Event Coverage: Waterfest 16 2010

[tom@vwvortex]

It's funny how things can just seem to sneak up on you. This can happen for many reasons, be it because the schedule's too full, or the fanfare isn't as loud as expected. Waterfest, for the VWvortex crew this year, suffered from a little bit of both. With the recent forum changes, and trying to get things ironed out, we were certainly busy enough. But the more interesting fact is the latter reason, the fanfare. After a quick browse through the forums in the weeks preceding the event, there didn't seem to be the same amount of buzz about the show as in years past. Nevertheless, we packed our project GTI up with tents and 500 t-shirts and hit the road for New Jersey.

FULL STORY

[euromaxituning]

I had a good time, but there has been better
MK2 <3

[Veedubs87]

I felt like this was one of the weaker Waterfests I've been to

[Nebby]

A very friendly spin on what I've heard was a poor overall showing at Waterfest.

[sys3175]

Think the most amazing thing in all those pictures are the rear drums on the mk6 Jetta.. you must be kidding...

[eatpiealot]

Think the most amazing thing in all those pictures are the rear drums on the mk6 Jetta.. you must be kidding...

[5280]

Was Volkswagen seriously showing off a car with painted brake drums?

[G60 dude]

Think the most amazing thing in all those pictures are the rear drums on the mk6 Jetta.. you must be kidding...

Thought the exact same thing. Curious, anyone know what the MkV base model Jettas come with? Did they revert back to drums with the MkVI's or has the base Jettas always had drums?

[quailallstar]

Think the most amazing thing in all those pictures are the rear drums on the mk6 Jetta.. you must be kidding...

Yup.. and body kit looks glued on just like Toyota ones do

[Blue Turbo]

No pics of how the rear end looks with that kit?

[thevery3ndofyou]

[davedave]

the black wheels are horrible

[dubsport87]

looks like an ugly audi

[Preppy]

I hate to be a debbie downer, but this has to be one of the most bland and uninspired designs I have yet to see come from VW.

How far downmarket has the jetta come? Painted rear drum brakes? Glued on body additions? Tractor-like ride height? Rear twist-beam suspension? Wow... what happened to moving technology forward?

It's sad to see VW decontenting and pushing their products downmarket in the pursuit of their business aspirations. I understand the rationale, but for those of us who like the brand/product and what differentiates it from the background of mediocrity, this just sucks. I have always been happy to pay a premium for a VW over the competition, because there was value for the extra cost. Now, is there any reason to buy this jetta over say, a civic or corolla?

I'll be demonstrating my lack of interest in the brand next time around.

/rant


...edit.

What the hell got lost in translation?

[John Y]

That looks awful. The skirts looked tacked on - tacky and the front of the car seems just so bland, uninspired even downright unfinished in photos. Looks like an inital sketch. The Scion (the truck, not the coupe) corssed my mind just now looking at the front. The back is an A4 copy, as we know. The only elements I like are teh creases at the top and bottom of the doors, that run along the side. I guess grafting the GTI bumper, lights and grilles to the front will help make a GLI, but I don't know...admittedly I am not a Jetta guy, but at this point I would say that any of the first 5 generations is a better-looking car than this.

[stealthmk3]

I would have to agree with everyone on here. The only reason I came into this "coverage" forum was to bitch about this horrible departure of vw from the crowd that supports it, and I realized in the couple posts here everyone has hit the nail on the head. Those drums just make me want to puke. This explains and confirms the rationale of why every VW I buy continues to be older, because VW is failing to move the company in the right direction.

[halitzor]

Looks MK4 is the only jetta that will ever be attractive.

[Fastvolks]

Hopefully when VW comes out with the GLI it will look better and I don't get the drums and going back to the rear beam thing but I do hear the GLI will have rear disk brakes and independent rear suspension.

[Troike]

drums? really?
my stock mk4 Golf finally had rear discs .. thought we left drums behind with mk3.

Looks MK4 is the only jetta that will ever be attractive.

i have love for mk3s too but I'm not a Jetta guy, can't find a pic I like

As far as the mk6 .. or NMS, whatever ... definately is 'uninspired' to say the least.
The leap from mk5 --> mk6 (both golf and Jetta) is, in my opinion, the least substantial / most poorly executed model change in VW's A-series history.

[halitzor]

MK2 GLI's can look nice. I don't like the MK1's tho : /

MK3 jetta's are pretty much the ugliest car of the 90's.

[jrgrinder]

lower it.

[h dub]

lower it.

beat me to it

[Mk1ller]

[John Y]

I don't have a problem with the rear drums, much less the torsion beam rear - the latter worked pretty well through the first 4 generations of Golf/Jetta. These are the steps to make it cheaper to build and cheaper to sell...what I don't like is the blandness...

[85GTI]

I think recessions breed blandness.

[1979GTI16V]

I hate to be a debbie downer, but this has to be one of the most bland and uninspired designs I have yet to see come from VW.

How far downmarket has the jetta come? Painted rear drum brakes? Glued on body additions? Tractor-like ride height? Rear twist-beam suspension? Wow... what happened to moving technology forward?

It's sad to see VW decontenting and pushing their products downmarket in the pursuit of their business aspirations. I understand the rationale, but for those of us who like the brand/product and what differentiates it from the background of mediocrity, this just sucks. I have always been happy to pay a premium for a VW over the competition, because there was value for the extra cost. Now, is there any reason to buy this jetta over say, a civic or corolla?

I'll be demonstrating my lack of interest in the brand next time around.

/rant


...edit.

What the hell got lost in translation?

couldn't agree more...sadly the rear end is NOT a twist, its a stick with drum brakes attached to it. solid axle awesome-ness people do not buy VWs for price, they do it because they are better, and different.

[CobraKing]

Looks like they engineered the car in Mexico too...

[vwlifer27]

wait, you guys do know that your side skirts on your mk5s are glued on too, right?

[VWFaninCincinnati]

Is VW having an indentity crisis? This new Jetta especially with the fugly black wheels, tacked-on "effects" and, if true, rear drum brakes, has to be VW's attempt to draw customers from Nissan, Toyota and the Koreans.

My gut tells me to decry this effort, but then my head tells me that VW must believe that growth will not come from a vocal but small group (like those of us who write and read here.) Folks participating here and on AudiWorld, other brand name blogs, etc, are certainly important to the manufacturers; but, I suspect we represent a relatively insignificant minority from a financial perspective.

We're zealots. If, collectively, we were to put our money where our mouths are, well, MAYBE our posts would carry some weight. As it stands, apparently, we have a lot less "juice" than the potential VW must see in attempting to lure new customers away from the usual suspects noted above.

One way to do this is to figure out a way to increase form, reduce substance, appear to increase content all the while doing everything possible NOT to increase the cost. Solid rear ends, drum brakes and stick-'em-on effects for the cognoscenti (but not really for THEM 'cause they know better, actually the tarted up presentation is for the faux-cognoscenti) seem to be the formula du jour.

Drive the IMAGE (with the proletariat) up while simultaneously actually dumbing down the actual product -- neat trick if you can get away with it.

I predict this new Jetta will be popular (this is a version specifically dumbed down for us 'Mericans, yes?)

It may go, stop and handle far below its potential. But just remember, good is the enemy of great -- just ask all those companies who built cars better than Toyotas only to find that Toyota cleaned their clocks (sales-wise.)

In other words, "We have met the enemy and he is us!"

Drive it like you live.

[mozcar78]

you purists forget that this whole 'rear drum' move is about making a car that is as low of an entry level vehicle for for those looking to get into a vw. So yes its pretty obvious that this is about as watered down as this car can get.
Also, do you guys really think that the average buyer will push their 100hp 2.0 car to its limits that require going beyond an mk4-like torsion beam and MK3 rear drum brake? ..If it worked then, why not now?


besides, those of you know that vw will offer an IRS in higher platform trim levels that will be on par with the 2.0 and the TSI, and TDI...........

[Veedubgti]

I just don't see IRS being offered at any trim level.......not gonna happen. VW is not going to re-design the entire rear suspension system of a NA only vehicle just for a trim level.

[GTI_LUV]

GLI version tested in Europe

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t_drive_review

[thejazzguy]

This car makes me want to cry. As someone already mentioned, the body kit looks cheap and tacked on, just like all the garbage from Toyota. The drum brakes are completely unacceptable on a modern car. This is not the 1980s. True, Toyota and Honda and GM use drums, but they all make pedestrian appliances that put safety at the bottom of the list. I will never buy a car with drum brakes, ever, for any reason. Period. Drum brakes=no sale. VW wake up! You will gain neophyte customers, but will lose the core people who loved the tight German dynamics that the brand was built on. Growth at any cost is not the answer. Appalling to say the least. Simply disgusting.

[1.8Transporter]

What wheels are these? How can I get them? Why is it that the wheels really make or break the appearance of a car? Same car with 16" rims would look horrendous.

[mozcar78]

I just don't see IRS being offered at any trim level.......not gonna happen. VW is not going to re-design the entire rear suspension system of a NA only vehicle just for a trim level.

Its not a re-desgin if its been used before, right? The MKV has IRS. They can and will do it...................

GLI version tested in Europe

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t_drive_review

This guys got the idea^^^^^^^^


The GLI will come with a multi-link rear suspension.

This car makes me want to cry. As someone already mentioned, the body kit looks cheap and tacked on, just like all the garbage from Toyota. The drum brakes are completely unacceptable on a modern car. This is not the 1980s. True, Toyota and Honda and GM use drums, but they all make pedestrian appliances that put safety at the bottom of the list. I will never buy a car with drum brakes, ever, for any reason. Period. Drum brakes=no sale. VW wake up! You will gain neophyte customers, but will lose the core people who loved the tight German dynamics that the brand was built on. Growth at any cost is not the answer. Appalling to say the least. Simply disgusting.

This is your personal preference. Once again, the average driver will not care about such a thing. Also, 90's vw's have them as well........ and yes it is completely acceptable. If you dont like, then get the GLI.