 I have owned a '94,'96', and an '09 Jetta.Pros:*I like the body style....the front end of the car anyways. It handles better then other Jettas I've owned. It has more room in the interior.* gears shift a lot smootherCons:*I do not like the 2.0 engine. It is SO slow....I can floor it around corners and it goes no where!! Slowest car I've ever owned. My 09 Jetta had a 2.5 so it was a little more fun to drive.* the interior is cheap.....I'm sure it was the cheapest plastic they could find. The cloth seats are hard. No heated seats.The 09 jetta (same model) had soft cloth seats that were heated with a Soft dash that had more shape opposed to the 2012 with a flat dash...just like a 1994 