IT’S A pleasure having two almost identical cars on review from the same manufacturer, over a two-week period. In this way you draw a direct comparison between the two, and should a purchase be made, you could decide which would find itself in your garage.
The decision would be stalemate after handing back the Jetta 1.4TSI Comfortline (90kW/200Nm) and its sister diesel model, the 1.6TDI comfortline (77kW/250Nm). They arrived in similar spec, and both had the latest touch screen GPS entertainment centres fitted as options - R28 800 is steep, but it’s a great system especially as it’s coupled to a great sound system which can also be programmed for voice prompts. Besides the difference in engines, the petrol models sported a six-speed manual while the diesel, also manual, had five.
Depending on what you want from a car and where you’ll do most of your driving, the TSI is probably the safer bet around town with a few long distance trips thrown in over a year.
If, however, you do longer trips on a frequent basis and less city driving, then diesel power should be your choice. On a trip to Pretoria and having reset the computer, the diesel reflected usage at 4.7 litres per 100 kilometres. The computers these days are very accurate so I won’t dispel that one, but an average of 5.7 litres over a week’s driving can’t be scoffed at by anyone - let alone competitors.
The petrol model proved a little thirstier and shot up to 8.6 litres per 100 kilometres on occasion, eventually settling at 6.6 litres - still reasonable I’m sure you’ll agree. The low swept volume made the diesel susceptible to the occasional stall from pull-off so a few more revs are needed in comparison to larger capacity diesels. The petrol TSI was a dream at every attempt - and it’s more spirited. Well, in a nutshell, that’s the difference between the two...
Styling in both models is pleasant, while the cavernous boots at 527-litres make both ideal holiday vehicles (Audi’s A4 boasts a smaller 480-litres boot by comparison). Both models are built on Golf V platforms and while not as good as the super trick Golf VI models when it comes to outright handling are more than up to the job and exude high levels of confidence. Steering response is good, braking more than adequate while the actual drive itself borders on big-car-feel, thanks to McPherson struts upfront and the multilink system aft.
Safety isn’t neglected and importantly both models boast ABS with the all important ESP to keep things tidy. Couple this to six airbags and the Jetta is an all-round package which cannot be ignored on showroom floors.
Finally, they’re reasonably priced and you’ll have to spend a whole lot more if you want more street cred as in Audi’s A4 or BMW’s 3-series. The difference in price is massive and while not directly comparable with its better known rivals, I know which direction I would head when it came to signing papers.
