Overview & Reviews

The 2008 Volkswagen Jetta sees a few changes. Most notably, the sedan gets a bump up in power, thanks to a revised 2.5-liter standard engine good for 170 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Trim levels get new names: S, SE and SEL. The 2.0T engine is available only on the newly revised limited-edition Wolfsburg Edition model and the Volkswagen GLI. (Volkswagen has dropped the "Jetta" name in a move to make the GLI similar to the GTI. The GLI is reviewed separately.) A power two-way recline feature for the driver seat is now standard across all trims.

• Pleasant ride, high-end interior materials, long list of safety features, meticulous build quality.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 166.00

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  Jetta Wolfsburg is the best deal around! - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vwguy53 - September 30 - 6:23 am

  Excellent value and features. Wasnt a big fan of the 2005 redesign (looks are too Japanese...), but the 2.0T and 6-sp manual sold me! You get the GLI/GTI powertrain and top-notch build quality for not much more than Civic money. Youd have to spend thousands more to find a car with comparable performance, features, and quality. Herbie made me a VW fan. And owning 25+ VWs over the years have only made me more enthusiastic about the brand.

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  Happy used VW buyer - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Scott - September 29 - 9:30 am

  Bought the 08 SE on E-bay exactly 1 year ago this week and am thrilled with my purchase. The car was auctioned off after a theft recovery and I was very apprehensive about buying a used car on-line, but have had zero regrets since my purchase. The VW handles great and looks brand new with only 12,400 mi. at purchase. I now have 23K miles and have only had oil change and tire rotations performed by the local dealer. Just wish the SE had full power seats for easier adjustment (not just pwr recline). Consistently getting 21- 24mpg mixed city/hwy and best mileage of 27mpg highway only on trip to Austin,TX without AC on cruising at 65.

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  I tried em All, The Jetta is Best Value - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By scooch00 - September 23 - 11:40 pm

  I love this new Jetta. I have had it just a week but in love already. I tried a ton of midsize cars before choosing the Jetta. It has the look & feel of a high priced Euro sedan for lots less. havent taken a mileage reading yet but it seems very good mpgs. A friend could not believe the seats we not leather. The Sirius satellite is a keeper. I will re-up when the free 90 day subscription runs out. Heated seats are cool. Relaxes the back on long rides. Nice! The stereo is kicking. great sound quality. Everything is easy to control. My first VW. Looks like a long relationship in store.

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  Impressed - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By fan4neil - August 29 - 4:50 pm

  This is the first German car I have owned and I have only had it for a few days. I have owned about 30 vehicles and can say that I am really excited about this one. What is cool about the Jetta is that there are little touches that make you develop an emotional attachment to the car. I love the night time illumination. Had not seen that when I bought the car so the first time.....cool! I really like the handling and the seat heaters are great. It feels like a luxury car. I got a special edition that is metallic grey with the spoiler and very nice grey rims on low profile tires. It is a looked and I love seeing it everytime I need to go somewhere. The stereo is excellent and the 5spd is fun!

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  Graduation Present - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Graduation Present - April 25 - 8:06 am

  I bought my daughter a new 08 Jetta SE as her collge graduation present. I picked it up on Wednesday, delivered it to her in Philadelphia on Saturday, it was dead on Sunday and in the shop on Monday. The electronic engine fan would not shut off and it drained the battery. It was towed to dealer where they diagnosed a faulty fan controller module. Took 2 days to get the part. Hopefully this fixes it and it is the only thing that goes wrong with it. I have an 2007 New Beetle with the same engine in it and I love the car and I have had no problems. I also have a 2006 Passat and have had only minor problems like faulty gas cap. So you see I am a Volkswagen person.

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  Awesome "upgrade" car! - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By jenndr81 - March 7 - 6:46 am

  I recently upgraded from a Mazda 3s sedan to my Jetta SEL. I am very pleased with all the features you get at the lower 20k price tag! The drive is so smooth with this car. My mom has a A4 Audi and the Jetta provides a very similar driving experience. Some features that are included in the SEL are sunroof, leather seats, upgraded superior sound system, 6 disc CD player, Sirius satellite radio with 3 months free subscription, pretty red lights shining down from front ceiling and blue lights in the instrument panel and music player, huge trunk with inside trunk release as a safety precaution. The Jetta also comes with a 5 star crash test rating. A lot of thought went into building this car.

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  A Great Car for an even better price - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Josh - February 5 - 11:46 pm

  Wife purchased the Jetta back in 2007. Has accumulated many miles on it since (currently on 45k and running strong). Family trips to the mountains, daily driving, and long work commutes, this car has handled all of it beautifully. Reliability has been amazing and I (the husband) love how it holds 6.5 quarts of oil (though the filter is a pain to change), we can easily run nearly 10k miles on a change with good synthetic oil. Looking at purchasing an Audi now to add to our German family. Highly recommend to anyone: single wanting a sporty car, newly weds looking to expand, or the family looking for a safe and reliable vehicle. This is a truly multi purpose vehicle.

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  first jetta - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By steve - December 27 - 2:40 pm

  I drive a lot. The car does everything it should very nicely. When asked to work hard something is lacking. There is to much body roll,the peddles are a little to close together and a little more power would be nice. That said the car is a very good bang for the buck with all the standard features you could ask for. The 16 in. aluminum wheel upgrade is a must.

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  Impressed. . . - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Woz - December 17 - 2:46 pm

  Every-time I get behind the wheel of my Jetta, it brings a smile to my face! It is actually fun to drive again! The car handles the roads in WA with ease, and it shifts smoothly. The car definitely loves being in higher RPM, and drives well at low RPM. The trunk is another impressive thing! At 16 cu.Ft. It can handle a big stroller, luggage and other things with ease. Friends are impressed with how much we can back into a "compact" car. Our Jetta is just a base 5 speed manual, but it doesnt feel like it at all. Its a huge upgrade from any domestic brand. Road handling both side streets and highway is solid and predictable without being boring.

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  Excellent but not perfect - 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
  By vincef329 - December 3 - 12:23 am

  VW produces 5 Jetta models, the S, SE, SEL, Wolfburg, and the non-Jetta GLI (with the 4T engine). The S manual being the base, the SE Auto the most popular coming in at $21,000. For that hefty tag you get quite an impressive list of options including heated seats, satellite radio (not satellite ready!), 6sp, auto trans, full auto up/down windows (all 4) and a nice sun roof. Remote electric heated mirrors and remote trunk and fuel door. Heated washer nozzles and the newest I-beam wipers. Some say its expensive but do a hard side by side comparison and youll see that the Jetta is just a little more. You may not like the Jetta if: you like cushy seats, sloppy steering, need excessive legroom