Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 Turbo FSI Review: Jet-ta

It is easy to drive, with no bad habits or any particular short comings. Typical of any Volkswagen, this car is well sorted out, and will not disappoint in terms of ride quality and handling.

Subjective to individual preferences, one might like this sporty touch to the exhaust note while the windows are down, or not. There is a lovely, bassy drone just above idling speeds when the Jetta coasts along the road at 30-50km/h in gears 3-5.

The Jetta, really, has carved itself into a nice little niche. For $119,200, you get very few competitors. For example, the all wheel driven Mazda 6 MPS 2.3 turbo can be had for a little less, but it is a 2.3 litre unit which incurs more in terms of road tax, and there are a precious few units left in Singapore.

Then, there is the more expensive Saab 9-3 2.0 light pressure turbo that isn’t half as fast, nor sporty to drive.

The Ford’s Focus ST 2.5 turbo manual would be the other hot hatch with loads of boot space to watch out for, and it goes for just about $100,000, but it isn’t a basis for comparison as well, not to mention higher road tax costs.

Finally, for $111,000 the all wheel drive Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT might be another consideration, but the rather disappointing engine and transmission are worlds apart from that of the Jetta’s 2 litre turbo and 6 speed DSG.

So when it comes to the crunch, we have to admit that the Jetta is no match for the Golf GTI in terms of driving ability, but really, this car isn’t any less fun to drive.

The Jetta will cater to a wider range of buyers. Whether you are a high flying professional who needs the image to go along with your career while acknowledging a world outside of Mercedes-Benz and BMW, or the family man with kids who needs his space, you will not want to discount this car for the brilliant piece of machinery it is!

Credits: Text and Photos by Amery Reuben