[pratika]

Congratulations graaja for your new car! Wish you many happy miles.

Originally Posted by graaja

The cost worked out to 23.1L with registration and regular insurance. The dealer offered me a deal where I paid 23.18L and got the “Drive Assure Elite” cover which includes zero depreciation insurance and also covers the alloys and other damages like rats chewing the wires etc.

The warranty coverage for rats chewing wires seems pretty awesome! Havent heard any company provide that sort of coverage. Is that something that is special to VW's Drive Assure Elite package that you mention? Or is it a special dealer offer?

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Pedaltothefloor

Congrats! You picked up a very under rated car. Can I ask what did it cost OTR?
I didn't quite understand what did you start with - did you set out to buy a petrol or a diesel? Or it is irrelevant to you?
I also noticed that you didn't like the DSG in the Vento. is the DSG different in the Jetta?

Thank you for the wishes, Pedaltothefloor. It cost me 23.18L OTR.

Regarding my buying choice: I actually started with a fun to drive petrol car, preferably automatic, with a budget around 10L. The previous Honda City was a correct fit and I paid the booking amount. But Honda changed the automatic gear box to CVT in the new generation, which I do not like due to the rubber banding effect. So, I cancelled. I did not go for Vento TSi because of the reliability issues of the DQ200 7 speed DSG, but later I fell in love with Octavia 1.8TSi which had the same gearbox. So, I did some research and found that the problems with the DQ200 gearbox were mostly on cars manufactured before 2011, and hence it was less risky in the present generation cars. That is why I decided to go with 1.8TSi even though it had the same gearbox based on which I had rejected Vento TSi. As the delivery of Octavia was getting delayed indefinitely, I had to look for alternatives. There was no other petrol car that suited my requirement. So, I decided to change over to Diesel and selected the Jetta which is the only choice I could think of. And the gear box in the Jetta is DQ250 which is a 6 speed wet clutch gear box which does not suffer from the reliability issues of the DQ200.

Originally Posted by Drivethru

Congrats. Nicely written. That reminds me to learn how to upload pictures on team bhp. This is a great car with a good driveability in city and on highways. Take good care of your car and welcome to jetta family.

Thank you very much for the wishes, Drivethru. Actually uploading pictures to team bhp is quite easy. If you have high resolution images with HighQ image quality, just use Microsoft Office Phto editing software and resize the images till you get a file size of less than 1MB. After this, uploading to the site is a breeze.

Originally Posted by adi_petrolhead

@graaja many many congratulations! the colour is brilliant, I don't know when will they launch the Metal Grey (Octavia) similar to Platinum Grey. One of the characteristics of the Jetta that I don't appreciate, the dash. Its dated, and is the same old layout since the Jetta when it was launched in India in way back in 2005 or 2006 may be. The only welcomed change is the modern VW Automatic Dual Zone Climatronic AC unit. Even though it is not the final iteration the system, doing duty on the Octavia which has awesome integration with the HU.

Next, the seats. Although comfy, they are not pure leather. Yeah yeah even the Octavia doesn't have full leather seats, there is part genuine leather (places where there is passenger contact) and part 'leatherette' (places where there is no direct touch and feel) but anyone would expect them to give Full Genuine Leather seats irrespective of the model or make, with a price tag of over INR 20 lacs.
...

BUT!! I am quite happy with the Octavia now, crossed 10k kms in only 5 months, no hassles reported in the last approx. 8000 kms, and "OUTSTANDING" mileage.

I am sure you are loving each moment with the Jetta as I am with the Octavia. Enjoy trouble free motoring bliss!
P.s. German cars especially VAG cars are very good as masking speeds, do keep a sharp eye on the speedo or set the speed limit which will (ting) if you cross the set limit to remind you to slow down

Thank you for the wishes, adi_petrolhead! You are absolutely right about the outdated HU in the Jetta. Octavia seamlessly integrates system functions and ACC functions in the HU display and also has a very advanced user interface. This is something I sorely miss in the Jetta. However, the fun of driving the car compensates for this flaw. I never had a particular requirement for leather seats, and hence do not miss it. But yes, leather seats would have added to the luxury quotient. Due to the airbags in the seats, it is not possible to upgrade to leather as well.

10K in 5 months. Wow. You should be having a blast with the 1.8TSi. I think I should come over to Ahmedabad just to experience the 1.8TSi Maybe my next car would be a petrol TSi. Who knows, in 5 years, we may have a car with 2.0TSi engine!

Yes. The car does mask the speed very well. It feels like 60 when it is at 100. As you suggested, I will program the speed limit to 110kmph which is my safe limit!

Originally Posted by vb-san

Well-structured review. Thanks for sharing!
After all the Octavia related survey you finally ended up with probably the best diesel sedan in its class. And great choice of colour. Infact I think your photos are not doing justice to the shining platinum grey shade

Drive safe!

Thank you for the wishes vb-san. When I look back at all the research I did for the Octavia including the survey, I am just astonished how unpredictable life could be! Though I could not own the Octavia, I guess the survey would be useful to other users to make an informed decision.

And you are right about the photos not doing justice to the shiny grey shade. There are so many factors that govern how the car looks in a photo - angle and intensity of lighting, the right background, depth of field and exposure. To an amateur photographer like me with very limited equipment, getting all these factors correct is almost impossible. Maybe some day I will land that lucky shot that will bring out the best of the car!

Originally Posted by RoadTrippin

Great review and wonderful choice of cars. As the owner of a White Jetta, i feel a pang of jealousy every time i see the Platinum Grey one. Was my colour of choice but unfortunately the waiting period was too long for me.

Thank you for the kind words, RoadTrippin. Actually, it was just a matter of luck I landed this color. The dealer had one each of the Grey and Toffee brown for delivery whereas colors like white, silver and black which were in high demand had a 6 weeks waiting period. I just grabbed the opportunity with both the hands

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

Congratulations. The car looks very good in that shade. I had seen your waiting period woes with Octavia in the other thread. There is no point in waiting for such a long period. Wish you many more happy and safe miles with the car. Meanwhile I liked the way you have replaced the faces with that of Alladin and Jasmine .

Thank you for the wishes, guyfromblr. And thank you for the compliments on the Alladdin/Jasmine work. It was just a matter of finding the pictures with the right angle and then crop the pictures and place them on the original photos in power point!

Originally Posted by dkaile

Many congratulations graaja on a fine acquisition. Though you have opted for slightly older tech compared to the Octavia due to the wait period, you will still get years of happy riding with this well built product.

Wishing you safe and enjoyable years ahead with your ride.

Thank you for the wishes, dkaile! I sincerely hope the car gives me trouble free service for years like your Superb has been doing.

Originally Posted by pratika

Congratulations graaja for your new car! Wish you many happy miles.

The warranty coverage for rats chewing wires seems pretty awesome! Havent heard any company provide that sort of coverage. Is that something that is special to VW's Drive Assure Elite package that you mention? Or is it a special dealer offer?

Thank you for the wishes, pratika. The cover for the alloys and damages including rats chewing wires etc is part of the Drive Assure Elite package. I got the insurance from the dealer and the company is Bajaj.

[Baddychat]

Congratulations graaja on your new ride. Wishing you thousands of happy and safe miles on this car!

Excellent review and and great pictures to boot. There are quite of few new Jetta's on the forum these days. Happy mile crunching.

[MaddyCrew]

Congrats graaja. The colour lends it an understated but elegant look .

Thanks for that excellent review touching even the minute aspects of possibly one of the few well rounded cars available below the INR 25 Lakh mark. IMHO, the dealer attitude/ maintenance nightmares are keeping customers away from this car. Do keep the updates flowing in.

[W.A.G.7]

Congrats on your new acquisition! That's a very well written review of the Jetta. Something about Volkswagen cars makes you feel very nice. I only wish they improve their after sales service reputation (as stubborn) here. Wish you all the best with your ownership experience.

[Rakkum13]

Originally Posted by graaja

To answer your question about Octavia vs. Jetta.... So, in the mid variant, the choice is very clear, the Jetta.

Really well reasoned out and nicely explained! Thanks for the great write up. Wish you a tremendously satisfying ownership experience. Just one question though-given the rather low utilization figures (7000 k annually), wouldn't the car get dated before it is adequately made use of? After all 23 Lakhs is not a small price! Also, since you would have weighed pros and cons of DSG6, DSG7, wet/dry, CVT etc, could you please summarize the same? Thanks once again.

[Chethan B G]

Graaja, Congrats!!

Please stop being humble! You are very methodical in your write-up, needless to say that it was very interesting to go through your ownership experience.

Good choice of color. Upgrade to the headlights and the Dual Zone ACC has really made a lot of difference. There was so much confusion as to what was available in the new head light package - You have clarified the same. Thanks!

Were you able to get the excise benefit? Any thoughts / decision on extended warranty?

Please take care and drive safe!

[ayushagarwal26]

Congratulations! The Jetta is an awesome machine, and looks it too.

I was of the opinion that there was no auto climate control available on the Jetta at all. Have they updated this in 2014? Also, on which trims is it included?

[coloneljasi]

Congratulations on your new car, Graaja! A well-written review accompanied by photographs that look very professional.

Happy motoring and do keep us posted on how you get on with your car.

[Srikanthan]

Congratulations and welcome to the VW family. Its an excellent choice of machine and color.

Have you opted for extended warranty? I could not see that in your review.

Have safe drives.

[RohanDheman]

Many congratulations on the car and for putting up an excellent review. She looks absolutely smashing in the Platinum Grey.
Having the Skoda Laura with the same engine/gearbox combo, i can only imagine what fun the paddles would bring to the equation.
Do update your experience with using them as the kilometers add up.
Just a couple of questions- is the spare an alloy and how many airbags does she have?

Cheers
Rohan

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Baddychat

Congratulations graaja on your new ride. Wishing you thousands of happy and safe miles on this car!

Excellent review and and great pictures to boot. There are quite of few new Jetta's on the forum these days. Happy mile crunching.

Thank you for the wishes and kind words, Baddychat!

Originally Posted by MaddyCrew

Congrats graaja. The colour lends it an understated but elegant look . Thanks for that excellent review touching even the minute aspects of possibly one of the few well rounded cars available below the INR 25 Lakh mark. IMHO, the dealer attitude/ maintenance nightmares are keeping customers away from this car. Do keep the updates flowing in.

Thanks for the wishes and kind words, MaddyCrew. Here in Coimbatore, the attitude at the dealership is quite warm and friendly. I haven't found many reliability issues with Jetta owners in the forum. So, I am hopeful this car will serve me well reliably. Fingers crossed!

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Congrats on your new acquisition! That's a very well written review of the Jetta. Something about Volkswagen cars makes you feel very nice. I only wish they improve their after sales service reputation (as stubborn) here. Wish you all the best with your ownership experience.

Thank you for the wishes and kind words, W.A.G.7!

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

Graaja, Congrats!!

Please stop being humble! You are very methodical in your write-up, needless to say that it was very interesting to go through your ownership experience.

Good choice of color. Upgrade to the headlights and the Dual Zone ACC has really made a lot of difference. There was so much confusion as to what was available in the new head light package - You have clarified the same. Thanks!

Were you able to get the excise benefit? Any thoughts / decision on extended warranty?

Please take care and drive safe!

Thank you very much for your wishes, kind words and compliments Chethan Before seeing it in flesh, even I had lots of confusion on the lights with the terms Xenons, BiXenons, auto levelling, static cornering etc. After seeing the performance of the lights, I am at peace! There was nothing mentioned about excise benefits. The dealer gave me a good deal on the insurance. Today, they told me they will try to work out some cashback offer. Not sure how much cashback though. Maybe this cashback is from the excise duty cut. I have already decided to go with the extended warranty. It costs 46K for the additional 2 years. I am just waiting for them to release the cashback so that I can add some more and buy the extended warranty. Even if the cashback does not happen, I will be taking the EW next week. That would ensure some peace of mind for the next 4 years. How about you? Are you going for the extended warranty?

Originally Posted by ayushagarwal26

Congratulations! The Jetta is an awesome machine, and looks it too.

I was of the opinion that there was no auto climate control available on the Jetta at all. Have they updated this in 2014? Also, on which trims is it included?

Thank you for the wishes ayushagarwal26! Yes. The Jetta before facelift did not have automatic climate control. The 2014 models have dual zone climate control in all variants right from the base variant.

Originally Posted by coloneljasi

Congratulations on your new car, Graaja! A well-written review accompanied by photographs that look very professional. Happy motoring and do keep us posted on how you get on with your car.

Thank you for the wishes and kind words, coloneljasi!

Originally Posted by Srikanthan

Congratulations and welcome to the VW family. Its an excellent choice of machine and color. Have you opted for extended warranty? I could not see that in your review. Have safe drives.

Thank you for the wishes Srikanthan. I am planning to take the extended warranty either by the end of this week or early next week. It is costing 46K. I will update the thread once I get it.

Originally Posted by Rakkum13

Really well reasoned out and nicely explained! Thanks for the great write up. Wish you a tremendously satisfying ownership experience. Just one question though-given the rather low utilization figures (7000 k annually), wouldn't the car get dated before it is adequately made use of? After all 23 Lakhs is not a small price! Also, since you would have weighed pros and cons of DSG6, DSG7, wet/dry, CVT etc, could you please summarize the same? Thanks once again.

Thank you for the wishes, Rakkum13. Yes. at 7K km per year, it doesn't make any financial sense at all to buy such an expensive car. But then with my usage, I would never be able to get a high performance car if I looked at the financial aspect. So, I decided to take the hit on the economy and pay up more for the pleasure of driving. After all, you only live once

Based on what I have read about CVTs, they are wonderful for sedate in city driving. They return very good fuel economy and are very smooth to drive. But when you want to do some spirited driving where you need sudden surge of power to execute an overtaking maneuver, CVTs suffer from the rubber banding effect, where the engine RPM first shoots up with no increase in vehicle speed, and the speed slowly catching up with a lag (I guess the lag could be a couple of seconds). As most of my driving will be on highways, I totally ruled out the CVT. However, I confess, I have not driven a CVT car yet. Somehow, after reading all the reviews about the CVTs and the comparision to the Kinetic Honda (which I have driven), I developed a mindset that CVT cars will be like driving Kinetic Hondas!! I may be totally wrong there.

In terms of fun factor, DSG's are the best one could get. The time to up shift is somewhere around 8ms. VW has two types of DSGs that are most commonly used (there are others used in high end cars like Audis). The 6 speed wet clutch DSG or DQ250, and the 7 speed dry clutch DSG or the DQ200.

DQ250 is a technology that exists for quite some time. The DQ250 has a torque rating of 350Nm and hence is found in the diesel variants or petrol variants with more torque. As the DQ250 runs on wet clutch, there is some efficiency loss and also increased weight (this also increases the life of the clutch though).

So, VAG developed the DSG7 which has dry clutch with higher efficiency and lower weight. Also DQ200 has a lower torque limit of 250Nm and is found in cars with smaller engines, Polo GT TSi and Vento TSi are some examples (OT, for the 1.8TSi engine of Octavia, if a DQ250 gearbox were fitted, the engine could be easily tuned for higher torque. But because of the DSG7, the torque in the Octavia is limited to 250Nm).

The early design of DSG7 had many technical problems. The clutches, as they were dry used shudder in crawling speeds and also they wear out more in start and stop traffic. Also, VAG used synthetic oil inside their mechatronic (an electro mechanical device that operates the clutches and the gears). The synthetic oil created sulphur deposits in hot and humid climates which in turn resulted in short circuits in the mechatronic units. Because of this VAG had to recall more than 2 million cars (I am not sure about the exact number here) to replace the faulty DSG7. But most of the failures occured in their earlier design before 2011. As I know, VAG has made several improvements like better clutch, use of mineral oil instead of synthetic oil etc, because of which they claim DSG7 after 2011 does not have much trouble.

Having said that, the general opinion is that DSG6 is far more reliable than DSG7.

Hope this gives you the right picture.

Originally Posted by RohanDheman

Many congratulations on the car and for putting up an excellent review. She looks absolutely smashing in the Platinum Grey.
Having the Skoda Laura with the same engine/gearbox combo, i can only imagine what fun the paddles would bring to the equation.
Do update your experience with using them as the kilometers add up.
Just a couple of questions- is the spare an alloy and how many airbags does she have?

Cheers
Rohan

Thank you very much for the wishes and kind words, Rohan! The spare is not an alloy but is the same size. It comes with 6 airbags - driver and passenger, 2 curtain airbags and 2 side airbags for the driver and the passenger. I have not yet been able to use the paddles to the full extent. They were not of much use in the hills. Looking forward to some winding roads where I can put them to their full use. I will keep updating the threads with my new experiences with the car.

[kutts]

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[S.MJet]

Congratulations graaja
Very well narrated review & excellent pictures there, thanks.

Best thing I liked is your selection process, you have been patient & thorough in choosing the right car.

One of my senior colleague recently picked up Jetta MT, same color & I can tell you, it looks very neat & very premium.

Wishing you many happy miles ahead.

Drive safe.

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by graaja

How about you? Are you going for the extended warranty?

I have already booked it. I have to collect the warranty booklet when I visit Mysore next time...

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post3241081

Any update on these 3 black switches on the roof panel?