Re: Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSI : Official Review I have a Cruze LTZ AT (2010) and it's road tax is due soon. It has been a great car for me, 51000km mostly driven by me, though I have had several issues with the AC. Last year I drove my cousin's Polo GT TSI and I was really impressed. Took a test drive of the Jetta TSI, I was further impressed by it's superior handling and feel.
Recently I have been seriously thinking about not paying the road tax of my Cruze and rather selling it before that. There are several options in my mind, but the Jetta TSI is really what I want even though that would stretch my budget a bit. Yes, it is not as powerful as my Cruze, it is not automatic either, but probably I wouldn't care. The Jetta has all the features I need, and excels in all safety features. and has a clearly superior feel. I think my mind has become a petrol mind. If I can make a wish, these will be the features I want:
1. Decent power (100+ BHP at least), good low end torque. These are qualitative statements, but the standard of the TSIs are good for me.
2. Stability: really matters. The Cruze is stable, but ever since I test drove the Jetta, my perceptions have changed. Am I wrong?
3. Good build quality: again, my Cruze is good and I was not looking at anything other than Volkswagen or Skoda this time around.
4. I don't care about a sunroof. Electrically foldable ORVMs would be good. Auto-dimming and heated mirrors also would be welcome. Xenon lamps would be cool, but for that I can't afford to pay 5lakhs more, or choose a cheaper car which does not have the driving and handling quality.
5. I care about ESP, Airbags and the safety features. I don't commute to work everyday in my car, but I often make very long distance tours on our great but risky highways.
6. Tilt and telescoping steering, height adjustment of driver seat, but I don't care if it's manual. I want a music system that can play music from USB / SD Card. I am tired of burning CDs. But I don't need a touchscreen. I need a parking sensor, but I have managed fairly well without a camera all these years.
7. Good AC, rear AC vents. Automatic climate control.
8. Oh and I really think I want a petrol.
The on road price for the Comfortline Jetta 1.4TSI is 17.6L approx. Pretty high. I have been also thinking about Vento TSI or Polo GT TSI. They are a lot cheaper, but won't feel better than my Cruze. Economically keeping the Cruze may still be better unless I buy a really cheap car, and not that I can afford any amount of money, so I might decide against the idea of a new car and simply keep my Cruze as well.
The VW dealer in Kolkata do not have a test drive vehicle for Jetta TSI anymore. I have read the review here, but when I took a test drive it really did not sound like a well refined diesel. I did not push the engine too hard though, but at 100-110km/h the car was really silent. I really like the fact that the 2nd and 3rd gears cover a huge range. I like automatic, but if the manual is really good, I would not mind it. Oh - the situation of Skoda is really poor in Kolkata, not sure about the service. Also, the 1.4 Octavia TSI has an inferior suspension and only 2 airbags than the Jetta. The 1.8TSI would be great, but it's just way too costly and risky being a Skoda.
Requesting your opinions, dear BHPians.
Last edited by ampere : 17th June 2015 at 20:04.
Reason: Removed High speed related mentions. Not allowed on the forum
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