2004 Volkswagen Jetta Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Balls out car that is fun to drive. The 5 speed manual transmission makes driving an enjoyable experience everytime. Responds great on the road, driven 80k miles on it and still no problems. Did i mention it looks slick too?

My friend Amy recently lent me her 2004 biodiesel-powered Jetta for the afternoon. This was the first diesel vehicle I had ever driven, but I had an idea of what to expect—lots of low end torque, a narrow power band, and a loud rumbling engine. I was pleasantly surprised. Volkswagen has done a good job of tuning the engine to keep it more user-friendly for drivers used to gasoline engines. The small turbocharger helps spread out the power band without introducing any lag, and the engine is reasonably quiet and consistent in volume throughout the rev range. I thoroughly enjoyed driving this car. The steering is sharp and the body stays completely level in sharp turns, likely due to the low center of gravity and tight suspension. The engine’s overall power (100 hp, 177 lb-ft of torque) isn’t overwhelming, but the 5-speed manual transmission and wide power band make it easy to accelerate quickly when needed. Exterior styling is one of the Jetta’s low points. The design is an evolution of the “folded paper” look of the original 1979 model. Volkswagen seems to think that slightly rounding the creases is an acceptable way to modernize the Jetta. Unfortunately, it still just looks like a boring metal box. The interior is a stark contrast to the exterior. Soft black plastic with silver accents covers most surfaces. The smooth curves of the dashboard and center console have convinced me that this car was actually designed in the 21st century. It only gets better when the headlights are switched on, as everything is bathed in a mellow orange glow. The best part of owning a diesel vehicle is the fuel economy. You really can’t go wrong with the Jetta’s EPA ratings of 31/40 mpg, which put it on a par with much smaller and weaker gasoline-powered cars. After 3 hours of city driving, the fuel gauge needle hadn’t moved a millimeter. For Amy, the ability to run the Jetta on biodiesel is the major selling point of the car. She doesn’t like to support middle-eastern countries that harbor terrorists by buying their exported oil. “I don’t want to give my money to the terrorists”, she says. That may be the best reason to buy a diesel car today. Independence from foreign oil and zero emissions make it a great choice for a socially conscious driver. I think the Jetta can also appeal to those who just want a reliable car that will save them money at the pump, but the purchase price could be a problem. In the US, Volkswagen has always sold the Jetta TDI at a much higher price point than the gasoline model, and used examples have held their value well due to the high quality. Perhaps once diesels begin to catch on in this country prices will become more reasonable.

I like everything about this car. Most importantly it is safe and it handles great. Versitle, you can drive this car on the daily commute or take her for a joy ride to the coast for some fun. I would recommend this car to anyone.

I like everything about this car. I am only selling it because I bought a 2012 Jetta and I have no room in my garage. I wish I could keep it. The brakes and handling on this car are just awesome.

The VW Jetta is just a solid piece of everyday ordinary driving pleasure. Not much in the way of mechanical difficulties in 6+ years of driving. This car still sounds tight after almost 75,000 miles of driving. One brake job, original exhaust and battery still in car. interior still looks new. Ready for a second set of tires. The mileage is good as well; 30 mpg daily driving 33+mpg on highways, can't beat it.

I learned to drive stick on my cousin's 04 VW Jetta. The car drove pretty good for the most part, the clutch was a bit hard to press, I think it could use a turbo engine, but other than that, it's a cool car.

I was looking for a '02 to '04 Mitsubishi Lancer OZ Rally and had a car salesman friend of mine looking for one on the auction circuit. He wasn't having much luck finding one so one of the times that I was visiting him at his dealership he was a good salesman and said "well this Jetta is about the same type of car as a Lancer, why don't we take it for a test drive." Although I had always thought of VW's as girly cars(partially due to my isi-in-laws VW bug, and cars like the Rabbit or early boxy Jettas). I swallowed my pride and took a test drive. It was more comfortable than I thought was possible. I was hooked, it responded in handling, and acceleration much better than I had expected and better than the Lancer that I once had('02 Mitsubishi Lancer SE). Thoughts of an upgraded version of my old car soon left my head and I was asking where to sign. It helped that my friend gave me a screaming deal(at least $1500 under what most dealers were selling the same car for)but in addition I have been very well pleased with the performance and comfort of my Jetta. The only time that it has let me down is when I had to spend $1200 fixing the clutch that the previous owner had fried.

Well this is the second Jetta I have owned. Thats why I bought it. I love this one more though. Looks better and even though it is the same model (2.0 gls) as the last one it seems nicer on the inside. Only problem with it is the stock horsepower. It needs more of it. I will be working on that in the near future.

for the price the standard features are endless. This car has excellent fuel milage, well built, comfort and performace, can be costly to repair if proper maintence schedual is not followed

I love my volkswagen jetta. I have a 1.8L Turbo, just enough power to have fun! I love having a car with a little pick up and go. This car has great handling around turns where other cars I have driver sucked.