Volks Jetta: The fair tale continues

Once upon a time, there existed a very good German automobile that was accessible to all peoples of the world. It was named Beetle, and it was the best selling car in the world for some four decades.

Its diminutive exterior camouflaged a remarkably roomy interior, partly due to mounting the wheels outside the bodywork, and allowed the car to go just about anywhere on earth, regardless of path width.

It was a happy little car with a very small rear-mounted engine that could handle the dirtiest of fuel without complaint, and when it was loaded up with people, it had remarkable traction from its rear wheels, but very light steering.

But the world was changing, so Beetle’s maker (who went by the very descriptive name of Volkswagen) decided to offer a more “acceptable” car for the masses in the form of a front-engined, front-wheel-drive hatchback called Golf. Like the swan into which the ugly duckling matured, Golf was about the same size as the aging Beetle but had the versatility of a boxy design, albeit a smidgen less interior comfort for passengers, and the attractiveness of updated engineering.

Alas, in North America, the Golf was not the charming prince Volkswagen expected to awaken sales from their princess-like slumber in the largest market in the world. Even a cute bunny-rabbit name (because Americans considered Golf a diversion, not a conveyance) couldn’t get Americans to consider purchasing it.

So in 1980, Volkswagen created a four-door sedan out of Golf and called it Jetta (Bora, Atlantic, Fox, Vento or Sagitar in other parts of the world). Like the knight in shining armour, Jetta was highly regarded and widely accepted by the buyers in North America due to its slightly upscale equipment levels and the perceived premium German engineering over the Japanese compacts of the time.

Through to the latest (fifth) generation, Jetta has retained the qualities that made it initially desirable — easy access to seating, large trunk, economical engine and superb handling — while steadily improving on the things potential buyers didn’t like — heavy steering, confusing switchgear, noise in the cabin and diminished rear seat room — with each generation improving on the previous one.

Presently, Jetta receives motivation from a standard 170-hp 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine or a 200-hp turbocharged 2.0-litre four. The base engine is plenty powerful when Jetta is already moving, but makes the car feel sluggish when pulling away from a standstill. It’s by no means a tortoise, but it would require considerably better get-up-and-go to be classified as a hare.

One of the previous concerns addressed in the current generation is shift quality, with a slick six-speed manual standard fare, to be optionally replaced by a six-speed automatic with sequential shift mode (previous Jettas’ automatics were widely poo-poo’d, probably because they mostly took off in second gear unless the driver wanted more oomph by pressing the right pedal to the floor).

Fit and finish has also been remarkably improved from the early generations and Jetta doors close with a satisfying and secure “thunk.” The downside with the sure-closing mechanism is that rear-seat access is sometimes compromised in tight confines when the rear doors don’t open as wide as they are able.

Many occupants will now find comfortable seating front and rear on premium fabric upholstery that is not too cold in the winter nor too hot in the summer. Previous generations’ complaints of compressed headroom should not resurface unless said occupants followed Jack down the beanstalk.

The only drawback to extended rearseat comfort is the absence of a cupholder, which apparently is available as part of the optional centre armrest; however, surely a door pocket could be extended to create a place for a water bottle.

The final complaint to be addressed was price, with previous generations often keeping potential buyers at bay due to prices that were higher than those of Jetta’s closest competitors.

The new model year dawns with lower suggested pricing than the previous one, probably due to the strong loonie performance against the American greenback. With starting prices falling below $30,000 (all but the top of the line trim), Jetta is now priced equally to competitors such as the Mazda3 or the Subaru Impreza.

And the motto of the story is: Jetta’s a good car!

Fact File

2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5

As tested, before tax: $29,475

Configuration: front engine/FWD

Options: Comfortline package ($2,500) includes chrome exterior trim, front and rear floor mats, heatable washer nozzles, front centre armrest, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 16-in. alloy wheels, heated front bucket seats, premium audio system with in-dash 6-CD changer; auto transmission ($1,400); power sunroof ($1,400); electronic stability system ($450); side curtain airbags ($250)

Freight: $1,335

Engine/Transmission: 2.5L I5/6-speed automatic with sequential shift

Horsepower: 170 @ 5,000 rpm

Torque: 170 lb.-ft. @ 3,500 rpm

Fuel required: 60 litres, regular

EnerGuide fuel ratings (L/100 km): 11.0 city; 7.2 hwy.

Observed fuel economy: 8.9 L/100 km combined over 743 km

Warranty: 4 years/80,000 km

Model price range: $23,475 - $30,375

Engines available: 2.5L I5 (170 hp/170 lb.-ft.); 2.0L turbo I4 (200/207)

Transmissions available: 6-speed manual; 6-speed auto with sequential shift

Competition: Chevrolet Cobalt, Honda Civic; Hyundai Elantra; Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer; Nissan Sentra, Pontiac G5, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla

Strengths: Economical; sports sedan handling; solid fit and finish

Weaknesses: Higher price than some rivals; anemic power from standstill

Police Towings Spark Row in Modified Car Scene

A series of police operations in downtown Montreal have sparked outrage in the modified (tuning) car scene.

Over the last few months police have towed many vehicles after having stopped them at locations downtown, most of them MontrealRacing.com members. According to witnesses the police will set up at a particular location (often near the west end of downtown) and wait for vehicles that appear to be modified to drive by. Once they have been stopped an officer inspects the car for the most common illegal modifications such as aftermarket mufflers, window tints that are too dark and colored head lamps or side lamps.

If the vehicle is deemed to have violated any of the modification guidelines published by the SAAQ (click here to view the document), the officer seizes the vehicle on the spot and sends it to the impound lot at the owner’s expense. Costs related to get a vehicle out of the pound are $40 per day plus the cost of towing which is around $100 to the pound. You then need to pay several more hundred to be towed from the pound to a SAAQ certified garage for inspection because they will not allow you to drive it off the lot.

Vehicle owners that have had their cars towed as a result of these incidents are claiming that their vehicles conform to the SAAQ guidelines and that the police are abusing their powers.

One of these people is Chris McIntosh who drives a 2000 Jetta VR6.

“It’s getting ridiculous now. They cracked down a few years ago when there were no real laws for modified cars. Enough people got angry that the SAAQ published this guideline for modified car owners. I think a lot of people are fine with respecting that but now it seems that the cops are not respecting it. Since when can you tow a car for being too low? The SAAQ says that a cop can send you to inspection, not tow you. They are not mechanics. That is why we have SAAQ certified garages for this sort of thing.”

McIntosh was forced to pay $160 to get his car out of the pound, another $300 for the towing and received $437 in fines for an illegal exhaust and wheels that were too large for the car according to what the ticket said. Two other vehicles – a Honda Civic SIR and a Volkswagen Golf were also towed at the same time as McIntosh in an incident that took place on Crescent Street on July 21.

Junior, another MontrealRacing.com member, had his Chevy Blazer seized and towed September 8 on Rene Levesque at the corner of Fort just as he was about to enter the access ramp to highway 720. The Blazer has only a lowered suspension but he did not receive a ticket indicating an infraction.

Most recently Katay, the organizer of one of the largest car shows in Quebec - Car Fever, got his Subaru STI seized at the corner of Peel and St-Catherine on Sept 19. Katay’s STI is modified with wheels and a lowered suspension however it appears to conform to the SAAQ guidelines from the photos we’ve taken of it.

In every incident it is a police officer by the name of Bégin who is present and conducting the inspection. McIntosh says, M. Begin is knowledgeable on the subject but also very vindictive, meaning that the matter is not open for debate. If he doesn’t like your vehicle it will be towed.

According to the Code de la Sécurité Routière, an officer has a right to stop any vehicle for inspection if there is reason to believe the vehicle might be in violation of the law. What is unclear is on what grounds a vehicle can be towed. Our legal experts here on MontrealRacing.com were unable to come up with an explanation as to why so many vehicles are being towed. There is no dispute that an officer can have a car towed under exceptional circumstances such as drunk driving but now it appears that M. Bégin and his superiors are applying this to modified vehicles in violation of the CSR. Until now the general consensus was that if a vehicle has an illegal modification the driver would be ticketed and/or sent to inspection so that a qualified mechanic could determine if the vehicle is safe for the road.

Ironically, many car enthusiasts applaud the police for cracking down on annoying loud exhausts, silly colored lights and other tacky & annoying modifications. Unfortunately even tasteful and safe aftermarket parts are becoming the target. If this is the case, modified vehicle owners should take great care to either make sure their vehicle conforms to the letter of the law and if not then to stay away from the downtown area for the time being.

Update 9/21/2007: In an effort to help the community and to find out what exactly the nature of M. Begin’s operation is, we contacted the MUC Police and requested an interview with him and his superiors. Our inquiry was returned within hours and friendly officer at the department of media relations for the MUC Police told us that the request was being passed on to the Directeur de la Sécurité Routière and that we’d be contacted by him in the near future.

We received a call back shortly afterwards by M. André Côté who is the Police Officer responsible for all issues relating to modified vehicles in Montreal. You may have seen him at one of the local car shows driving the Police modified Honda Civic SIR. M. Côté is the best possible person we could be working with. He is very knowledgeable and understanding of the tuning industry. We will be attempting to set up a meeting between us and M. Bégin next week. The goal of this meeting will be to verify their legal interpretation of the towing incidents under the CSR and to find out exactly what the scope of the whole operation is.

If an understanding cannot be reached where towing isn’t the best possible course of action then the next goal of the meeting would be to find out exactly what renders a vehicle in violation of the law and to pass this information on to the community so that everyone can make sure their vehicle is legal.

Please stay tuned for the next update which will be on Monday Sept 24th.

Update 9/24/2007: We spoke to M. Côté this morning and are still trying to schedule a meeting with M. Bégin but have not been able to get in contact with him yet. We should get an answer by the end of the week.

Update 10/01/2007: Unfortunately we still do not have any news to report. It seems that the parties involved are not too keen on the idea of a meeting however we are going to persist until we get some answers.

Update 10/09/2007: The meeting is now scheduled for Wednesday Oct 10th at 10am. Some people were on vacation which was the reason for the delay. Expect a full report of the meeting to be posted late Wednesday or early Thursday morning only.

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Hybrid Cars

It has been almost twenty years since the Environment has been as important in the minds of North Americans as it is today. For many months now we’ve seen consistent and numerous news headlines regarding global warming. I think this is a good thing as it seems the planet is finally taking the subject seriously. I consider myself an environmentally conscious person and I always make the extra effort to recycle and conserve energy as much as possible. I just attended “Less Talk, More Action” the climate change conference that was held in downtown Montreal with speakers including Al Gore and David Suzuki and I fully support what they are trying to accomplish.

We hear of automakers are releasing more and more Hybrid models to accommodate the increasing demand to go green. I called a local Toyota dealership the other day and asked them how long the waiting list is for a Prius Hybrid. To my surprise the salesman told me about a week. I then called Honda to find out how long it would take to get a Civic Hybrid. Again, to my surprise, the wait was no more than two weeks.

So if these are all good things then why am I consistently frustrated after reading articles on Hybrid cars? While it may seem like the time of the Hybrid car is here I’m afraid I’m going to have to take exception to that argument.

I’m presently shopping for a late model vehicle as a second car and I’d absolutely love to get a Hybrid. I need something primarily get to car shows with the MontrealRacing.com kiosk stuffed in the back. A wagon or SUV would get the job done so what options do I have? I’m sorry to say not very many. At the time of this writing, a search on Hebdo found one Lexus RX400h for $53,000 and several Toyota Highlander Hybrids ranging from $35,000 to $55,000. Not exactly the best selection, especially since I was never crazy about the Highlander so let’s alter the search criteria. In fact, let’s get rid of the criteria altogether and assume I want to buy a new vehicle and I don’t care how much it costs. What can I get?

How about a BMW? No. Volkswagen? No. Mazda? Nothing. Chrysler? Same. Nissan must have a hybrid. Nope. In fact, the only automakers offering Hybrid vehicles in their showrooms at the moment are Honda (Civic, Accord), Toyota/Lexus (Prius, Camry, Highlander, GS450h, Rx400h) and Ford (Escape).

What about GM with the Saturn Vue Green Line and those Hybrid pickups? These vehicles managed to get hybrid classification but I cannot in good conscience call them hybrids. They are more like half-hybrids or hybrid wannabes. Their electric motors cannot drive the car like in a real hybrid. They only serve to shut off the motor when you are not pressing on the gas. The emissions are only reduced because less gas is consumed. How much less gas? The Silverado 4WD gets 14.3/11.3 L/100km. The non hybrid gets 17.0/13.1 L/100km. Yes, you read it correctly, a whopping savings of 2.7L/100km for city driving. That is truly pathetic when compared to the competition.

North America’s first Hybrid, the Honda Insight, was introduced way back in 1999 (production stopped last year.) In all fairness to GM I should point out that the Insight is also a half-hybrid but its 1L motor gets the best fuel economy out of any hybrid even today. I would have thought that other manufacturers would have been able to keep a similar pace but that has not been the case. GM attributes the delay to pursuing hydrogen technology first because it thought hybrids would only be a stepping stone toward the zero-emission hydrogen vehicles. Mercedes and VW are bringing more fuel efficient diesel powered cars to our shores as their answer to the green craze. The whole process is painstakingly slow. I don’t want to seem like a conspiracy nut or anything but I do suspect meddling from the oil industry. As long as there is gas to be refined I don’t think we will be seeing any viable alternatives that truly become mainstream. Hopefully I will be proved wrong.

With a selection of only eight Hybrid models being sold at thousands more than their non hybrid counterparts, it feels like we are being penalized for wanting to go green. When hybrids are being sold cheaper than regular cars and the pre-owned market has an ample supply of them, then I might say there is no reason not to own one and frown upon someone who opted for a gasoline model instead. Blame the manufacturers for dragging their feet on fuel efficiency.

On a side note, you may have read reports on former US Vice President Al Gore’s energy consumption at his Tennessee mansion. Gore’s home consumes more energy in a month then the average American household does in a year. The report was conveniently made public the day after Gore received an Oscar for his global warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”. Obviously the right wing neoconservatives do not like Gore’s recent surge in popularity. One can logically assume that the bigger the household, the more energy it will likely consume. Do they expect Gore (who came 527 votes away from being the leader of the free world) to move to a $150,000 condo? I sure don’t. Gore offsets his consumption by donating to a company which uses the money to invest in alternative energy anyways.

Gore’s carbon footprint is irrelevant to me. The benefits of his efforts of convincing the world of the impending doom far outweigh any cuts to his own carbon footprint might yield. In the end, the necessary changes to save the environment can only come from big business, not the individual consumer. This doesn’t mean being environmentally conscious is useless. Using your influence as a green consumer is what will force the economy in the right direction but it does mean that no matter how much we try to be individually, the problem won’t go away until our economy is based on non polluting industries.

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