Planning on purchasing a SportWagen soon, towing question...

I'm planning on purchasing a JSW very soon, once I get out of my walking cast (broken right ankle due to car accident, reconstructed with pins and screws

my '11 Honda Element gave it's life in the accident, on the one hand, I miss it as it was amazingly versatile, but on the other hand it was my first, and last sludgebox automatic, I've been a manual guy all my life, and i'm going *BACK* to manual, no more sludgeboxes for me, thanks...

I still have an '07 VW Rabbit 2 door MTX, that Mom uses for a backup vehicle and will end up handing it down to my nephew for his first car, the Rabbit has been reliable and faithful, so i'm going back to VW again...

I love the versatility of the SportWagen, it's almost as versatile as the Element, plus it handles a heck of a lot better, gets better mileage, and feels more fun to drive...

i'm looking at the 2011-2014 range, if I can find one with low enough miles and a reasonable price (and a manual transmission) i'll be bringing it home

one potential concern though is I have a 14' Sears Jonboat with 2 HP Honda four stroke outboard on a brakeless basic trailer, I believe the boat and trailer combo is under 1,000 poinds, I know the *lawyers* at VW USA *CLAIM* that towing is not possible with the VW cars, but I know in Europe they do tow with them, so the lawyers can go <censor> themselves, as far as i'm concerned...

would a manual JSW be able to tow my boat? is there any way of getting a European style "Hidden hitch" installed?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vz1sbzadAA

Check this out

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=255330


Depending on the tongue weight the JSW will be able to pull 1000lb no problem. Stopping shouldn't be too bad either, but electric brakes would feel a lot better.

Not sure about the hitch from the video, but there are hitches available (Westfalia) that can be "invisible" by just removing the tow bar.

I've had a Curt Class 1 hitch on my Golf since new and haven't had any problems with it. It's not the prettiest, but gets the job done. My camper in my sig is ~200lb tongue and ~1700lb total with electric brakes. My car also has the Airlift helper springs to eliminate sag in the suspension. I have roughly 15k miles of towing with that setup and I have no complaints.

Good luck!

I've actually been perusing that thread shortly after posting my OP, very impressive, i'm sure my little aluminum jonboat should be no problem, I believe the boat itself is under 400 Lbs with motor, the trailer i'm not sure of the weight, but it does have a tilt feature for easier launching and recovery.

One other question, is the DSG transmission version more or less able to tow than the manual, i'm trying to keep the purchase price as low as possible, and the manual JSW range from 10-13K in my price/mileage range, the DSG units are 8-10K for equivalent units

do I swallow my pride to save money, or do I hold out for my preferred transmission?

MacTechG4 said:

One other question, is the DSG transmission version more or less able to tow than the manual, i'm trying to keep the purchase price as low as possible, and the manual JSW range from 10-13K in my price/mileage range, the DSG units are 8-10K for equivalent units

do I swallow my pride to save money, or do I hold out for my preferred transmission?

Click to expand...

I bought a 11 JSW 6m w/69k CPO for $10k out the door. Dont be afraid to offer an out the door price. Im seeing prices going down. If the car has been on the lot a month or 2 you have good odds

MacTechG4 said:

One other question, is the DSG transmission version more or less able to tow than the manual, i'm trying to keep the purchase price as low as possible, and the manual JSW range from 10-13K in my price/mileage range, the DSG units are 8-10K for equivalent units

do I swallow my pride to save money, or do I hold out for my preferred transmission?

Click to expand...

Hold out! If you want a manual then you DO NOT WANT A DSG

MacTechG4 said:

do I swallow my pride to save money, or do I hold out for my preferred transmission?

Click to expand...

How much is happiness worth to you? Will you be able to live the the jealousy that washes over you every time you peak in the window of another JSW and see a proper manual transmission?

MacTechG4 said:

One other question, is the DSG transmission version more or less able to tow than the manual, i'm trying to keep the purchase price as low as possible, and the manual JSW range from 10-13K in my price/mileage range, the DSG units are 8-10K for equivalent units

do I swallow my pride to save money, or do I hold out for my preferred transmission?

Click to expand...

European ratings, IIRC, have the manual slightly higher than the DSG. Depending on the year, the US ratings removed the DSG from towing. Overall, US ratings are (were) 1500 pounds.

If you really want three pedals, search far and wide. The DSG is great to drive but is not a manual. I also think that the fun factor they took out of the car with the emissions fix could be made up for with a third pedal.

Bear in mind my last two points of reference were my 2007 Rabbit MTX with the 2.5L 5 cylinder (150 HP/170 TQ, iirc), and a 2011 Honda Element ATX (roughly the same power but heavier, boxier, and a sludgebox)

Power-wise, i'm sure the Rabbit and a TDI Golf will have similar power profiles, making power at the lower end of the revs, I have never driven a GTI, sadly, but I am familiar with the power and handling of the MkV Golf platform

how much does a MkVI TDI differ from the MkV 2.5L?

I'm also leaning more towards the Golf hatch now as it has fully independent rear suspension and the cloth seats are going to be more comfortable in New England temperature extremes (subzero winters and hot summers) i'd also imagine that cloth would hold up better against my 30 Lb very exuberant Portuguese Water Dog< Cooper, who I have nicknamed The Stig, because he loves car rides so much

Some Say he can herd chickens into the barn and know exactly how many he needs to corral, and that he loves to dance for treats on his hind legs, all I know is, I call him Cooper...

MacTechG4 said:

Bear in mind my last two points of reference were my 2007 Rabbit MTX with the 2.5L 5 cylinder (150 HP/170 TQ, iirc), and a 2011 Honda Element ATX (roughly the same power but heavier, boxier, and a sludgebox)

Power-wise, i'm sure the Rabbit and a TDI Golf will have similar power profiles, making power at the lower end of the revs, I have never driven a GTI, sadly, but I am familiar with the power and handling of the MkV Golf platform

how much does a MkVI TDI differ from the MkV 2.5L?

I'm also leaning more towards the Golf hatch now as it has fully independent rear suspension and the cloth seats are going to be more comfortable in New England temperature extremes (subzero winters and hot summers) i'd also imagine that cloth would hold up better against my 30 Lb very exuberant Portuguese Water Dog< Cooper, who I have nicknamed The Stig, because he loves car rides so much

Some Say he can herd chickens into the barn and know exactly how many he needs to corral, and that he loves to dance for treats on his hind legs, all I know is, I call him Cooper...

Click to expand...

The Jetta Sportwagen is a facelifted MKV so still has the same independent rear suspension, honestly except for the refreshed dash, instrument cluster and center stack the '10-14 Sportwagen door panels, seats, center console look exactly like what you would find in any '05.5-'10 Jetta or Golf. The Jetta sedan went on to a different platform in '11 and got the twist beam until '14 when they switched back to the IRS.

Excellent, as i'm already familiar with and love my MkV Rabbit, it's just so overbuilt and solid even to this day, it may be getting a little rough cosmetically, but the bones are solid...

And I love the power curve and rumble of the 2.5 Inline 5, I just don't love the fuel mileage...