CD Article: 2007 Volkswagen City Jetta

[CD_Editor]

Test Drive:

Resurrected for 2007, the previous generation Jetta sedan has returned as the "City Jetta" at a new lower base price of $16,700.  Options can push this price over $20,000 "very easily", says Editor Greg Wilson, but "it's still a good value for price-conscious buyers looking for a brand new, fuel-efficient compact car with a full four-year basic warranty and five-year powertrain warranty," he says.   More...

[Loudpedal]

I disagree with you AutoE.  I think this is a brilliant idea, and I don't know why more automakers aren't doing it.  Perhaps this is VW's way to distract buyers from a gap year with no TDI.  Heck, with the cost saving of this car over a comparable TDI, the fuel savings is a wash.  Apparently, these things are selling in droves and someone at work who bought a City Golf said the wait list is now months long (or was). 

As for not buying a VW again, ususally it's the niggling quality issues that get folks to switch brands 

[banfield]

"Sub-par" reliability is a big red flag in my book (which records
my negative experience with three previous VMs that I bought new).

That's why I now drive a new base model Caravan. Complete with automatic and air, it's currently advertised at $17,995 plus $1200 freight.  An amazing bargain. Just remember to use only Mopar tranny fluid when you change it every 50,000 km and you'll be OK. I kept my last Carfavan for 12 years and had zero problems.
 

[Gospod]

Assembly location in the article is marked as Mexico!!!! Strange!!
Previously an announcement was made by VW Canada that all this will be manifactured in Brazil.
Where is the truth?

[Panzer]

That's why I now drive a new base model Caravan.

Good luck with your tranny.  A guy at work here is on his 3rd one.  But I agree that for the price, even additional maintenance in the form of extra trannies makes this purchase worthwhile.  Every other similar van is priced at twice the price.

As for the City Golf/Jetta, I do think it's a great concept.  What they should've done though is name it Rabbit and give the City Golf/Jetta name to the present Rabbit.

"Back in the days", the Rabbit was VW's low cost mode of transportation.  Today's Rabbit is too expensive.

[nowcar]

Is it just me or have there been about a million articles on canadiandriver.com about the City Golf & Jetta?

[JSCC]

I'm not sure what to make of the "City" concept.  Personally I find it distasteful, however all that matters to VW is sales.  I can't see it as being helpful for brand prestige.  Sure, you will rob sales from the used market, but how many of your current customers will you off by destroying the resale value of their Mk IV Golfs and Jettas?  To me, this smacks simply of profiteering and a disregard for customer loyalty and brand image.  As an auto maker, you should always push to putting your best foot forward on the showroom floor, not leftovers cobbled together from the spare parts bin.  When you have something better, you offer it and leave the past behind.

These cars will cater to the market where the lowest cost is the bottom line and most significant criteria.  If VW wants to water down its brand by scrapping it out with the Cobalt and Aveo, they can go right ahead.  As a brand that promotes itself as oriented towards enthusiasts and "drivers", I say it is a risky move in watering down brand equity.  As for the cars themselves...nothing much bad to say about them except that they are very much outdated.  Just because the concept may work in South Africa does not mean it is good to apply it in Canada.  Our choices are very much driven by brand image and this could stand to hurt VW's most profitable market.  Then again, if they keep the Citys shoved to the back of the showroom and get you drooling over the GTI, a lot can be forgotten in a short span of time. 

If I were a VW exec, I would have vetoed this simply out of principle.  In the end however, they likely will stand to make extra dollars out of the deal and leave the ideals out of it.  If my trade in value on my MK IV Jetta or Golf was destroyed by this move however, I'd be looking to switch brands when it came time for something new.

The Canadian VW execs know exactly what they are doing.
The CAD market is a totally different market compared to USA, that is why VW CAD fought so hard for independence from VW USA.
The poor are becoming more poor,  sad but a true fact, VW needed an entey level vehicle to compete with Fit/Yaris and Corolla/Civic and the Cities are the solution.

It works in South Africa and China, and it will in Canada too, actually it "is working".
How many customers we have had coming through the door to ask "Where is the new Jetta/Golf? The "cheap" one!"
I don't see them being ashamed of buying "affordable" vehicles.

[JSCC]

Assembly location in the article is marked as Mexico!!!! Strange!!
Previously an announcement was made by VW Canada that all this will be manifactured in Brazil.
Where is the truth?

City Golf from Brazil.

City Jetta from Mexico.

[JSCC]

Is it just me or have there been about a million articles on canadiandriver.com about the City Golf & Jetta?

Yes, thank you very much. 
Just keep bringing them out!

[JSCC]

Waiting list is extended to 3-4 months.
Currently, we have over 20 orders to fill and the list just keeps growing. $_$

"Money is in the bank, the hard part is waiting! LoLz!"

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Article seems pretty much on the money.

I find the flat useless plastic panel above the radio weird too. Way back in '01 I had the cupholder below the hazzard and a fuzzy-lined opening below it which I used as storage. I guess for cost of however much they took it away and put in those panels (cupholder was moved to between the seats in '03 or thereabouts).

As for that 'sickening, possibly poisonous' factory windshield washer fluid, I LOVE it. Some friends like it, others say 'smells like chemical cleaner'. I like the smell of gas too, so maybe I'm just weird, but there's been a few threads in VWVortex about people wanting to get their hands on it so it has to appeal to enough people. In both cars I used it as sparingly as possible (still haven't refilled the GTI, even with those pesky headlight washers wasting it at night) to keep it lasting longer - the strong smell really does come into the car quickly somehow. If I could find a place to buy the stuff (briefly investigated), I would.

VW is trying to maintain sales when TDI's disappear. These should be on the market for 2-3 years tops. I wouldn't expect the current Golf V/Rabbit or Jetta V to have the same fate, as they cost far too much to produce.

As for wait lists, VW continues to lose big bucks in North America, yet everyone has made them out to be overpriced products (and cite the Phaeton, which wasn't an overpriced vehicle, just perhaps for the badge). In any case, they've positioned the Rabbit and City model pricing low to gain a better image in the market and consideration from customers which they'll run with for advertising, but the cars just aren't available. There seem to be a better supply of Rabbits now than before, but City's likely won't be in supply until the TDIs disappear in the new year is my take. Pricing is low, and the City Golf from Brazil will be a no money maker with their high currency, the City Jetta from Mexico they'll likely squeeze some coin out of. I hope a new subcompact (redesigned Fox or Polo) vehicle will come once these disappear.

[tpl]

I'm not sure what to make of the "City" concept.  Personally I find it distasteful, however all that matters to VW is sales.  I can't see it as being helpful for brand prestige.  Sure, you will rob sales from the used market, but how many of your current customers will you off by destroying the resale value of their Mk IV Golfs and Jettas?  To me, this smacks simply of profiteering and a disregard for customer loyalty and brand image.  As an auto maker, you should always push to putting your best foot forward on the showroom floor, not leftovers cobbled together from the spare parts bin.  When you have something better, you offer it and leave the past behind.

These cars will cater to the market where the lowest cost is the bottom line and most significant criteria.  If VW wants to water down its brand by scrapping it out with the Cobalt and Aveo, they can go right ahead.  As a brand that promotes itself as oriented towards enthusiasts and "drivers", I say it is a risky move in watering down brand equity.  As for the cars themselves...nothing much bad to say about them except that they are very much outdated.  Just because the concept may work in South Africa does not mean it is good to apply it in Canada.  Our choices are very much driven by brand image and this could stand to hurt VW's most profitable market.  Then again, if they keep the Citys shoved to the back of the showroom and get you drooling over the GTI, a lot can be forgotten in a short span of time. 

If I were a VW exec, I would have vetoed this simply out of principle.  In the end however, they likely will stand to make extra dollars out of the deal and leave the ideals out of it.  If my trade in value on my MK IV Jetta or Golf was destroyed by this move however, I'd be looking to switch brands when it came time for something new.

The Canadian VW execs know exactly what they are doing.
The CAD market is a totally different market compared to USA, that is why VW CAD fought so hard for independence from VW USA.
The poor are becoming more poor,  sad but a true fact, VW needed an entey level vehicle to compete with Fit/Yaris and Corolla/Civic and the Cities are the solution.

It works in South Africa and China, and it will in Canada too, actually it "is working".
How many customers we have had coming through the door to ask "Where is the new Jetta/Golf? The "cheap" one!"
I don't see them being ashamed of buying "affordable" vehicles.

VW are stuck with the city concept.   The Golf V (Rabbit) is too expensive to build to get the price down further which maybe one of the reasons why the Jetta wagon is delayed  unless that will be on the Golf VI platform. The Polo is just too difficult to re-engineer for NA, The Lupo replacement, called the Fox in the UK probably has the same problem. They got sort of blind-sided by the EPA on the diesels and I suppose they spent too much effort trying to sell Phaetons.  If I had been running VW Canada a year or two ago I would have negotiated with Transport Canada for a 2 year moratorium on the new emission standards for diesels here in Canada... it would have made no difference to air quality  and saved some CO2 emissions.

[tpl]

I alos like that Euro washer smell...methanol and some additive I think.  French renatal cars come with that in !

[Demosthenes X]

I'm not sure what to make of the "City" concept.  Personally I find it distasteful, however all that matters to VW is sales.  I can't see it as being helpful for brand prestige.  Sure, you will rob sales from the used market, but how many of your current customers will you off by destroying the resale value of their Mk IV Golfs and Jettas?  To me, this smacks simply of profiteering and a disregard for customer loyalty and brand image.  As an auto maker, you should always push to putting your best foot forward on the showroom floor, not leftovers cobbled together from the spare parts bin.  When you have something better, you offer it and leave the past behind.

These cars will cater to the market where the lowest cost is the bottom line and most significant criteria.  If VW wants to water down its brand by scrapping it out with the Cobalt and Aveo, they can go right ahead.  As a brand that promotes itself as oriented towards enthusiasts and "drivers", I say it is a risky move in watering down brand equity.  As for the cars themselves...nothing much bad to say about them except that they are very much outdated.  Just because the concept may work in South Africa does not mean it is good to apply it in Canada.  Our choices are very much driven by brand image and this could stand to hurt VW's most profitable market.  Then again, if they keep the Citys shoved to the back of the showroom and get you drooling over the GTI, a lot can be forgotten in a short span of time. 

If I were a VW exec, I would have vetoed this simply out of principle.  In the end however, they likely will stand to make extra dollars out of the deal and leave the ideals out of it.  If my trade in value on my MK IV Jetta or Golf was destroyed by this move however, I'd be looking to switch brands when it came time for something new.

Offering an entry-level vehicle hurts brand prestige?     Certainly buyers of the old Golfs and Jettas are going to be hit by resale, but that happens whenever an automaker brings out a new model.  I don't understand how you can argue that it will dilute the brand image - the last-gen Golf/Jetta were great cars.  Indeed, some VW fans prefer the last-gen Jetta to the new one.

Canadian choices are hardly driven by brand image, either.  Canadian drivers are, by and large, sensible.  That's why there are so many Civics, Corollas, Cobalts, etc. on the road.  Hardly 'prestige' cars.  In fact, I would wager that to the average joe, the City Jetta will have more 'prestige' than a Civic.

Because there is nothing at all wrong with the City cars.  Sure, it's older technology than what's new models, but what's that famous saying?  'If it aint broke, don't fix it.'

Where's your condemnation of the Honda Fit?  It's a 2000 model, is it diluting brand image?  Is it a travesty on our roads?  What about the Infiniti G35.  The VQ in that engine dates back 12 years.

What you seem to fail to grasp is that car manufactures exist to make money.  They are profitable enterprises.  This move will certainly put more money in VW's pockets.  Some people will get very capable, very nice cars, brand new, with warranty, for a great price.

Who, exactly, is the loser in that equation?

[Bullet Blue]

Is it just me or have there been about a million articles on canadiandriver.com about the City Golf & Jetta?

Not just you. Talk about beating a subject to death 

[nowcar]

Is it just me or have there been about a million articles on canadiandriver.com about the City Golf & Jetta?

Not just you. Talk about beating a subject to death 

And the irony is that we already know about these cars... because they are 7 years old 

[Quadri Azeez]

I drove the VW City Jetta a few days ago and I was terribly dissapointed at the perfomance. The car's underpowered, you have to keep revint the egine all the time especially to climb. But when I tried the manual transmission, whallla!!! the car behaved much better and more responsive. I think the problem with the car is between the auto transmission and the engine.

[safristi]

It's a CHICK CAR.....................

[haris]

Is it just me or have there been about a million articles on canadiandriver.com about the City Golf & Jetta?

It's not just you.
Threads on this page:

2007 Volkswagen City Jetta   
2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
2007 Honda CR-V EX
2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
Suzuki XL7 vs. Toyota RAV4
2007 Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec
2007 Kia Amanti
2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT sedan
2007 Volkswagen City Golf & Jetta
Mini Cooper, 2002-2006
2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Limited V8 4x4
2007 Dodge Caliber SE
Dash for Nash New    
2007 Kia Rondo
2007 Saturn Aura XR
2007 Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec
Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006
2007 Hyundai Elantra GL
2007 Acura CSX Type-S
2007 Hyundai Elantra GL w/ Comfort Package    
2007 Ford F-150 King Ranch E85
2007 Ford Fusion SEL AWD
2007 North American International Auto Show
2007 Volkswagen Jetta GLI    
BMW X5, 2000-2006

Because there is nothing at all wrong with the City cars.  Sure, it's older technology than what's new models, but what's that famous saying?  'If it aint broke, don't fix it.'

It is broken and they're not fixing it. Just changing the badging.

[walter_wpg]

I ordered a City Golf a couple of months
ago, and my built-to-order car is supposed to arrive mid-July. In the
meantime, a question for anyone owning a City Golf or City Jetta: As shown
in photos, the radio/CD-player is mounted just over the ventilation
controls, and there is a blank flat panel above the radio. Some have said
that the radio is mounted too low.  So:

a) Has anyone tried to move the radio up to the blank panel position, and
move the blank panel under the radio?

b) Does VW sell a storage bin or some other useful thing that could be
installed in place of the blank panel?

c) Or, is the radio just fine where it is?