Decisions, Decisions - Jetta vs. Golf

After owning various VAG products in the past, I found myself in an ES330 for a number of years as a result of a deal that was too good to pass up. It’s about time to move on and I want to get back into a VW again. For practicality I am looking at used MKVI TDI models. Most likely it will be a 2011 unless I can find a 2012 in my price range. I am debating both the Golf and Jetta and trying to decide which way to go. I have been reading these boards and those at Vortex to try and get a better feel for the pros and cons of each model to make the decision. Obviously the powertrain is the same so we’re really looking at form factor and a few other things.

Jetta Pros: More legroom (esp.in the rear); leatherette (preferred to cloth), better styling (opinion only); larger cargo storage (trunk), more interior cabin storage…

Golf Pros: More steering wheel controls, flexibility of hatchback design, independent rear suspension; better interior build; better/more cluster gauges…

From a price and availability perspective, the Jetta seems to be more widely available, and prices for both the Jetta and Golf with the trim level that I want seem to be about the same. For those of you that have more experience than I do, I would appreciate any input on something that I am overlooking or not considering. I’ll probably also put this in the MKVI Golf forum as well to “balance out the bias…”

Looks like you've done your research pretty well. I've always been a hatchback guy, never cared for sedan styling as much (though the MKIV Jetta is one of my favorite all time cars ) but the only input I can give you is this:

I spent a day at a VW dealership test driving everything I was interested in back to back. I drove a Jetta TDI, GLI, Golf 2.5, Golf TDI, GTI, Passat TDI, and a JSW TDI. After test driving each one, then re-trying the Jetta TDI, Golf TDI and Passat TDI again; the Golf drives the best of them all.

The GTI is obviously the clear "fun" drive winner; but for all around feel, handling and comfort combined the Golf TDI does it best.

I would suggest taking each one for a long test drive over the same route before you finalize your decision

im somehow biased, the cloth seats in golf are very grippy with the nice side support, like the GTI, soft dash, sport suspension ( according to vw). The abailability may also give you some hints. I came from jetta mk5, if they made mk6 the same way i would have opted for jetta, but for me theres no comparison here, agree with the post above, i abslutely love my golf

DubFamily said:

I've always been a hatchback guy, never cared for sedan styling as much )

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My last B5.5 was a wagon and I like the practicality of the hatch, but I'm just not sold on the overall styling of the JSW which is why it wasn't on the list.

I chose the Jetta simply because of the space and affordability. I sat in the Golf and yes it was nice on the inside, but I could not justify spending more money for less practicality. Less=more$$ did not sell me on the day I bought the TDI. Interior wise, my Jetta has the soft touch dashboard and also power reclining seats. I don't have any rattles and the car performs just fine without the IRS. I liked the Golf, but more money up front for less room, of which for me is the selling point, let me choose the Jetta.

Great feedback so far.

gtab55 - From the prices that I have seen over the last 30-60 days of looking, the Golf and Jetta are about on par with the options that I want. I've heard that the 2013 Jettas have slightly better interiors than the 2011 Jettas, but I haven't been in a 2011 to say for sure. I looked at both Jetta & Golf 2013 models at the dealer last week and they were close (slight edge to the Golf, but not enough to make that the final factor).

That's good if they are on par with eachother. Like I said before, what I was really looking for was roominess and the Golf did not have as much as the Jetta. Dealer also was quite motivated to sell Jettas the day I was there. The only thing that really upsets me is that Golfs have amber turn signals in the rear, but this is more of a pet peeve of mine.

do you know why the dealer was more motivated to sell jetta? maybe this is the "sign" ? my advice try both pick what you like better. This is not about the size only.

gtab55 said:

That's good if they are on par with eachother. Like I said before, what I was really looking for was roominess and the Golf did not have as much as the Jetta. Dealer also was quite motivated to sell Jettas the day I was there. The only thing that really upsets me is that Golfs have amber turn signals in the rear, but this is more of a pet peeve of mine.

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The difference here is the the OP is currently looking at 2011 Jettas/Golfs. The 2011s did not have the soft touch dash, better plastics on the doors, or the full MFD displays, so you are actually getting a lot less for less with them compared to a Golf of the same year.

Newer '13 Jettas have been improved due to those complaints so they are more on par with the equivalent Golfs.

really soft dash is such a petty complaint..i personally dont feel up my dash so it is no concern, the door plastics are more then fine...Only thing id want is the full mfd which is easily done from what i hear.....irs is standard now on the jetta so that is out the window too...not that the beam isnt good i see no issues with mine it handles very well even doing spirited extreme cornering ive never had it break loose

I wouldn't buy anything right now. The Golf is going to be replaced next Spring as a 2015 on a new platform with a new engine, and the Jetta is getting IRS and an upgraded interior for 2014 along with the new EA288 engine later in 2014. Both are worth waiting for, IMO.

I have a '12 Golf and my daughter has a '13 Jetta, albeit a gasser, so I've spent time in both cars. I like both of them. The interior on the Jetta isn't quite as nice as the Golf, but it's not a big difference. The LED fuel gauge and no temp gauge bothers me, but I think that may change for 2014. And it has a lot more space inside as well as a really good sized trunk compared to the Golf. But the Golf has more utility, is shorter, and handles better with firmer springs and damping. I prefer cloth seats so that's a plus for the Golf, for me at least. I think you could be happy with either, but wait for the next Gen if it's a Golf, or at least for a 2014 if you're shopping for a Jetta.

Savageman69 said:

really soft dash is such a petty complaint..i personally dont feel up my dash so it is no concern, the door plastics are more then fine...Only thing id want is the full mfd which is easily done from what i hear.....irs is standard now on the jetta so that is out the window too...not that the beam isnt good i see no issues with mine it handles very well even doing spirited extreme cornering ive never had it break loose

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Petty? It really rather depends on what you do with the car, now doesn't it? I spend 20+ hours a week in my car; and put 40,000 miles a year on it. It isn't just touch, it is appearance and longetivity (hard plastics tend to loosen/rattle faster than softer materials); and when you are looking at the interior of the car that much, appearance matters...

And sorry; the beam makes a huge difference in how it handles, as does the added length and softer suspension.

DubFamily said:

Petty? It really rather depends on what you do with the car, now doesn't it? I spend 20+ hours a week in my car; and put 40,000 miles a year on it. It isn't just touch, it is appearance and longetivity (hard plastics tend to loosen/rattle faster than softer materials); and when you are looking at the interior of the car that much, appearance matters...

And sorry; the beam makes a huge difference in how it handles, as does the added length and softer suspension.

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I have 52K on my Jetta with no squeaks or rattles, bought I also don't spend 20+ hours a week laying in my dash.

i spend 15hrs a week plus in my car and never has my dash caused me stress, nor does it make a flying crap difference that its hard...it cleans easier looks good and makes no sounds....my mk4 had a soft dash and i didnt even know for 2 years its really not a big deal.

day to day driving the difference between beam and irs is not noticable....only reason you will say this is because you know its a beam....were not f1 racing the beam system is MORE then suitable to handle anything day to day driving can throw at it....ive even played on a track with a ss supercharged colbalt and it couldnt take the corners as fast as my old technology beam.

Wife and i have both cars, jetta manual, golf dsg.

All depends on what you want, i love my jetta, love the room, love the look and ive got 18" wheels so its pretty grippy.

Wife likes her golf only thing she has issue with is the trunk size.

Have you looked at sportwagons? To me it would be the best of both worlds as long as you dont need the rear leg room

bmwM5power said:

do you know why the dealer was more motivated to sell jetta? maybe this is the "sign" ? my advice try both pick what you like better. This is not about the size only.

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I can only speculate being he had so many on the lot and there weren't very many being moved (from looking at the build date). Compared to the other small car models of VW (Golf, JSW, ~Passat), Jetta seemed to dominate their lot.

I was not looking to cause any controversy so hopefully it will stay civilized (I can go to the other boards for drama). Here's more info - I am a (nearly) 40 tech exec., 6'0, 175lbs. I drive approx 18 miles each way to & from the office w/ @ 20K/year total with approx 50/50 mix city/highway. Two sub 10 year old kids would be riding in the back.

Soft dash is a non-issue unless the same materials also flow to the center console and door dills/panels. I've been in a 2013, but is a 2011 different?

As to availability, VW sold 177K Jettas and 35K Golfs in 2011 so I expect that same ratio reflected in the used market. I am buying used (don't want a payment) so it will most likely be a 2011 or 2012 if I can find one at a reasonable price with the config that I am looking for. As to options, I want AT, sunroof and fogs - anything else is a bonus.

To keep on track 99IndigoBlueWagon hits on exactly what I am looking for - the things that I may be missing. He brings up a good point that I hadn't considered - the Jetta has a digital fuel gauge where the Golf is analog (although both are probably electronic). I had issues with my B5.5 cluster that required replacement.

I am beginning to think that I may end up with whatever is the best deal at the time that I am ready to pull the trigger.

elconquistador said:

I have 52K on my Jetta with no squeaks or rattles, bought I also don't spend 20+ hours a week laying in my dash.

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Funny

Savageman69 said:

i spend 15hrs a week plus in my car and never has my dash caused me stress, nor does it make a flying crap difference that its hard...it cleans easier looks good and makes no sounds....my mk4 had a soft dash and i didnt even know for 2 years its really not a big deal.
day to day driving the difference between beam and irs is not noticable....only reason you will say this is because you know its a beam....were not f1 racing the beam system is MORE then suitable to handle anything day to day driving can throw at it....ive even played on a track with a ss supercharged colbalt and it couldnt take the corners as fast as my old technology beam.

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I think perhaps you missed my point (or I didn't make it well). I stated that there are differences between '11s and '13s; you stated the differences are petty... What is petty to you may or may not be to other people; that's why they want to know what those differences are to begin with. Why do you think VW changed the Jetta interior in the '13 model? I can assure you it wasn't to save them money; it was due to complaints from owners about perceived quality differences.
As for the beam; I could tell the difference in less than 2 miles of driving, so yes, it most certainly makes a difference. Once again, I never said it was better or worse; I simply said different. If you like it, awesome! I didn't, that's why I'm in a Golf instead

branshew said:

I was not looking to cause any controversy so hopefully it will stay civilized (I can go to the other boards for drama). Here's more info - I am a (nearly) 40 tech exec., 6'0, 175lbs. I drive approx 18 miles each way to & from the office w/ @ 20K/year total with approx 50/50 mix city/highway. Two sub 10 year old kids would be riding in the back.
Soft dash is a non-issue unless the same materials also flow to the center console and door dills/panels. I've been in a 2013, but is a 2011 different?
As to availability, VW sold 177K Jettas and 35K Golfs in 2011 so I expect that same ratio reflected in the used market. I am buying used (don't want a payment) so it will most likely be a 2011 or 2012 if I can find one at a reasonable price with the config that I am looking for. As to options, I want AT, sunroof and fogs - anything else is a bonus.
To keep on track 99IndigoBlueWagon hits on exactly what I am looking for - the things that I may be missing. He brings up a good point that I hadn't considered - the Jetta has a digital fuel gauge where the Golf is analog (although both are probably electronic). I had issues with my B5.5 cluster that required replacement.
I am beginning to think that I may end up with whatever is the best deal at the time that I am ready to pull the trigger.

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Things here tend to stay far more civil even when they get "bad," we are just having a discussion here; I don't think anyone is getting uncivil

As I said in an earlier post, the 2013 model Jetta received several updates and improvements over the earlier models; so they are a bit different, yes. The best thing to do is just test drive both and decide which you like better. Then find that model with the features you want

branshew said:

I was not looking to cause any controversy so hopefully it will stay civilized (I can go to the other boards for drama).

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"Come on people now, smile on your brother...try to love one another right now..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4fWN6VvgKQ

Anywho, I like what OP said. Whatever deal comes up and pull the trigger. Both are great cars. After all, we're all a big happy VAG family here. So come on, as VW said, turn that frown the other way around! Smile on your fellow VAG brethren!

You seem to have a good grasp of the pros and cons of both cars. I also have two younger kids and find the Jetta to be a great family car while also satisfying my occasional need for a joyride. For me - the Jetta is more practical and I am very pleased with it.

It's all my preference though. The Golf is a fantastic car, but just not the right fit for me right now.

I have a Jetta...and driven the Golf for a few weeks straight when out of town.

Jetta - looks, room
Golf - driving

Thats the best I can tell ya. Take your pick.

Overall I personally think Golfs look better; but I gotta admit... I saw a Black Jetta TDI today with tinted windows and a nice set of wheels on it... That thing was gorgeous!

bmwM5power said:

im somehow biased, the cloth seats in golf are very grippy with the nice side support, like the GTI, soft dash, sport suspension ( according to vw). The abailability may also give you some hints. I came from jetta mk5, if they made mk6 the same way i would have opted for jetta, but for me theres no comparison here, agree with the post above, i abslutely love my golf

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I miss the velour seats from my A3 the most.

Be advised, you may want to look at new. I did a price comparison when I was looking at mine, and while the initial price was lower...the interest made it such that over any length of time the used ones I looked at ended up being more expensive than the new ones with the ultra low VW rates being offered. I recently saw ads for 0% financing, but not sure if that offer is still active.

I suppose what I'm saying is look at the full financed price, rather than just the sticker, since it's the financed prices that governs your monthly payment. Further, the lower the interest rate, the less it costs you to stretch out the financing period if you need to adjust for affordability.

Not connected with VW or VWoA, any banks, financial institution, yada, yada, yada.

I love a hatchback for the room. Big boxes, dog, Lawnmower etc all fit.

I test drove the Jetta hybrid and was impressed. But it lacked cargo room and most important was not dog friendly. Test drive one just to compare.


The next gen models may be nice, but I would not trust a first year production from VW. I would be interested in the new 1.4l turbos gasser golfs. But would need at least two years to trust a new tdi.

branshew said:

I was not looking to cause any controversy so hopefully it will stay civilized (I can go to the other boards for drama). Here's more info - I am a (nearly) 40 tech exec., 6'0, 175lbs. I drive approx 18 miles each way to & from the office w/ @ 20K/year total with approx 50/50 mix city/highway. Two sub 10 year old kids would be riding in the back.

Soft dash is a non-issue unless the same materials also flow to the center console and door dills/panels. I've been in a 2013, but is a 2011 different?

As to availability, VW sold 177K Jettas and 35K Golfs in 2011 so I expect that same ratio reflected in the used market. I am buying used (don't want a payment) so it will most likely be a 2011 or 2012 if I can find one at a reasonable price with the config that I am looking for. As to options, I want AT, sunroof and fogs - anything else is a bonus.

To keep on track 99IndigoBlueWagon hits on exactly what I am looking for - the things that I may be missing. He brings up a good point that I hadn't considered - the Jetta has a digital fuel gauge where the Golf is analog (although both are probably electronic). I had issues with my B5.5 cluster that required replacement.

I am beginning to think that I may end up with whatever is the best deal at the time that I am ready to pull the trigger.

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18 miles trip and just 20k a year. Not really taking advantage of the modern tdi. Read up on dpf filter regen.

With such low mileage trips and 50/50 driving I test drive the jetta hybrid. Just really force a good price. Or a used GM volt. You could also check out tax rebates in your state and see if Nissan still has killer lease options on a leaf.

Ugg, a leaf. Like the Prius it has that high mpg number. I just cannot bring myself to buy one. They are strictly appliance and fugly. IMO. plus, around here where SUV's are still somewhat prominent; an accident would not go well with one.

FVWVWF said:

I have a Jetta...and driven the Golf for a few weeks straight when out of town.

Jetta - looks, room
Golf - driving

Thats the best I can tell ya. Take your pick.

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Same here. I went into the dealer set on a jetta, then saw and drove the golf. If the jetta handled like the golf, it would have been a difficult choice. Since it does not, and hatch is more useful to me, golf won. (That, and the golf was not de-contented on the interior; just no "leather" seats)

03_01_TDI said:

18 miles trip and just 20k a year. Not really taking advantage of the modern tdi. Read up on dpf filter regen.
With such low mileage trips and 50/50 driving I test drive the jetta hybrid. Just really force a good price. Or a used GM volt. You could also check out tax rebates in your state and see if Nissan still has killer lease options on a leaf.

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I drive additional miles for work so I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get a proper regen.

If I were to look at a hybrid, it would be a Toyota of some sort. I'll never buy another GM product. Given VWs electrical system history, I'm not prepared to be on the bleeding edge of their hybrid launch.

the vw hybrid is likely one id buy...still fast, got tons of features...looks good too.

but i tow, i dont have a plug at work and i drive 99% highway so i will stay tdi