Overview & Reviews

Fully redesigned last model year, the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta features only minor changes. The SEL and TDI trim levels now offer a Fender audio system, while last year's Sport package for the SEL has been discontinued.

• Fuel-efficient diesel model.
• Well-equipped
• Spacious interior and trunk
• Smart electronics interface

• Lackluster interior materials
• Sluggish throttle with automatic
• Numb steering
• Wheezy base engine.

User Reviews:

Showing 61 through 69 of 69.00

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  My perfect Jetta - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By doogle4 - August 2 - 8:20 pm

  I traded my 08 SE for the same 12 yesterday. Initially I was impressed. After 100 miles, I have built the perfect Jetta. Not in order, my specs are listed under Favorite Features and Improvements

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  My first VW and its awesome! - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mnsparks13 - May 2 - 6:41 pm

  I just bought my 12 Jetta TDI recently, so its a bit too soon to comment on reliability although, I expect it to be reliable. I bought my car as a certified used car with only 26,000 miles on it. The first second I saw it, I fell in love with it. It is red and has a nice 2 tone interior. The seats are the leathertte seats. The dash design is very nice, not offensive or overly styled, just right. I have the navigation system and the Fender sound system, which I highly recommend. The Fender sound system is amazing! The car is pretty much loaded. I highly recommend this car. Dont believe the bad things some of the car magazines say about this car, this car is solid and awesome!

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  5 speed SE with Convenience is the one to get. - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By dlevine2 - April 2 - 5:11 pm

  I was hesitant to buy a VW after having owned a 1993 VW Corrado SLC - most beautiful unreliable car I have ever owned. I did not want an automatic since I had been driving a 2006 Hyundai Sonata for quite a while (most boring, most reliable car I have ever owned). For me, the 5 speed SE with convenience is a great car - not too far over $20,000 and it has decent performance. The trunk is larger than my wifes Infiniti M35. My kid cannot destroy the interior because it is made out of, well, plastic and Vinyl. My hope is that it turns out to be reliable, because I do like it a lot. Its as much of a German car as $20,000 or so will let it be.

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  Love My Jetta TDI D - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By debrasue - December 20 - 6:19 am

  My husband and I bought this car for the gas mileage and the Jetta has delivered. I drive 100 miles a day (highway) for work plus running errands and only fill up once a week ($50 a tank). I get about 47 mpg or 550-560 miles per tank. The car is comfortable and responsive when driving. Being on the road so much I like the Blue tooth hands free system that syncs with my phone.

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  VERY DISAPPOINTED!!! - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jessica80 - September 18 - 6:59 am

  I have owned a 94,96, and an 09 Jetta. Pros: *I like the body style....the front end of the car anyways. It handles better then other Jettas Ive owned. It has more room in the interior. * gears shift a lot smoother Cons: *I do not like the 2.0 engine. It is SO slow....I can floor it around corners and it goes no where!! Slowest car Ive ever owned. My 09 Jetta had a 2.5 so it was a little more fun to drive. * the interior is cheap.....Im sure it was the cheapest plastic they could find. The cloth seats are hard. No heated seats.The 09 jetta (same model) had soft cloth seats that were heated with a Soft dash that had more shape opposed to the 2012 with a flat dash...just like a 1994

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  Perfect first car to own! - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Shannon Nesterowicz - July 17 - 2:47 pm

  This Jetta is my first car, and I honestly could not be happier. I drive between Syracuse and Albany about twice a month, as well as around Albany day to day. This car is reliable and worth the ~$8,000 I spent. Ive purchased a rust undercoating, as well as top-of-the-line snow tires, to handle Syracuse winters, so those purchases have definitely positively impacted the reliability and durability of the car. The only issue Ive noticed is that the acceleration is slow for the first 20 minutes or so within starting the vehicle, but it is by no means a deal breaker. To summarize, this car is phenomenal and I would easily consider buying another when the time comes to purchase a new car.

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  Good value, reliabilty - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Liz - May 29 - 2:14 am

  I bought my 2012 Jetta S as a late-model used car that had been turned in because of a lease, and it had about 22,000 miles already on it. I had not owned a VW before this and I didnt have anything to compare it with, as I had owned a Toyota and a Subauru previously. I must say, though, that I am very happy with my Jetta. I use it as a daily driver, and it rides smoothly, brakes securely, is solidly constructed, and has an overall good feel on the road. I have a 5-speed manual and although the 2.0 engine (as noted in other reviews) is not as peppy as my previous cars, I find that if I downshift to 4th gear, especially on hills, I can easily find myself traveling in the 70-80 MPH range. I have been following the maintenance schedule closely and so far, everything seems to be working fine. I hope to keep this car for a good long while.

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  Good value, reliabilty - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Liz - May 29 - 2:14 am

  I bought my 2012 Jetta S as a late-model used car that had been turned in because of a lease, and it had about 22,000 miles already on it. I had not owned a VW before this and I didnt have anything to compare it with, as I had owned a Toyota and a Subauru previously. I must say, though, that I am very happy with my Jetta. I use it as a daily driver, and it rides smoothly, brakes securely, is solidly constructed, and has an overall good feel on the road. I have a 5-speed manual and although the 2.0 engine (as noted in other reviews) is not as peppy as my previous cars, I find that if I downshift to 4th gear, especially on hills, I can easily find myself traveling in the 70-80 MPH range. I have been following the maintenance schedule closely and so far, everything seems to be working fine. I hope to keep this car for a good long while.

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  Comments after 1 month - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Bob - April 29 - 11:40 am

  I typically wait at least 6 months before I write a review on a vehicle. But I got bored and decided to write one on this car after having it only a month. This is the second German-built vehicle Ive owned (1982 Scirocco was the first) and told myself I would never own another one again. My wife has owned a Jetta (2001) and loved it. We needed to find a car for our daughter, who just started college and this seems to be a smart purchase. Ok...enough of that. First off, after putting approximately 500 miles on the car, the check engine light came on. I went to the local auto parts store to have the code(s) downloaded. It’s something to do with the air mapping system…after 37,000 miles. I did some research and found this is common problem with this car. Check out codes P0491 & P0442 and do your own research. I also found out that most German cars have volatile memory built into the computer. So disconnecting the battery to clear the codes will not work. I though it may have been a gas cap issue so, I disconnected the battery for 10 minutes and reconnected it. In most cars, this will clear the computer and the light will disappear. Not in this case. You have to have a scanner remove the code and auto parts stores will not do this. On with the review… INTERIOR: Im a 6-2" 240lb 44-year-old male that drives a full-size SUV because I like elbow room so, small cars are not my thing. The cabin in this car is actually pretty roomy. The back seats had decent leg room with me in the driver’s seat (14-year-old 5’6” tall behind me). The front seat positions are decent but, the seat adjustments are sometimes difficult to find and adjust. Thats not that big of a deal for us since only my daughter will be driving the car. If multiple people will be driving the car, that may be an issue. I drove the car 400 miles the day after I bought it and the ride was quiet and comfortable...which surprised me. At 75 MPH the cabin noise was barely noticeable. We had the sunroof open…which took a while to figure out to operate it, and the mesh visor that pops up cuts the noise down a little. The instrument cluster is easy to figure out...if youre use to driving German cars. This car came with the synthetic leather that I actually like a lot. It’s easy to clean and appears to wear decent. The rest of the material in the cabin is nothing to write home about. There’s not much storage inside the car but, I’m used to having ample storage that’s in my SUV. The biggest issue I have with the car is the “entertainment system”. Yes it has Bluetooth but connecting to it is a pain. The touch-screen is nice but, is very basic. I’m an audiophile and the system in this car is lacking in everything. Granted, I purchased this car used and who knows what the previous owner did to it. Like using voice commands? 9 out of 10 times I used the voice command in this car…it didn’t work. I don’t know if it just didn’t like my voice or what. Gave up on that and told my daughter good luck. If you have small kids…don’t give them the keys! The key fob has a “switch-blade” key that pops out when you push a button. I’ve found myself playing with it and could imagine what a 4-year-old would do with it. EXTERIOR: The exterior styling is "OK" and if it wasnt for the front-end fascia, it would be on the edge of boring. The panels fit good as most German cars do and the trunk is large. Windows and sunroof seal tight. The stock wheels are typical for an entry-level car. VW…come back with the Electric Blue paint! Not much more to say on that subject. DRIVETRAIN: I was impressed with the acceleration and the handling. The car shifts smooth and zipping up and down the foothills of Georgia is fun. This Jetta is fun to drive and sticks to the road well. I had the tiptronic style shifter in an older car I had and never used it. It’s the same with this car. Overall I’m happy with my purchase.