Oppositelock review: 2012 VW Jetta 2.5 SE

"PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power" (petarvn)
03/01/2014 at 21:15 • Filed to: None

This coming Monday, my mom's Jetta is finally going to roll over the 15,000 mile mark. I thought I'd take the time and make a little review for this great car.

(Disclosure: This VW Jetta is the first and only truly modern car that I've had extensive seat time in. I am biased towards it, and I think it's a great car, unlike some automotive enthusiasts. also, I blacked out the plate, just in case :D)

Exterior: 6/10
Honestly, I really like the way the then-freshly-redesigned jetta looks. Yes, it is a bit beige in appearance, but black on black does suit it well. It looks handsome, but not in an overly curvy or muscular way. I knocked points off because let's face it; With the GLI looking the way it does, this car can't really score much more than 6.
Interior: 7/10
If you've ever spent time in a new jetta, you'll understand why it scored so high. The seats are decently bolstered, and keep you in place during spirited driving sessions. These same seats are comfy enough that you can spend hours upon end in them with a lot of comfort.
Bonus points go out for rear legroom, which is better than any other small sedan on the market, and because of the simplicity of the center stack (I like simple)
Braking: 7/10
The brakes on this car are discs front, drums back. That said, they work really well. and I do mean really well. On par with a GTi's to be honest! The pedal is firm enough so you know what you're doing ,the ABS isn't too touchy, and it does give the car a sportier feeling. Bonus points for emergency-stopping ability!
Drivetrain: 8/10
Yes, this car has the 2.5Liter, 5-Cylinder engine, and I do think it deserves a score this high for a few reasons. One; The sound is amazing! It has a rumble between 2000-4000rpm that no Turbocharged 4-pot can make. It has an attitude to it! Two; It's proven technology. The 2.5 has been around for a while, and it's a relatively simple engine. No surprises or frills. Three; It pulls ! Yeah, only 170ft-lbs, but it delivers it high up, giving the car a constant stream of power up to almost redline. You need to keep it above 3,500 to get the most out of it, but you can easily do that with the 5-speed manual. My only complaint is that I occasionally hit the gates, but that's probably m being a bad driver, and not the car's fault. I'll also count the fact that it has hydraulic steering here. There seems to be a consensus that hydraulic>Electric, so bonus points there!
Toys: 5/10
What? you want more than a good engine? Ugh fine... Well, it's got all 4 power windows, power mirrors, DRL's, a 6 speaker sound system (quite a bit of punch with the system) and the convenience pack (Adds steering wheel controls) We opted to not get the sunroof, or the touchscreen sound system, since simplicity is better in my mom's eyes. Still it has everything we need, nothing we don't!
Sentimental points: +3
This was the first new car my family bought when we moved to the states, and the first car I helped pick out! It is also the first car I legally drive for long periods of time. And all the roadtrips we took in it are memorable family experiences!
TOTAL: 33/50 +3
Overall, a great, fun car that I am really happy we got instead of the CR-V my mom wanted, and the focus my stepdad liked. Hopefully, we keep it around for a while, since in the past 2.5 years, we've only put 15,000 awesome, fun miles on out "Jettin'" Jetta!

DISCUSSION (10)

jkm7680 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/01/2014 at 21:39

Honest review, those are good cars. Those bugs on the front make me cringe, bugs stained the paint on my car.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/01/2014 at 21:39

I love the 2.5. It's a severely underrated engine, and coulda been top of the food chain if VW had put any money/R&D into it.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > jkm7680
03/01/2014 at 22:14

Yeah, that's what the front of the car looked like after a road trip from Seattle to Lake Tahoe and back. Still, I think it gave it a bit of character! it's like stubble on a guy

JACU - I've got bonifides. > jkm7680
03/01/2014 at 22:15

"...bugs stained the paint on my car."

That would be a killer album title.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
03/01/2014 at 22:15

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 2.5 in the jetta is the final evolution of the old 5-pot from the 1980's audis, right? So technically, it was developed extensively over time, but lost out to the turbo 4-pots that are now everywhere.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/01/2014 at 22:30

Actually, it's more closely related to the V10 from the Gallardo. It's long been rumored that its just half of one. But obviously the cast iron block, valves, springs, etc are setup to be much cheaper to mass produce.

And technically the version in the TT-RS is the final evoultion. It represents the optimum version of the 2.5 I5.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
03/01/2014 at 22:36

Hmmm...
I always thought the old turbo 5's audi had were de-tuned an used in the MK5-MK6 jettas...
That's interesting to know.
No wonder it's such a reliable engine!

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/01/2014 at 23:14

As far as I know, the newer 2.5 is mostly unrelated to the old Audi engines. And it's also the reason why it responds so well to breathing mods lol.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
03/02/2014 at 01:22

I actually saw that "half the V10 Gallardo" thing on VW's own site years ago.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
03/02/2014 at 09:40

That's what I thought. It's really awesome to know that my wife has half a Lambo engine in her car lol