Cliff notes review of my 2019 Jetta S
What? 2019 Jetta S with the 8 speed tiptronic auto with sport mode (not the DSG).
Engine? 1.4 turbo with 147hp.
Options? Driver’s assistance package (forward collision, blind spot monitor, heated side mirrors)
So what do you get? A basic sedan that rides very well on the MBQ chassis. 16" alloy wheels, basic stereo.
Review? It’s the best “basic” car I’ve ever owned. The turbo seems a bit underpowered from the specs, but 8 speed has some steep gearing and it will get off the line no problem and cruise at 70mph easily.
It has that Germanic “tightness” to it - solid doors, solid chassis, etc. I really like how it handles and drives. For a daily driver.
The interior redesign is nice and the basic stereo is very good. No satellite, but Apple Carplay is there, and it just works.
It was under 20K, so for a basic car it’s the bees knees.
Gas mileage is quite good. I’ve never bought a car in my life with mpg in mind. I just bought what I liked. But I get 40+ on long trips and 30+ in the city in the Jetta. Quite amazing.
Mods? Had to ditch the 16" wheels. While the stockers are alloy and have a nice design - they’re just too small for the car. I added 18" Sport Edition SE-14's and it looks much better. The 18's are in the pics.
Bad? Seats are not terribly comfortable; I miss my GTI seats. I’ve added a small back rest to the driver’s seat to help my lower back issues.
No dial on the dash for dimming the dashboard lights. You have to do it through the touchscreen - which you can’t access when driving. Which is usually when you want to adjust it.
Weird transmission noise, also reported by many, many 2019 Jetta owners. VW says it’s normal. Goes away in Sport mode. So I keep it in Sport mode all the time.
Longer factory warranty - 6 years 72k miles, bumper-to-bumper. This is good. See transmission noise above.
Why the hell did you sell the cool GTI for the basic Jetta? The GTI had sunroof creaking issues that multiple trips to the dealer and working with VW corp could not fix. It finally drove me to madness, and in a fit of “FUCK IT” I traded it on the spot for the Jetta (which has no sunroof). It was an emotional buy for sure. But I’m happy with the Jetta. I am using it daily driving %99 of the time anyway - so why not get a larger car for the family, has an auto, and gets killer mpg?
So here I am with a white rental spec Jetta that I like.....AMA
