Re: 91 vs. 96 Jetta, suprised me.

I think the A2s had a higher quality interior than the cheaped out A3s....


"Matt B." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
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> "Benjamin F. Zhou" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Since my 91Jetta GL wolfie MT, with 260,000 is feeling the age, with
blown
> > stem seal ring, leaking suspension, etc. I decide to shop around for a
> newer
> > model. After a few tryouts, today, I test-drove a 96Jetta GL MT. To my
> > complete suprise, from all perspectives, my 91Jetta still performs and
> feels
> > much better than any of those mid-90s I tried.
> >
> > So I'm seriously considering spend $1000 to rebuld the engine and fix
> > everything that need be fixed to revitalized my old goody. With all the
> > nichtees, it's still giving me 34.4 mpg, which is not possible with
newer
> > models, I was told.
> >
> > Has anyone of you folks there had similar experience?
> >
> > cheers,
>
> Yep.  A friend of ours had a '95 Jetta with the 115hp 2.0 and automatic.
My
> '91 GTI has 105hp and a 5-speed.  While I expected the automatic in the
'95
> to sap some power, I figured that the extra HP would make that part a
wash.
> And the A3 Jetta is probably a little heavier too than my A2 GTI.  So the
> end result is I expected the A3 to feel a little sluggish.  Well, it felt
a
> LOT sluggish.  It was miserably unresponsive when you stepped on the gas.
> The 2.0 also doesn't rev as nicely, quietly, or smoothly as the old 1.8
> does.  Even the current 1.8T engine to me doesn't sound as sweet as the
old
> 1.8.  The A3s also have rather poor interiors IMHO.  The A2s weren't high
> quality either, but the A3s seemed to have more shiny plastic and they're
> definitely more creaky/squeaky and things break easier on them.  The
> exterior was also rather crappy too...with body molding that came unglued
> and a grille whose fragile clips broke right off the day I had to replace
a
> headlamp unit.
>
> Bottom line is the A2s really were great cars and still are.  While beauty
> is in the eye of the beholder, the A3s did improve on them in styling in
> terms of being more comtemporary and interior space was probably a little
> better as well (not that the A2 is bad either).  The A3s were also a
little
> softer and more refined, but some folks say it's at the expense of the
> sportier A2's handling and feel.
>
>