Clarkson pisses on the MKV Jetta

[liketheword]

"What really pisses me off about the Jetta is that Volkswagen has the flair and the panache to make the Bugatti Veyron"



Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/dri...cle3289887.ece

[skyline513]

Wow.. he really doesn't like that car

[Topher]

He's such a great writer.

[liketheword]

Agreed, he is a great writer. He has an unparalleled column combination of specific, succinct, and clear that are all at once entertaining to read to boot!

I see his points on this one, and I have to agree. Of the current VW line-up the CC & Golf are the only cars that do it for me. I want to like the wagons (because I like wagons) but, they just don't have the styling or configuration options that would flip my switches.

[Digital K]

old story. but funny I dont like the mkV's that much either. to me though, they are pretty thoughtfully laid out. the 2.5 is a dog however....

[skyline513]

I think he test drove the 2.0t though

[SLK]

The only new VW I like is my Passat. I don't really care for the MKV and the MKVI isn't much better. It's growing on me but I still don't think I would ever want to own one.

[liketheword]

I think he test drove the 2.0t though

Yep. That is what the article said.

[Digital K]

no. he drove the naturally aspirated 2.0 148bhp in a mkV. painful.

[liketheword]

no. he drove the naturally aspirated 2.0 148bhp in a mkV. painful.

Agreed less entertaining then the boosted model. However, it seems the engine in and of itself isn't the issue, as in other cars he likes it just fine.

Then there’s the engine. This is the 2 litre direct injection jobbie you find in various other VWs and Audis and it’s normally not bad. But the Jetta seems to suck all the life out of it.

It seems the car as a whole he has beef with.

I’d love to meet the man who styled the exterior, to find out if he’d done it as some sort of a joke. But mostly I’d like to meet the man who simply didn’t bother at all with the interior. Because looking at that dashboard gives you some idea of what it might be like to be dead.

What I’m most interested in is why on earth this car was made in the first place, because it’s actually a Golf with a boot. Or to put it another way, a Golf that’s a bit uglier, a bit heavier, a bit slower, a bit less practical, a bit less economical and a lot more boring to drive.

Not only does any of it's single parts tickle his fancy, but it appears the package as a whole doesn't come together in a harmony that he likes.

I can respect that.

Also, I imagine he would have a similar take on the 2.5 model available here.

I am not bagging on the MkV as a whole, as I do dig the GTI. Just figured I would share some of Clarkson's well written and thought-out critique. He seems to capture most automotive things quite well in my opinion, and for me w/ this he is spot on. I wanted to see what others thought of his take.

[Russo]

The 2.5 Jetta is terrible. It's awful and boring in every way and if the 2.0 version sucks as much, I don't blame Clarkson for hating it.

[hamradio]

The only current VW that I actually like is the Sportwagen TDI.

[iSpeed]

"I’d love to meet the man who styled the exterior, to find out if he’d done it as some sort of a joke. But mostly I’d like to meet the man who simply didn’t bother at all with the interior. Because looking at that dashboard gives you some idea of what it might be like to be dead." Jeremy Clarkson

Well said. Gotta say I'm with him on this one. MKV is blah at best.

[skyline513]

But I like my MKV GLI