Being the best selling car made in Europe on the US market, the VW jetta is one of the most well equipped and powerful cars as well. Like the Asian competitors, the 2002 Volkswagen Jetta offers buyers great fuel economy along with a lot of great features. It actually can become confusing sifting through all of the different packages and features offered, so this article will try to simplify them as much as possible. All of these cars remain in the affordable range, even when a fully loaded model is selected. The turbo diesel is another unique facet of these cars that makes them a great choice for environmentally minded individuals.
The basic packages offered include the GL, GLS, GLI, and GLX. Each of these is offered with at least 3 different engines which is where things start to get confusing. Most of these packages can also be equipped with a bare bones set-up or a fully loaded interior. GL models are a basic car and will have standard features like intermittent wipers, AM/FM/Cassette players, power locks, side mirror defrosters, cloth fabric upholstery, AC, but no power windows. The standard engine for the GL is the 2.0 liter four cylinder that puts out 115 hp. The fuel economy of this model ranges from 24 mpg city to 31 mpg highway. GL cars can also be equipped with the TDI engine that gets 90 horsepower that gets an impressive 155 pound feet of torque along with 34 mpg city and 49 mpg highway.
Moving up you have the GLS model which sees a larger engine (1.8 liter with 180 horsepower), cruise control, CD player, and finally power windows. The GLS can also be equipped with the TDI diesel engine as well. Going further up the line you have the GLX which is equipped with a VR6 six cylinder engine. Other standard features for the GLX include fog lamps, 16 inch wheels, heated windshield washer nozzles, 8 way powered seats for drivers and passengers, and automatic climate controls. GLI models have the most power and come with a V6 engine as well. Standard for this model is a 6 speed manual transmission, 17 inch wheels, dual exhaust, full leather upholstery, and a leather wrapped steering wheel.
Beyond those trim packages there are many different ways that each can be equipped. For example there is a sports package available for almost all which comes with luxury amenities and can be utilized on most trim levels. One factor that may be viewed negatively is the overall low clearance which may make it difficult to keep the car from bottoming out on rough roads. Legroom for rear passengers is also minimal at best, but the driver and front passenger certainly are not cramped at all.
Being that there are a lot of competitors in the small car market it is really hard to define who is the best. Usually the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are heralded, but the 2002 Volkswagen Jetta is more than capable of producing the same fuel economy and performance. Overall owners will be more than happy with all the amenities the car is able to offer. Though other competitors offer similar features and capabilities, those who want a unique car with distinct European design only have one option, a VW.
