2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLX Wagon | Retro Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- The last of the great looking attainable manual trans sport wagons...
Show 2113 | Original Airdate 11-28-2001
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Still to this day one of the best looking wagons ever made. Perfect proportions.
IMO, the Golf wagon was much better looking. Those massive headlights on the Jetta look out of place.
For $2k more, I ordered up a 2003 Passat GLX 5 speed wagon. Drove it for 18 years and loved it!
I went for the Passat over the Jetta as well. I always thought it was a better value. Especially for the base engine. That 1.8t was way better than the 2.slow. Plus I added a nuespeed tune and exhaust for about 200 hp. The Passat was more or less a rebadged Audi A4. The “Passaudi” 😅
Wow, these still look so good. Shame VWs aren't this cool anymore.
Right??? It makes me sad THIS jetta was nicer than the 2022 jetta is.
Yea.. the last best few VWs were the Touareg, Jetta and Golf wagons, and the Beetle 🪲
I think the GTI is still cool. But yea. Having owned mk3 Jetta and b5 Passat, I think it was the golden era of vw
@japanwatchconnectionlmao what , I think all these cars were inspired by the era. Considering mk4s started in 99 , e36s were still around in 99 not e46
My 2019 Jetta is pretty nice and has been very reliable.
This review is still relevant to 2022. SUV's sales have exploded in the past few years, and the vast majority of people buying them don't really need them. Wagon's simply are brilliant daily drivers with interior space, comfort, fuel economy, handling.
Station wagons, minivans and MPVs absolutely should be the dominant forms of people-carrier. It's a shame so many people use SUVs and fullsize or even heavy duty pickups to commute to white collar jobs these days when something smaller would work wonders and be more environmentally friendly AND cheaper to run.
I don't want trucks and SUVs banned, but I'd really like for them to go back to being something of a novelty. They make sense for blue collar workers living in rural areas but the suburbs are filled with F-250s and G-Wagens, Cummins Rams and Audi Q7s... I'm sure a lot of them are being bought as status symbols. It sucks so bad but this is what happens when wages stagnate and young people can't afford to buy new. :/
I bought one of these used with an Automatic in 2017 - the automatic was garbage and we swapped a 5 speed into it! What a difference. Its a great little get around car with tons of features - some rivaling 2022 models. Note: The Jetta sedans of that era were made in Mexico for American market buyers - but the Wagons all came from Germany. Check your VIN numbers if you own one! Ours has 79,000 miles on it (April 2022). The VR6 is mechanical poetry. So much fun and power! Wish I could say the car was mint, but time has been harsh. Interior plastics have suffered. Daily use sins can be cleaned up. Very versatile and fun to drive. Thank you MotorWeek for the retro review! PS the 2002 MSRP is numerically HIGHER than some 2021 and 22 Jetta S or SE's currently on dealer lots without being adjusted for inflation.
MK4s are cars that you can reeeeally feel the difference of a manual with
A lot of people don’t even know about the kick down switch in the gas pedal
How much did it cost you to swap
@@tientrinh943 $1500
I had a 2001 GTI VR6 and knew that it and the Jetta were made in Mexico, but I didn't realize the wagon was an exception.. interesting!
1.9 TDI MK4 Wagon. One of the best practical cars of all time
That’s VW’s design peak
Volkswagens from this era will always be my favorite. Baby Audis. So solid and German.
I have a 2003 Jetta wagon 5 speed TDI and I love it, super versatile, timeless looks that still turns heads today, and getting 45 mpg to boot it’s the car to have!
Yea, i miss mine, i got 52 mpg a couple times. Its ashame that random stranger had to total it for me, but at least i was able to talk away fine from it. The 05 i replaced it with is a bit faster but doesnt get the milage.
I really do wish the industry still made an honest small manual wagon like this...exactly the kind of car I want but can no longer buy :(
Still plenty of these on the road.
Here in Europe we have plenty of wagons this size. Even Toyota Corolla wagon !
Sad for you...
The interior build quality with premium materials was legendary back then. Light years ahead of everyone else, including Porsche (example 996) and Mercedes (example ML 320). Everything was so buttery soft, yet solid. I'm 100% confident it's even better than a brand new VW today where cheap, scratchy plastic abounds in lesser used areas. Mazda is now the leader of the $50,000+ interior in a $28,000 car.
But the durability is much worse than in previous generations of vw's, they aged poorly
mk5’s interior was above and beyond mk4 interior for its time though
@@eustahijelifetips I agree with this. A lot of squeaks and rattles in my MK4 Golf hatchback. It's very annoying.
I bought a 2001 Jetta Wagon GLX while I was living in Germany and it is by far one of the best cars i've ever bought! Ill never let this one go. Cool video!
I got a 2002 Passat GLX Wagon manual 5-speed but it had the Audi 2.8 V6 (not the VR6). Amazing had it about 10 years and 0 issues. VW called it Ink Blue metallic but folks called it Sapphire! Gray sturdy leather. It was comfy and luxurious, small enough to park anywhere, awesome. I’ve had 4 VW wagons altogether. Did I mention I hate SUVs lol. Peace all. 🇺🇦
Peace all. Ukraine?
I’ll never forget the crayons smells of my sisters Jetta. Good times.
I will never understand that.... why almost every Jetta from this era smelt like a 4L ice cream pail full of old crayons lol
Fun Fact: That crayon smell was due to the glue they used at manufacturing to lay the inferior carpet down! It smelled like crayons.
I love the way the spark plug wires lay across the engine cover.
It's just a plastic engine cover it stays cold, sits right on top of the intake plenum.
@@dudndadn12212 I don’t think he was saying it sarcastically-he’s saying that it’s a visually pleasing presentation.
It looks SO AWESOME in that Galactic Blue Pearl!!!!!
I remember driving my friend’s back in the days. What a fun car and the vr6 was such sweet engine. VW was always at the forefront of engine tech.
ahhh, a MK4 Golf Estate.
best suited to the 1.9 TDI.
the dials were perfect.
My mom bought a 2003 white one with a 4 cylinder turbo new. She had it for 10 years. She’s always been someone who enjoys cars
I bought one brand new.
Owning it was a love/hate relationship.
The engine and transmission were flawlessly reliable for the 160k miles I owned it but it seemed that everything else failed at least once or in the case of the power windows and sunroof multiple times.
But when everything worked it was a pleasure to drive. The worst failure was when the car was 18 months old and was being driven through Texas with our two German Shepherds and Bernese Mountain Dog.
The A/C failed in 113° heat.
I had to stop about once a hour at convenience stores and buy large bags of ice and wrap a blanket around them for the dogs to lay on to keep cool because we couldn't find a hotel that would accept dogs.
The late 90s/early 00s was vw prime. All their vehicles were fantastic and were basically cheaper Audis. I really wanted one. But I always hear how unreliable they were, especially compared to the Japanese brands.
A relative of mine had a VW Passat wagon with this engine, automatic transmission, and Syncro 4WD. He said pretty much the same thing: Everything fell apart, except the powertrain and 4WD system. For some reason he didn't have AC. The worst offender was a pair of electric motors which were used to adjust the beam of the headlights. They kept breaking, and without them the car would fail inspection, so it wasn't possible to just fix the lights permanently at a set angle.
Yep, this was the curse of VW from this era. My grandfather bought a New Beetle around this time and it was frequently in the shop.
I had a 2l sedan 2004 4 speed auto in my family from 2004-2020 the transmission had to be replaced once and it only had 3 working gears when we got rid of it we never really had electrical issues until the end of its lifespan with 300k miles my first car never gave me a problem despite my mom basically ruining the engine never putting oil in it it burned oil so bad I redlined it once with no oil in it it was ticking and nothing happened great car I wish we still had it
@@brynnleahnayvieghlaykynnn6175 My wife lost faith in the VW and refused to drive it.
She bought a Saturn SW2 which had almost all of the equipment of the VW except the sunroof.
As far as reliability/durability was concerned it was like comparing a new Toyota to a used high mileage Yugo.
The Saturn never failed to start or left anyone stranded.
The Saturn rolled up 350k miles before it was totaled after being rear ended
Only thing that didn't work was the rear wiper washer.
If the two vehicles were on sale today I would gladly buy another Saturn!
I honestly can’t believe that this is old enough to be considered for a Retro Review now. What do you mean this isn’t a 10 year old car anymore?
The oldest ones can order their own drinks.
I have two TDi manual 2003 wagons.. I will never EVER sell.. they hare simply the perfect combination of comfort and style and 45 mpg 750 miles to a tank.. love them forever
I'd love to have a mint one with a 6 speed in this style right now
I had a 2003. Loved that car.
My 2003 TDI wagon is still going strong and handles surprisingly well.
just got one of these as my first car, it just happened to be the same car my mom owned when i was born! its a '05 2.0L GLS (?) and i love it so much
Never knew a Vr6 model was offered on this.
Wow these were pricey! I had a jetta sport wagon in 2014 that was a few g’s more! And…it got caught up in dieselgate. 😒 It was a fabulous small wagon that was fun to drive. 😋
I have a 2001 Jetta 2.0 non turbo. Great car, just had the whole front end suspension replaced. Drives like new and that's with bald tires lol
Thanks for keeping our roads safe!
Love the colors, styling and interiors of that time and model; a pity the materials used didn’t stand the test of time.
4:08 John: In the rear, you’ll find seating for three, although for maximum comfort, you’d better stick with two. LOL
I have a 2003 Passat wagon manual in Fresco green that I daily...she has 183k miles on original clutch. Been in the family since new🤙🤙. Engine has never been beat on or relined etc.
I like this gen of VWs
Man I love this vehicle! I would drive one today. I love the fact that VW's always have fat tires and great quality even in their compacts.
This must be an early 2002 model. Shame, 2002.5 and on models had the much better 24v VR6 and 6MT. A healthy bump from 171 to 200hp and even better sound IMO.
Again, thank you so much for this awesome video!! Such amazing euphoric nostalgic video!! Man what I wouldn’t do to relieve those years, even if the only happy memories i have are about cars…..with that said, this wagon here is awesome sauce!!!
Still got one 260,000 miles still going strong 👍🏻
In Italy we had Golf and Bora (Jetta) Variant: exactly same car with different headlights and front bumper 🤷🏼♂️
This still looks fresh and modern 21 years later...and that cabin is a perfect mix of luxury and design. That's a true testament to these cars, too bad the only ones you see nowadays are generally beat down and tired (but again, 21+ years old.)
Great job
From Argentina 🇦🇷
Keep it up
Wagons were still hanging on in 02 with VW, Ford, Mazda and Saturn offering two wagon models in their lineups. The good old days.
We had an ‘04 TDI wagon. It went 12 years and 300,00 km. We traded in a 1998 Subaru Forester for it. What a great car that was.
Which one, Forester or TDI wagon???
The VR6 wagon wasn't very common and was only available for two model years
VR6 jetta alone was a rarity , and a wagon? psshhh Probably not many around
@@fxkraft1037 Yes I'm familiar, thanks for Gran Turismo
True, I’ve only seen a handful in my life
Seems like VWs of this era, if they'd get to say 50,000 miles without issue, then they'd do 500,000 miles. I'd love to find one of these in a diesel -- It'd be a great family road-trip ride.
Yup mine lasted 300k and I beat it to shit
I have owned a 1.8T wagon and now own a tdi (bew) wagon. Both are great cars. My buddy is still driving the 1.8t w/ about 210,xxx miles on her and my tdi has just under 300,000. Tdi gets up to 50 mpg on highway.
And then I went and bought an Alltrack… long live the (now dead) golf wagon
I can't imagine how fun this car would be, sounds pretty good too.
Jetta IV was a gem 💎
Anybody remember the Mazda 6 Wagon?
Yip. It was a good looking estate car.
They were pretty fun too, I had a 2005 Sport trim with a 5 speed
I had a 2004 mazda 6 v6 wagon up until last year. I loved that car.
Can’t even remember the last time I saw a Jetta wagon…
I still see a few of them in New York where I live
I'm FAR from a VW fanboi, but ::swoon::. So fun, so practical, so cleanly designed... miss these days
Man I always like that body style Jetta! And that wagon looks even good by today’s standards!👌🥰👍
That body roll, and suspension travel is hilarious to see
My old neighbor Dominick still has a 2002 Jetta GLX TDI manual, and it still runs great at 220k miles!!
Had a sedan 2.8 manual
Litlle rocket! Perfect balance and confortable too
One of the most correct looking cars of all time. No Bad lines, no wrong angles.
Have a 1.8t wagon 03 and I love it !!!
Ah, remember when the Jetta was a premium small car and not a Nissan Sentra alternative? Those were the days.
I had the Jetta sedan in the same color with the 1.8T. It was a blast to drive but had constant problems.
My friend owned one and he did not like it at all he said it was not worth one penny.
Had an 01' glx sedan, It was a blast to drive.
I like the cutie checking out the back seat. I wonder if he’s still available
Kinda quirky but I like it, there was a very brief window where it seemed like small wagons were making a comeback but.. small SUV's like The Ford Escape quickly put the kibosh on that.
VW was at its peak around 2000-05. Reliability was pretty crappy, (good lord the 1st Touaregs were trash) but the excellent interiors, unique, clean styling and Germanic feel were top tier. Then around 2010, VW’s became as bland as Toyota but without the reliability. They’re a bit better now but the uniqueness is gone as most of VW’s lineup has morphed into soulless crossovers. Here’s hoping that the electric ID lineup livens things up a bit.
1.8T engines eating timing belts left and right.
It was all downhill from there.
I bought a red VR6 Auto for under 2k$. Great car over all except for the transmission issues. Would have been a good car to do a manual swap into. Mine had cloth seats, single disc player in the dash and i ended up adding a CD changer to it. Also had the manual dial HVAC controls. Not too sure if it was a high end GLS or a low end GLX.
"Do you really need an SUV?" No but everyone keeps buying those monstrocities.
I know! And i just don't get it as I never see more than a couple of people in them. I don't really they're used to move stuff so often either. I think it's a status thing in some ways.
I ❤the TDI engine, it didn't pollute.😅
Cool ride. I've seen a few GLI sedans of the era with the VR6 but never knew it was available as a wagon. I guess the "free" market spoke and no one bothered buying them here. What a shame
They were pretty expensive at the GLX trim level, almost as much as a V6 Passat, which had much better handling and space
They were ahead of their times, but that bring their loads of small issues and problems, I had a 2001 TDI wich will remain one of my favorite car even tho the issues.
I’m looking for a mk4 TDI to pick up but even if you’re willing to pay more than what they’re worth, nice ones are still impossible to find
Can’t beat an alh tdi manual wagon still have one . Doesn’t miss a beat at almost 250k miles
My old neighbor still has a 2002 TDI manual Jetta Wagon at 220k miles. Still bulletproof!!
I owned a 2003 Wolfsburg Edition. Fun to drive but the dash squeaked and the VW dealer said it was wear and tear not under warranty. Things started to fall off the thing literally. Built in Mexico for you. Got rid of it fearing it would be a money pit. Shame they didn't engineer and built them better.
Same color, but a sedan and VR6! I miss it... :(
Shame that there were so many of their coil packs failed and left so many Jetta 1.8T and VR6 drivers stranded on the side of the road!
And my 2009 VW Rabbit doesn’t have volume controls on the steering wheel but this 2002 has them.
The Jetta😎
No one uses an SUV to haul anything or anyone other then one to two people.
Loved these sleeper cars sadly IF you could find one, I'm sure it would be run into the ground.
The Ferdinand Piëch-era...
I've owned 2 Golf mk4 TDI with together about 550000km without any issues...
Now i have a 2003 R32 with 146000km and a 2021 Touran...also flawless...
Asian cars...no thanks...
Too bad there are very few small hatches today that can do all that this did in 2002. 70 cubic feet with a flat load floor is a lot for a compact car.
People didn't listen to this review. They continued to buy SUV's, and they'll never stop. It's like reggaeton.
But there will be an end to this. I hope it won't be painful, but we deserved it.
We everyone would have easier time seeing over each orhers cars. It wouldve been cheaper to buy and maintain, more fuel efficient snd better on the enviroment but no people are morons and want "commanding" driving position and insurence that they kill other person in the collision...instead of actually driving well. Hence we are in this SUV hellscaoe worldwide...even i europe this cancer spreads.... And idiotic laws in USA promotemanufacturing of these abominations becsuse of a loophole for EPA ratings
This is a great wagon option if you don’t need awd….but for those that do need awd in a wagon, there’s no better then the 2002 Subaru Outback…
I have a 2001 GLS automatic and in an attempt to change my key fop my original key just fell apart in my hand.
i wish i could go back in time temporarily, purchase a brand new mk4 jetta, store it somewhere secret where it would stay in perfect condition, then go back to the present and retrieve it and be happy
Well, this was fun. But did anyone else hear the doomsday music during the engine footage?
Originally aired 19 days after 9/11..😬
20 years ago… sheesh
The TDI wagons are now $10,000 cars.
This is still what I think of when people say “Jetta”
Driving a wagon doesn’t make you cool, but if you’re cool, there’s a good chance you drive a wagon.
When autos were slower than manuals. I don’t know of any new cars within ten years or more that manuals are faster?
¿is this the 4motion?
I normally really like wagons I've owned several in fact I own a couple now. I like the Jettas of this vintage, I've just never been able to get into the Jetta wagon it's just not an attractive vehicle.
Looks like Airport Taxi
WOOOOO MY CAR I HAVE A 1.9 TDI
And now everyone just wants ugly crossovers. Wish we had more small wagons!
4:19 what in the world is that?
Camera Tripod flight case i think
@@JeremyBlant makes sense. that was my guess as well. i need sum hard sided luggage 😊
Obviously it’s a bazooka box. OBVIOUSLY. 😂
VW fan boys: These are such stylish cars
Actual reality : This vehicle has no style in any shape form or fashion.
This vehicle is in fact, antistyled.
ahh yes the car that smells like crayons
Ripper!
Anything But Square
Back when people had a choice between SUVs or SWs....now it's kinda SUV dictatorship