DiscoSteve

Hey guys,

Been on the hunt for a new car for a good while now. Playing it smart and observing all my options. I've been interested in the Scion tC for a while now. I really like the car, however, today I visited a VW dealership and test drove a 2012 Jetta SE with the Convenience package and sunroof. I was thoroughly impressed. Sitting in the seat of the Jetta felt like I was sitting in the lap of luxury compared to the tC. I couldn't believe that something that seemed so nice I could get for about the same price as a tC. After considering the tC for a long time now, I think I may have changed my mind. The Jetta really impressed me and seems like such and upgrade from the tC. I still love the tC but the Jetta just seemed to have that WOW factor... like it was a more expensive car than it really is. Have any of you guys drove the 2012 Jetta? If so, what are your thoughts on this comparison. All comments welcome.

Thanks. Peace and chicken grease.

disaster06

Only thing I can throw in is everyone I have known to have a Jetta, or any VW recently has had problems with it. Thats all I have heard, haven't personally owned one myself.
I think those were the turbo V6 Jetta's though. Maybe stay away from the turbos?

RazorBladeNinja

iTrader: (1)

If you enjoy working on you car easily, avoid German cars. I had a 2002 1.8t GTI before the tC. I totally LOVED it, but it requires all manner of special tools to work on. If your ok with keepin your car close to stock then go for a VW. they really are great vehicles

pyroman131

REDACTED

talt2008

Tc is worth the price. Many say it's cheap but all cars are switching to plastic interiors. Vw is nice but I couldn't live with the electrical issues of a German car. My cousin and a friend of mine both had 2004 Jettas and after 60,000 miles the only way to turn off the check engine light was to remove it. (1 car was gas and the other diesel). Also another busy of mine has a 90's Jettas and he managed to loose first gear because of the horrible design of using shift linkage. The tc is direct cable connection to the transmission, and very simple causing less headaches. Be make a great car in certain aspects, but mechanically and electrically speaking, I would buy Japanese over German

KidJustin

^^this

and especially this->> "Vw is nice but I couldn't live with the electrical issues of a German car."

German's are awesome at suspension, but crappy in electrical for some reason. (well most/all Euro cars really) for some reason they mostly use thinner gauge wires so they are more prone to wearing out faster...a lot faster.

Japanese are good at both

tcCALI

Well since you aren't going for the GLI, go for the tC.. you get the most for your money and if you can live with two doors..

DiscoSteve

Do you think the electrical issues may be solved with the newer models? I do not plan to do much modification. Maybe just simple stuff, rims, intake, tint... nothing crazy. But as of now I can barely afford the car. tcCaLI, I've noticed you've owned a TC and a Jetta. You really think the TC is a better deal than the Jetta SE unless I go for the GLI? (GLI is probably too pricey..) The Jetta sure did seem more spiffy for the money than the TC...

RazorBladeNinja

iTrader: (1)

I had a Jetta before my GTI. I never had an electrical problem with either car. I say for the price and what your looking for the Jetta is a better choice.

I also test drove an 09 Jetta Wolfsburg before I ended up with the tC. I was instantly in love with it. Smooth ride. Nice power. It was used so there was an 18000 price tag on it as well. I honestly don't know much about the newest generation of VW, but any one I was ever in before did not disappoint.

tcCALI

yeah they have hopefully gotten better. I've just heard stories though, i know plenty of people with VWs and have never had issues with the electrical stuff. i just think the tC would be more fun and has a better aftermarket and is less expensive to mod. mods for my GLI were wayyyyy pricey compared to my tC. if you do go for the GLI though the aftermarket for it is pretty awesome and you can get so much more out of the car and leave the tC in the dust with 500 bucks. but overall the tC will probably last you longer and cheaper to maintain. but i know what you mean about the feel of the jetta! that's DAS AUTO!!! ha

Frost

for the VW look up coolant migration.... VW has alot of weird ___ problems with thier cars. Not all of them but after working with the odd VW tech I've heard of some pretty crazy diag jobs that are 40+ hours. Great cars but not so great when they fail. with toyota/scion you are in pretty safe territory when it comes to maintaining the vehicle. That being said I would personally pick the most fun car of the two. As I tend to forget everything I know about cars when I look at purchasing. haha

husser94

IMO Scion is a great company...Everything is hassle free and i love their cars! The 2011 tc has been an exceptional car for me so far....U also get a great resale value if thats in ur interest..

speterson82

I'll weigh in....my fiancee has a 2007 GTI 2.0 turbo. First things first....its an awesome car to drive. But two things I don't like about the VW. 1) service is unreal expensive. Like as expensive as an audi, bmw, etc. she took it in for the 40,000 mile service and it was $500 standard, no extra work (40,000 was a major interval service Scion major intervals are $179). So if the Jetta is at the top of your price range you might wanna consider that. 2) VW's are a beast to work on. It takes like 20-30 minutes just to get the battery out of it's stupid housing to disconnect it. And we had to completely separate the hub from the axle just to put on springs and it takes special stupid tools. Overall though, VWs are super nice quality and fun as hell to drive. We love the GTI, and since your not planning on modding the car, I would say if you can afford the upkeep than get the VW.

2tCornot2tC

Its got to be this VW though...
http://www.flixxy.com/volkswagen-levitating-car.htm

jessbb6

It's funny how NOBODY mentioned that VW's are made in Mexico now lol

And the 2.5 5 cylinder is utter crap. It's unbalanced and sounds like it's always fighting itself. If you're still in the market, consider the TDI. Which is, and always will be the ONLY VW engine worth buying.

talt2008

^
Such a valid statement. I think that about sums everything up lol

mos_skeeto

Country of origin has a big influence on my vehicle choices. My first car was a Civic built in North America. I compared it with a RSX of the same model year built in Japan and the fit and finish was much better. Made in Mexico would be a big concern for me. I hear the counter-argument that everything is made in China and assembled elsewhere but so far so good with my last 2 Japanese built cars.

ScionFred

iTrader: (1)

No comparison... the Jetta is in a totally different class even after being cheapened and americanized.

talt2008

My cousins 04 @1/2 jetta GLI was completely Mexico built and the only German part in the car was the transmission, which I think their transmissions at junk anyway (the linkage at least)

talt2008

That is a very factual statement, but i think the price point it puts them both into the affordable class for a buyer so in a way they are both comparable