The First VW Jetta vs The NEW 2025 Jetta: Has The Volkswagen Gotten Better?

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[ricatiman]

As a lifelong VW enthusiast and owner of multiple VW's - 1 Beetle, 1 Rabbit, 2 Golfs, 1 Wasserboxer Westfalia 4x4, 1 GTi and 1 Jetta GLi ... and I have loved them all...but when I got married and bought a new GLi, I realized it was all the car anyone ever needs... plenty fast enough, roomy, comfortable, reasonably economical, fun to drive, and built by people who understand cars and their drivers.

[timothywood]

I this first generation Jetta much. It was such a sporty; handsome, and sexy car. The 3 box shape was just beautiful: perfectly strait lines and Angles. This green example is a beauty…. I still love it. It’s beautiful!! It was a poor man’s BMW 320i

[TonyCraig-ov]

The first generation Jetta style and design, magnificent !

[Calizen]

I honestly love the Jetta refresh it looks like what the Jetta shoulve been when they came out with the re-design.

[Motown_Guy]

I had an 84 Jetta GLi. Silver with the blue velour interior. So many happy memories bopping around town. 🙂

[davidstrong]

My grandfather’s 1980 Scirocco and my 1985 Golf both got 47mpg on the highway, and 35 combined. Nothing today touches that unless it’s a hybrid.

This was a cool comparison. Thanks for letting us live our past a bit.

[kevincraftsbcs]

That is a wonderfully restored Jetta. I couldn't help but notice the fuel injection badge on the trunk. Back then, it was the only car in its class with fuel injection, years ahead of the carbureted competition.

[charlespowell]

We had one of the Jetta's in Germany in 1982 and it was a great car all around. Fantastic packaging with a huge trunk and excellent road manners. It was rare to see in Europe because the Germans generally bought Golf's because hatchbacks were more popular. It had the cooler looking Euro flush headlights as well and manual trans, of course. I love seeing this restored model though.

[Brandon_]

This was such a nice video to watch, im 26 so my first car was a ‘16 jetta. Now im in a ‘24 tiguan. That 80’s jetta interior is something i’d much prefer over the black monochrome style of today.

[highoctaneadventure]

Wow that 1st gen brings back memories. My dad had one for years and it just kept running. It was sold to students and ran even longer. Loved all the buttons and toggles. I remember it being super shaky though. Taming engine vibrations didn’t seem like a thing at all back then.

[davidleroux]

Awesome video! I currently own a 6MT 2024 GLI 40th anniversary Canadian edition, and I’m a VW aficionado. In 1988, my parents bought a brand new VW Fox GL. It had a 4 speed manual transmission and I am stunned to see how much of the Mk1 Jetta got directly into the Fox. Seems like they updated to the Mk2 Jetta, took the Mk1, modified it a little bit and named it the Fox.

The inside door panels in my parent’s Fox were EXACTLY the same except for the brown colour scheme. The seats were identical, the general shape and dimensions of the body was almost identical, except for the front lights. The dash was a little different, but not that much, and the steering wheel only had two spokes. AM/FM radio was optional.

Engine in the Fox was a 1.8 litres 4 cylinder mounted longitudinally. No power steering… No AC.

As a little boy, I loved this car. There were not a lot of VWs where I lived. I remember going to the dealer to get the car with my father. I was just 3 years old and still remember how smooth I found it rode when we got home.

Boy that Mk1 Jetta reminds me of my childhood…

Am I the only modern VW owner missing the La Cucaracha door chime? Wish my GLI 40 had that reminder of the past!

[Mallen]

Just love that mk1 jetta in the video. The green exterior and brown interior equals sexy. Beautiful and elegant German vehicle.

[CharlesGioia]

The Jetta GLI had the 90 hp engine from the Rabbit GTI. I owned an ‘83 GTI and it was a blast to drive. You could have fun in it all day long and never even brake the speed limit! I wish I still had it today!

[martinn]

I had a 98 Jetta and you could definitely see the evolution from the 82. Still had the 3 box design and the big windows with very similar shapes but I believe the standard wheels were 14”; I had 15” on my GLX. The following generation was a big change. First car I owned with anti-lock brakes and traction control.

[JMotorCity]

No one does good sounding door closures than the Germans.

[hollybirge]

Love these old VWs from the 80s. I believe this was also during the era when the radio wasn't wired to the ignition, so when you turned off the car, you had to remember to turn off the radio

[Splendid_Lad]

This Jetta refresh looks so good! If I was in the market for an economy sedan, the Jetta would be high on my list.

[WilliePeck]

That 80s beown interior Is a breath of fresh air compared to the black everything of today. My car a 2019 Jetta has the beige seats & door inserts so it's a mix of both but still feels very modern

[meogiee]

I grew up in the back of a 1982 vw jetta diesel my dad bought off showroom floor in 82. I have owned 7 jettas currently 2008. I have owned 82 81 81 and 85 diesel . 1 1985 and 1986 turbo diesel. I 2000 and two 2008. All my early vws had over 200k. My dad has owned 8. And he had a 2010 Tdi. My mom has owned 2 jettas, 85 and 04 and 1 2002 cabriolet. They are good cars.

[Spoolingturbski]

It’s funny. My buddy in high school had an old Jetta and I had an old Volvo 740 turbo. We ripped them around the backroads of Marin county and proved they handled better than virtually any newer sedan of the same class. They were both planted missiles