Because our Jetta will be leaving soon, we have to swap everything back to stock. It'll be painful to revert to stock hardware, but we now know what kind of potential the platform has. Nothing we did was really exotic or even that expensive, so anyone could do it. Except for the GIAC flash, the other mods will give the same results on any MkV car.
It's rumored the 2008 Jetta and Rabbit 2.5s will get a 20-hp jump in power. With a few bolt-on mods, they might get close to the magic 200-hp mark which, combined with suspension upgrades and some performance tires, would make a great performance bargain. We're going to need one of those too.
Long Term Wrap
2007 Jetta 2.0T
Adieu, Mon Ami
A Few cars make saying goodbye easy, cars like my 2004 Chevy Astrovan. We had a TGIG (Thank God It's Gone) party in honor of its departure. Our Jetta 2.0T is not one of those cars.
Although a typical magazine loan is one year, tech editor Febbo insisted we retain the car a few months and "explore some options." That turned out to be a good idea. The addition of a few well-placed modifications turned our Jetta into the sports sedan we'd been missing. It's our hope this same type of gear will be available directly from Volkswagen, as its inclusion considerably boosted the fun factor. Ultimately, it made saying goodbye a painful proposition (Febbo is still in a bathroom stall, weeping).
It almost feels as though the Jetta was two separate cars. When asking staffers what they thought of it, one question typically arose: "Before or after the modifications?" In its pre-mod guise, it proved to be a solid steed, not the most exciting car in the world, but competent nonetheless. The potent 2.0T engine was responsible for more than a few sets of front tires, victims of the torque-laden turbo. And while we are not complaining about its prodigious power, it was the way in which the chassis moved under stress, sort of out-of-sorts. To be fair, only a few really complained, the more aggressive drivers among us. The majority of Jetta drivers had little reason to bitch. Just the opposite. A light foot (keeping it out of hard boost) could net up to 29 mpg, an especially nice feature considering the price of petrol. Knobs, buttons, switches and such all held up beautifully.
During its 15 months with ec, we had two issues: a tiny reflector came off the inside of the front door and a rear vent director broke. We received the car this way, so it's possible the dealer was responsible. In that case, our 2007 Jetta received a flawless reliability rating, a first in ec's 20-year history of long-term vehicles. It was a perfect car. While reading over our Jetta's previous reviews, common themes include: solid, fast and functional. The primary complaint was with the suspension-too soft.
If the Jetta did have any shortcomings, they were soundly addressed with Febbo's dip into the aftermarket. The car looked better, went faster and behaved like a genuine sports car. Its last three months here were great fun and a powerful reminder of why we love German cars.
At A Glance
Total Mileage: 22,234 Fuel economy: 27 mpg + solid build quality, smooth ride, gigantic trunk, big aftermarket potential - rubbery suspension, wide-load seat bolstering