Volkswagen Jetta vs. Toyota Corolla ??

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I'm going to be buying a new compact, and I've narrowed it down to these 2. Both are all but identical in size, price, looks, fuel mileage, interior, and style. I really like both cars. They both have what I consider to be one negative. On the Corolla it's the CVT Transmission. You would think they would be cheaper because they are simpler. They're not. They are very expensive to repair if they go south out of warranty. And from what I've been able to research, their long term reliability is somewhat questionable. There have been a lot of problems and growing pains thus far. Toyota's seem to have the best reliability as far as CVT Transmissions, when compared to say Nissan, which has the absolute worst. So the Nissan Versa is off the table.

I've never driven a vehicle with one. But watching videos of CVT Transmission acceleration, the engine revs way up, then stays there until you get off the throttle. There is no "shifting" like a regular automatic with gears does. They operate similar to the variable speed head on a Bridgeport vertical milling machine. With a system of cone pulley's and a drive belt. So I list the CVT Transmission as the Corolla's negative. They are the future in small cars, and in 10 years all compacts will have them. And they will have the cost and reliability dialed in by then. But now I feel it's too much of a gamble. I'll be keeping this vehicle for a long time. The Volkswagen Jetta has a standard automatic with gears that shifts like most all automatics do. And I'm comfortable with that. The Jetta's negative, (as far as I'm concerned), is it has a turbo.

I know a lot of young drivers like them, but I'm not a big fan of turbochargers on cars. Much like the CVT Transmission, they're a big money pit if they go south out of warranty. Yeah, you get better performance and more overall power. But it's at the expense of that turbo, that you hope and pray doesn't go away. I will admit that today's turbochargers have a pretty good reputation for overall reliability. I'm not sure if the Jetta's turbocharger is liquid cooled or not. I'm hoping it is. So my thinking is the turbo is not as large of a negative as the CVT Transmission is. Advantage Jetta.

In overall vehicle reliability Toyota scores better marks than Volkswagen. Always has. But that and a buck buys a cup of coffee at the counter at Denny's, when it comes to individual vehicles. I had a Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel, and it was one of the best cars I ever had. Totally reliable. So I'm not uncomfortable buying one. And the whole "Dieselgate" mess is pretty much behind them. Volkswagen certainly isn't going away because of it.

So I would like to hear if any of you guys drive either of these, and what you think of them. I'm replacing my 26 year old 1991 F-150. Since I bought my 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, I really don't need two big full sized vehicles. So it's time to downsize. More room in the garage as well. I'm getting tired of walking sideways between 2 cars, and having to squeeze in and out of them!
 
Well, here's the thing about CVT's. Yes, they rev to the top of the redline(or just before redline) but, this is only in wide open throttle(WOT) situations. Under normal driving conditions, the CVT's don't just stay in HIGH RPM's, they're very relaxed. If you're a WOT kind'a person, then you won't like the CVT. But, drive one for some period of time to see if it's for you. Toyota's have a much, much better success rate with their CVT's than other manufactures. Not that you can't get a less than stellar Toyota CVT, it's just unlikely and you almost never hear of one.

The two vehicles couldn't be more different other than they're both compact sedans. The Jetta has good driving dynamics and the Corolla just goes about its business. The Corolla is one of the most reliable vehicles on the planet. Should you develop a problem, and you fix it, it's fixed. OTOH, the Jetta is among the least reliable vehicles on the planet on 5 continents. After warranty, you'll have to fix multiple items and maybe more often than once! VW also has terrible MFG & dealer support and low customer satisfaction. Not the lowest but, low just the same. Sure, you could get a good or bad in either vehicle.

I speak from family & friends experience here when I say that Jetta's are great to drive and suck to own. OTOH, Toyota Corolla's are, ho-hum to drive and very good to own long term. Read the reviews on both cars as-far-as their reliability worldwide. And living in AZ, you can keep the Corolla almost forever!

I love the CVT in my Altima. It is perfect for my driving style. Although my wife knows it's a CVT, she doesn't notice that it isn't a typical automatic tranny and neither does my 32 yr old daughter. My only concerns with my Altima is the CVT reliability/reputation. However, I have a 7yr/100mi drivetrain warranty with only one CVT fluid change requirement at 60K miles. I may not even keep the car that long.
 
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Originally Posted By: Danno
Rented a Corolla last year for a few days. I knew it had a CVT, but didn't notice it had a CVT. It just worked. Maybe rent one for a day and try it?


I'm definitely going to test drive a Corolla. I want to experience what the CVT is like. I'm curious, if you gently drive it, "old lady style" do the RPM's stay fairly low? Another plus I have noticed on the Corolla, is oil and filter changes are really easy. Both the oil filter and the oil drain plug are very easy to get to. (I do my own oil changes). And the Corolla has a spin on oil filter.
 
You've put it out there - reliability of VW vs questionable CVT in the Toyota. It's a toss up but I'd give the edge to the Toyota, simply because of overall reliability.

I know you've narrowed it down, but did you include the Mazda3 in your search?
 
billt460,

I see that you aren't comparing the more dynamic driving cars to the Jetta such as the Civic and mazda3. I do see that you are really comparing the Corolla & Jetta size(interior & trunk) more than their driving enjoyment.

Personally, I'd take the Corolla all day long before I got myself into a VW. However, I am currently looking hard at and test driving & pondering the Hyundai Elantra/KIA Forte' alternatives. Maybe(statistically) the Korean cars are not as reliable as the Corolla but, they're not an unreliable vehicles.

Hyundai/KIA have been showing quite good in fact. They have(statistically) very good MFG & dealer support under warranty(as does Toyota, Mazda etc.). However, they seem to be a nice alternative for what I call, "everydayness" & "normalness" in the 90%ish of the time, the way most humans drive their vehicles.
 
I don't think I've ever seen a Volkswagen that's as reliable as an equivalent Toyota.

I'd never buy a vehicle on reliability alone, nor do I recommend doing so. But if that were the main metric, I'd pick a CVT Toyota over an automatic Volkswagen any day and twice on Sundays.

What I have done is pick a car with one big known weakness over other comparable cars with lots of small potential problems. It's been really good peace of mind for me so far. I anticipate the big-ticket item over a certain span of years, and everything else just works predictably.

Char Baby's comments are on point. The only reason to pick the Jetta is if you value its driving dynamics. Which, to be fair, is a darn good reason. But you WILL trade reliability and cost-of-ownership for it.
 
The VW automatic is a solid unit as is the whole car, I liked the Corolla until they went CVT with no other option, IMO they ruined the car for buyers wanting an option with the CVT or nothing approach.
In Europe even the top model can still be had with 1.6 and 6spd stick. Given this option or even a normal auto transmission is not offered I would go with the VW all day, no contest.

If this were an option I would choose this.

https://www.toyota.de/automobile/corolla...anceOption=cash
 
Originally Posted By: billt460
Originally Posted By: Danno
Rented a Corolla last year for a few days. I knew it had a CVT, but didn't notice it had a CVT. It just worked. Maybe rent one for a day and try it?


I'm definitely going to test drive a Corolla. I want to experience what the CVT is like. I'm curious, if you gently drive it, "old lady style" do the RPM's stay fairly low?


As I stated above about the CVT, the engine RPM's stay as low as possible to achieve the best MPG at that time. It's always trying to pick the best RATIO(not a gear). And the RPM doesn't just shoot up and rev just because you gave the throttle a little stab. ONLY UNDER WOT! Just driving around town(Glendale/Phoenix), you may won't even notice that it's a CVT. Although the Corolla has only 132 hp, this could change a tiny bit(TINY BIT) in mountainous areas such as a drive up to Sedona or the Canyon but, it won't be terrible either!
 
You've got to drive them both and give 'em a fair shake.

I know you're looking now, but keep in mind the new MQB-based Jetta is just over the horizon.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
The VW automatic is a solid unit as is the whole car, I liked the Corolla until they went CVT with no other option, IMO they ruined the car for buyers wanting an option with the CVT or nothing approach.
In Europe even the top model can still be had with 1.6 and 6spd stick. Given this option or even a normal auto transmission is not offered I would go with the VW all day, no contest.

If this were an option I would choose this.

https://www.toyota.de/automobile/corolla...anceOption=cash


Corolla's aren't even that enjoyable with a stick or shiftable auto(I've had corolla/prism). That just makes a Ho-Hum car less Ho-Hum! I've also driven Corolla's from 2003-present. As-far-as Toyota ruining the Corolla with a CVT, sale figures and their customers don't seem to reflect this. If Corolla sales are down, that's because SUV sale are Waaaaaay up!

When my daughter went to ASU, she drove her roommate's Jetta from Tempe to Las Vegas and just raved about the Jetta. My daughter owned an Accord at the time.

Trav, I understand your passion for VW, I have friends that feel the same way. I've driven all of their VW/Audi's and they're frikken great to drive.
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So many from the early 70s-present, from Gulf/Scirocco/Rabbit, Beetle/BUGs, Corrado, THING, BUSS, A4, A6, TT, 911, Macan etc. It depends on your tolerance level with each vehicle and how long you plan on keeping it. If keeping the car for the long haul, can you tolerate the "possible" repairs & cost of fixing the VW as compared to have the Corolla with NO SOUL???
 
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As far as "drivability" and "driving dynamics" on all of these compacts. They are what they are. A small car with a 4 cylinder engine. They are all about as exciting to drive as watching latex paint dry in humidity. I can live with that, and I don't expect to be thrilled by any of them.

I want dependability, good fuel economy, and a halfway nice looking vehicle, that I don't have to drive around in with my knees up to my chin. The Toyota Corolla delivers that. I'm also seeing that they pretty much all have CVT Transmissions. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and most likely a few more I'm forgetting. So that makes me feel a bit more comfortable with them. But like I said, I definitely want to drive one to experience what they're like. If I don't notice it much, that's a good thing. And it would put me closer to the Corolla. But I will admit the Honda Civic doesn't look too bad either. And it's available in either a 2 or a 4 door model. One thing is for sure and for certain. There is no shortage of any of these things. Most all of the dealers have them stacked to the rafters.
 
The Civic is very well rounded and comes many varieties to suit the masses. But, you gotta drive'em all!
I mean, I chose an Altima(this is my 2nd one). Go figure!
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Room is an important feature, because I am giving up a 8' long bed, full size pickup truck for a 4 cylinder compact. I know there is no comparison, but the Corolla 4 door with it's fold down rear seat gives a pretty fair amount of room for stuff back there. I was surprised. It's just my wife and I, so realistically the only thing the back seat is ever going to see is our Poodle..... All 16 pounds of him.
 
Here is the problem I have with "test drives". Once you drive one, you need a machete and a 9 MM double stack to get away from the salesmen. No one, and I mean NO ONE, delivers sales pressure like a car salesman. That I'M NOT looking forward to! I hate dealing with those guys!
 
I'd also encourage looking at a Golf over a Jetta, with the Golf being a much better car overall.

For now, at least, the Golf is a full generation ahead of the Jetta.
 
You can always go for manual! I think there's one trim with Corolla that offers stick.

Also, take a look at Civic sedan/hatcback. again, if you don't like CVT (like me) go sedan route with manual! NA multi port injected engine with manual transmission - what could be more bullet proof???
 
I know what you mean!
I test drove a Mazda3 & Civic in Scottsdale and I had a hard time getting away. But, I was strong!

When I test a car, I let the sales rep know that I am looking at the competition and this is my starting spot. "I JUST WANT TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR. YOU CAN COME ALONG BUT, DON'T TALK UNLESS I HAVE A QUESTION!"...I just want to feel the driving dynamics(or lack of) in the car, ride/quiet, tightness, comfort etc. I don't want to talk about the infotainment system. I learn it later. "And don't mention money to me or I'm out'a here! Be firm, you're never gonna see these people again, EVER!

I say this to all of the consultants that I meet with and I take/drive the car on the route that I want, not the route that they suggest(smooth road). Then after about 30 or so minutes of driving, I give'em back the keys and say, "I'll call you when I'm ready to buy". "Don't call me or email me or you'll lose the sale before we've even begun". "There are too many other dealers selling the same cars that I can choose".

Be stronger than them!
 
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The Jetta has a large trunk for the class and it's shape makes using all of it easy. I have a 2011 jetta with 120k on it and to this day it drives better and sounds more solid than the 2016 civic i own. The cvt in the civic is not bad as cvt goes but still isnt an auto or stick.
The new warranty on the vw is is better than most cars on the road. Having owned several vw and Audi there is no way I'd go with the corrola and ive also owned a corrolla and a camry
 
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