Judgement Day: Testing VW Jetta

I am keeping up with a much more powerful car on the fabulously twisty road to Lavasa. The electro-mechanical steering is a delight and the four-link rear axle (along with wide 205mm section tyres) helps take on corners with ease. The fantastic brakes (all around discs with ABS) allow me to brake late into corners. It is only on the straights that Amit, behind the wheel of the 1.8-litre Civic manages to increase the gap between him and my 1.6-litre Jetta. It is a close battle between a fast car and a car that handles brilliantly! When we reach our destination, the view point at the entrance of Lavasa city, its time for judgment day!

We were delighted after testing the Civic way back in August 2006. The car rewrote the rules of its segment. Impressive interiors complimented by a gem of an engine – frugal as well as fast! The Civic has always been the king of the luxury car segment and still looks a generation ahead. The latest introduction of the base E model has further strengthened its position. But the Japanese car has a new rival from halfway around the world, the Volkswagen Jetta. Does the German vehicle have the goods to dethrone the king? Today, we were looking for an answer to this question.

At first glance, the Jetta doesn’t exactly impress you. It has the reminiscent looks of the bigger Passat and the characteristic VW bold look. On the other hand, the Civic, even after two years feels a lot fresher with modern looks. The Jetta is one of those cars whose appearance takes time to grow on you. There is a magnificent feel about it for sure, but the car doesn’t impart that to you immediately. Arriving in the Civic for a highflying shindig might get you more glances but you will definitely be noticed in the Jetta by the people who love and understand four wheels. The Civic definitely has a trump card up its sleeve in the form of its engine that can smoke the Jetta easily. Being both lighter as well as more powerful, the Civic is surely a scorcher.

While the lightweight (by a hundred and thirty kilos) of the Honda shows up in the build feel, the VW in comparison is like a mini tank. The firm, reassuring thud while closing the door gives you the sense of being secure. When compared to the impeccable build quality of the Jetta, the Honda feels somewhat lagging in terms of sturdiness.

The Jetta in the petrol form comes in just one trim level. Step inside and you do wonder where all that money went. The interiors are relatively less appealing in front of the futuristic looking Civic’s insides. There are no steering wheel mounted controls (ditto for the Civic too) and even the knobs for climate control look basic. But as expected, the quality of plastics used it top rank. The interior of the Civic makes you feel as if you got a better bang for your buck. The two tone color scheme with a swooping dash looks fantastic. However, the Germans love safety and the Jetta comes with six airbags plus ABS and ASR (traction control).

After driving both cars back-to-back for over two days, we were surprised how close a call this is. While the Honda has the advantage in terms of looks, interiors and engine, the VW wins hands down when it comes to dynamic stability and ride quality. Add to it the firm build quality, the VW badge and safety features. Last but not the least, the spacious boot space that puts the Civic to shame. You can’t help but think repeatedly in order to decide which of the two cars is superior.

Sibling rivalry

It’s a power struggle between the latest addition to the VW family and the elder sibling. As an only child, you may be spoilt rotten. Once a sibling enters the equation, power struggles are inevitably played out. We’ve clubbed the Skoda Laura and the Volkswagen Jetta together to find out which of the two cousins under the VW parentage stands out in this class.

It doesn’t get closer than this. Both siblings share the same platform as well as engines. Their solid build quality gives you a secure feeling when cocooned inside. While the Jetta looks like the VW Golf with an added boot, the Laura has the prominent Skoda family face. The problem with the Jetta is that the tight looking front doesn’t gel with the longish rear boot. However, the LED tail lamps stand out and the 16 inch alloys look good. On the other hand, the Laura seems have to have aged well and just about manages to earn more points as the reigning status symbol. Round one then goes to the Laura.

Step inside the Skoda and you are treated to one of the best looking dashboards around. Equipment levels are high with sun-roof and park assist, both absent on the Jetta. The four-spoke steering feels great to hold and you get a sense of expensive materials being used. For the Jetta, we had the Comfortline model on test. It too upholds VW’s reputation and is outfitted with rich cream interiors that are high on quality and well built.

Both vehicles share similar engines, but since the Laura is comparatively lighter with shorter gear ratios it feels peppier. On paper though, the siblings take the same time to get to the ton mark, however, show them a set of hills and the game takes a turn. The crisp handling of the Jetta along with superior brakes makes the drive fun. The 1.9-litre diesel engine has always been a sporty performer and returns equally impressive fuel economy figures for both cars. I believe the Jetta takes round three.

Another area where the Jetta scores high is in terms of dynamic ability. Though low speed ride is nothing exceptional, as the speed builds up, the suspension takes astride the worst of roads we drove through. Infact, you don’t even feel like weaving out of line for the occasional pothole on the highways! The Laura, on the other hand, has a stiffer ride and does not feel too keen on taking bad roads. Wheel sizes for both are equal. The Jetta wins round four as well.

As I said earlier, both cars are almost equally matched. The Jetta sells in two trims, the cheaper Trendline and the top of the line variant Comfortline that comes loaded with goodies. Not to forget, the VW pedigree. Cars from this brand are known to be engineered well and the Jetta confirms this fact.

This doesn’t mean the Laura loses in this comparison. You can’t help but think that it tried harder to please like the first child, who feels a little insecure when the younger one arrives. Overall a tad more luxurious interiors, better equipments levels with over four variants to choose from makes it a tempting buy. Not to forget that the base Ambiente variant undercuts the Jetta by a good seventy five thousand bucks!

Either way, you can’t go wrong with either of these vehicles. One is a better engineered and comfortable car and the other has better looks and equipment levels. We, however, think the new child in the family just about manages to sideline the older one.

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