Automotive Reviews
Four Doors
2003 Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Aug 22nd
Are you looking for a decent sedan that will make your Car Guy friends nod in appreciation without costing an arm and a leg? Look no farther than the Volkswagen Jetta.
The Jetta may not have grabbed your eye lately, because the design hasn’t changed much for a while. But that doesn’t mean it’s out of fashion by a long shot. Volkswagen’s compact sedan stands out from the crowd with exceptional build quality and long list of standard equipment. For 2003, the Jetta gains additional standard and optional features for the lowest-priced GL model, a few interior tweaks and some new colors.
The Jetta combines traditional sedan design with a hint of the distinct arched shape of the New Beetle for an overall look that’s weathered well in the years that have passed since its last complete redesign. The wheels are large and pushed out to the corners, and 17″ wheels with painted accents fill the car out nicely. Bold “VW” badges front and rear and the high, short trunk are Jetta hallmarks. We’re always impressed by Volkswagen’s precise, even panel lines, which give the car a well-built look.
It feels just as solid as it looks, too. Our Jetta GLI test car was equipped with the 200-hp VR6 six-cylinder, and Volkswagen’s torquey V6 is always a pleasure to drive around town. Hooked up to a light, smooth-shifting six-speed manual transmission, the VR6 revs almost silently. We frequently forgot to shift into sixth gear, even when the engine was turning 4000 rpm on the highway; it’s just that quiet. We noticed an odd flat spot in the VR6′ power delivery, but didn’t find it too annoying. A five-speed automatic transmission is also available. Jettas can be had with a 180-horsepower 1.8 liter turbo engine for slightly better gas mileage with minimal sacrifice in acceleration thrills, and a 115-horse 2.0-liter for much better mileage. Want to go all-out in fuel economy? A 90-horsepower, 1.9 liter direct-injection turbodiesel gets 49 mpg on the highway.
The Jetta stays connected to the road through an independent front, torsion-beam rear suspension. The car is as tight as a drum through hard turns, and it’s hard to imagine that VW intends this only as a sedan that’s fun to drive and not as an all-out sports sedan, because it’s better composed than many of them. Steering response is enthusiastic without being sports-car twitchy. Anti-lock brakes are standard. The GLI and GLX models feature VW’s Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) stability control as standard equipment. It’s optional on lower-priced models. The Jetta does not shy away when driven with urgency.
The comfortable driving position is also welcome. The seats could be easier to adjust, but once in place, the shifter, radio and air conditioning controls all fall right to hand, and VW’s signature blue gauges are easy to read. If there’s anything the Jetta could use, it’s a little bit more storage space inside; the door pockets and tiny armrest/console don’t offer much. Never mind that, though; this is an interior that invites you to get in and just go somewhere, anywhere. You can take three friends with you, too. Side-curtain airbags are standard, protecting front and rear occupants. Volkswagen is generous with standard equipment, too. The least expensive Jetta you can buy will go out the door with intermittent wipers, air conditioning, cruise control and a factory alarm. Considering that the least expensive Jetta you can buy retails for just a whisker over $17,000, that’s nice news indeed.
Basically, what you’ve got here is an incredibly friendly yet sensible sedan, and that’s quite a good thing indeed. The Jetta is available in four flavors: GL, GLS, GLI and GLX, in order of ascending base price. Our test vehicle was a Jetta GLI, with the standard-issue V6 engine and six-speed transmission. The leather interior, Monsoon sound system and rear spoiler were optional equipment and pushed the sticker price from its $22,950 starting point to $26,044.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, which we tested.
Length: 172.3 in.
Width: 68.3 in.
Height: 56.7 in.
Wheelbase: 98.9 in.
Curb weight: 3179 lb.
Cargo space: 13 cu.ft.
Base price: $22,950
Price as tested: $26,044
Engine: 2.0 liter DOHC V6
Drivetrain: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 200 @ 6200
Torque: 195 @ 3200
Fuel capacity: 14.5 gal.
Est. mileage: 21/29
2004 Ford Ranger FX4
Aug 22nd
The most impressive thing about the Ford Ranger is how well it measures up to its much newer competitors. Even next to Chevrolet’s all-new Colorado, the Ranger (whose last significant redesign was over a decade ago) still feels current. Its sixteen-year reign as best-selling compact pickup truck thus comes as no surprise.
In the face of new competitors, Ford is sticking to the formula that works. For 2004 the Ranger gets a minor facelift and a new round of refinements to keep it in the game. Upgrades to the Ranger’s interior and suspension revisions keep this little truck feeling like it first hit the streets last year, instead of last decade.
The Ranger’s new face carries a strong visual link to Ford’s Super Duty pickups, with a taller grille and distinctive “nostrils” on the sides. The grille’s contours are carried into the hood and accent the muscular, domed front aspect. The bumper is new too, and more smoothly integrated. Other than that not much has changed. Regular and extended cabs are available, and a choice of three wheelbases gives the Ranger almost as many iterations as some full-size truck lines. There’s no crew cab model, but that hasn’t hurt the Ranger’s popularity. Reverse-opening rear doors are included on the SuperCab. FX4 models like our test vehicle hit the road with handsome Alcoa aluminum wheels, as well as boxy chrome bed rails which don’t do much for the looks and are thankfully optional.
Under the skin, the FX4 package adds a Torsen limited-slip differential, tow hooks and Bilstein shocks when you opt for the off-roading Level II package. FX4-equipped Rangers have a firmer ride; it’s best described as “trucky,” which probably comes as no surprise. That stiff-ish ride contributes to a feeling of confidence, however, especially off-road. There’s a bit of a tendency for the solid-axled rear end to hop around when unloaded, but on the freeway the Ranger is noticeably quieter and more stable than Toyota’s Tacoma PreRunner and Nissan’s Frontier. Like most pickup trucks, the Ranger has an independent front suspension and a leaf-sprung solid rear axle. Our 4×4 test truck had a torsion-bar front setup; 2x4s get coil springs. Front disc, rear drum brakes and ABS are standard.
The Ranger’s interior receives a freshening for ’04 as well. New, taller seats are more comfortable. The Ranger’s standard cloth feels tough without being cheap, and it’s nicer than the leather in some compact pickups. The plastic dash is the same, but the instrument panel has been redesigned. A large center console and front bucket seats should appeal to the active-lifestyle set. The console folds up to provide a third seat, but we left it in console-mode. Honestly, there never was room for three abreast in a Ranger anyhow. We also liked the new, chunkier steering wheel. A 290-watt Pioneer sound system is new this year, and it’s MP3 capable. The “Tremor” option package, which crams a subwoofer and a 510-watt system, is available on all Rangers and is a noisy creature indeed.
Under the hood, there is a choice of three powerplants. The economy leader (and surprisingly popular) is a 2.3 liter four-cylinder that’s been around even longer than the Ranger itself has. With 143 horsepower, it’s grunty enough to move the Ranger around town without breaking anyone’s fuel budget. The Ranger’s two V6 engines are a 3.0 liter and a 4.0 liter. The more sophisticated SOHC 4.0 is the more powerful of the two, with 207 horses and seamless operation around town. The smaller 3.0 V6 is designed as a flexible-fuel engine. All three powertrains are available with five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmissions. We drove the 4.0 with an automatic, and it’s strong enough to break the rear tires loose if driven in anger. Towing capability on a Ranger equipped to do so maxes out at just under 6000 pounds.
Sure, it’s been around a long time, but when it comes to trucks, that’s a good thing. Compact pickups may be small, but they’re worked just as hard as full-size trucks, and those that can’t hack it don’t hang around. Longevity also translates to appealing pricing. Ranger pricing starts at $14,385 for a four-cylinder regular cab XL. Add about two grand to get a SuperCab . Our test truck was an extended-cab FX4 model, and with four-wheel drive and the Tremor package it hit the road at $27,840.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2004 Ford Ranger FX4, which we tested.
Length: 201.7 in.
Width: 70.4 in.
Height: 67.8 in.
Wheelbase: 125.9 in.
Curb weight: 3705 lb.
Towing capacity: 5120 lb.
Payload: 1260 lb.
Base price: $24,350
Price as tested: $27,840
Engine: 4.0 liter SOHC V6
Drivetrain: five-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 207 @ 5250
Torque: 238 @ 3000
Fuel capacity: 19.5 gal.
Est. mileage: 15/19
2003 Volkswagen Passat W8
Aug 22nd
There’s no doubt that the somewhat plebian Volkswagen Passat can be transformed into a credible luxury sedan; with acres of leather, 4MOTION all-wheel drive and an all-new, innovative W8 engine under the hood, it’s the equal of any similarly-priced Infiniti or Acura. The question is, is there room in the pool for another $37,000 sedan, especially one with a Volkswagen badge?
The folks at VW certainly think there is. The Passat has been quietly diversifying since its redesign in 2001, with affordable, family-oriented models at one end of the spectrum and full-zoot luxury versions at the other. Thanks to Volkswagen’s fantastic build quality you’ll get luxury-car ride and handling in even the least expensive Passats. With the introduction of the W8 engine however, the Passat is attempting to leap into the big time. The W8 is offered in sedan and station wagon format.
The unique W8 is Volkswagen’s first eight-cylinder sedan in the States, and it’s not a V8. This 4.0 liter, 32-valve V8 has a “double-V” layout which provides extremely compact packaging. Unlike a V8, which has two parallel banks of four cylinders on each side, the W8 has four banks of two cylinders. “That’s very interesting,” you’re probably saying, “but how does it drive?” Like a small-displacement V8, not surprisingly. The W8 is smooth and silent at low rpm; give it a nudge with the gas pedal and it’ll reward you with a polite roar. The W8 makes 270 horsepower, but Passats equipped with the VR6 six-cylinder feel stronger at low revs. This is partly because the W8 doesn’t come into its own until freeway speeds are reached. Peak horsepower is attained at 6000 rpm, and that’s unusually high for a V8. It’s powerful and confident on the highway, but around town you’ll find yourself wondering what the point of the W8 is. Part of the blame can be placed on the Tiptronic five-speed automatic transmission, which we’ve always found to be lazy about shifting. When caught sleeping, the W8′s 270 horses are nowhere to be found. Our test car was further weighed down by the 4MOTION all-wheel drive system, but after a sudden rainstorm drenched the roads the Passat was confident enough to be a credible urban-SUV alternative.
On the road the Passat feels like a Super-sized Jetta, thanks to the solid structure and laser-welding employed by Volkswagen across the board. Underneath, there’s a fully independent suspension, with four-link units up front and double wishbones out back. Throw it into a curve, however, and the big Passat responds more like a typical Cadillac than a GTI; our 3900-pound test car attacked the turns with confidence and more than a hint of inertia. The power-distributing center differential of the 4MOTION system kept things on the straight and narrow before we had to use the anti-lock brakes, but a day at the track in a Passat would likely turn both the 215/55 HR-16 tires and the driver’s nerves to hamburger.
Our Blue Spirit-colored test car looked great, with chrome accents on the doors and bumper fascias accenting the Passat’s rounded greenhouse and very short overhangs. Up front, the headlights have clear covers over multi-unit lenses, and the taillights are also clear-covered. The chrome is accented with black trim, which looked great on our test car. The Passat W8 comes standard with 16″ wheels and a glass sunroof.
The interior is equally lovely. The Passat looks good in black leather, especially thanks to the chrome and wood accents throughout the interior. There’s not a lot of storage space inside; two small door pockets and the center console are all you get. The Passat makes up for the lack of knickknack storage with copious standard equipment. The top-of-the-line W8 is loaded for bear (or for Cadillac/Mercedes, if you will) with electronic climate control, rain-sensing wipers, auto up/down windows, heated seats and side-curtain airbags.
Our test car stickered for $38,475 and we didn’t think it was overpriced, considering the level of refinement and equipment. If anything, the Passat W8 is the VW of luxury sedans, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. For drivers raised on Jettas and GTIs, it’ll be a wonderful step up. Whether it pales in comparison to the Volvo S60, Lincoln LS, Cadillac Seville, Acura 3.2TL or Saab 9-3 depends mainly on your taste and personal aesthetic.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8, which we tested.
Length: 185.2 in.
Width: 68.7 in.
Height: 57.5 in.
Wheelbase: 106.4 in.
Curb weight: 3953 lb.
Cargo space: 10 cu.ft.
Base price: $37,900
Price as tested: $38,475
Engine: 4.0 liter 32-valve W8
Drivetrain: five-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Horsepower: 270 @ 6000
Torque: 273 @ 2750
Fuel capacity: 21.1 gal.
Est. mileage: 18/25