A
popular (best-selling european car in
america, y0!) Volkswagen product in a state of controversial evolution. At one
time the 'family rabbit' with
wicked Fox-inspired shoebox styling and less weight than a new Mini was blessed with about the most crisp and awesome handling to ever grace an economy
car - in the early '80s, that is. (Try an '84 GLI, it'
s impossible not to like. Unless the
car has 275k miles on it on an un-rebuilt engine and massive rust perforation. I still liked it.) The Jetta continued this fruitful path into the early '90s, gaining slight weight but also better features, more displacement and of course the option of the 16V engine.
Beginning in the '90s, this once-deadly
car began to reek of yuppiedom... soon sports supsensions and trim levels weren't exactly (115hp... GT package, my ass) that and faux-luxury gimmicks like mandatory central locking/alarms, road-dulling power steering and Trek/K2 accessory packs. The storm clouds culminated to produce the A4 edition in 1999, with chromed knobs, beautiful interior trim and heated seats diverting might-be true enthusiasts from the
car's amazingly potbellied 3000
lb. weight and
chronic nose-heaviness resulting from VW's need to put bigger and bigger engines in the front of their blimpier cars. The Jetta now inhabits a land where the throttle no longer operates linearly, body roll is king and automatic transmissions are the norm. Contrary to the thoughts of many, VW sold their
soul not with the death of the Super Beetle and abandonment of the air-cooled engine, but with the aspiration of acceptance in yuppiedom.
But hey, at least Jetta drivers
don't cut me off as often as BMW drivers, eh? :)
