Choosing a 2013 tdi: Golf Jetta JSW Bug

Choosing a 2013 tdi: Golf, Jetta, JSW, Passat, or Bug

Our 1997 Jetta /// (gas) is getting a bit old and we are looking to replace it. Have a 2009 Subaru Forester than is slow and boring at 22 mpg mixed driving, but also trouble free and provides great utility for Costco runs.

I'm posting here as opposed to on the Passat or Beetle or Jetta forum, because I am leaning towards the 2013 Golf.
Any regrets, or any great vindications that you chose a Golf over a Jetta ?

A new Jetta is the obvious choice, but now that tdi power is in most of the VW lineup, I'm considering alternatives.
In any case, my choice will have a conventional manual transmission.

Want a driving experience that's more sharp like a MINI than soft like an Accord or (god forbid) stereotypical Buick.

Like a sharp looking non-gimicky interior, and tactile switchgear, as I will spend ten years in the same car.

( Hoping to keep the car for 150,000 miles in 10 years and not keep going back to the dealer for check engine lights and perpetual niggling repairs,
covered by warrantee or not. I am not sure this factor would help me choose between different VW models; these days I'm not sure it would tell me to just get a Toyota and now worry, either.)



Passat:
Pro: simple adblue, high mpg, no HPFP issue
Con: bigger softer, tuned for American mass market.

Jetta:
Pro: obvious choice, secure trunk
Con: cheap hinges crush trunk contents, de-contented interior

Beetle:
Pro: looks great, would drive as well as Jetta (is that a pro or neutral ?)
Con: less room in back for cargo, too new to have reliability info.

Golf:
Pro: very high utility design, 'Audi-quality interior'. Better suspension and seats than Jetta.
Con: no secure place to hide luggage and shopping; how to explain to SO why it is $1000 more than Jetta, not $1000 less.

Jetta Sports Wagon:
I have not seen one inside, not sure how it compares to today's Jetta or Golf.
Pro: most utility.
Con: just feels big. Before the '97 Jetta, had an '89 Fox.

Playing with the build and price menus as VW.com, it looks like the pricing is
Jetta ... { JSW and Golf and Beetle } ... Passat, but it's difficult to compare feature lists across models.

Car will live in northeastern USA, in a triangle of Long Island to Vermont to Pittsburgh, in case any aspects would be climate- or condition-sensitive.

Since I have owned a MkVI Jetta sedan and the JSW I can comment on those.

The interior of the JSW is definitely better than the sedan. The JSW would compare more towards the Golf I think. My wife even commented on it, and I was surprised she noticed the difference. The JSW is actually shorter in overall length compared to the sedan. It is not much longer than the Golf - same wheelbase, just the added extension on the back.

Oh and to answer your question as to which one you should get - get whatever TDI model you like driving the most.

I bought the Golf over the JSW because I can sit a little taller in it, it is cheaper, and I think better looking. Not sure what you mean about no secure place to hide - there is trunk space behind the back seat that is entirely hidden from view thanks to a cover that folds down when you close the hatch...

I have owned a golf as well as a JSW while I will say the golf is the way to go 100% of the time. JsW is a very close second. The JSW is bigger but still stacks up well.

I have the golf and a coworker has the Jetta... Hands down the golfs interior is superior, it surprises me how cheaply the Jetta looks and feels on the inside....

Also the golf handles better and gives more of a performance ride, which for the occasional twisty road/freeway on ramp is always good for a smile...

I take it from your original post, that you have not test-driven, or even seen the cars in person (based on your JSW notes). If that's the case, the best thing you can do to aid in making a decision is to see them and drive them.

That's how I found out that the Golf would not work for me and ended up with a JSW. I need to be able to carry a guitar with 4 people in the car. The Golf's storage area is just too small without putting down the rear seats. You mention liking the Subaru for Costco, so perhaps there might be a storage issue in the Golf if you need to carry rear seat passengers. Great car though!!

Schubert said:

... Not sure what you mean about no secure place to hide - there is trunk space behind the back seat that is entirely hidden from view thanks to a cover that folds down when you close the hatch...

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This is what I thought reading the comment earlier. This is like many (most?) SUVs and hatchbacks. Although, I did have one coupe that had a lockable hatch where you could secure things separately, there is no such compartment in the Golf (aside from the typical glovebox). I use the hatch cover so at least noone can see what is or isn't there. (My previous car, a sedan, had the ability of locking the trunk such that you couldn't easily open it even if you had access to the car's interior, so that seems more secure.) But, if you need a lockable trunk, that's something to consider before choosing a model.

What's great about hatchbacks is that it gives you more flexibility and space for when you might need it. The Golf doesn't have a lot of space, but it can surprise you. Not long ago I hauled 3 people and a lot of stuff in addition to normal luggage; it took me a while to pack, but with some creative packing, I got it all in and still could see through the rear window. Then again, on another trip, I had to use a larger car (an SUV). With the Golf, you are simply limited in space and who knows when you might need more?

We test drove the Golf and JSW. Get the JSW if you need the extra space, pretty simple. Both seemed very similar. The JSW had softer seats, and the Golf probably handles a tad better, but in normal driving, there's not a lot of difference.

I have the jsw TDI and think it is a perfect compromise of function and performance. I love mine. JP

I have the 2013 JSW TDI 6M as my only vehicle. Since it is my only vehicle I wanted it to be able to pull a trailer and carry a fair amount of luggage inside as well as give good fuel mileage. I had a Toyota Matrix(sold today) and loved being able to fold down the back seats and load it up. The dog could walk from front to back. I wanted to duplicate that plus the extras that I mentioned. The cover in the back of the JSW hides things from view. 4 weeks so far and all is well.

squid said:

Jetta:
Pro: obvious choice, secure trunk
Con: cheap hinges crush trunk contents, de-contented interior


Golf:
Pro: very high utility design, 'Audi-quality interior'. Better suspension and seats than Jetta.
Con: no secure place to hide luggage and shopping; how to explain to SO why it is $1000 more than Jetta, not $1000 less.

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i guess you answered your own question before you even asked it?

The Golf guys think they have the best car....the Jetta and JSW guys thing they do....buy what you like. You know what I like.

Buy whichever one you like best depending on what is the most important to you. Do what I did; talk to a dealer and set up test drives on all the cars you want to try in one day. That way you get the same route, same conditions and same traffic so the only real variable is the car.

I test drove a 12 Golf TDI, 12 Jetta TDI, 12 Passat TDI, 12 GTI and a Tiguan all in 1 day and settled on the Golf TDI. You may decide you like any of the others better once you do it

That said, this stuff is not true:

squid said:

Jetta:
Pro: obvious choice, secure trunk
Con: cheap hinges crush trunk contents, de-contented interior

Golf:
Pro: very high utility design, 'Audi-quality interior'. Better suspension and seats than Jetta.
Con: no secure place to hide luggage and shopping; how to explain to SO why it is $1000 more than Jetta, not $1000 less.

Click to expand...

The trunk of a sedan is no more or less secure than the hatch of a locked hatchback. Both offer concealed storage, both offer 1 lock protection from anyone determined to get into them; and both can be opened really easily for someone with the right skill. There is nothing "secure" about the trunk on a sedan

As for why the Golf is $1000 more than the Jetta, drive both and you won't need to ask anymore

DubFamily said:

That said, this stuff is not true:

The trunk of a sedan is no more or less secure than the hatch of a locked hatchback. Both offer concealed storage, both offer 1 lock protection from anyone determined to get into them; and both can be opened really easily for someone with the right skill. There is nothing "secure" about the trunk on a sedan

As for why the Golf is $1000 more than the Jetta, drive both and you won't need to ask anymore

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The 'smash glass, grab stuff from back of wagon/hatch' feels like a bigger threat than 'smash glass, fold down seat, grab stuff from trunck'.

Yes, I need to go for a drive.

Some of your logic is off with your pros and cons.

Passat...yes N. American and all, but the HPFP thing...it uses the same pump as the rest of the common rails. They dont seem to have the failures the others do however, but no one has really definitively come up with what is different about the fuel system to result in that, although there is speculation.

Jetta...it's also a N. American cheaped out model as well. Probably the most cheaped out of the bunch.

Golf...It's still a german. We dont get quitre as many options available, but material quality and all are still there. It costs more then the jetta because it's not a N. American market cheaped out decontented car despite being smaller.

JSW...before changing to N. America market jettas, the jetta used to simply be a golf with a trunk, and the JSW simply a golf with a stretched out back end. That comparison is not as easy to make now since the jetta is new n. american market, golf is MK6, and JSW is sort of an MK5/MK6 mutant. End result is the JSW is still closest to the current Golf driving and quality wise, but with some minor differences.

Try the Golf w/Tech package. My wife prefers to drive our Golf, before she drives our Touareg.

We have owned A5 Jetta PD TDI & B6 Passat Lux wagon TSI.

I can say nothing about the American B7 Passat, never driven one. My B6 had one issue, gasser...sold.

My only problem w/ A5 Jetta, it was a 5M, tired of shifting after 120k miles...sold.

Our Golf is flawless. Build quality, DSG w/Tech pkg, I'll keep it forever.

c17chief said:

Some of your logic is off with your pros and cons.

Passat...yes N. American and all, but the HPFP thing...it uses the same pump as the rest of the common rails. They dont seem to have the failures the others do however, but no one has really definitively come up with what is different about the fuel system to result in that, although there is speculation.

Jetta...it's also a N. American cheaped out model as well. Probably the most cheaped out of the bunch.

Golf...It's still a german. We dont get quitre as many options available, but material quality and all are still there. It costs more then the jetta because it's not a N. American market cheaped out decontented car despite being smaller.

JSW...before changing to N. America market jettas, the jetta used to simply be a golf with a trunk, and the JSW simply a golf with a stretched out back end. That comparison is not as easy to make now since the jetta is new n. american market, golf is MK6, and JSW is sort of an MK5/MK6 mutant. End result is the JSW is still closest to the current Golf driving and quality wise, but with some minor differences.

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The passat uses a different pump. Still in the cp4 family but slightly different.

I can offer a comparison of the Golf (2011) and JSW (2013) or Golf Wagon as it's known up here). The Golf hatch is a Mk VI, the JSW is a Mk V. The dash is identical, as is the engine. The JSW has more utility... way more space in the back. For hiding things, it has a compartment above the spare tire but below the floor, but it's very shallow. Plus there's the sliding cover.

The Golf hatch can still carry a fair bit. I can get my road bike in it without taking off the wheels, if the rear seat is folded:



There is a hatch cover. I also had the windows of both our cars tinted so it's very hard to see what's inside.

As far as driving goes, the Golf hatch is significantly more engaging to drive: the chassis is better sorted, it corners flat, and in short it drives very much like a GTI with great fuel efficiency. It's a notch quieter as well. The wagon is a bit "boomier" sound-wise. But the wagon still drives very, very nice. The suspension is maybe a tad softer than the
hatchback's. The hatch is a newer platform than the wagon and it shows.

One thing to keep in mind is the rear suspension:

Golf Hatch, Golf/Jetta wagon, Passat: fully independent rear suspension
Beetle, Jetta: torsion beam rear suspension.

In terms of build quality between the wagon and hatch, it's a wash. Both are really tight, and the interior quality is identical except that our hatch is a Highline with leather seats and nav, and the wagon is a Comfortline with cloth seats and a more basic radio.

As for looks, that's subjective:

His:



Hers

i've got a golf and jsw. the jsw interior is a lot better in my opinion and i think has some better features. but i prefer the golf over all. it just feels sportier and gets better fuel economy.

I got the JSW, but modified the suspension so it drives like a GTI.
Best of both worlds... =)

I owned a JSW highline. Then traded for the Golf highline. Both TDI's of course. JSW was a DSG. The golf is a 6MT. Based on both cars, the Golf is definitely a better car. Sportier handling. Quieter interior, and quality. JSW door panels would rattle alot. Golf is tighter. I am way happier with the golf. If find the back seats have more room than the JSW.

squid said:

The 'smash glass, grab stuff from back of wagon/hatch' feels like a bigger threat than 'smash glass, fold down seat, grab stuff from trunck'.
Yes, I need to go for a drive.

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My previous car, a sedan, allowed you to lock the rear seats to prevent trunk access. It would be harder (I think) to break the lock to get to the trunk than to get through the glass and doors. But in the end, it's still just a deterrent, it's not all that super-secure. But if the Jetta doesn't lock the seats (I don't know if it does or not), that wouldn't be a whole lot more secure in my mind. If that is the deal-breaker, then that's something to find out.

There are other deterrents you can add, I suppose, but I don't like having anything valuable in the car, but making it less visible at least would help.

Vidgamer said:

This is what I thought reading the comment earlier. This is like many (most?) SUVs and hatchbacks. Although, I did have one coupe that had a lockable hatch where you could secure things separately, there is no such compartment in the Golf (aside from the typical glovebox). I use the hatch cover so at least noone can see what is or isn't there. (My previous car, a sedan, had the ability of locking the trunk such that you couldn't easily open it even if you had access to the car's interior, so that seems more secure.) But, if you need a lockable trunk, that's something to consider before choosing a model.

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Ah I get it. I suppose it's also helpful to have a separate trunk if you have to use valet and need to leave sensitive or expensive stuff in the car. My previous car had a valet key for that purpose, never used it personally

Really agree with others who say you gotta go test drive 'em. I was really on the fence - if I were 2" shorter I might have gone with the JSW just for the leatherette, which I think feels great.

bvencil said:

I take it from your original post, that you have not test-driven, or even seen the cars in person (based on your JSW notes). If that's the case, the best thing you can do to aid in making a decision is to see them and drive them.

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Drove a 2 door Golf today. Great seats, great gearshifter, great pull at 30 mph in 3rd. It was dark and snow-slush-raining, so I didn't get above 50 mph, but the Golf is a jewel of a car in real life conditions.

I have been really impressed with the Golf TDI's electric power steering because you do not have to turn the steering wheel to go straight.

That may sound strange, but what I mean is that compared to other vehicles I have driven, you do not have to constantly correct by slightly rocking the steering wheel from side to side to keep the Golf going straight. There is virtually no slop in the steering mechanism. This makes driving long distances very relaxing and less tiring.

I'm sure other VWs also have this type of electric power steering, but I'm not sure of which ones.

I have both the JSW and Golf TDIs. On the outside, the JSW is 18 inches longer and has 16 inch rims as opposed to 17 inch rims. Front end is basically the same and only real differences are under the skin. Sitting in the front, JSW seats are a little softer and pleather. Golf seats are firmer with more side bolstering. Golf is a little more fun to drive and just screams "PUSH ME!" If I drove the golf everyday, I would probably be seeing some blue lights in the rear view. Leg room in the front feels a little longer in the golf. I also notice that the firmer seats of the golf tend to make a more distinct cut off on the seat and seems to effect my knees after longer drives.

I have a JSW myself, and love it so far, but you might want to test drive a Passat also. From what I've read they have solved the iced intercooler problem in it. That's not a problem in my climate but it could be in yours. They also seem to not have the problem with the blown HPFPs. Due to circumstances I had to buy a month ago but ideally I would have waited for the redesign when they put these fixes in the JSW.

gulfcoastguy said:

I have a JSW myself, and love it so far,

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i can get next to that = the TDI 6M (sans NAV/Sunroof) is circa $25,750 - without tax. license and doc. fee - in northern California. Would this be a fair price?
ez....

squid said:

I'm posting here as opposed to on the Passat or Beetle or Jetta forum, because I am leaning towards the 2013 Golf.
Any regrets, or any great vindications that you chose a Golf over a Jetta ?

A new Jetta is the obvious choice, but now that tdi power is in most of the VW lineup, I'm considering alternatives.
In any case, my choice will have a conventional manual transmission.

Want a driving experience that's more sharp like a MINI than soft like an Accord or (god forbid) stereotypical Buick. ...

Click to expand...

I'm not to terribly impressed with the current CR 2.0 TDI. It just feels to me that PD was a better engine design. I would wait a year and check out the Mk VII Golf TDI.

They’re supposed to have redesigned the CR and worked out most of the bugs we are seeing now with the current 2.0TDI now. On top of that, the Golf VII has a whole new advanced reinforced frame. They were able to make the car wider but drop the weight while making the frame stronger.

Apparently this design isn't even in Audi's yet, and it will likely be a while before it's seen in other VW's. I sat down in one at the stealer the other day. A lot nicer inside then the Mk 6, and I'm considering a GTI in 14 when they hit the US market.

Shaft said:

I owned a JSW highline. Then traded for the Golf highline. Both TDI's of course. JSW was a DSG. The golf is a 6MT. Based on both cars, the Golf is definitely a better car. Sportier handling. Quieter interior, and quality. JSW door panels would rattle alot. Golf is tighter. I am way happier with the golf. If find the back seats have more room than the JSW.

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Here in Germany, the "JSW" is called a Golf, and almost nobody drives a Jetta. The wagon sold in the US is the same as the one here in Germany as near as I can figure, and it's basically a face lifted Mk V Golf Wagon. IMO I think since VW is selling the Golf Wagon as a Jetta in the US... they could have at least gave it a Jetta font end... because really, other then the hatch, the only thing that makes the Golf and Jetta different is styleing.

ezshift5 said:

i can get next to that = the TDI 6M (sans NAV/Sunroof) is circa $25,750 - without tax. license and doc. fee - in northern California. Would this be a fair price?
ez....

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You'll actually be doing about $400 better than me. No competition around here. The next closest dealership is in Alabama and they charge you Alabama sales tax. They take their sweet time refunding it to you, 2 weeks or more. Meanwhile You have to have a MS plate within 3 days. While getting it they will charge you 5% sales tax upfront"cash or check?" I did get the Monster Mats and first aid kit so that eats up around 300 bucks worth of the difference. BTW if I didn't mention that it descibes my car to a tee, Candy White with CornSilk interior.