I took my Jetta back into Lunde's (again, see my 1st complaint above) and they had my car for a month. They replaced the O rings, as people have mentioned on here and I was told that NOW VW has remade all the o rings to work and fit properly in the transmission. I picked up my car at Lunde's and immediately went to get gas. I was waiting in line with the car in park & still running. When I went to put the car in drive said restart engine! So the car shut off on me! I called Lunde's back and was told if it happens again to call them. Well, it did, and I did not call them back because I opened up a case with VW of America to try to get a buyback or replacement vehicle. Now I have to wait to see if my auto loan company First Investors will process the Substitution of Collateral request.
First of all, as I mentioned, you can feel the added power (and torque) the 2019 edition benefits from as you bring the pedal closer to the metal. The manual gearbox is a charm to use and shifting is smooth. The DSG is as effective as ever, though when the car is put through its last shifts, it does sometimes struggle to keep up. Also, even when using the manual mode, it ends up intervening, which can spoil the fun when you鈥檙e attacking corners with aggression. For most buyers, of course, that won鈥檛 really come into play. The chassis is solid and the VAQ system is effective when entering corners. I might also add reassuring, especially on wet road surfaces. For the rest, the general level of comfort inside is excellent. The Jetta GLI can be thoroughly enjoyable even when you don鈥檛 drive it to extremes. The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI comes with both good and bad news. The good has to do with the content VW is offering, both in terms of the equipment included and the mechanical components that make it run. This a solid product. Well, the container, in short. The Jetta GLI is not ugly, but to attract buyers it really could have done with some bolder and more distinctive styling. Alas, Volkswagen did not push the envelope there. But it also means it鈥檚 hard to imagine the model experiencing strong sales success. Although, there is the price reduction to factor in. Maybe that will be enough of an incentive?
The Civic's higher trims don't skimp on features either, with leather upholstery and heated seats, a 7-inch touchscreen and, at the highest trim level, a 450-watt stereo. But there aren't any cooled seats, and certainly no digital dash. The Civic's gauge cluster has a somewhat awkward design, so it's hard to read key information at a glance. Finally, the touchscreen's small buttons can make it frustrating to use while in motion. In terms of tech features that deliver both a real wow factor and excellent usability, the Jetta has the edge. Under the Jetta's hood you'll find a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 147 horsepower and returns an EPA-estimated 34 mpg in combined city/highway driving. As an option, the Civic comes with a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 174 horsepower and returning 36 mpg combined. The Jetta's down on power compared to the Civic's turbo engine, and it also has a less sophisticated suspension design than the Civic.
The results of that design are less engaging handling and a slightly busier ride when the pavement gets rough. The Jetta has enough torque that around town it doesn't feel slow, especially when paired with the smooth automatic eight-speed transmission. However, the Civic is quicker, livelier and just more fun when equipped with the optional turbocharged engine. The Civic sedan has an extra cubic foot of storage space (15.1 cubic feet versus 14.1 in the Jetta), while the Jetta has about an extra half-inch of headroom for rear passengers. Both possess an impressive amount of rear legroom - enough for most adults. The Jetta feels slightly more open and airy, but in either case, you get a compact sedan with almost midsize space. Honda managed to fit all this space into a smaller package: The Civic is almost 3 inches shorter than the Jetta, and it weighs slightly less. Honda's excellent packaging goes hand in hand with excellent build quality. The Civic's interior feels solid and sturdy. The new Jetta is certainly a step up from past iterations, and its interior design lends it a more upscale appearance.
Volkswagen is more sure than ever of its product, and the company is backing it up with an impressive six-year/72,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. The Civic's bumper-to-bumper lasts three years or 36,000 miles. While Honda has a great history of making reliable vehicles, Volkswagen's new warranty adds peace of mind. 19,440 for a base model that's functional but lacks the upgrades that really make the car stand out. 27,695. These prices include destination fees. 1,000 on midlevel Civic trims. The Civic comes in more than one body style, namely a hatchback and coupe, and has sporty variants, the Si and the Type R, so Honda offers a lot more variety. EDMUNDS SAYS: The new Volkswagen Jetta is a big step forward for VW: It's roomy, just like the last Jetta, but it now has a wow factor that can rival some cars costing thousands more. The warranty coverage is impressive, too. The Civic offers all the same practicality in a smartly packaged, solidly built vehicle that's both efficient and engaging to drive. With pricing so close, and the Jetta's six-year warranty to level the playing field with Honda's reputation for trouble-free ownership, choosing between the two cars comes down to deciding what you want from a compact sedan. Go with the Jetta if in-car technology is a priority for you. But for sharp handling and zippy power, the Civic is going to be more appealing. This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. Will Kaufman is a staff writer at Edmunds. This undated photo provided by Honda shows the 2018 Honda Civic Sedan. While automakers still offer inexpensive utilitarian trim levels of small cars, they are increasingly creating high-end, luxury-like versions as well. The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta is compared to the king of compacts, and one of the best small cars on the market, the Honda Civic.
