NRR: Anyone own a Jetta?

um, no. don't do it. volkswagens handle well, but that is about the extent of it. it will bleed you dry, imo.

I have a 2001 Jetta, and it is a joy to drive. I have owned VWs exclusively since '76. HOWEVER, reliability i.e. maintenance costs are WAY too high! This '01 has been particularly bad in terms of "electronics". Once it had turned 60,000 km (40,000 miles) I went through months and months of one electronic part after another, and believe me, they are expensive! If you ever look at "reliabilty" or "quality" rankings, you usually find VW near the bottom. This will be my very last European car ...

My wife drives an '02 Jetta TDI. Not because it is a "chick car" or "gay" but for over 40mpg of the diesel. It has had a few minor issues in almost 130,000 miles. Service and parts can be expensive.

My cousin (male) drove a '96 over 250,000 miles as his first car out of college. He has a wife and 2 kids now.

I say no. Both my sisters have Jetta's and in the 3-4 years of ownership, way too many nuisances with them.

If you run in tights, by all means buy a Jetta.

The '01 Jettas had some issues mechanically. If you avoid the early years of the new body style, you should be fine. My friend's 2002 Jetta is humming along fine compared to my mom's old 2001 Jetta, which had some issues. The 1999 Jettas, while not as attractive as the newer body style, are certainly fun to drive and more reliable than the 2000.5s and 2001s.

You'd be better off with a pre-owned Jap car.

Get yourself a pre-owned Honda or Toyota...cripes, you can get a 20001 Lexus ES300 with 90K miles for $8,000 - and with 90K miles, the thing is still a pup. As long as the timing belt was changed at 60K or so, all you'll have to do is change the oil until 120 - 140K...then change the timing belt again - you can drive the thing til doomsday with no major problems.

a 20001 Lexus? WTF IS THAT!?

2001 Jetta, there are vastly different experiences. What engine?

2.0L definitely no.

1.9L TDI definitely YES (diesel at this cost is awesome)

1.8T is a maybe. Check the service records. Have a mechanic check the vacuum tubes. If it looks to be in decent cape, do it, strong engine, decent mileage.

2.8L V6, yes.

Many 2001 1.8Ts and 2.8L came with sport suspensions so handling is going to be pretty solid. Also, no matter the suspension, unless you plan on doing auto-x, you'll be fine.

A decent german auto mechanic will be good to have, as VW dealerships often overcharge, IMHO.

The general quality of the MK4 Jettas isn't terrific, but anything aside from the 2.0L you should be fine. The only reason I sold my 1.8T was because I wanted a new GTI. I was sad to see it go.

My '01 is a TDI. Remember, fuel costs are a relatively small part of the expense of owning a VW.