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Opinion Desperately Needed: Jetta 1.8 Turbo or Accord LX-V6? (1 Viewer)

David Susilo

Screenwriter
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May 8, 1999
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I'm buying a car within 2 weeks.

Should I go with Honda Accord LX-V6? or VW Jetta 1.8 Turbo?

features approx. the same. Jetta reaches it's 180HP at 2000rpm whereas the Accord never actually reach its 240HP (who drive their car at 6500rpm at all time?), I figure the most I'll get from the Accord on my regular route is approximately the same as the Jetta.

Will the Jetta have better fuel economy since it's a 1.8L Turbo?

oh yeah, and the Jetta have Tiptronic, Accord have its 5-spd Auto.

How about the reliability? price of parts? any recalls? etc etc.

Please help me. I know NOTHING about cars (other than brochure comparisons).

Last but not least, how crampy is the Jetta vs Mazda Protege? (for both front seats and back seats).
 

brentl

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Personal opinion;

I'd go for the Accord. Hop in the back seat of the Jetta and it's pretty much useless.

I prefer Japanese interior to the european.

Take a look at the newe Mazda 6. It appears to ba a drivers car ...ESP with the V6.

Brent
 

Ryan Wright

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If you're looking at a Jetta, get the TDI. One of my coworkers has one. He gets over 50 miles to the gallon. He can drive over 600 miles on a single tank of gas. It's insane.

And it's a nice car. The back seat is small, yes, but not useless. I've sat it in plenty of times - it's really not that bad.

If you aren't concerned about gas milage, then go for the Acura. The V6 will cost you more to run but the extra power (and extra room in the car) is nice.
 

Brett_H

Second Unit
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Oct 3, 2001
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David,

I own a GTI with the 1.8T, so I'm admittedly biased. (A GTI is essentially the same as a Jetta except with a hatch instead of a trunk. ) My wife has an Accord EX 4 cylinder, but I've ridden in a V6.

The 1.8T is an impressive motor for its size, and shouldn't have much of a problem keeping up with the Accord V6. I've had some little problems with my GTI, but it's also an early example of this generation of cars, which were more prone to issues than the latest cars are. For example, the clips that hold the windows in place would break and let the window fall into the door. Not cool, but they redesigned the part and made a running change to correct it. I'd like to say they'd be equal as far as reliability, but I'll give the nod to the Honda as this is her second one and they've both been issue-free. Of course, your mileage may vary, so to speak.

Brent
I prefer Japanese interior to the european.
Weird, I'm the exact opposite. I prefer the materials used in the VWs more than the Accord. The layout could stand some adjustment (heater controls too low in my car, often get blocked by the shifter... not an issue on automatics) but overall I much prefer the VW.

Ryan, if I had a bigger commute, I'd be driving a TDI. As it is, I'm loving the 1.8T.

-Brett.
 

David Susilo

Screenwriter
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brentl,

no more Mazda for me. After changing the brake rotor at 55,000 km (about 35,000 miles), blown intake gasket and broken transmission at 60,000km (about 40,000 miles); I've had enough with Mazda in general.

So I'm selling my 61,000 km Mazda Protege a.s.a.p.

Ryan Wright,

TDI is not an option for me. I'll shoot myself in frustration if I have to drive a car with only 90 horses, regardlesss how cheap the gas cost going to be. I don't race my car, but sometimes I need to pass, I just can't with 90 horses (I used to drive a Tercel with stickshift).

Ryan & Brett,
How tiny is the backseat anyways? tinier than a Protege?
 

Daryl Furkalo

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David,

I have an 2001 TDI, you would be surprised how much torque and therfore power a 90hp diesel has. I really can't comment on the backseat, I am fairly short, 5'7", so almost anything works well enough for me. My previous vehicle was a 98 Chev S-10 4x4 that had a 150hp V6, and there really is no comparison for passing on the highway, the TDI would smoke it. The turbo is really impressive.
 

Masood Ali

Supporting Actor
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Jan 31, 2002
Messages
921
The Jetta backseat is useless for a good-sized adult. That's why they always advertise the roomy trunk space of the Jetta and not the backseat.

I don't even think the two cars are in the same class for me. Accord V6 hands down; much more refined interior, better comfort for front/back-seat passengers, and its a more handsome car IMHO.

Great mileage too.
 

Brett_H

Second Unit
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David,

How tiny is the backseat anyways? tinier than a Protege?
Never been in a Protege, so I can't comment. I'm 6'5", so whoever sits behind me in any vehicle is going to be cramped. If you don't have the front seats all the way back, a "normal sized" adult can fit in the back seat fine. The Accord does seem to be roomier than my GTI in the back seat, but I feel more cramped up front in it. (But I'm a freak, so this might not apply to you)

Also, as has been said earlier, don't rely solely on HP numbers when looking at the TDI. Go drive one, you might be (pleasantly) surprised. "HP sells cars, torque wins races".


Masood, could you clarify exactly what you mean by the Accord having a "much more refined interior"? Just curious, since I know this has a lot to do with personal preference.

-Brett.
 

Ryan Wright

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I don't race my car, but sometimes I need to pass, I just can't with 90 horses
I'll second Brett's suggestion. Go drive a TDI. You might be surprised. It won't cost you anything but time, and could save you a heck of a lot of money on gas. I've been in one plenty of times and it's not your typical, slow as molasses economy car. It has plenty of power for passing.

As for the back seat - just go sit in one. I have no problem with it. Then again, I'm only 5'7". You 6'+ people might be annoyed with it.
 

Bry_DD

Second Unit
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Dec 29, 2000
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I'll go with the Accord over Jetta because of being reliable car. Another car I would consider is the Nissan Altima V6. Nice looking car and roomy too.
 

Philip_G

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David is Ontario, how many of you with the TDI live in a cold climate? I'm curious about your experiences.
 

NickSo

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I'd go with the Jetta... European quality/reliability, great engine (same one they use in the Audi A4!)

Accords are everywhere.. borrring ;) Just kidding...

Also, about the TDI, its only 90 horses, but it has 155lbft of torque at a very low 1900rpms, so itll give you enough oomph starting off at an intersection.
 

Tim Morton

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May 5, 2000
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When i bought my 2000 accord V6 , I was comparing to the passat..not the jetta. The jetta compares to the civic IMO. If reliablity is a key factor, go with the honda...if you are getting a lease and everything is covered then i think the jetta or passat would be more fun to drive.
 

Mark Paquette

Supporting Actor
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TDI is not an option for me. I'll shoot myself in frustration if I have to drive a car with only 90 horses,
I'll third or fourth the recommendation to take a TDI for a drive. You will be surprised how strong this engine is. I drove one last year when I was car shopping and was very impressed. Don't let the 90hp number fool you into thinking the engine is a weakling, it isn't. BTW, I ended up with a 1.8T Passat. If the Passat was available with a TDI I'd be all over that.
 

Matt Stryker

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Ha, I am also a TDI owner, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a small compact. It is only 90 HP, but you drive torque whether you think you do or not. I'd at least givet that motor a try if you decide to go the Jetta route. The back seat is for all intents and purposes unusable by anyone over 5' tall.

If we're talking all-things-being-the-same, I'd take the Honda. The VW might handle a little better, but in the long term the excellent reliability and awesome resale value make the Accord the winner in my book.
You might also look at the Altima V6 (it should be in the same range, if not a bit cheaper)...that car has GREAT seat room.
 

Philip_G

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Ha, I am also a TDI owner, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a small compact
you live in GA, he lives in Ontario, I'm still waiting for some cold weather TDI experiences, someone HAS to live somewhere cold and own one.
 

Daryl Furkalo

Second Unit
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Philip,

I live you north of you, I don't have any complaints about the engine not producing heat. A diesel idling makes very little heat, and it never will by leaving it idling for a real long time. Shift a little higher after you get going in the morning, if you have a manual, and the temp comes up reasonably quick. Heated leather seats keep me warm until then though. I have an attached garage, so that helps a lot in the morning. When it is really cold, you have to plug in the block heater.
 

Philip_G

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I'm curious how the fuel is in the cold, most the stations around here sell diesel #2 pretty much year round it seems. At how cold do you need to plug it in? The only diesel experience I have is with a ford powerstroke, and anything around 20F it HAD to be plugged in.
My fear with a TDI would be going to work where I'd be unable to plug in when it's -20F or colder and not being able to start it. I've read the TDI is pretty good in the cold, but never talked with anyone with actual experience :)

My other complaint with my limited diesel experience is diesel STINKS. Most stations have huge nozzles and you ALWAYS seem to get it on your hands.
 
E

Eric Kahn

As another TDI owner (new beetle) the TDI makes more usable power than that 90 HP rating suggests

that aside, I would take the accord over the jetta 1.8 turbo just because I do not want another car that requires premium gas, I would also get an accord with the 4 cylinder engine, there really is not that much difference in acceleration due to the accord V6 being heavier and geared differently

also you need to look at the specs for the VW 1.8 turbo, max hp is like at 6000 rpm, just like the accord, for real world drivablility, you need to look at the Torque curve, not the HP curve since real world driving depends on low end torque, not peak HP
 

Justin Doring

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Jun 9, 1999
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Between the two I'd take the Accord LX V6 in a second, even though the two cars are not really comparable. The Passat GLS V6 competes with the Accord LX V6, not the Jetta 1.8T, which competes with the Civic EX.
 

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