Volkswagen Jetta II 1.8i (90 Hp) Automatic

Overall Rating

7.7 / 10

Safety N/A / 5

Not Rated

Engine 4.0 / 5

Value 4.0 / 5

Performance 3.5 / 5

Comfort 3.8 / 5

People\'s Opinion 2.5 / 5

Volkswagen Jetta:

The Volkswagen Jetta is a compact car/small family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen since 1979. Positioned to fill a sedan niche slightly above the firm's Golf hatchback, it has been marketed over seven generations, variously as the Atlantic, Vento, Bora, City Jetta, Jetta City, GLI, Jetta, Clasico, and Sagitar.
The Jetta has been offered in two- and four-door saloon / sedan and sometimes as five-door wagon / estate versions. Since the original version in 1980, the car has grown in size and power with each generation. By mid-2011, almost 10 million Jettas have been produced and sold all over the world. As of April 2014, Volkswagen marketed over 14 million, becoming its top selling model....(Read more on Wikipedia)

II Overview:

Volkswagen Jetta (II). With 145 Nm of torque, it offers ample pulling power. It has moderate fuel consumption (~11.7 l/100km). Weighing only 985 kg, it’s quite light. Front‑wheel drive delivers efficiency and easy handling. Acceleration is relatively slow (0–100 km/h in 14.9 s). The top speed reaches 168 km/h. A four-door car with a separate trunk, ideal for families and daily commuting. Seating for 5 makes it ideal for daily use.

Safety Rating

Not rated

Euro NCAP Year N/A

Adult Occupant N/A

Stars N/A

Expert Note:
The Volkswagen Jetta II was produced before the establishment of Euro NCAP in 1997, and therefore, no official crash test ratings are available. Safety standards of the era were significantly different from modern vehicles.

1.8i (90 Hp) Automatic Verdict:

Performance Verdict

The automatic transmission dulls performance significantly, making it less responsive but easier in traffic.

Fuel Economy

Noticeably higher fuel consumption compared to the manual version, impacting running costs.

Best Use Case: City driving, stop-and-go traffic where convenience is prioritized over performance.

Community Verdict

This rating is based on comments found on Reddit, scanned using artificial intelligence, and may not accurately reflect reality.

Allowed: 36% Neutral: 0% Issues: 64%

2.5 / 5

Based on AI analysis of 11 discussions

Read What Owners Say

👍 POSITIVE

I have owned multiple VWs including 3 Jettas in the last 25 years All were incredibly reliable. I currently drive a Tiguan and have nothing but positive things to say about it. I love it

👍 POSITIVE

My 2003 Jetta TDI ran like a top but anything electrical in it was fucked, especially the door sensors. My 2019 Golf Alltrack with 90,000 miles on the clock sounds and feels like the day I bought it. I love it.

👎 NEGATIVE

I’d like to get out of mine. But I owe more than it’s worth. 2019 Passat Wolfsburg. But I’ve had to replace the engine - leaking oil more than VW could pinpoint. They replaced it under warranty. I’ve also replaced the transmission because it just failed and wouldn’t shift anymore. They found metal in trans fluid and replaced it under warranty. Now I’m gun shy. I have no more warranty left (o

👎 NEGATIVE

I’ve had a higher mileage Passat wagon for 2.5 years now, I’ve put 60,000km on it, currently sits at 260,000km. 2.0T 6MT wagon. I’ve had to put money into the car (which I expected) but other than a new CV that went bad within a week it hasn’t left me stranded, ever. They need more maintenance to run properly than their Japanese or domestic counterparts, however I often say a VW will run broken

👍 POSITIVE

I live in Canada and in my city, the A7 generation of the Jetta is very popular with taxi companies and ride share drivers. They have to be reliable to put in the hours of service that is required for that line of work and all the extremes of the seasons (from bitter cold and windchill of winter to the extreme heat and humidity of summer).

👍 POSITIVE

I tell you I don't trust that jd power reliability crap. You see top 3 Americans brands on top and are all junk.... Dodge, Ford, Chrysler, gmc, Cadillac. Like wtf... I can count on 1 hand this winter I seen a vw Jetta on side of the road or stranded, lil lone causing an accident. People jus don't take care of vehicles is what it is. Jetta been more reliable and next to no rust living in Midwest s

👎 NEGATIVE

Some of it has to do with the individual generation and motor. The 2.5 inline 5 will run until the eventual heat death of the universe. But the interior in mine is falling apart. Headliner failed at like 120k

👎 NEGATIVE

ID.4, by far. That said, EVs are a cheat code for reliability. Go from like 2,000 moving parts in the drivetrain down to 20. My MK4 Beetle turbo and Jetta were plagued with electrical gremlins. MK5 GTI had injectors fail at low mileage and had the FSI cam follower issues. They were fun cars though.

👎 NEGATIVE

My mkIV jetta 2.0. I beat the shit out of that car. It was a gls so all the comfort needed and sunroof. Then got a jetta mkV 2.5 engine. That thing is a beast. Am beating the thing out of it. It has 200k miles. And then i got a 2011 tiguan. That girl sucking me dry. Water pump and oil cooler (mixed oil in coolant), main fuse stopped working (red steering wheel icon but could cruise) so had to ord

👎 NEGATIVE

99 Jetta TDI...only added dieselgeeks steel skid plate and upgraded bigger injectors. Ran great and got 52mpg if I kept off throttle but was really fun quick for diesel so averaged around 39/41...only real issues was dash lights were intermittent at times and window regulators were junk....let my wifes brother drive it and he blew the turbo...so I stupidly sold it...drive a 13 Passat TDI now...lo

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• Excellent build quality and durability for its era
• Spacious trunk and practical interior for a compact sedan
• Wide range of engines, from economical diesels to sporty 16V petrols
• Comfortable ride quality for daily driving
• Strong aftermarket support and parts availability

Cons:

• Outdated safety features compared to modern vehicles
• Some lower-spec engines are underpowered and sluggish
• Basic interior design on entry-level trims
• Potential for rust on older, unmaintained examples
• Automatic transmissions significantly hinder performance and economy

Specifications:

Specifications are compared to those of the previous generation(II: 1984 - 1987).

General:
Brand:	Volkswagen
Model:	Jetta
Generation:	II
Modification (Engine):	1.8i (90 Hp) Automatic
Start of production:	1986
End of production:	1987
Powertrain Architecture:	Internal Combustion engine
Body type:	Sedan
Seats:	5
Doors:	4

Engine:
Power:	90 Hp @ 5500 rpm. Same horsepower
Power per litre:	50.5 Hp/l [Same length.]
Torque:	145 Nm @ 2500 rpm.
Engine Model/Code:	RP More details about the engine RP
Engine displacement:	1781
Number of cylinders:	4
Engine configuration:	Inline
Number of valves per cylinder:	2
Fuel injection system:	Multi-port manifold injection
Engine aspiration:	Naturally aspirated engine
Valvetrain:	OHC
Engine oil capacity:	4 l
Coolant:	6.5 l
Engine layout:	Front, Transverse
Cylinder Bore:	81 mm mm
Piston Stroke:	86.4 mm mm
Compression ratio:	10:1

Performance:
Fuel Type:	Petrol (Gasoline)
Fuel consumption (economy) - urban:	11.7 l/100 km
Fuel consumption (economy) - extra urban:	7.7 l/100 km
Fuel consumption (economy) - combined:	9.8 l/100 km
Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h:	14.9 sec
Acceleration 0 - 62 mph:	14.9 sec
Maximum speed:	168 km/h
Weight-to-power ratio:	10.9 kg/Hp, 91.4 Hp/tonne
Weight-to-torque ratio:	6.8 kg/Nm, 147.2 Nm/tonne
Acceleration 0 - 60 mph:	14.2 sec

Space:
Kerb Weight:	985
Max. weight:	1470
Max load:	485
Trunk (boot) space - minimum:	575 l
Fuel tank capacity:	55 l

Size:
Length:	4385 mm mm [Same length.]
Width:	1675 mm mm [Same width.]
Height:	1415 mm mm [Same height.]
Wheelbase:	2475 mm mm [Same wheelbase.]
Front track:	1425 mm
Rear (Back) track:	1420 mm

Powertrain:
Drivetrain Architecture	The Internal combustion engine (ICE) drives the front wheels of the vehicle.
Drive wheel	Front wheel drive
Number of gears	3
Transmission type	Automatic
Front brakes	Disc [bad for performance and cooling.]
Rear brakes	Drum [bad for performance and cooling.]
Assisting systems	ABS (Anti-lock braking system)
Steering type	Steering rack and pinion
Power steering	Hydraulic Steering
Tires size	185/70 R14
Wheel rims size	14
Front suspension	Spring-loaded rack
Rear suspension	Spring-loaded rack