Rope-Pusher wrote:Volkswagen Jetta essentials: A manual makes everything better
Our Opinion: How many Jetta shoppers will take theirs with a manual transmission? Not many, I’d venture, but this is a perfect example of how a stick can liven up what is fundamentally sound-but-basic transportation. It’s simple and slow, sure,
but it’s fun!
At first glance, this is a risky powertrain setup: A teeny, downsized inline-four turbo and a five-speed (a five-speed!) manual transmission. But the most surprising part about this combo is how un-stressed it feels.
Read more:
http://autoweek.com/article/car-reviews ... z52V60YTwo
from what i've heard, the 1.4 turbo is a decent engine, and gets better mpgs than the 1.8 turbo. i hear (as with the 1.8 turbo) that the gearing is odd for the 1.4 with the manual, though. too bad they don't still offer the sport model with the manual - that one had most of the features of the se (plus two-tone seats, 6 speakers and navi!!) but with nicer wheels, FAHGLEITZ and the 1.8 turbo.
