Auto Vehicle

SENIOR MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: Ah, the good ol Jetta. Finally, the GLI gives back some of what was lost--or what we never got--in recent "performance" versions, with a limited-slip differential and a multilink independent rear suspension rather than the twist-beam axle.
I dare say that this is the most enjoyable Jetta since Volkswagen regrettably killed the always popular VR6 variant last seen with the Jetta IV. Back then, I owned a base 2.0-liter Jetta IV, and I dont care what the haters might think, I loved that car. Not because it was fast or even quick, or because it handled especially great (it didnt). But mind you, it was still fun to drive, and I always loved how a poor, freshly minted college graduate could drive a $17,000 car that resembled an Audi A4 a whole hell of a lot, both outside and inside.
With the five-speed manual it was entertaining to throw around, especially after I slapped a giant rear antiroll bar on and dialed it to the stiffest setting to generate some lift-off oversteer under high suspension load, as well as a front strut tower brace and some sticky Pirelli tires. I would have done more, but at that point, being a poor recent college graduate and all, I ran out of money. But for a few hundred bucks, I turned that Jetta 2.0 into something a lot of people had a lot of fun with.