Difficult Decision... Golf and the Jetta SportWagen

[kreizyidiot]

I haven't test drove the Golf TDI yet since it's so high in demand and most dealers here in southern Cali are out of stock..however, there are a few Jetta SportWagen available... I decided to test drive one yesterday, and man, it was a pretty good car.... the suspension tends to drag a little.... and it feels like more of a sturdier car...yet, I'm going to be missing out on the loads of standard equipment that the Golf offers...

Any opinions....

[chittychittybangbang]

Even though they are based off the same design...I still think they feel very different cars. I haven't driven the wagon but I've seen plenty of pics so I can't comment on how it drives but I don't see why it would be too different.

This is just my preference but I prefer the 2 door Golf over the 4 door. The 2 door is less practical but I just like the look better. If you need the cargo space you can't beat the wagon. I also like the fact that the Golf gets the mk6 chassis upgrades, while the wagon only gets some mk6 cosmetic changes.

[buzybee]

No xenons on the JSW= add $2000. That would be a dealbreaker for me. No foglights either. But then again, the Golf doesn't have leather, only cloth. Cloth should be more breatheable than the leatherette in the JSW though.

[fstjetta]

IMHO, the wagons have always held their value better so there's that too.

[regulator]

Drove both and purchased a Golf. Liked the sport suspension on the Golf more. The first question I would ask is can you live with the smaller size of the Golf?

[Tomspassat]

I'm surprised anybody is buying anything. I called and the dealer told me they don't have anything and don't expect any cars until next year! A regular bunch of know nothings.

[kreizyidiot]

Originally Posted by regulator

Drove both and purchased a Golf. Liked the sport suspension on the Golf more. The first question I would ask is can you live with the smaller size of the Golf?

Probably... I mean, I'm pretty short... only 5'4 lol....

[Liscia]

Bilstein HD's should tighten up handling nicely when they become available for the 2010 JSW.

[tutstye]

What does "the suspension drags a little" mean?

[CA_Paul]

Originally Posted by kreizyidiot

I haven't test drove the Golf TDI yet since it's so high in demand and most dealers here in southern Cali are out of stock..however, there are a few Jetta SportWagen available... I decided to test drive one yesterday, and man, it was a pretty good car.... the suspension tends to drag a little.... and it feels like more of a sturdier car...yet, I'm going to be missing out on the loads of standard equipment that the Golf offers...

Any opinions....

It seems like a question of how much cargo space you need. I bought a Golf TDI a couple weeks ago, and it's fun as hell to drive. Maybe not quite a GTI, but the same general driving characteristics - tight & nimble - and 40 MPG. Plenty of room for 4 passengers, the main size difference is in the trunk area, which is quite a lot smaller.

In contrast I drove a SportWagen a few months ago because all the specs looked good, but it drives like a hippo on Qualudes. It drove about like my 1997 subaruy - everything about it was loose and sluggish.

So, if you need the cargo room, see if you can live with the handling. If you don't need a wagon, the golf is a lot more fun to drive.

Just ...