2 weeks in a Jetta 2.5 SE

[Powervalve Nige]

Hey guys

just got back from 2 weeks in the USA - doing the Disney thing  -  thought I'd share a couple of pictures of the hire car we had...

Basically they take your details and tell you to go and find a car in the lot that you like, and off you go.

We'd opted for the family car ( Couldn't talk the wife into the upgrade for the Camaro - Mustang or Challenger) - and so began the exercise of trawling the huge lot amongst the Hyundai's - Nissans and Kia's along with a few US Focus's to determine the ride for the next two weeks. It was all looking a bit disappointing until all on it's own I came across a VW Jetta 2.5se - Fantastic a VW!

This particular car was a 4000 miler so was nice and tight, and did us proud, although personally I found the 170bhp 5 cyl a tad gutless, and at only 23 mpg even paying US fuel prices of $3.91 / Gal it was costly to run.
On a positive note however, under load the exhaust note was superb, much to the annoyance of the 'war department', and handled really well. Effetively the car is an Octy dressed up for US consumption as a booted Golf - what a shame they missed the opportunity to bolt a KO4 onto the engine.

Cheers
Nige
 

[Thor]

This particular car was a 4000 miler so was nice and tight, and did us proud, although personally I found the 170bhp 5 cyl a tad gutless, and at only 23 mpg even paying US fuel prices of $3.91 / Gal it was costly to run.

That would be an American Gallon wouldn't it ?  only 3.8 litres as opposed to a real gallon at 4.54 litres. 

Hired an RV for a fortnight back in November, did Nevada, Utah, NM and Arizona.  It was based on a ford E450 ecoline truck, 6.8l V10 now that was gutless, but managed to get around 8mpg   

[Tamiyoman]

This particular car was a 4000 miler so was nice and tight, and did us proud, although personally I found the 170bhp 5 cyl a tad gutless, and at only 23 mpg even paying US fuel prices of $3.91 / Gal it was costly to run.

That would be an American Gallon wouldn't it ?  only 3.8 litres as opposed to a real gallon at 4.54 litres. 

Still thats only 66p litre tho, I know the yanks moan about fuel prices but they have NO right to 

[RedRobin]

We'd opted for the family car (Couldn't talk the wife into the upgrade for the Camaro - Mustang or Challenger)

....Now that's such a wasted opportunity!! What kind of wifey doesn't appreciate an American muscle car! Surely it would have been worth being told you had to sleep on the floor! Who paid for the trip?

[Powervalve Nige]

This particular car was a 4000 miler so was nice and tight, and did us proud, although personally I found the 170bhp 5 cyl a tad gutless, and at only 23 mpg even paying US fuel prices of $3.91 / Gal it was costly to run.

That would be an American Gallon wouldn't it ?  only 3.8 litres as opposed to a real gallon at 4.54 litres. 

Still thats only 66p litre tho, I know the yanks moan about fuel prices but they have NO right to 

Yeah - well there's a huge debate going on at the moment with ref to Obahma's policy of bringing US fuel prices into line with European prices over the next few years, which will be a massive problem for the owners who currently average less than 20mpg 

[Powervalve Nige]

We'd opted for the family car (Couldn't talk the wife into the upgrade for the Camaro - Mustang or Challenger)

....Now that's such a wasted opportunity!! What kind of wifey doesn't appreciate an American muscle car! Surely it would have been worth being told you had to sleep on the floor! Who paid for the trip?

I totally agree Robin
The nearest I got was sitting in one, in the test track ride at Epcot 

[RedRobin]

^^^^
Ooooh!! I think I've just touched cloth!

Those are ace pics of ace cars, Nige  - Thanks for sharing them 

[dmac1969]

I quite like the US spec Jetta and Passat , both slightly different to 'our' ones and made in Puebla and Chatanooga , not Germany. That 5 cyl motor is also availible in the 2012 Beetle over there as well.