2006 Volkswagen Jetta Review

Too Fast for My Own Good

What would you do if your best friend called you up one Friday evening and needed a ride to the SeaTac airport bright and early the next morning and didnt have a car or any other mode of transportation to get there? My first impression was, “No way!” Who wants to voluntarily wake up at 5am on a Saturday? Besides, I wanted to be selfish and sleep in, make a nice breakfast and veg out after a long and stressful week. But I couldnt turn her down. Whats a friend to do other than take her?

On the flip side, the numerous hours I would then spend behind the wheel to and from the two cities would give me the opportunity to put a few miles on the 2006 VW Jetta 2.0T I had recently picked up. Its not often that I can go on my rampant driving expeditions like I used to due to a little annoyance called a full-time job. Plus it gave me the opportunity to help out a friend, hang out with my brother, who came along for the ride so I could use the HOV lane on the way home, and, in case I forgot to mention, give the 2006 Jetta a really thorough testing.

My findings: the Jetta can go quite fast. In fact a little too fast for my bank accounts own good! The 2.0-liter, 16-valve, DOHC, FSI turbocharged I-4 delivers 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque, easily enough to get me where I needed to go with efficient speed. In fact, the 200 horses, along with its smoother than smooth riding four-wheel independent suspension coupled with speedy little P195/65 R15 all-season tires landed me a speeding ticket from one of Washington States finest uniformed officers. I wasnt paying attention to how fast I was going, but apparently I was going along at a pretty fair clip. And the funny part was that we werent even in a rush to catch the flight. This VW is just that smooth and effortless on the highway. Of course, after that it was cruise control set to the limit, the speed limit that is.

Spending a few hours, over seven to be exact¬, not to mention 153 bones on my fine, plus a short one-hour nap at a highway rest stop would most likely create some sort of discomfort, wouldnt it? Not in the 2.0Ts case. The front bucket seats that lined the cabin, cloth-upholstered in my tester, were most agreeable. I had to fidget a little here and there, but any lower back discomfort was kept at a minimum due to the well-supported and firmly crafted Jetta cushions. Even napping with the front seat folded down was surprisingly pleasant, but nothing I would make a habit out of.

The road trip turned out to be a great experience. Not only did I have a little sibling bonding time, my brother and I also went shopping at the local outlet centers. I didnt go too crazy with the credit card, but enough to fill a good size of the 17.7 cu-ft trunk. Besides, it felt a little empty on the way home without my friends excessive luggage for her three-day trip.

Even after the daytrip was over, I still had quite a bit of car bonding time left. Throughout my weeklong test period I grew fond of the four-door because its such a nice car to drive. Although my Jetta featured the optional six-speed DSG sequential-manual transmission with paddle-shifters and sport mode, which works much like an automatic but with lightning quick shifts, it proved to be useful because of all the mundane highway driving I did (the I-5 is oh-so-exciting), as well as for all the stop-and-go border and city traffic I encountered. While not my transmission of choice, this one is especially good for an autobox, and besides, Im really growing fond of automatic transmissions on the whole, because in my old twenty-something age Im getting a little slothful!

The convenience features the 2.0T offers also made my life more comfortable. My tester included heated front seats, keyless entry, power door locks and mirrors, plus cruise control. Air conditioning is one of the features I was previous cool to (pardon the pun) but have warmed to over the past three plus years as an automotive journalist. At first it was my nemesis, and now its something I almost cant live without. Its sad actually, but I do enjoy listening to music while driving and the noisy wind tends to get in the way of my appreciation, especially at highway speeds. After all, I wouldnt want wind noise interfering with the Jettas more than decent ten-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system.

As for the overall look of this new Jetta, I cant say Im completely sold. I, along with many other VW enthusiasts, might not have completely jumped onto the brands new styling bandwagon, but looks arent everything. This piece of German manufacturing drives incredibly well, plus it has a fantastically smooth riding and agile suspension setup and a great drivetrain. For some, those might be the determining factors for purchasing a car.

So, you might ask how my friend got home. Well, again, she was in a dill of a pickle, so I ended up picking her up. Yes, I am the best friend a friend could have. As good of a friend as I am, I wasnt so generous to pay for the fuel to and from Seattle, despite the Jettas fuel economy being quite good. In fact, at an estimated 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, its fairly good. How good? Due to the FSI fuel intake system and smaller displacement its more fuel-efficient than its 2.5L sibling if you lay off the throttle, but not as thrifty as the TDI.

After a week of road trips, the new Jetta 2.0T left a lasting impression on my mind. Not because of its bling bling chrome grille and trim, or its generic sedan styling, but because it proved to be a great driving car. While the opportunity rarely presents itself to help out a best friend in the way I was able to, I was immediately rewarded with an enjoyable drive in a great car and an adventure with the local constabulary to boot. Lucky girl.