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Is the 2012 Jetta really that solid?

  • no

    Votes: 27 40.9%
  • yes

    Votes: 39 59.1%

Is the 2012 Jetta really that solid?

14K views 70 replies 48 participants last post by  RobMarkToo 
#1 ·
When it comes to the solid, tight, bank vault feel, Mercedes has always impressed me. At least they did back in the 70's when my family was in the Benz business. BMW has impressed me at times too, although the 2011 528i I was just in failed to impress when I shut the door on it. That's one of the many reasons why I'm wondering about VW stating how solid their new Jetta is. I can't forget how all the motor magazines stated too how VW decided to do some cost cutting on their latest Jetta.

 
#58 ·
i get the "the door feels so solid and heavy" comment probably the most out of any comment made about my car. It really does make it feel like a quality vehicle.

and i enjoy my 2.5 over the problems that would surely ensue if i had the 2.0t. It's plenty of motor to keep me satisfied and it does sound quite pleasing.
 
#61 · (Edited)
Our 2012 GLI is just as solid as our previous Volkswagens. VW actually increased body rigidity and safety performance than the previous generations. The MKVI Jetta models still have solid door hinges and are stamped as one piece with the window frame vs. Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and most others still bolt/weld the window frames to the door.

VW also uses laser brazing (continuous weld) along the roofline where it joins the sides. Most others spot weld and then use a rubber strip to cover it.

http://www.laserline-inc.com/automotive-diode-laser-brazing.php
 
#62 ·
I think the difference is because the 'spread' across the base model, and the GLI on the new Jetta has substantially increased.

I know in the previous models, at least MkIV and MkV, the basic aspect of the cars did not change much.
 
#63 ·
I had a 2012 Jetta SE as a rental just this past week. Coming from my 2011 Golf, the interior of the Jetta did feel noticeably cheaper. The knobs felt lighter, more plastic-like. The MFD was less intelligent. Doors felt lighter when closing them...didn't have the same solid thunk.

In D, the auto trans is a bit of a dog, though I really like the 2.5L with the manual in my Golf. Putting the tiptronic in the Jetta into manual mode solves the no torks problem from a stop. S mode is a bit too high strung for my taste.

The ride is a bit harsher over bumps. You can feel the solid rear axle. But otherwise it's a decent, composed ride at highway speeds. Whereas the Golf feels like a more expensive car than its price point, the Jetta SE feels like a less expensive car than its price point. But if someone isn't coming from the Golf (very similar car, but slightly nicer), they would probably never note the differences or lack of amenities.
 
#64 ·
I bought a 2012 Jetta SE, Convenience + Sunroof.

You can see my previous cars in my sig; two MK4s and two Audis being the relevant ones to this thread. Yes, the interior has been 'cheapened.' When I was getting rid of my Audi (for a Jetta), I sat in a MKV TDI Jetta and of course drove MKVI TDIs/2.5s (SEs.)

Long story short, I came from a B6 S4 and I ****ing love my Jetta. I live in a suburban environment where 340hp and 14 city mpg is retarded, so maybe I have a little more bias. I'm also a dude whose most recent road trip was a fraternity spring break in Panama City Beach, so I dunno if I'm the typical TCL-er, but all I'm trying to get at is that I ****ing love my MKVI Jetta. I've had 316whp cars, Brembos, three sets of Recaros, quattro, you name it, I've probably experienced what people say the MKVI Jetta is crappy and worthless for...um, I couldn't care less.

I love mine. It's a solid car, it has plenty of power around town, it looks good, the interior is comfortable, bluetooth integration (including music via iPod wirelessly) rules..yes I know that's common place today, but I've never had it.

I guess my main point is that I've never shut the door and been disappointed, I've never sat inside and been like, "man, look at this ****ty hard dashboard", the brakes haven't let me down, the seats are comfortable, it looks great with a simple drop and wheels, and the trunk is ginormous.

:beer:
 
#65 ·
Two questions:

A-Have you ever owned a vehicle that was not a VW/Audi?

2-Have you ever criticized another vehicle based on things like a hard plastic dash or rear drum brakes?

If A is yes and 2 is no, then :beer:
 
#67 ·
It's honestly not bad compared to other cars of its same price. Do I like it personally? Well, I'm not overly fond of it enough to buy one myself, but if someone held a gun to my head, I wouldn't mind owning a GLI. They did cut some corners, it must be said, and VW was thoroughly thrashed for it by both the media and the fans. They've made promises to rectify this and supposedly the GLI has addressed a lot of these concerns. I would test drive one personally if I were you and wanted to discover these things for myself, because this is a very subjective thing. It depends on what you're coming from. An S-Class Benz owner might consider the Jetta a cheap piece of junk, but someone coming from a 20 year old Hyundai might think it's the greatest car they've ever driven. Sit in one and make your own judgements. :)

I also want to say that quality and reliability are not mutually exclusive, but that doesn't necessarily mean that an extremely high quality car will automatically be very reliable. A car can be fantastically well engineered, built with great care and pride to very high standards, and still be the most unreliable vehicle you've ever owned. Unfortunately such things are not 100% predictable. I feel that automakers like Honda manage to have very high reliability ratings because they stopped innovating. If you never really change anything, then you'll definitely become very skilled at making your wares.
 
#69 ·
An S-Class Benz owner might consider the Jetta a cheap piece of junk, but someone coming from a 20 year old Hyundai might think it's the greatest car they've ever driven. Sit in one and make your own judgements. :)
That would be me. My previous car was a 2005 Toyota Matrix XR AWD and before that a 2002 Honda Civic EX Coupe. Compared to those cars my GLI feels like a Much higher end vehicle with substantially more to offer for the price. Again I don't think it's a BMW or MB but it has plenty of advantages over the current competition in the price point.
 
#70 ·
I own a car that has pretty good "thunk" sounds, compared to my previous car RSX or my mother's Camry. Hell, my wife's new Tiguan makes good sounds too when you close the door. Maybe it's a German thing.

Do I care how it sounds? No. Do my wife care? She probably does. Now, if these "thunk" sounds have anything to do with true quality or reliability of the vehicle, then yes, I would care. At least from my experience, however, a good "thunk" sound doesn't necessarily give you better quality, smoothness, quietness, or reliability. It may feel good when you close your door, but I don't think it should be a measure of anything that I have mentioned above.

One of my professors back in the day at NY used to tell me that his new Acura MDX doesn't seem as solid as his BMW. When I asked him how, he said, "it doesn't have a nice "thunk" sound when I close the door".

A good "thunk" sound may be nice to have. But that's not the reason I have two German made cars. I would still love my BMW without a nice thunk sound, just like the way I liked my RSX.
 
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