 A Jetta is a great car that's a lot of fun to drive. The style appealed to me and it handles like a sports car, there's a lot of kick to it. It's a solid built car that feels safe and reliable.  Downsides: snow can easily clog up the small wheel wells. I've had issues with the doors freezing shut (the door seal is almost impenetrable).  Have had issues with the side molding.  Also had the cruise control system replaced once and now it's not working again.  The maintenance can get expensive and now that I've gotten past 100,000 mile point, my wallet has begun to experience the "joys" of car ownership.   Despite the issues, I would recommend a Jetta and will probably buy another one.