Purists decried the arrival of the “grown up” A3 chassis Golf and Vento, sold as the Jetta in North America. It was expensive, it was heavy (relative to the A1 and A2 chassis, anyway) and the performance was dulled – that was, until the introduction of the GLX model that replaced the earlier GLi models. Now sporting the VR6 that had debuted in the Corrado a few years earlier, the GLX was all around a screamer. It might have been heavier than the GLi had been, but it was quicker to 60, quieter on the highway, more comfortable and better in crashes (if things went south), and returned close to the same fuel economy as the thirsty, buzzy and boxy 16V had. The Jetta in many ways helped to save Volkswagen, too – being one of the highest sellers since the Beetle, it was insanely popular and seemed to be the defacto college car of choice for both men and women. Because of that, many of these Jettas fell into disrepair or were totaled, so it’s rare to find a lower mile and clean GLX these days:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1997 Volkswagen Jetta GlX VR6 on eBay
Year: 1997
Model: Jetta GLX
Engine: 2.8 liter VR6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 77,000 mi
Price: $6,250 Buy It Now
Car originally a 1 owner vehicle purchased out of Boise, ID then shipped to Long Island, NY in July 2013. I am the second owner. Car has only been filled with Premium Petrol and oil changes done every 5,000 miles with Synthetic Oil. Detailed Quarterly and only Hand Washed. Always GaragedHighway MilesAll maintenance records will come with the car since my ownership with all services performed by International Automotive Repairs in Huntington, NY. Car is factory stock except for the additional: 17″ Akita Ak4 fitted to Cooper Zeon R59-A 205/40R17 TiresSony X-Plod Head Unit, Ipod/Iphone Connections30% Tint LeatherHeated Seats 5 Speed Manual77k Original MilesNo Accidents, No Paint Work, Absolutely No RustClean Car Fax -The Jetta has never broken down or left me stranded. She always fires up without hesitation and is confident enough to drive cross country and back without issue. If there are any questions feel free to message or call (212) 335-0850.$6,250
Green was a signature color on these GLXs and while it’s not exciting, it does look nice and well kept. The interior also looks great and in rare to see good condition. The stereo upgrade is probably a reasonable choice, especially with iPod integration, but those wheels are a bit horrible and I’d source some OEM BBS mesh or Pininfarina wheels to complete the look. Out of the box, these cars sat pretty high and only rode on 15″ wheels, so the “off road” look is actually correct though a bit silly. Still, unslammed it’s probably a lot more comfortable than most and allows the future owner to chose their method of spine compression. In my mind, the price is spot on for a clean, unmodded VR6 as long as you like the color.
-Carter
Heh… I wonder where the owner found premium “petrol” in New York…? “Pretentious, moi?”
Clean car tho’.
A potential buyer will want to check the service history and make sure the timing chains and guides were replaced. If not, walk away. If it doesn’t already need them, it will soon. In this case paying a premium for a clean, stock, low mileage car isn’t favorable if it will need $3000 in maintenance right off the bat.
markiteight, I both agree and respectfully disagree. Sure, if you’re going to pay a premium for a VR6 you’d want it mechanically sound; however, even if there needed to be mechanical freshening done having a clean and lower mile chassis that you need to work on the motor is cheaper than having a sorted motor with a high-mileage chassis that you need to fix rust, electrics and repaint. A proper repaint alone could easily run $4,000-$5,000, and on top of that considering what it would cost to refresh to good condition items like the interior plastics, seats, find original suspension, etc. I’d chose the clean car that needed a new heart over the clean heart that needed a new body. Of course, that argument is predicated on you wanting an original Jetta VR6; if that isn’t your goal, then you’re right – you could probably find one with needs cheaper. But there is always a price to pay somewhere! It has become so rare to see this generation Jetta in good shape that if that were your goal, I don’t think some maintenance on the motor would or should stand in your way.