In the quest to save money on fuel, my wife desperately wanted a Toyota Prius. Upon a closer look we found that the Prius was simply an economy car (read: interior is chincy and made out of sub par materials (inexpensive plastic with faux textures)) based on an inexpensive platform with only one thing in mind. Keeping the weight down to improve fuel economy. Strong consideration to handling, braking, acceleration were all thrown out the window in favor of the scale. Myself being a car enthusiast, I was almost insulted that such items in a modern day car could be ignored. I strongly feel that the aforementioned qualities are imperative for a safe vehicle. I believe that the safest vehicle is the vehicle that can avoid an accident whether it by by accelerating onto the freeway, braking in time to avoid hitting something/someone and able to successfully maneuver to avoid a collision at speed. Deciding to ditch out on any hybrid models as any "normal" cars fitted with hybrid tech simply didn't have the fuel savings without sacrificing the quality of the car. So we moved on to diesel. The Volkswagen Jetta TDI was on the short list of diesel vehicles available in the states. I went in open minded with no expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. The Jetta was a sharp looking car on the outside. Upon getting in the car, I was blown away. My current and past cars have been BMW M's and Porsche (911TT and Cayenne TT) and have gotten used to the very high quality of materials and design. The Jetta was right up there with the other top German automakers. While our other cars were the power horses of the family, this car you could jump in and feel familiar with the cockpit, while getting excellent fuel economy (the shortfall of our other cars). The braking is excellent for a car in this class, with great modulation and feedback. The handling is very responsive and well controlled. You can feel confident with any emergency avoidance maneuvers (unlike many other cars). On the highway, the car is very solid. One of my wife's biggest complaints about the Prius was that on the highway the car felt as if it was getting blown all over the road by oncoming traffic and wind gusts (that was 2nd to the Prius's uncomfortable seats). The one thing that I geek out on is the transmission. Our Jetta TDI is equipped with the 6 speed DSG transmission. Completely seamless, instantaneous gear changes. All of the high end sports cars are moving over to DSG transmissions due to their speed, minimal acceleration losses between gear changes and smoothness. I had a very bad experience with my last BMW M5 which only had a single clutch (SMG III) tranny, and this car with the dual clutch setup was a night and day difference. I have never experienced any issues starting out from a stop or being in the right gear like I did with the M5. (The new M5 and M3 have DSG transmissions in them as an option) To sum it up, I am very impressed with this car. Decent power, excellent reliability, quiet, handles and brakes well and being a fuel miser tops off the package. All without being blown off the road and distracted by images of your car charging on the dash.

I like the precise handling and braking. The suspension is a good balance of comfort and sportiness. The manual transmission and clutch operate with precision. I got the cheapest model available and it still has all the power features, terrific 8-speaker stereo, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, stability control, traction control, electronic differential lock and heated seats. Plus, it has front seat and side curtain air-bags. I don't understand some reviewers complaining about expensive service, the maintenance is pre-paid for the first 36,000 miles! Yes, it takes more than 6-quarts of expensive synthetic oil; but for anyone wanting to take care of their car, that's a good thing. The standard 2.5L engine has 170-hp, way more than anything in its size/price category. Because of the standard safety features and anti-theft device, insurance is cheaper than my Honda!

I previously drove a 2000 VW Jetta VR6, with having the power of the VR6 I was skeptical the new 5 cylinder engine would be sufficient to the power I am used to. I was pleasantly surprised! Still has the great handling, the smooth transition between gears, more space than my previous Jetta, and stylish too!

GLI with a TDI is a great combination that VW should have made a long time ago. You get the quality and fun vehicle for much less price than some other petrol cars on the market. As always all the essentials are there that you may expect from VW

- My 2007 Volkswagen Jetta may be a base model, but it is definitely not a penalty box. It really is a great car and I'm glad I purchased it. I'll admit that Volkswagen wasn't even on my list. I was looking for American cars but on my way to a Chevy dealership I happened to see a Volkswagen dealership and decided to stop in. The dealer put me in a black Jetta with a 5-speed manual and only 31,000 on the odometer. I drove it for 5 minutes and immediately fell in love with the car. Performance is totally respectable for that 2.5L 5-cylinder motor under the hood. The car only makes 150 hp but it definitely feels much more powerful. I can do wild and crazy burnouts with both wheels spinning on command. Its engine noise is very different but sounds great. Gas mileage is also totally respectable. I'm averaging around 20 mpg in the city (my driving style is spirited so that's pretty good) and I get about 33 mpg on the highway at a steady 85 mph. The ride is a little stiff but it's supple enough to not be punishing. That stiff ride makes the car handle beautifully. The steering is practically telepathic and is weighted nicely. The 5-speed manual transmission feels great. The shifter feels great in the hand and feels good as you row through the gears. The clutch is a little bit tall for my liking but the pedal take-up is light and linear. The brakes perform and feel better than the brakes in my grandfather's BMW 328xi sedan. The styling of the exterior is handsome but a bit plain. Since my car is the base model it comes with 15-inch steel wheels with hubcaps which are boring but don't look too bad. I love the turn signal repeaters on the side view mirrors but I could do without the factory rear spoiler. The interior is very attractive with high quality materials. The blue and red backlit controls and gauges look great and the 10 speaker AM/FM stereo with a CD player and auxiliary input jack is loud with crystal-clear sound. The front seats have plenty of adjustment and the steering wheel both tilts and telescopes allowing anyone to get comfortable but some of the adjustments are awkward to reach. The car has plenty of headroom and legroom front and rear although hip room is a little tight since it's such a narrow car. This car must have been designed with performance in mind because the seats are incredibly comfortable and have tons of lateral support making them awesome for drives down my favorite twisty roads. The trunk is massive and the car won't tire you out over long distances making it a great road trip car. With regard to the interior my biggest complaint is the lack of rear cup holders. In order to get rear cup holders you must order the car with the rear center armrest. This is a major oversight in my opinion. I've never even heard of another car with upholders being optional. Cup holders are also really important for me because I'm always driving friends around and my rear passengers need them. So far the cost of ownership has been cheap, although I've only had the car for 2 months and 4,000 miles. The only thing I've had to put money into was gas. It’s just a rewarding car to drive and I would recommend it to anyone.