I went to my local dealer this morning to get some work done on the car and all of a sudden everyone in the showroom stopped in their tracks and looked outside. I looked and a VW rep pulled up in a white 2011 Jetta SEL complete with CA Manufacturer plate. It looked nicer in person than the pictures I've seen on the Internet suggested. The side profile was nice, and the rear was attractive too. I liked the taillights, BUT I am sure some Audi owners won't appreciate that Audi's cheaper (bigger) partner uses taillights that resemble the design of the A4/A5 lights. Audi's unique taillights aren't so unique anymore. Anyhow, not a bad looking car overall and I am sure the GLI will deliver.

Some cost cutting measures were definitely noticeable; the dash is now made of hard plastic and sounds hollow. The big beefy VW door hinges are gone. The SEL model had an ignition button, which looked like a last minute placement and just a plastic cover (very apparent) over the ignition key area on the steering column. The headliner seems to be thinner and the fabric feels like it's directly glued to the headliner board, which might actually be a good thing though. Less foam up there means less foam to deteriorate and the headliner might not sag after just a few years. I know that used to be an issue with a lot of Jettas. Hell, even my GTI had a saggy headliner which was taken care of under warranty.

This car is not made for the enthusiast but for the mass market. It's for the type of people that want an appliance to get from point A to point B, that's why the base model's price was lowered to be more in line with Honda Civics. It's a good...even great looking car for that particular target market (not me). I am sure this car will do well for VW; hopefully well enough to keep bringing over exciting European products and not well enough to Americanize their entire lineup.