Which car is better to get .. A 2008-09 volkswagen jetta or 2008 camry?

Question

Or any other car that is good?

I am 20 years old and in college so something economical with good gas mileage and high safety features. I was aiming for something new and NOT used too so any advice would be helpful.

And also if you are a owner of a jetta or camry, what are your likes and dislikes about the car?

Would it be better to put no money down or some money down on it. I am kinda broke now but have a job so I would prefer to not put money down. What do you think?

Thanks

Answer 1

Well I am a 16 year old and I have a 1998 Jetta and its a great little car! It is the 2.0L version which I would not reccommend getting because it is slow, but then again, its the older version of the car which means it could've changed by now. But its a great car! Its very sporty and gets great gas mileage and is very reliable so I would go with the new jettas. It would also help if you did put money down because maybe then your payments wouldn't be very large. If that doesn't bother you then you do not have to put money down! I hope you chose the jetta!!

Answer 2

the no money down is a bad idea.

jetta's are not noted for reliability.  the previous gen ones made Consumer Reports list of cars to avoid every year they were made.  the new ones are better, but not up to the level of a toyota.  

here's the real kicker.  price wise the cars you are talking about are comparable, but size wise they are not.  the camry is midsized while the jetta has less interior passenger room than most compacts do.  the civic, mazda 3, corolla, mitsu lancer and ford focus all have superior interior room to the jetta inspite of costing thousands less.  their all also more reliable and get better gas mileage.  as noted though, the jetta is generally the safest of the bunch.

Answer 3

i have a 97 jetta gt and its a gr8 car. im 17 and i couldnt ask for a better car as my first car

Answer 4

I had two Jettas and worked for VW for a long time.  I loved my previous-generation Jetta GLX VR6... it never left me stranded, and when I got plowed into by a Suburban going 45 and rammed into the van in front of me, I walked away from the ordeal scot-free so yes: they are VERY safe.  If I had a teenage daughter and was buying her a car, I'd get her a Jetta for that reason, reliability be damned - the cop at the scene of the accident said the same thing... they were gonna get his daughter a Civic as a graduation present but he changed his mind right there.

That said, my previous Jetta, a 2000 2.0 GLS, was a piece of c**p.  Never ran right, all sorts of things going out and giving out.  Again, I worked for VW which was a good thing because I got a discount on all the parts the little piece of c**p needed.  When I did work for VW, I saw tons of Jettas coming in with all sorts of problems, and while the newer ones are better they still aren't at Toyota or Honda level of build quality, and those companies have upped their game in safety.

For safety reasons and personal sentimental purposes: the Jetta.

For economical purposes, the Camry.  The Camry is a boring car, yeah, but especially if you're in school, you need something that's going to run all the time and not need expensive repairs because you're on a tight budget.

I'd save up for a down payment of at least a couple grand.  You can do it zero down but your payment will be high, and when it's a tight month for you you'll kick yourself for not putting the extra money down and saving $50/month or so.

Answer 5

Well, there about equal at first. But after a few years, the Volkswagen will start to give you problems. Also, German interiors tend to wear very poorly. I, personally, would go w/ the Camry.

*You should DEFINITELY look at the Hyundai Sonata before buying. You should also consider the Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Suzuki Forenza, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Altima, & the Nissan Sentra.

Answer 6

The Camry is definitely the better of the two.

Also look at the...

Nissan Altima

Honda Accord

Honda Civic

Toyota Corolla

If you have to put some money down, you should put down as much as you can.