Volkswagen Jetta Wagon 2003Change

So this is one of VWs that was actually made entirely in Germany. This has been, hands down, the BEST car I have ever shared my life with. Never, never let me down. Peppy, reliable, little workhorse. This wagon has been schlepping furniture, appliances, dogs, bicycles, etc. for many years without a complaint. Thanks to those rotten concrete parking barrier things, I have managed to take the front end off her a few times, but she takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Super easy shifting, very durable leather interior, and it has a great sound system. Will be very sad when I finally drive it into the ground and it gets towed away as a donation to the Kidney foundation. But that won't be any time soon!

We have owned it for 4 years and have had no issues whatsoever with this vehicle.
We have put on ~60,000km since purchasing it and love the gas mileage we get with it.

Car has never let me down, love it! Great on gas and loads of room for the family. Manual transmission is fun and 1.8 turbo engine has lots of power on the highway for passing.

I've owned the vehicle for 9 years and has been the most dependable car I've ever owned. Best fuel economy at even 450,000km. Fit and finish is great and still feels as solid as it did in 2004. My wife's GM vehicle only had 150,000 and felt very clunky at the same age!

The wagon has been very versatile providing over 5' in depth and over 3' wide to transport items - able to carry a bathtub with room to spare!

Only complaint would be the headlight covers loose their clarity.

There aren't a lot of cars that can be everything to everyone, but my 2003 Jetta Wagon TDI diesel comes pretty close. It's cavernous inside for its footprint, yet is easy to park. Even in stock tune, there is plenty of torque underfoot to power you up hills without having to gear down even fully loaded with the AC on, yet returns mileage that can shame a hybrid, especially on the highway. And how much can a Prius tow?

One great thing about this particular model year is the ALH version of the VW TDI engine. It isn't as refined or clean as the PD and CR engines that followed it starting in 2004, but it is more fuel efficient, less complex, and has proven to be quite reliable (properly maintained). But what I like best about it is how much more power you can easily attain from it with a few simple modifications, without sacrificing reliability or - amazingly - fuel economy. As parts wear out I've been replacing them with upgrades, and as of this writing I have installed bigger nozzles, had the ECU re-tuned by a noted TDI tuner and upgraded the clutch to handle the extra torque. The original power numbers were 90 HP and 155lbs-ft of torque, and with these mods I'm now making roughly 122 and 228. This has transformed the personality of this car, obviously, and I'm still averaging 5.5 L/100KMs without trying.

With any European car you'll have a variety of quirky issues, but these are minor annoyances that don't affect my happiness with this car. I am going to try to keep this thing forever; at 320,000 KMs, it's still young for a diesel, which also means that I don't mind spending money to keep everything in top condition.

Also make sure you find a reputable mechanic (a TDI specialist) near you. And spend time on the forums at TDIClub.com. Not everyone is qualified to work on these engines and even VW dealerships are not known for their expertise, or their ability to save you money on repairs like a good "guru" can.

Great car. Turbo is a nice feature, but having to use premium gas is a negative.

Very comfy, great performance. Minimal rust.
typical older VW minor electrical problems.

this car has been reliable has never left me down or broke down I had a front wheel bearing replaced but managed to drive to dealer.... the best part of owning this car was fuel economy I consistantly got from 4.9 to 5.2 L per 100 k
this is pretty hard to beat ever with the Hybrids
I thought I would drive it to the ground but my wife would like to upgrade and get an auto transmission
Yep I know just the vehicle .... Jetta/Diesel with autotrac

If you're looking for a car that combines the fuel economy of a diesel with the room and spaciousness of an SUV and the reliability of German engineering then look no further. With room for 5 people and their gear and the ability to get 1000+ km on a single tank of fuel, this is a perfect vehicle for someone wanting a car for all their needs. And with many factory and aftermarket options available for these cars, there's no end to the ways a person can personalize it. And when properly maintained, these cars are more than capable of running over 1 million kms!

Comfortable, quick, cheap, reliable and practical. It's not winning any awards for looks, but that's a minor and subjective fault.

Interior design is typically German - function over form. Mine has the wood trim which is a nice touch. It breaks up all the black plastic. Every button is easy to read and has a nice feel when pressed.

The monsoon audio system isn't bad but lacks features like bluetooth, aux or USB input. However, it's a 2003, that's to be expected.

The best part of the Jetta wagon though is it's large enough to be practical for virtually anyone while still feeling like a car. It's not heavy or boat-like at all.

On highway journeys I see an average of about 35mpg. I've seen as high as 40 however. It's a very fuel efficient engine and the turbo pulls nicely.

Amazing fuel economy with zippy engine. Lots of room inside and a no fuss diesel engine.
I have a standard and it offers complete control.
There really is no down side to this car.

We bought the Jetta Wagon as a replacement for a GTI VR6 because we loved the seats in the GTI, and both myself, at almost six feet tall, and my wife, at five feet, can adjust the seat to a comfortable driving position and the seats are also really comfortable, which is really important to us. We also chose it because it had a bit more cargo space and the rear doors were better than having to go through the front doors when putting my daughter's infant seat into its base. I also like the way that the VW rides, with a firm suspension that isn't sloppy, though on rough highways it is a bit, well, rough—it's about as close as I could get to a GTI wagon, and it handles quite well because I kept my 17-inch summer tires and separate winter wheels and tires.

Despite being a smaller engine, it is still powerful and fast, but the automatic transmission is really jerky. However, it takes premium gasoline and requires synthetic oil, so every fill up and oil change is more expensive.

The stereo isn't great, but at least it has a CD player, although if you use the cupholders, the stereo controls are blocked, which is a royal pain. At night, the gauges are lit up in blue, and the speedometer wand is orangey red, a colour/lighting scheme I've always thought was cool, and it makes most all the controls really easy to find at night, except when the lights sometimes die on the heating controls.

One of the things I love about the Jetta Wagon is the cargo bay—it's no huge, but it is big and square, so it's easy to throw in strollers and bags, and there are even bag hooks if we don't want something to roll around.