by "bwp240" (bwp240)
Published 08/10/2017 at 13:35
by "bwp240" (bwp240)
Published 08/10/2017 at 13:35
Tags: Test Drives
; Review
; Car Review
; Oppo review
STARS: 3
Holy crap I learned a lot about how to basic.
The 2013 Jetta S, VW’s answer to the question, does basic transportation still exist. The short answer is yes.
Please note: This review is a product of my recent car search. I actually wasn’t bribed for this review by any auto manufacturer. All opinions are my own. This review is so basic, I forgot to take photos. So I am using a few VW stock photos and a dealer listing for a nearly identical car.
This review follows my unprofessional, extremely biased superb auto review scoring system which goes as follows:
0 – I hate it
1 – I don’t like it
2 – It’s ok, I guess
3 – I like it
4 – This is excellent
This review has 13 categories and thus can have a maximum score of 52 points. Let’s begin…
I decided to poke around at this 2013 Jetta because it was on the same lot as a 2013 Genesis they had for 15k (it was a smoker, so no deal). During my car search, my dad requested that I look at some vehicles in the ~10k price range in case so if the finances did not work out, I at least had an idea of what that range was like. This dealer was filled with inexpensive basic cars and provided me the perfect opportunity to test them out.
First some general details about the car:
Engine: 2.0L naturally aspirated I4
Transmission: 6-speed auto with manual shift option
Enviornment: Urban, Interstate and commercial roads
Just remember: It is the inside that counts.
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I have always liked the exterior of these German sedans. They are nice, tame, but also elegant. The lines are simple and well thought out. Yes, it is bland and not exciting, but they are still visually appealing.
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As featured in one of my favorite car videos, it has an inside. Nothing fancy, cloth seats basic wheel, plastic everywhere. Switches and dials were the same as you would get in a higher trim so no corners cut there, except many of them were blank. It did sort of feel like the inside of a Play School playhouse, but it is cheap transportation.
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Well shit me sideways, this car could not get out of the way of a melting Antarctic glacier. Holy crap! The merge onto the highway really told the tale. It is roughly a quarter mile between the entrance of the highway and the next exit. I had my foot to the floor for that entire quarter mile and shifting manually. By the time I got to the end I was going about 63mph. It was the worst acceleration I have ever experienced in a car. This is mainly attributed the the godawful 2.0 4 banger blender under the hood.
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The brakes on this car are shared amongst most of the trims. As such they are normal brakes that work as they should, it’s the German way.
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The car rode fairly nice. Now I know this is a basic trim so the suspension components are not the best, but for normal everyday driving it rode well. Would I be able to go a long distance in the car, yes, and I most likely will be in the same shape upon arrival as I was when I left. If you were to run into some serious bumps, prepare your butt cheeks because you will feel them.
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To its credit, the Jetta handled pretty well. The steering was responsive, and the cars lightness enabled you to fling it around corners if you wish.
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There is nothing like driving a slow car fast. Even though this car has an awful engine in it, the transmission is actually quite good. The auto mode shifts smooth and the manual is responsive to your inputs and doesn’t try to take over until you are well above its limits. It was kind of nice and unfortunate at the same time that it was paired with such an anemic engine.
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It’s a basic car so you are not expecting many luxuries, but there is one feature that is a deal breaker in any car if it lacks it – cruise control. That’s right this Jetta did not have cruise control, and as someone who routinely drives multiple hours on the highway, cruise control is a necessity. I should probably mention that the radio is super basic and there are not many other features that are worth highlighting. No cruise control already puts this at a 0. At least they remembered A/C.
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What engine? To be fair though, it makes a valiant loud attempt to go fast. 0-60 in 5 minutes never sounded like so much effort.
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To be fair, the basic Jetta comes with a pretty involved driver information center. There is a comprehensive list of car characteristics available in the driver information center. Set trip meters, oil life, fuel range, etc. But it is still very basic and can’t really do much else other than tell you what you may already know.
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The design of the VW lineup is pretty conducive for allowing you to see your surroundings. I like being able to see outside of the car while I am driving.
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The utility value of the Jetta is average for a sedan this size. I would say more so than most new cars in this range. It is safe to say that you will not be able to tow any sort of thing with this. I can barely tell if it would be able to move 4 portly people. For cars that are sub 10k fairly new such as Mirages, 500s, and Fiestas, this car has much better utility value.
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This is not a 5 digit car. This car was priced at $11,500, and the dealer wondered why this car is not moving off the lot. 1) Your price is high. With the awful performance (in exchange good gas mileage), not many people are interested in this vehicle except for those that only care about getting from A to B whilst using as little gas as possible. 2) The mechanicals suck. It isn’t broken, it just takes 20 minutes to go from 40 to 60. 3) There are so many better cars for the same price. There was an 05 Matrix on the lot. Does it have cruise control?
As a further example, the VW dealer I borrowed these photos from is asking $9900, and this one comes Certified under VW’s World Auto program. Still to expensive when you can get cars with better features for slightly above and below this price.
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The Jetta itself is not a bad car. I like the style and the design. But this Jetta S with the 2.0L engine is probably one of the worst modern cars I have ever driven. Performance is slow, features are minimal, and the price (on the example I drove) is too high. There are so many other cars in this price range with better features. If you look within the past 10 years (from 2017), you will be able to find a car with better features than this Jetta for a similar. I realize that it is suppose to be a basic car, but this, this is just awful. Do yourself a favor and get an SE or above.
"Arrivederci" (arrividerci)
08/10/2017 at 13:45, STARS: 0
Just Googled it - looks like it makes 115hp in a roughly 2800lb car. The weight is good, the power is bad. Wow - I had no idea they were so underpowered.
"The Stig's Missourian Cousin" (zachelliott)
08/10/2017 at 13:48, STARS: 0
I shared this article with him a few weeks ago showing him it could be worse haha. http://jalopnik.com/5783395/this-is-what-a-new-14000-vw-jetta-actually-looks-like But yea get the SE. We have a ‘16 SE with the 1.4T and it’s a ball of fun. Super peppy, amazing MPG, and the car is nicely equipped with SXM, Android Auto, CarPlay, backup cam, heated seats, etc. We got it for $17k too brand new. Hell of a deal for a good car
"BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo" (bluemazda2)
08/10/2017 at 13:50, STARS: 2
Are you still trying to hit 60 as of the posting of the review?
They don’t call it the 2.slow for nothing.
"bwp240" (bwp240)
08/10/2017 at 13:51, STARS: 1
No, I had a downhill portion on the other side of the bridge and got to 61. Tailwind helped too.
"Snailkite" (deathbob)
08/10/2017 at 14:01, STARS: 0
They made up for it with the 1.4t which is a sweet little engine.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
08/10/2017 at 14:01, STARS: 1
It boggles my mind, a 2013 wouldn’t have cruise control. With electronic throttles isn’t it literally just a piece of software and a few buttons?
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
08/10/2017 at 14:03, STARS: 0
I agree with your assessment 100%. I did a review of one about 2 years ago.
http://oppositelock.kinja.com/rental-car-review-volkswagen-jetta-tsi-1707802343
"bwp240" (bwp240)
08/10/2017 at 14:11, STARS: 0
Just the fact yours has cruise control makes it infinitely better.
If adapted to your scale, I would say -1.5 million.
"bwp240" (bwp240)
08/10/2017 at 14:18, STARS: 0
Yeah really even this has cruise control. Sure it doesn’t have power windows, locks, or AC, but it has cruise control
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
08/10/2017 at 14:54, STARS: 1
That is one thing that I have always liked, VW still sells a truly basic car sometimes. If you need a car, that is all you get lol. Now I will say, that 2.0 is SLOW. But it is reliable, because it is simple. That engine really was designed when cars were about 700lbs lighter
"bwp240" (bwp240)
08/10/2017 at 14:59, STARS: 0
Indeed, that is a redeeming quality. It is simple and reliable, and if someone is the type of person that just needs something to get to work and back and don’t want to use much gas, then this is a fine vehicle.
"If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent" (essextee)
08/10/2017 at 15:20, STARS: 0
Wow that interior is straight outta 2002.
"bwp240" (bwp240)
08/10/2017 at 15:33, STARS: 0
Yes they did, and I would gladly consider getting a 1.4T Jetta or 1.8T Passat.
"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
08/10/2017 at 16:04, STARS: 0
HA! My 2009 Hyundai Accent laughs at your feeble ideas of ‘basic’! :P
1.6L with 110hp, no A/C, no cruise, no traction control, no power windows, no power locks or remote keyless, no power mirrors, no ABS, and a 5-spd...and I am perfectly happy with it :) :P
"V8, RWD and pedal to the floor!" (kretara)
08/10/2017 at 16:09, STARS: 0
From memory, that 2.0 L 115 HP engine is basically the same engine that was in the VW lineup in the 90's. I bought a 1 year old 96 or 97 Jetta (I have had so many cars that I can’t keep them all straight) with the 2.0 and 5-speed and it was a boat load of fun. Not extremely fast, but certainly fast enough for enjoyable driving. I loved the hell out of that car.
Add 500+ pounds and nope, that car would have been slow as hell. When my Jetta was loaded down with passengers, it did have trouble getting out of its own way.