Post 700: The 2011 Jetta Sucks

Imagine, if you will, a car company that releases a "new" 2011 vehicle using an engine design that is 17 years old. Not only that, the company strips away the electric steering and replaces it with the dull hydraulic assist. Then it puts on front disc brakes with rear DRUMS. Swath the entire inside of the car with cheap plastic, filled plastic plugs for missing components, and lower the price by a grand. Sadly, it doesn’t get any better. Gone is the previous generation’s fully independent suspension for a basic twist-beam rear axle. You'd be forgiven if the vehicle had any kind of driving dynamics or enthusiasm. Sadly, the 4-cylinder engine just barely eeks out 118 bhp, pitiful when you compare it to the (gasp!) Korean brands like Kia and Hyundai. Now you know something is up when the third world imports are beating the crap out of German imports. 


The only people buying this car will be extreme tightwads and idiots who don't know better. If you are really desperate for a German-engineered car, you're better off buying the previous generation of Jetta. Better yet, consider buying used like I did and you'll end up with a hell of a lot of car compared to what you pay for a Jetta stripper.


Does VW think consumers are blind or idiots? Time will tell. They expect to sell 800,000 of these roach cars this year alone. The are indeed smoking chronic if they believe that. Either that or VW hopes their client base is made up of Alzheimers' patients. The picture above is not a stripped Jetta - its a loaded one.


Consider me Jetta-me-not.