level to midrange trim 200/Avenger and I'd say there's no comparison. Even the cars within the class where Jetta competes have nicer interiors (Although I'll gripe at Ford pulling a "Fiesta" with the door trim on the Focus. A 21k Focus SE should have the same soft touch upper door plastic as the fancy pants Titanium version)
 
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I don't have an issue with VW selling a stripper (gigity). If there is a market for it, so be it. More choices for the consumer is a good thing.

Having said that I doubt this batch will sell well. Radios and A/C have been givens in the U.S. for decades. Without those no one will buy it.
 
Yeah, because God forbid how many people drive at night in the rain! And might have to honk at someone!

PA law says if you have your wipers on, you have to have your headlights on too. So basically, their "extremely rare combination of events" is simply having to use the horn in the rain.
 
That's why the base model VW is selling does have both a radio and A/C :nod:

Yes but for the price of that one you can buy a car that is reliable from another manufacturer. :p
 
Yes but for the price of that one you can buy a car that is reliable from another manufacturer. :p

Just for grins I priced out a Kia Rio LX with alloy wheels and the "Value" package (power everything w/keyless entry, heated mirrors, bluetooth, premium audio w/ steering wheel controls) at 15,690.

Granted the base 16k Jetta is larger, but the engine's have similar levels of output between the two cars, the Rio's a 4-speed Autobox (good for some, bad for others..) and while the interior is indeed hard plastic...at least it's presented to the driver in a much nicer fashion:

http://img831.imageshack.**/img831/2425/riointerior.png

If sheer space for the price wasn't a top consideration (e.g. I wasn't a cash strapped parent looking for the cheapest thing with a roomy backseat), I'd take the Rio in a heartbeat. If the Rio's screwed together as well as it's Accent SE hatch platformmate that I rode in plenty of times 2 years ago, then it should feel as nice mechanically (in terms of switches and buttons, perhaps even the way the door "thuds" closed) as the US market Jetta. One admitted Jetta advantage is safety...it does better in crash tests partly due to it's size.
 
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^ and don't forget the badass 5 year 60k mile bumper to bumper warranty, and the 10 year 100k limited powertrain
 
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