2009 City Jetta purchased new and owned for 4 years, 92000KM.

Previous experience with the “more upscale” 2006 Jetta before going to the “City” version. Expectations were lowered, and overall, I’m impressed…As long as you remember that this was designed as a basic, spartan, runaround car that was to offer late 90’s German engineering at the lowest price point possible in the 2007-2010 timeframe.

Pros:
Ignore the specs - This is a zippy little car that is nimble and performs well above its reported HP/torque specs. Responsive handling, quick off the line, legitimately fun to drive – a great little city runaround car. At the time of ownership my other regular driver was a 2009 BMW 328i RWD – When driving them back to back, I wasn’t necessarily disappointed getting into the VW. Also, aftermarket support is widely available with many affordable options.

Cons:
This car was not designed for long drive comfort, nor was it trying to wow anyone with luxury or tech. Back seat and trunk are very small. I could not drive or sit comfortably as a passenger with a rear facing child seat installed in the back (I’m 5’8”). Seats not very comfortable after an hour. Fuel economy was below average - Even with a soft pedal this thing was mediocre at the pumps. Not sure if this was normal, but I found that this car burned off about 1L of oil every 6000km. Even without the fancy bells and whistles, the feared German quality reputation was evident: 2 different headlamps, 1 radio bulb requiring replacement and 1 unexpected coolant shortage light before 50000km. Long term high mileage owners may be best off finding a trustworthy German mechanic for the inevitable major breakdowns, and just accept and live with any minor optional malfunctions.

Bottom line: Great for a student or family 2nd car for short runarounds.

2009 model purchased CPO from a BMW dealer in 2011 with 31000km. Review written in 2017 at 150000km.

I was nervous about the luxury German reliability stories…Thankfully my experience is only partly true. Purchased the extended RFT warranty and had to use it with a defective tire within the first 20000km.

The RWD experience is as fun as advertised. The 230hp is modest compared to many modern sport compacts and sedans out there but the refinement, transmission and power delivery are among the best in the industry – Same can be said for cabin comfort and refinement. No issues from 2 adults in the rear seat for space. Trunk also generous for the vehicle class. Winter driving not the best, but manageable – I will avoid RWD until I start shopping for a car exclusively for fun. Interior is “Spartan”, but functional. BMW iDrive (in this 2009 model) was overall well executed. Exterior design still quite sharp after 8 years IMO.

Dealer warranty wasn’t always the most pleasant – You will likely be nickled and dimed and denied full repair at first assessment. But if you have tact, you can get them to fully honor the written agreement. Wear and tear maintenance is pricey and required more frequently than mainstream brands, but I think the trade-off is worth it. The biggest blemish on this experience was an alternator that required replacement at 70000km. It required 3 dealer trips and some pushback, but I got it covered under warranty (was told that it would have been an $1800 fix). Also, both tail lamps required replacement inside of 100000km ($350 each), some intermittent single stereo speaker cutout noted around 90000km, non-functioning AC at 140000km (low cost band aid fix).

Bottom line: High price, high expectations, and after 6 years and 120000km of ownership, I am very satisfied with the experience.

This is the car full of compromises targeted specifically for that compromising time of your life. Have 1 or 2 kids and need extra space but not too much extra space? Need a realistically usable 3rd row? Want something still relatively fun to drive? This car really is a jack of all trades…but master of none.
Pros:
-It handles like a Mazda3 with a really big behind. Driving solo is fun (for what it is). Driving with another 2 adults is considerably dulled.
-Sliding doors. You can legally install 4 child seats. The third row is actually usable for average height passengers (all six seats set comfortably if everyone is 5'10").
-Cheap aftermarket support for the DIYer (basically a Mazda3 ranging from 2004-2013).
Cons:
-Interior tech is as low as it gets in the industry (forgivable as previously sales showed little interest in expensive tech). However, the interior build quality is borderline unacceptable. Hard, cheap easily scratched plastics everywhere, above average panel gaps, cheap adhesives that don’t hold more than a year. I drove a 2002 base model Chrysler Neon with an interior that held up better than this.
-Noise/vibration/harshness: Bad. To get that athletic ride and above average fuel economy, you’ll have to live in one of the loudest cabins that doesn’t exactly absorb every bump in the road. A trade-off that I deem worth it, but be warned.
-Cheap exterior panels and paint compared to other mainstream brands. Paint easily chips and scratches, panels feel too light and can dislodge easily.

Bottom line: If I had to make the decision again I would buy it in a lower trim and save the money spent on the cheap and poorly executed OEM options. This is the semi-athletic,
purposeful people mover and nothing more. Any comfort and luxury options are negated by the poor noise/vibration/harshness of the ride. Those with refined tastes should look elsewhere.