"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
08/03/2020 at 17:38 • Filed to: None
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"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
08/03/2020 at 17:38 • Filed to: None | 3
| 17 |
My buddy got it as a rental while his car is in the body shop, and he thought I might like to try it out. So we went for a short drive, including some highway time.
The first car I ever drove was an 82 Rabbit. Second car, and the first I ever owned, was an 88 Fox wagon. That gave way to a brand new 2001 Golf. Each time I got into the new VW, I knew I was in a VW. The seat, the fit, the feel, the stiffness. All of it. Not so at all with this car. It could have been just about anything, it was impossible to tell except for the VW badge on the steering wheel.
My overall review of the Jetta: Meh.
It’s a car. It’s a normal, everyday, car.
Visibility is pretty good, but the A pillars are like oak trees. It’s got a bit of zip to it, though it’s a turd off the line. Putting your foot in it from a light takes about 1-2 seconds to get going, but it’s quick after that. Shifting through the gears “manually” was unexciting, you just keep the accelerator floored and shift when the tach cranks up. It got up to 95 without too much complaining, but we were going down an onramp. It’s quieter than all the other VWs I’ve owned, but there’s still some refreshing engine noise. I’m not crazy about all the sharp angles in the design lines, but that’s where we are. The external styling is....there. Oh, and the armrest is too short and too low.
Ultimately, it was fine. It was a car. And that’s probably what VW was after.
This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja:
> ttyymmnn
08/03/2020 at 17:58 |
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You could pull the badge and convince me it's the new Fusion.
WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI
> ttyymmnn
08/03/2020 at 17:59 |
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It’s defi nitely what VW was after. A blob for the US market. Not only do the germans know exactly what Americans want, they want us to feel bad about it (we should), hence: T he Jetta.
Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
> ttyymmnn
08/03/2020 at 18:00 |
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It does come in some amazing colors. I think the design is better looking than most of the others out there, but I'm not crazy about that front. Don't hate it, but it's a little odd. About what I expected, really.
BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
> ttyymmnn
08/03/2020 at 18:01 |
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One time I had a rental VW, probably a 2016 or 17. It was fine. No complaints. Until i realized I was in a Passat and not a Jetta, and then I was pissed the hell off. It felt cheeeeeaaaap.
Anyway, the new Jetta is now nicer than the Passat and that’s just wrong.
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ttyymmnn
> This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja:
08/03/2020 at 18:09 |
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Exactly.
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ttyymmnn
> WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI
08/03/2020 at 18:10 |
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As a lifetime (well, until my Golf was totaled) VW driver, there was absolutely nothing about this car that made me want to buy it. The fact that it is a VW made no difference.
phenotyp
> ttyymmnn
08/03/2020 at 18:22 |
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More than any other manufacturer, I think, VW goes through some big up/down cycles. High points— early/mid 80s, late 90s, early ‘10s. Low points: early/mid 90s, early/mid 00s, kinda now.
I got to ride in a new Lupo, back in 2001, and I thought it was about the coolest car I’d ever been in. Still kinda do. I rented a Passat for a week in 2014, and it was an appliance. The exterior design was good, I thought, but the interior was such a letdown from the late-90s/early 00s VWs that I knew from the “old days” that it felt like an appliance store.
Haven’t driven a new-new one, yet, but they’re not exactly on my list, either.
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ttyymmnn
> phenotyp
08/03/2020 at 18:29 |
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I’m not looking to buy right now, but if I were, I would give VW a courtesy look but that’s about it. Unless I can have a Go lf or GTI (I’m not even sure how good those are these days) , I’m not interested. And that’s unfortunate.
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phenotyp
> ttyymmnn
08/03/2020 at 18:37 |
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Yup. Unless it’s a ripping electric GTI, or a really good ID-whatever, they’re just not on my radar at all. Which is such a different place from where they used to be.
Though, if I’m honest, that kinda could be applied to almost the entire industry, outside of Porsche and the boutiques (I still count Tesla as “boutique”).
bhtooefr
> ttyymmnn
08/03/2020 at 18:37 |
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I wish they hadn’t welded down the back, and instead made a liftback like the Skoda Octavia that it’s based on:
But hey, not like I’d buy a VW anyway...
Jb boin
> BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
08/03/2020 at 18:38 |
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Ths US market Passat (the NMS ) is not the same as the one for the European market , it’s “cheaper” and even more bland.
According to Wikipedia, the first gen was designed by VW China and the 2nd gen Passat NMS that started this year is also a downgrade compared to the European one :
Due to the decreasing popularity of sedans in North America , Volkswagen decided not to design the second generation Passat NMS on the Volkswagen Group MQB platform that underpins most new Audi and Volkswagen products. This means that the new Passat NMS does not offer some features such as a fully digital LCD instrument cluster or an eight-speed automatic transmission that are otherwise offered on other vehicles in the Volkswagen lineup.
The second generation Passat NMS is exclusive to North America, as China gets its own version of Passat.
Even the new chinese NMS seems to be better (at least in theory) :
Revealed on October 12, 2018, by
SAIC Volkswagen
, the Chinese market 2019 Passat was built on the
Volkswagen Group MQB platform
just like the
Volkswagen Passat B8
. Despite the high resemblance between the Chinese and North American Passats, they are completely different models based on different platforms. The model replaces the Volkswagen Passat NMS in China, while the European version which is called the Magotan would be sold separately.
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BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
> Jb boin
08/03/2020 at 18:39 |
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Oh yeah, the USDM Passat is just for our market. And it blows. Point being is that it shouldn’t exist (and likely only does for fleet sales).
Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
> ttyymmnn
08/03/2020 at 18:45 |
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I’ve owned four Jettas and a Passat. Three were TDIs and all were good cars. I’d consider a Passat again if they’d put more power in it, or possibly an Arteon - I’d expect to see big dealer discounts on those as they’re not selling well afaik.
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Jb boin
> BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
08/03/2020 at 18:53 |
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I must admit that i don’t really understand why there is a Passat NMS and a Jetta when they are both about the same size and the Jetta interior seems even better while being cheaper and with better transmission options .
Stef Schrader
> ttyymmnn
08/04/2020 at 02:11 |
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I was just so disappointed in how much of a step backwards t
his was over the last gen. I had a Jetta rental when the Lancer got smashed up and it was great.
The suspension was one of the best on a regular car I’ve had, soaking up the bumps without feeling numb
or floaty. Hell, it reminded me of some higher-end Porsches! But damn, this generation downgraded the suspension setup to one that absolutely sucks in comparison. I hate that. VW, do better.
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Stef Schrader
> ttyymmnn
08/04/2020 at 02:12 |
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I did really like a buddy’s recentish-model GTI when I farted around in it. Nice manual, decent power, good size for farting around. I loved it.
I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
> ttyymmnn
08/05/2020 at 09:40 |
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1.4t? They’re pretty okay in everything but the stripper model.