Preowned vs new dilemma: Buy a new VW Virtus or go for a used Jetta

I’m confused between the two as I’m in a transferable job and work onboard ships hence the car may not be used for brief periods of time.

BHPian navad29 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Morning!
I’m looking to purchase a car for myself and have been confused between a VW Virtus 1.0L MT or a pre-owned 2015 VW Jetta MT. My usage is of daily commute (10-12kms daily) but mostly long trips (>300 kms)

I’m confused between the two as I’m in a transferable job and work onboard ships hence the car may not be used for brief periods of time. I would like to change my car after 5 years and purchasing the Virtus is stretching my budget. I’m afraid of the pre-owned Jetta as it might give me more headache than smiles per litre but the Jetta had always been my first option.

PS – Can the jury state few more points to look out for in a pre-owned Jetta? It has run about 47k and maintained at A.S.S and looks well maintained.

Cheers!

Here’s what GTO had to say on the matter:

I love the Jetta, but cannot recommend buying an 8-year old German car to anyone. European cars require a fair share of upkeep as they age. My brother’s 10-year old Jetta suffered 2 breakdowns in the last 2 years (one of them due to injectors & one a sudden clutch failure). It’s otherwise been sufficiently reliable, but again, requires upkeep & maintenance (e.g. sensors, 2 injector replacements still pending, AC etc.).

Get a new Virtus with an extended warranty and enjoy your new car. The Virtus has classic VW styling and that 1.0L turbo-petrol is a fun motor (1.5L more so).

Here’s what BHPian ajmat had to say on the matter:

Nothing like a good well maintained Jetta, mine was sold on and the owner did 20000 K.M. without any issues between Bangalore and Orissa!

However, while engine as well as wear and tear parts which are common with Skodas are easy to obtain, body trim and panels will be scarce. I also note that you are Delhi based so you will only get a 2 year window of usage.

Here’s what BHPian IshaanIan had to say on the matter:

Firstly hop on to boodmo and check out the part prices for both and see if you’re comfortable maintaining a CKD like the Jetta. Next, I hope you are considering the 1.4tsi Jetta and not a diesel one since your running absolutely would not justify buying a diesel. Finally, do look into buying a pre-owned Civic (the new yet discontinued one) most of their ownership has been during the pandemic years so you get brilliant deals on very low mileage Civics even from Honda Autoterrace tiself.

Here’s what BHPian asit.kulkarni93 had to say on the matter:

The Jetta TDi is fairly reliable. Minor electronic issues do crop up but it’s a solid vehicle. Virtus and Jetta maybe available at a similar price point but the Jetta is from a segment above. Most of the parts used are of a superior quality. Aftermarket support is best. I would honestly suggest, You consider a DSG and not the MT. The DSG is way better than the MT and helps one explore the true potential of the Jetta. The cost of replacement of the dual clutch on the DSG is marginally higher than the clutch set on the MT. The Jetta DSG is a beautiful car and with sedans dying, it’s worth getting one if you can.

Here’s what BHPian dieselhead01 had to say on the matter:

Driving both back to back, and spending time with both of these cars, I will straight up suggest the Jetta. But please look out for a 2015+ Jetta, which is the facelifted version, the MK6.5, if you’re getting one that is, and look for quite low mileage cars too. Why I would pick Jetta is:

• Much more solidly built, built like a tank.
• Way better suspension, and the interiors feel more premium, if you keep the fancy new features aside.
• Despite being the older car, the Jetta is the better performer on the road with all that grunt and torque, it’ll outrun the Virtus GT on the straights and the Jetta corners way better.
• bigger car, next segment, has more space any day, and is more practical too.
• Much more fuel efficient, and the MK6.5 design grows on you as time passes.
• Has more mod potential than the Virtus, my friends Jetta has about 205hp and 500nm torque on the crank with just a stage 2 remap on stock turbo, especially the diesel, imho forget the 1.4 TSI, and get the 2.0 diesel Jetta.

Post remapping a Jetta, you’ll forget even the 320d or any other 2.0 diesels. The car even at stock form performs brilliantly, and at the same time is frugal at most. Just hunt for a well maintained Jetta, nothing even comes close.

Keyword: Preowned vs new dilemma: Buy a new VW Virtus or go for a used Jetta