2007 Volkswagen Jetta

Today I'll be reviewing a car from a German auto maker, honestly I don't really consider it anything that special. I'm actually more interested in driving French and Italian cars to see if they bring anything to the European experience of cars.


Introduction: The Volkswagen Jetta was introduced shortly after the introduction of the Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit. The Jetta became the compact car in VW's lineup, bigger than the Golf but smaller than the Passat. One of the few things that has differentiated the Jetta over other vehicles is the always available option of having a diesel even though many North American vehicles dropped or never introduced diesel as an option.

When I first got the opportunity to drive a new model of Volkswagen, I was curious about whether there was any real difference between German cars and all the other makes since people always seem to place German stuff higher than everybody else. Is German engineering really worth the money you essentially pay extra for literally anything? Considering the Jetta is not the cheapest vehicle in the lineup I would think it would give a good indication of what at least VW is capable of.


Performance: This is a surprisingly different engine since unlike other car makers, VW actually uses a 5-cylinder and this Jetta uses a 2.5L 5-cylinder engine that produces 150 hp and 170 lb.ft of torque. Despite the odd number of cylinders this engine is actually reasonably smooth. Its not the most powerful engine, despite its displacement its actually not nearly as strong as 4-cylinders the same size. There was some noise but nothing really that memorable.

My Score: 6/10 - Neat cylinder configuration...but otherwise nothing special.

Handling: I heard this is where VW is supposed to shine. Due to its size the Jetta competes with cars like the Honda Civic and the Mazda 3. The Jetta actually does pretty well in this department. The steering wheel is reasonably well weighted, but it doesn't feel quite as right. When taking the corners the Jetta is actually quite stable and doesn't have the same amount of roll you expect from cars like the Corolla. Still...my problem with the Jetta this way is the Mazda 3 is a much better handling car. That car had pretty much everything to seem like the best handling car in the world, the Jetta is missing some of the feel.

My Score: 8/10 - The Jetta is very capable here...just not nearly as good as a Mazda


Interior: The Jetta has a pretty standard interior as far as styling is concerned. Most Jettas have a black interior which doesn't make it nearly as pleasent as it could be. The quality of the materials however are not all that great. This is not what I expected even from a company called "the people's car". The build quality in this car is not very good, the car is built in Mexico which might explain why trim is loose or sometimes flat out fails. I would hope that a car built in Germany would not have the same build quality issues I saw here.

My Score: 4/10 - An average interior but lacking in material quality and build quality.

Styling: The styling of this version of the Jetta is nothing special, the grille is a bit different but all it really is just a grille with larger amounts of chrome. The rest of the car is not nearly as exciting or beautiful. The Jetta really just looks pretty generic if it weren't for the grille.

My Score: 6/10 - A generic car with really mild differences

Value for money: The Jetta has not convinced me this car is worth $21,000. I thought the Honda Civic was expensive and that car does use 1st world country labour rates...the Jetta however uses 3rd world labour rates and still charges a fortune. The disappointing generic interior and the ho hum styling do not help. Last but not least, the item the car actually does well in that is handling is beaten by the very Japanese Mazda 3...which is built better, handles better, moves just as quick and most importantly several thousands cheaper. In this case being German meant you get overcharged for a product not nearly as good as a cheaper Japanese one.

My Score: 2/10 - The car is several thousands too expensive. 3rd world labour rates, not very good materials and doesn't exceed all expectations yet is nearly as expensive as a next level car is just too much.

Overall: 26/50 - I don't get why people think German items are better.

2006-2008 Toyota Corolla CE

The last one for today since I skipped Friday and Saturday.


Introduction: The Toyota Corolla is one of Toyota's oldest and most successful vehicles in the company's history. So successful that the total amount of cars with the Corolla badge is now the world's top selling car of all time. The car that this review will focus on is the 9th generation Corolla that spans from 2003 to 2008. This version of the Corolla offers a whole range of options from the basic CE to the sports oriented XRS that has the Celica's high revving engine.

We all know how successful the Corolla has been, we can see it everyday. Everywhere you go you can find a Toyota Corolla somewhere in the world, often ranging from very old to very new. The early Corollas allowed Toyota to gain its reputation for reliable cars since these cars while not being all too exciting appear to last so much longer than their owners wanted. I was expecting an average car when I first got into one of these.


Performance: The main Toyota Corolla, not the XRS, uses a normal 1.8L 4-cylinder engine that produces 128 hp and 125 lb.ft of torque. This is an adequate amount of power, due to Toyota putting a lot of sound proofing in their cars the noise is not all that noticeable. This is not the most powerful car in the world but it wasn't meant to be, just adequate for daily driving and it does do this well.

My Score: 8/10 - A decent engine that is quite fitting for the car. Not too impressive but focuses on economics instead like fuel economy, maintenance, etc.

Handling: I never hear good things about Corollas and their handling ability. I was actually rather surprised with this version of the Corolla. The wheel is actually reasonably well weighted and does produce some feel which by this point was lacking in the whole Toyota car lineup. When going around corners the body roll is a bit of a problem making it not nearly as stable as the Celica. Still, with a proper suspension this Corolla chassis is actually in better shape than expected and seems to show in the XRS version.

My Score: 6/10 - Not a great car in terms of handling, but much better than was expected. The car has potential and has a wheel that feels connected to the steering, all things that make the driving experience seem better.


Interior: The interior of this version of the Corolla is pretty average. Like before you don't expect all too much, I still don't understand why Toyota still uses roll up windows for the Corolla since I didn't even think there was a demand for them anymore. Nothing in this interior is all that special but the quality of the materials were at least decent. The car is built in two locations from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada and Fremont, California, USA. The examples I have driven are built from Canada and appear to be built very well.

My Score: 6/10 - An average interior that is built very well.

Styling: The Corolla has rarely ever attempted to use styling that isn't conservative to the times. This generation of Corolla doesn't attempt to change this, its a standard car. Nothing about the way it looks is attractive nor ugly. Its a very neutral looking car but doesn't attempt to be anything more than that.

My Score: 5/10 - Toyota didn't really try to style this car.

Value for money: Much of the time with the Corolla it comes all down to economics. The Corolla CE is actually not very expensive all things considered and is cheaper to buy than the Honda Civic. You hope the car will be reliable and you already know its not going to ruin your wallet when it comes to gas(American cars getting heat here) or insurance(where the Civic is hurt badly). Your buying a pretty safe choice of car with this Corolla, one that really comes down to costs.

My Score: 9/10 - Assuming the car is reliable, there wasn't anything other than the Civic to challenge the Corolla in being affordable to own. It loses the point only because cars like the Mazda3 excels at being a affordable car that excites the young driver, the Corolla doesn't excite this group.

Overall: 34/50 - A solid and reasonable car. If you don't mind the generic interior, the generic styling or the ho hum handling the 9th generation Corolla is a decent worthwhile choice.

2004 Toyota Avalon XLS

This Toyota actually belongs to my dad. Let my just say he knows exactly how I feel about his car.


Introduction: The Toyota Avalon began in 1995 after Toyota discontinued the Cressida in 1992. Unlike the Cressida which was a totally different vehicle from much of Toyota's lineup the Avalon was instead a Camry platform that was stretched to hold the bigger body. As a result much of the components were Camry components unlike the Cressida which had more Supra components. Despite being longer and wider than the Cressida the Avalon has not yet grown to the size of America's full size entries it has only reached this status in 2005.

The Avalon is not exactly a car that I liked, primarily because it replaced the Cressida when that car was exactly what Toyota needed to prove it wasn't for old people. Still I was willing to give it a chance to see whether it at least can fulfill being Toyota's flagship car.


Performance: The 2004 Avalon uses a 3.0 L V6, one of Toyota's earliest efforts to use a aluminum block instead of an iron block to reduce weight. This particular V6 was used in the first Avalon back then producing 190 hp. In this car, the V6 received variable valve timing to not only increase efficiency but also increased the power to 210 hp and 222 lb.ft of torque. This allowed the Avalon to reach 0-100 in about 8.3 seconds, not necessary good in the 21st century but better than other attempts. In the Avalon this V6 is very smooth and quiet, its not exactly one that likes to play though and when pushed it quietly roars but doesn't bring an explosion of power. Its rather reserved and seems to fit the manner Toyota wanted the car to have.

My Score: 8/10 - Quiet, calm power. Not exactly an exciting engine however.

Handling: This is the big difference between a Cressida and the Avalon. One is capable of cornering the other one just flat out isn't. The Avalon is a pretty terrible car to go around corners. Much of the comfortable ride it produces has ruined its ability to take corners without understeering badly and the body roll is pretty downright poor too. The Camry components just weren't meant to take any corner well, a complete difference to the Supra designed ones on a Cressida. The steering wheel is also another matter, the Avalon has a very light wheel one that feels disconnected from the actual steering. Old people like this, but anybody young or middle aged wouldn't. This is actually very American of a car...good in a straight line...terrified of corners.

My Score: 2/10 - Downright poor at handling. The soft suspension produces such a bad experience in the corners, its embarrassing that its predecessor is superior while providing most of the comfort.


Interior: This is where the Avalon should excel, an interior that is luxurious and comfortable. Its got one thing correct the other one wrong, the Avalon is very comfortable being spacious and having a cloud-like ride. Luxuries however are missing, you get your standard power options but...there's nothing high tech or neat about the car. The materials are a mix in terms of quality, the seats are good the dash trim is not. The Avalon is built in the United States...this is not the best built Toyota having seen a few panels that don't fit or were misaligned. A pretty conventional interior, but nothing that makes me think luxurious, heck its actually pretty low tech.

My Score: 6/10 - A average interior that is comfortable but belongs to the 20th century.

Styling: This version of the Avalon tried to be something different from other Toyotas. My only problem is...its trying to look American during a time when looking American isn't exactly a great thing. Looking like 60s American cars is a great thing since they mostly all looked great with lots of expression. Looking like 90s American cars...is not, they rather boring and lost much of their sense of style. The styling actually goes right with Buick's lineup with the big grille and conservative styling, unfortunately that means it will only attract these people as customers.

My Score: 6/10 - Old people will love the look, others will look at it and think its too old looking for them.

Value for money: This it the big problem with the Avalon and why its sales are slow. Its fighting against 2 of its brothers. The Camry V6 XLE and the ES300, the Camry being the less expensive but medium sized of the bunch while the ES is the luxurious one but the smallest of the bunch. The Avalon is just the big one...its actually close in price to an ES leaving you with this decision. Do you want the best value or the bunch, the most luxurious or the biggest? If you want the best value the Camry wins, if you want the more luxurious one the ES wins and if you want the biggest one the Avalon wins. If you truly need the space you have to choose the Avalon, but if you don't...it doesn't offer that much. The competition is also much cheaper from GM and Ford, for a conventional flagship...its value is pretty high considering its not an engineering marvel.

My Score: 3/10 - Having a Toyota badge but not offering much more than a Camry and being nearly as expensive as a Lexus ES hurts the Avalon. GM and Ford also offer much less expensive full size cars and in the case of GM offers more space. Its a bit hard to justify the price of the Avalon knowing full well the Camry gets everything it gets.

Overall: 25/50 - Funny how the score is a barely pass, but then again the Avalon as a flagship does a pretty terrible job. Toyota could be doing so much more with its flagship car, this is merely just a fill in the gap car and it shows after you drive older Toyotas like the Cressida. This is not the best car Toyota could make, that's really all there is to it. The top of the line Toyota of 2004 should not be lower tech or even equal to the ones dating from 1977-1992.

2003 Toyota Celica GT

This will be one of the few "sports" vehicles I will be reviewing. Today will have 3 reviews...I decided to put 3 Toyotas for today since these were the 3 that come to mind and the ones I haven't driven that recently.


Introduction: The Celica is one of Toyota's oldest names in their entire lineup since inception, almost as old as the Corolla name. Initially the Celica was designed as Japan's answer to cars like the Ford Mustang, eventually the car would produce its own identity as a inexpensive but reasonably fun and somewhat practical coupe rather than be a full out sports car that sacrifices practicality. In 1986 the Celica eventually lost its RWD layout since its original A chassis was instead continued with the Supra while the Celica adpoted the FWD T chassis. Toyota was a participant in the World Rally Championship thus allowing for the design and eventual sale of the Celica GT-Four(All-trac) giving the Celica AWD and a powerful turbo engine. Toyota eventually dropped the Celica as its entry for the WRC and eventually dropped out of the WRC all together leading to the loss of the Celica GT-Four. The final generation the 7th was part of Toyota's Project Genesis which included the Toyota Echo and MR2 which focused on younger drivers, of the Genesis cars only the Celica ended having any success in sales. Sadly Toyota announced the Celica would be dropped from its world lineup with no successor car to take its place other than the Scion tC which is for the United States only. The Celica is also the final car from Toyota to be even considered sporty.

When this version of the Celica came out, I instantly wanted to drive it. The styling was so attractive that I wanted it for a significant portion of my teenager years. Eventually I would drive one, just to make sure its a car that I should work forward to getting. If it drove badly then I can dispel any thoughts of wanting one...if it drove well...it makes me sad I could not buy one new. I was also unsure of whether FWD would affect its handling since I disapprove of understeer.


Performance: The Celica had two options for engines both 1.8L engines. The GT came with the mildy stronger Corolla's 1ZZ engine making 140 hp and 126 lb.ft of torque. The GT-S came with the high revving screamer 2ZZ that made 180 hp and 130 lb.ft of torque. I've only driven the GT and I must say...its a decent engine. Obviously the GT-S is a different experience since its an engine that must be revved to be enjoyed, while the GT does not. If you wanted an automatic transmission, the GT is the choice to have due to the high revving nature of the 2ZZ and it only has a 4-speed automatic meaning its unable to make much use of the power in its peak making it the slowest despite the engine. You choose the GT engine particularly if you don't want to rev the engine nor want to pay premium fuel and for daily driving the regular engine is good enough. It doesn't have the personality you'd expect but it moves the Celica reasonably well.

My Score: 7/10 - A reasonable engine and fairly economical but you can't help but wonder whether the GT-S engine is so much more appropriate for this car.

Handling: This is the big test for this car in my mind, being the last of Toyota's long sports car line it needs to pass this test well. Lately Toyota cars have been considered soft and unathletic and this is actually quite true. First things first, the wheel in the Celica is actually quite heavy, probably the heaviest wheel I've encountered almost beaten by the 1st Ford Focus. The car actually feels great in the corners, it actually wants to go around corners fast and the wheel is perfectly matched for this. This is the most stable Toyota I've driven so far when it comes to approaching corners and taking them without much body roll. Clearly this car was very well engineered and its a shame all of this will be lost since Toyota does not make anything like this anymore. I did not notice the understeer that normally comes from a FWD Toyota, this car's handling is sharp and precise just the way it should be. It would be nice if it came with AWD or even better RWD to make the handling that much more exciting but oh well.

My Score: 10/10 - Clearly the best handling car I've driven that has FWD.


Interior: I'm not expecting too much from the interior since many cars of this type often put most of the money in performance. That said when I got in the Celica the materials were of reasonably quality and having some digital gauges makes it more advanced than most of the Toyota lineup. The layout is not much different from a Toyota Corolla which makes it a simple interior, but the stereo is pretty average however. One thing that is neat is how much lower you sit in the car, most people love the high driving position of SUVs and minivans...I like the low driving position, you feel so much closer to the ground. For a 2-door hatchback there's some space for people in the rear seats, not a whole lot but enough to fit short people or children, a large adult is not advised however. The hatch itself gives the Celica pretty good cargo capacity for something more fun oriented. The rear window has poor visibility however thanks to the probably pointless spoiler. The car is very well built, its another car that is built in Japan. The rather practical interior makes it a step above other similar cars.

My Score: 7/10 - Not the nicest interior but rather modest and due to design it makes a 2-door coupe surprisingly practical. The spoiler however is more annoying than useful.

Styling: The styling is the biggest appeal this version of the Celica has. Its sharp and aggressive, and due to how at least the handling matches the looks the car actually seems better than before. Its not too often Toyota hits a winner on the styling and this is probably one of Toyota's best styled cars in its history. Every angle the car looks good...its good enough that I had to drive one.

My Score: 10/10 - Looks great, sharp and aggressive, just as you want every car to be.

Value for money: The Celica has never been the most affordable of the entire Toyota lineup. The GT version needed an optional package to gain some of the electric toys like the sunroof, key less entry, etc. The amount of money spent on a GT-S is even higher in order to gain the high revving engine. Up against the Hyundai Tiburon and the Acura RSX, the Celica was rather expensive but due to its high revving engine and much better styling could persuade someone to join Toyota.

My Score: 7/10 - A tad expensive, fortunately its quite competitive with some attractive qualities.

Overall: 41/50 - A very good car, one that Toyota should have continued. I do not understand why Toyota abandoned its enthusiasts, this is one of the few cars people would hope to buy just for a few simple qualities that Toyota now has abandoned. Things like styling, handling and most importantly fun. Toyota has now positioned itself to be the Buick of auto companies.