VW has paved a difficult road for itself in North America. While huge globally, they’ve never pegged this market and have bumbled around with the wrong product mix for years. Deeply unreliable offerings in popular segments in the 1990s transitioned to denial of the crossover in the 2000s. They pulled a Onceler by figgering on biggering the Jetta and Passat in 2011, and that worked for a few years until the modest Truffula forest of customers who wanted big and cheap-feeling VW sedans had been logged out. Finally some serious crossovers landed in 2017, but being late to the party while carrying the baggage from your past is hardly a way to break out into the mainstream.
Image credit: Carvana
The company had its shining moments in some iterations of the GTI, the performance of the VR6 and old 1.8 turbo engines, the sooty durability of the 1.9 TDI, and the high tech wizardry of the common rail 2.0 TDI. Unfortunately these were rarely pure victories, often sullied by problems with the powertrain itself or the vehicle it was hooked to. Somewhere along the way one would think that VW–by dumb luck if nothing else–would have wed their signature refinement and Germanic driving feel to something that didn’t immediately fall apart or scream corporate malfeasance.
VW’s all-star A5 North American lineup, 2006-2014
And it turns out they did, in gasoline versions of the A5 Golf/Jetta platform. This is the brightest star in the post-Beetle firmament, but less likely to be noticed because ejecta from the emissions scandal supernova is still obscuring the view. You can experience it in 2006-2010 Jetta sedans, 2007-2009 Rabbits, and 2010-2014 Golfs and Jetta Sportwagens. We owned a 2010 wagon from new to late 2016 and it is the only car I regret selling.
Camped somewhere near Moab
My prior exposure to VWs had been very limited. My first experience with a modern VW was in 2002 when five of us crammed into a MkIII breadbox Jetta for a roadtrip from Page Arizona to Zion National Park. It was hot, cramped, the A/C didn’t work, and the interior plastics smelled inexplicably and unpleasantly like melted crayons. The airbags had both deployed the prior year in a front end bonk and the owner had stuffed them back into the steering wheel hub and dashboard compartment as best she could. It was a sad creature beat to within an inch of its life in only six years, but the grunty little engine, solid road manners and sturdy feel of the doors left an impression wholly at odds with the condition of the car.
I bought ours in 2010 after sitting in one at the auto show. I knew of VW’s reliability reputation, I remembered the smell of crayons, but darn it if the phrase “the feel of the wheel will seal the deal” doesn’t exist for a reason. Everything about that car made a stunning tactile impression. The solidity of the doors, the excellent seats and driving position, the interior materials, the panel fitment, the thick paint, the flocked glove box and door bins, the thick carpeting, even the damped action of the air vent flow wheels. The interior pillars were sheathed in soft fabric and the armrest adjusted for length and angle. When was the last time you saw all that in this class?
Color palette is a bit dour, but clean design and very well constructed
Forget logic, I was emotionally involved and started researching the car. Reliability checked out, surprisingly. I was also surprised to find that the base model felt every bit as expensive, just with less tinsel and frosting. To gauge durability, I went to the Hertz car sales lot to see how an A5 Jetta sedan held up after 35,000 miles of rental abuse. It was nearly mint. Impressive considering the MkIVs had a reputation for delaminating interiors. All this cost the same as a Toyota Matrix that was an absolute embarrassment in comparison.
The Matrix was the safe bet but felt outclassed in every way
So we bought one, and I never regretted it. The charm of this car was how well-rounded and thoroughly executed it was, as if this were a chief engineer’s halo project ushered through the development process uncorrupted by the compromises every other mass market vehicle must accept. It felt expensive going down the road, with a firm but comfortable ride, good noise control and laser-guided steering at high speeds, and excellent packaging that paired a usable backseat with 30 cubic feet of cargo capacity in a tidy 179-inch length. It was porky at nearly 3300 pounds but hid the mass well in corners while putting it to good use in straight line road manners. When we sold it at nearly 7 years of age it didn’t have a single interior rattle, whereas our more expensive Camry developed several prominent ones at a third of the miles.
The seats are excellent in this car
I don’t know how VW made any money on this car after seeing what the same $20K would get you elsewhere. Maybe they didn’t, and maybe that’s why the MkVI Jetta sedan was separated from the Golf in 2011 and savagely decontented. Or maybe they did, using predatory low-wage Mexican assembly that enables them to offer a nearly semi-premium car for Corolla prices to people like me who become too enamored to research the supply chain. I suppose I do have one regret.
Fine materials, shuts like a vault door. If only Toyota would build a door like this.
Despite the name, this wasn’t an overtly sporty car. It was responsive and could take a confident set in a corner, but our Camry has a more lively steering response and less transitional roll and yaw, to say nothing of the GTI which shared this platform. Similarly, the manual was accurate and pleasant to use, but lacked the precision and machined feel of the better Hondas and Mazdas. The brakes were disappointing, never feeling as strong as the four discs suggested. But they also never warped or needed a pad replacement.
Tall and deep cargo area. A true wagon.
I purchased a gasoline model, rightly predicting VW was the wrong company from which to buy a hyper-complex turbo diesel. What I didn’t foresee was the emissions scandal forcing VW to reward those who made the wrong choice with a generous buyback. Most markets received a range of efficiency-oriented low displacement gas motors with and without turbochargers, some of which struggled to crest 100hp, while others were worrisome in their complexity. The oil-guzzling North American and Middle Eastern markets were luckier. We received this strange retrograde 2.5L iron block inline 5 with port injection and natural aspiration. The 170hp and 177 lb-ft were big numbers for the segment.
Flawed but unique, obedient, and relatively durable
A low redline and a tendency to shove rather than rev made this feel somewhat like a small pickup truck. Most reviewers griped about the 2.5, but I loved it from the first moment I let the clutch out and felt the eager yank. It was torquey. It also sounded unique and sonorous when revving out, more Audi TT RS than Honda Civic. It wasn’t remotely silky, but NVH was overstated by the press. It wasn’t that quick, either: just under eight seconds to 60 with the manual. Yet, the flat torque curve provided good power at low revs and it felt very relaxed, linear, and responsive. A very nice everyday engine.
It drank a bit too much, though. Twenty-six mpg combined and rarely above 31mpg highway in my experience. So they were right about that one.
I have no bad memories or experiences with this car. It never irritated me. It easily shuttled our infant twins in their bulky rear-facing car seats and the solid crash test ratings gave me some peace of mind. Every road trip was stress-free. It was all-day comfortable, shrugged off long distances, and prevented road fatigue like a larger and more expensive car. It served as an admirable small camper on multiple solo excursions into the desert, but the FWD and low clearance kept me away from multiple destinations. Sand was scary.
Basic MacPherson struts, independent rear, all well tuned. Credit: VWoA
The stick shift proved to be the car’s undoing. Any of you with a clutch-o-phobic partner may understand how tiring the logistics can become. I spent a total of 60 miles out of 85,000 as a passenger in this car, all of them on the deserted highway outside Denio Junction, Nevada, on a 15 hour drive from Salt Lake to Cape Blanco. My wife could struggle her way through the clutch engagement point into first and then up the gears to highway speed if no one else was around, and there’s no one around Denio Junction. However, throw her a crazy curveball like a stop sign or a need to downshift and she would have none of it. I know a losing battle when I see one. When it came time to trade in for the 4Runner, the wagon went and we kept this damnable thing instead. Whenever she says she misses the VW, I simply stare into the middle distance and say nothing.
Goodbye, loyal friend
Perhaps it’s better this way, ending the relationship on a high note rather than waiting for the fights and the betrayal. The gasser A5 platforms had very good CR ratings through the first six years or so and ours never gave us trouble. However, CR foolishly stopped separating TDI from 2.5 in their ratings so I cannot look back at how these are holding up at the 10 year mark. Scuttlebutt is that the 2.5 is still VW’s most reliable modern engine, but there are a lot of other VW components surrounding it. I’m eager to hear from the CCers here. If this isn’t peak VW, what was? Anyone have a 5-cylinder with well over 100K?
“whereas our more expensive Camry developed several prominent ones at a third of the miles.”
Welcome to the disappointing world of modern Toyotas. I’m scheming on unloading our 92k mile ’12 SE 4cyl this summer. It’s not given us actual reliability problems in 8 years and that’s not something to overlook I suppose, but it’s been service without any smiles. The material quality (soft paint and glass, interior surfaces) and the strut mounts starting to make a bit of noise, needlessly stiff ride on our SE (on our roads anyways)… all leave me pining for my departed 209k mile ’96 ES300, which in many ways sounds a lot like this VW. Tight as a drum 20 years and 200k mile in, that thing was incredible. Ditto my ’96 4Runner, which has fewer rock chips at 24 years old than the 2012 Camry at year 3 and 30k miles
Great piece – thanks.
I bought my daughter a 2010 Jetta in 2013 off-lease. I did a little digging and found out that the lessee was a woman in her 60’s who left a Mama Mia soundtrack in the CD player. I knew then this was the car to buy.
It struck me as about three-quarters of my wife’s 2006 A4, at about half the price, as far as quality of materials and road manners were concerned. Reliability, while not stellar, was not bad, and better than I’d feared. It too had the 2.5 liter 5, and while it seemed a bit rough to me, it struck me as pretty bulletproof.
My daughter drove it for four years, and other than a tendency to hit curbs and blow tires (her fault, not the car’s), it gave good service. It never stranded her, which for a father of a daughter is always the ultimate criteria.
She traded it in on a Mazda CX-5, when she graduated and decided she wanted all-weather capability and a higher viewpoint. I thought the Jetta still had lots of life in it, but I understood where she was coming from.
I wouldn’t mind having another.
Are there any plastics gurus out there who explain the crayon smell? Unfortunately due to shelter in place, we canceled our last planned trip to visit our daughter who still drives our 2001 New Beetle, but last time I rode in it still had a whiff of Crayola. And our 5 year old Golf (next gen from the A5 family) carries the same aroma. I don’t mind it … it’s better than most “new car smell”.
Otherwise I agree with your paean to VW fit and finish and interior quality and feel. Test driving our Golf back to back with a similar vintage Impreza, as well as anew Fit, all stick shift, and the Golf felt like it was a whole ‘nother class of car. But, same dealerships s the Subaru, the lower mileage Golf was much cheaper. And I’m glad my wife is comfortable, and competent, rowing her own gears.
My 2002’Porsche 996 sometimes had a similar smell but in that case it’s actually from a substance they call Cosmoline, sort of a wax that heats up and then gives off a smell. I believe it was used around the engine bay from the factory and not the interior but you could smell it inside. I personally liked the smell, it was sort of like Carmex (the lip stuff)
Ca. 1971 I saw a row of VW 411’s at a dealership with Cosmoline all over them. It was customary to coat new cars with Cosmoline for shipping. Maybe it still is, for all I know. I once saw a Road & Track road test with a tongue-in-cheek line about the dealer prep fee being “for washing off the Cosmoline.”
Another happy Jetta wagon owner here. Mine is a 2014, also S trim, with an automatic. Total things covered under warranty: bit of stray plastic on the A pillar, undercharged a/c, a missing clip in the left rear brake that caused a slight rattle, and a whine in the Aisin trans. VW replaced the trans. Everything else was addressed promptly by the VW dealer. Currently have about 55K on it.
When the factory Bridgestone tires went off song, I took the opportunity to replace the steelies with OEM VW Bioline alloys. It crossed my mind to put snows on the steelies, but I’m retired so drive little in the winter, so couldn’t justify the cost. Providence provided a solution: found a set of 4 snows, already mounted and balanced on Jetta steelies, offered by a guy in Ann Arbor, maybe a dozen miles from Casa del Steve, for a paltry $175. Sold!
My only frustration is that I like the car so much that I keep thinking about getting something else to take the winter schmutz, in spite of the cost of a second car, and the lack of garage, or even off street parking, at my condo.
Seems that about 99% of Jetta wagons are TDIs. When anyone learns that I have a Jetta wagon, the first thing out of their mouth is “is it a diesel?”. For the halibut, I started putting mine in the show field at the Gilmore’s German show, as they have a class for daily drivers.
The info card for the German show has a line for “unique feature” of the car, so my entry was obvious.
The info card for the German show has a line for “unique feature” of the car, so my entry was obvious.
For some reason, the pic of the card did not post.
For “unique feature” I wrote “It’s NOT a diesel”.
Peak VW for me? 1967 Beetle.
From here and other online sources I have come to the conclusion that VWs with the 2.5 are quite reliable. I have been close to buying a Beetle with that engine several times recently but with the automatic transmission. An alternative is the soon to disappear All-Trac.
I want to believe VW has turned the corner in the states and I tell myself that I am at a point where I can afford it if I wind up disappointed that reliability isn’t where I had hoped it was.
Can anyone explain why, in a nutshell, VW quality went downhill in recent years? I found this ironic, considering how well-made the classic bug had been. There have been recent VAG products that would have been on my shortlist if not for my concerns about reliability.
Define “recent years.” They went whole hog on putting the impressively powerful and efficient but somewhat finicky 2.0T TSI motor across the board into a ton of their cars, as well as lots of DSGs since the mid-late 2000s. That right there is a non-trivial chunk of the problems. The 2.0T has a number of weak spots which supposedly(?) have finally been ironed out but time will tell. Seems like they’d fix one area and another would crop up. Oil consumption, failed camchain tensioners, high pressure fuel pump related issues, carbon build up issues are the main issues that come to mind over the last 15 years or so of the DI turbo gassers. TDIs are their own ball of wax, generally not bad but some emissions equipment was a bit flakey. DSGs? A lot better than they were, but still not as tolerant to neglect as a regular automatic.
Overall the newer ones are nowhere as scary as people might suggest. You could get that 2.5NA through 2015(?) in the Jetta, those are cheapened but still statistically reliable cars. The 1.8 and 1.4TSI I haven’t heard too many horror stories about, just keep good clean oil in them. Many of their North American products used/use “regular” Aisin-sourced 6spd automatics throughout the 2010s.
… impressively powerful and efficient but somewhat finicky 2.0T TSI motor
During the Piëch era, VWs had problems with components that should not have been an issue: window regulators and ignition coils, for instance. The normally aspirated engines had issues with the rubber timing belts breaking before the scheduled service interval.
The turnaround in VW quality and reliability seemed to come around the time Winterkorn took over at the top of the company in 2007.
Pretty sure the 2.5 liter 5 had a timing chain.
Another tidbit on these engines – some folks assume the VW 5 was a descendant of the earlier Audi 5’s. It was not.
Pretty sure the 2.5 liter 5 had a timing chain.
Yes, actually, 2 chains: one from the crank to one cam, than a second “relay” chain from the driven cam to the other cam.
The 2.5 came out around 2006, and, originally had significant chain issues. There was some rework in 2007, then a complete redesign of the chain system in 2008. Chain problems cured.
Overall the newer ones are nowhere as scary as people might suggest. You could get that 2.5NA through 2015(?) in the Jetta, those are cheapened but still statistically reliable cars. The 1.8 and 1.4TSI I haven’t heard too many horror stories about, just keep good clean oil in them.
I think the 2.5 was phased out in 14. The Mk 7 Golf started in 15 with the 1.8. While the Mk 6 Jetta sedan was horribly cheapened, the Jetta wagon continued to be trimmed at the higher level of the Mk 5 Jetta sedan and Golf. A friend of mine has a 2016 Golf with the 1.8T. At 98,000 miles, total repairs have been a coil pack, when new, and a fuel pump a year or two ago. He says the car continues to run and drive like new.
Recent years? I was born in 79 well after the classic bug was sold in the us. VW has always had the rep of impressive percieved build quality followed by terrible long term reliability. Each time a new vw came out it would be the same excuse, oh yea the old ones had problems but now theyre up there with toyota and honda.
Nope. Still crappy long term reliabity and CR backs it up. Gm cars are more reliable long term.
Mark II Golf and Jetta are peak VW, IMO. 1985-87, before digifant and cheaper seats.
Brisk, frugal, roomy, FUN, and relatively reliable.
Best cars VW ever offered–plausible contenders for best cars ever sold in the US.
Mark II Golf and Jetta are peak VW, IMO. 1985-87,
That would be during the Carl Hahn era, before Piëch took over in 93.
I considered getting one of those a few years ago, but my mechanic said parts were becoming hard to find.
Even so, my 85 GTI spent way more time in the shop on warranty issues (at least a dozen) than my future wife’s 88 Accord (0). As much as I love the tactile experience of the GTI, the Accord was a far better car in terms of quality.
The German built Mk2’s were built to last, my ’86 Jetta GL 1.8 5 speed still serves me well after 29 years.
The 2.5 is a good engine, I’ve heard the MK5 is pretty reliable, seems this is true. Nice write up.
C-segment (compact) wagons: superb all-rounders. Not too small, not too big, practical, roomy, fuel-efficient, affordable, great road manners. A wise car choice! (regardless the brand)
Well done, Petrichor. Nice scenery too! My neighbor happens to be a loyal VW wagon driver. He had the article’s gen Golf and the later series too, always TDI. About two years ago he got himself a new VW Passat wagon (so D-segment), Euro edition, 2.0 TDI, DSG transmission, black (like Steve’s set of wheels).
He’s a self-employed welder, driving around 40,000 km a year.
By 2010, it was getting hard to find a wagon. In 2020, they have all but disappeared. I always buy my cars used and about ten years old. In ’10, I had a Subaru Outback, and these Sportwagens were too new for my purchasing power.
When I bought my first VW, a 2002 Eurovan (and about 10 years old, of course), I loved the ride, but it had been too neglected and needed too much $$$ for me to keep. I punted before I had to drop too much more money.
I miss the utility and feel of a wagon that drives like a car. In my Honda Element, I’m still conscious that I’m driving an SUV, even if the ride is fairly refined. I don’t think a VW wagon is going to be on my wish list now, but I definitely appreciate them. I’m glad this one worked out well for you.
Some of VW’s quality/reliability issues can be traced to the 1993-1996 “reign” of its purchasing czar José Ignacio López de Arriortúa. He had been such an effective cost cutter that Opel and GM Europe were posting good profits, while VW was deeply in the red. In a surprise move, Ferdinand Piëch lured him and 7 associates away to Wolfsburg, where he implemented the same ruthless methods that had worked at Opel. Suppliers were forced to accept contracts stipulating progessively declining prices, which inevitably led to diminished quality. Even many years later, the term “López-Effekt” is a synonym for cheap or defective components in German industry. Last sentence translated from Wiki.
When it comes time to purchase a car for our daughter, it will have to be something that can haul her 6’1″ tall harp. A Jetta or Golf wagon is on my shortlist.
As a convert to the House of VW back in 2014, I must say my experience has been nothing but positive. Our Passat is one of the later ’14 models with a delightful 1.8T. That is a statement I’ve never made about any four-cylinder engine as traditionally I’m a V8 homey.
It’s quite likely I will drink from the VW well again and for many of the reasons Petrichor stated – the overall feel and driving experience. A drive in a new Tiguan a year or so ago confirmed the overall feel. Like the general internet hullabaloo about the physical size of modern 1/2 ton pickups, there is also a degree of hullabaloo about VW reliability. Nothing is perfect; if any brand was perfect their dealers would not have service departments.
See Len Peter’s fine COAL: 2018 VW Sportwagen – The Return of the Bunny, December 7, 2018
My 2015 5-speed manual, FWD Sportwagen purchased 2017 with 39,000 km now has 90,000 km. Flawless performance, no issues, filter and fluid changes only. About to replace spark plugs.
Last car my mother drove was a 2013 Jetta sedan with the 2.5L, 6 speed auto, purchased from Hertz. Don’t remember final mileage, but routine maintenance only.
Great writeup..brings back my experience with an ’06 Jetta sedan (6-speed automatic w/the 2.5 engine) that I owned. The engine ran solid for the very low 65k miles I put on it over a 7-year period. I routinely would get 36-38 MPG on straight highway use, and found the car felt stable and behaved well, especially at turnpike speed.
A few quality control issues: the headliner became unglued at the rear window (dealer replaced it, even beyond the warranty period), and the ignition switch tumbler broke, disabling the vehicle..luckily enough in the dealer’s lot during a service visit (they also covered the cost and provided a rental). At the end, I noticed a mechanical sound
when using the A/C. Not the belt, sounded more like a pulley or bearing going bad.
Overall, I felt the car was a bargain, and actually hated to see it go.
A great summation of your experience and I concur, VWs just feel different (in a good way) to their competitors in the same price class.It’s a bummer they are reducing the wagon choices now but the CUVs seem to be selling well. I would have hoped there could be room for even more wagons but it appears not to be.
It’s unfortunate that they never really figured out the US market once they went water-cooled. Or perhaps the US market never really figured out VW. With the exception of a couple of mid-90’s models we owned, we liked both the older and the newer ones we had. Not sure if I’ll necessarily go back for another but I know when I have an opportunity to drive one (either someone else’s or a rental) I’m rarely disappointed.
If your VW urges persist, go ahead, I know an excellent, reasonably priced indy VW mechanic in your city of Fort Collins.
Well-written and informative review. I too I have been seduced by the unique feel of the VW, from the ride and handling, to the seats, to the upscale for the class trim. I will say that VWs are fine and perfectly reliable until they reach about seven years old or 80k miles, when they start needing lots of attention and expensive repairs. Beyond mechanical problems, the most annoying fault is that those lovely plastics literally seem to disintegrate with exposure to the sun, with things like climate control buttons and window switches literally falling off into my hand.
Among the seven VWs I’ve owned over the years, including two of this generation of the Jetta. Both were bought used for my teenage daughters. The first was bought in 2012, a 2010 ex-Hertz rental with 50k miles; it was totaled after six weeks in an accident, but my daughter was unharmed, a fact I attribute to the car’s superior design and safety features. It was replaced by the second, a 2009 S model with 36k miles, which was actually a better car that had just come off-lease from a retired couple. We kept that car for five years and 40k miles and had no trouble other than normal maintenance items. It spent three years on the East Coast during their college years without incident, but I sold the car when both daughters ended up in New York after college and had no need for a car. I feel we got the best years out of the 2009 Jetta and dodged a bullet by selling before it reached the expensive repair stage.
I can attest to the VW build and material quality being an owner of a 2018 Golf Alltrack..I traded BMW X3 for the Alltrack and I much prefer the VW. It sits in the garage with my 1981 Scirocco S
We bought a Golf Alltrack last year – our third in a line of stick shift wagons (the previous two being a Mazda5 and an Outback). This is our first VW. It took a lot of research to be convinced that the reliability would be ok, and it has been so far. The spouse, who historically cared not one bit about driving, is the daily driver and loves the car.
What strikes me about the VW is how correct everything is: the driving position, the visibility, the tactile feel, and the way it drives. I get the VW bug now, and why owners are smitten as long as the reliability doesn’t bog them down.
I get the spousal stick shift driving issue. Mine finally converted when we bought the Mazda5. Now she won’t have anything else. Sadly the Alltrack is likely the end of an era.
I sold Volkswagens from early 2009 until 2017 so have a lot of experience with the 2.5 for cylinder engine. The Sportwagen S was a good value and a good seller. I’ve also owned my fair share of Volkswagens and can attest to the solidity and excellent road manners of these cars. Many Volkswagen technicians will tell you that the 2.5 is their most reliable modern engine. I’ve seen many still running just fine with at least 150k on them. The only issue that I heard of were of stretched timing chains but this was apparently due to infrequent oil changes. It’s a shame you had to let go of your Sportwagen. They are versatile cars packaged in a nice size. I currently have the similar Golf Alltrack and plan to keep it for many years. However, the 4Runner you traded it in for is an equally versatile and arguably longer lasting vehicle.
This is an appealing car, with many of the features that would make me smile. I still remember the door-slam on my 85 GTI, one that felt like it should be on a much larger and expensive car. The way you describes this one makes me want one.
My first “real car” out of college was a barely used ‘11 MKVI Jetta S in early 2012. I had just got a decent job and was feeling good, the idea of taking on a car loan was to build credit. Being the new body style, it hasn’t depreciated as much as I thought it should have for such a bare bones car but I was still quite pleased with it.
The old 8v 2.0 was slow as heck unless pushed hard and even then was meh but I trusted that engine over the other offerings. The car didn’t even have cruise control! I figured with VW’s precedence, the fewer things on the car the less could go wrong.
It was actually a great car. Smooth gearbox, pretty quiet, good road feel, efficient on gas. One snowy day I was out showing my old friend some apartments around town and flustered, I backed over a curb and dented the driver’s rear rocker just ahead of the rear wheel. That really stuck out to me and the panel was not to be easily repaired or replaced so I put it up for sale. I still had my reliable old Nissan Hardbody to drive so saying goodbye wasn’t hard. I lost a bit of money on that car but it served me very well for 2 1/2 years and 30,000 miles. I wish VW well and will likely own another one in the future. And that friend I was showing apartments to? She’s now my wife! So that more than makes up for the quashed rocker panel!
Great review, Mr P.
I love the idea of this size car with 2.5 torquey litres. It’s the right amount of engine for reality, if inevitably a bit down on consumption compared to the high-tech 1.2’s and 1.4’s we got.
They’re classy-feeling, these Golfs, but I must confess to a slight dullness about their nature. Perhaps a warbly 5-banger might’ve changed that view.
I reckon peak VW was the fifties into the sixties. Very nicely made cars for very little money that were as reliable as any big American, so about as reliable as cars could then be. Unlike other small cars, it was capable of ’50’s/’60’s speeds on the highway.
Past then, the tech got too old, the cramped body, the swing axles, the bare equipment, then emissions. The FWD era ever since has simply never been close for leading-edge in reliability stakes. Toyota took the mantle, and gradually made perfectly decent cars. It is why they’re still so far in front.
In Europe, tariffs and parochialism and nationalism and restrictions made the Japanese uncompetitive. VW was able to consolidate the reliable and well-built image from the earlier time, (and, to be fair, usually made nicer cars than Japan), but it wasn’t really the true story.
Your view of the TDi is interesting. Putting aside – if that’s actually possible – the filthy criminal scandal that allowed them to be compliant, the “hyper complex” engines are generally stonkingly reliable. 150K miles is a nicely run-in one, it seems. For these engines, the super-reliable Germanic myth is for once quite real.
I have a 2013 Passat with the 2.5L 5. It gets about the same gas mileage in my Passat as you list for your wagon. That, by the way, is BETTER mileage than I got from the 4 that was in my much smaller Ford Focus that I owned before the VW.
My experience with the Passat so far doesn’t rise fully to the level you mention with your wagon but I will sat it is easily the best built, most competent car I’ve ever owned. I’m at about 80k now and there is one tiny little rattle I hear once in a while, but otherwise this thing is as solid as Gibraltar.
Only real problem I’ve had with it is a damned evap sensor code that I keep putting off fixing. Otherwise I’ve never, ever, owned a car that has gone this many miles so reliably.
I hope to update my COAL series — at the rate things are going, probably next year. I’ll do a full report on the Passat then.
The best year to buy a Jetta SportWagen in the U.S. was the first year the Mk5 was offered, 2008, which was the only year you could get the turbocharged 2.0 four cylinder from the GTI and higher-end Jetta sedans. These also included a 6 speed manual rather than the 5 speed the 2.5 five cylinder was mated to, and the lower revs at faster highway speeds go a long way toward higher MPG and lower noise. I also prefer the Golf Mk5 dashboard the earlier SportWagens got rather than the Golf Mk6 version seen here, as it featured a nifty draft-free ventilation mode and nicer styling.
I own a 2007 Rabbit I bought new and now has about 130,000 miles on it and is going strong (the Rabbit was first sold in late 2006 btw). With one exception when an unusual part failure left me stranded, the car has been as reliable as any Toyota. The 2.5L five isn’t the smoothest or quietest engine around, although it’s nowhere near as bad in these aspects as reputed, and is only bothersome at high revs. Thus, NVH issues are rarely a problem at all, since this engine has good low-RPM torque and doesn’t need to be revved high. The optional 6 speed automatic also helps keep it at low revs; unfortunately my 5 speed manual’s gears are too closely spaced; I wish they were taller. Even as it, the Rabbit is a smooth, quiet cruiser that oozes solidity; I feel like I’m driving a big Mercedes. The 2.5 five also isn’t all that great for fuel economy, but it has proven to be a very reliable and durable motor.
I too love the build quality and expensive-feeling materials. Everything you touch seems to be soft, nicely shaped, and well thought out. The fleece-lined glovebox with the heavy, damped door was dropped a few years ago (2017 i think) to cut costs, as were several other of these items unfortunately.
I also love the MKV front end that the 08 and 09 only JSWs got. I’d love to find one in that lovely, lovely Laser blue they did only in that period, too!
It may only strike a chord with a particular group of buyers, but the visual, auditory, and tactile experience of getting into a VW in the showroom spoils you for most other makes. I could listen to that door closure sound just for the pleasure if it. 🙂 If VW falls short on reliability in some areas, they’ve absolutely mastered the initial impression and test drive game.
I’m looking forward to seeing the iD3 on these shores. Apparently there are some 25 000 of them already sitting in storage lots in Europe, held up at least partly by software issues. A huge gamble by VW, one they deserve credit for and which hopefully will turn out positively.
Thank you for the very informative comments, everyone. I read each one and appreciate them. I apologize for my absence the days after this article was published. I try to be around to respond and contribute, but our family had a difficult week starting on the afternoon of this COAL post and it has absorbed all my time and attention.