2011 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE Road Test and Review

Don't you hate fake cars? The Volkswagen Routan is a Dodge Caravan that has different sheet metal and an inflated price tag. The New 2011 Jetta is no different. It is a fake Volkswagen. Ok, so it's not really another manufacture's car with a VW badge on it. It's all Volkswagen, but at the same time it's not a Volkswagen. Let me explain. Volkswagens are well built well(not to be confused with being reliable), they handle good, have great interiors, and VWs are supposed to ooze German. The 2011 Jetta is none of these things. I had the unfortunate opportunity to drive this car for four days. Since I literally made a list of things that are wrong with this car let me start off with the good. The new Jetta was specifically made for the American market.  It's cheap (~$16,000 base) , it looks good, and the five cylinder makes a nice growl.
For those who are looking for a cheap car that's "German" to get from point A to point B, look no further, this is the car for you.
Now on to the bad.
I sat down one day, surrounded in the hard plastic interior, and literately made a list of what's wrong with this car.
In no particular order...
> When the wipers are on I can hear a tick coming from the cheap plastic dash board. Maybe it's a relay ticking?
>When I had the heater going, I could hear the blower motor squeaking.
>The suspension in this car is cheap and far from being labeled "european taught." I took a gander underneath the chassis, no aluminum whatsoever and the rear suspension is a cheap twist beam setup (not independent suspension). Put it this way my Tiguan CUV can out handle this car.
> It has a 5 cylinder engine- even though it had enough "pep", I wish it had a little more pep.
>The interior did have tight gaps and seemed to be screwed together good, it was still rattled and cabin noise was more predominant than other VW's I have tested.
> The radio shuts itself off every time I turn the key to the "off" position. That got annoying real fast when I shut the engine off and I wanted to sit in the car and listen to the radio.
>I can't turn the traction control off (to let the tires spin in the deep snow).
>The center armrest does not adjust or slide like other 'dubs.
Also, the padding on all the armrest is too thin.
>When you shut the door, it makes a rattling sound. When you shut a door on a German car, it should make a solid "thud". Like when bird hits the ground when you pick one off from 100 yards away.
>The gas gauge is electronic, which is not accurate. There is not enough tick marks.
>There is no engine temp readout, which seem to be a trend on many new cars these days.
>The seats are vinyl, which does look nice but they are not heated.
On a side, I did find the seats to be very comfortable.
>The "steering feel" is horrible! It's way too over boosted and numb. I tested jeeps that had more steering feel.
> The interior is cheap plastic. It's more like an American or Japanese car. When I sit in a german car, I want to feel like I'm settling down into buttered cream. I wan't to be wrapped in soft and good quality materials. This car made go "ewwww" every time I sat in it.

The reason why Volkswagen made this car the way they did, was to attract people who buy Japanese and other budget cars. Ok, I understand. I hope VW doesn't try and make these changes to all of their lineup of cars. Which I highly doubt they will.


Like I said earlier, this is not a Volkswagen. If your a car enthusiast, steer clear of this car.
On the other hand, if you just want a car to get around in, this one is as good as any other.
I  know it looks like I don't like anything about this car and I'm being very critical towards it. And you're right, I am. This is a german car (or rather a car from a german company), and german cars are supposed to tick certain boxes, this car ticks none of them.

There is hope! In the near future Volkswagen will release the GLI version of this car. The GLI will have a turbo charged four cylinder engine, a much better (sport) suspension, and should have a much better interior. My tip, wait until the GLI makes it's debut. My guess is it will start in the $24,000 range, it will be worth it. The GLI will check pretty much all of the german car "boxes."

NOTE: Page still under construction.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask.

Soon to be reviewed: 2011 BMW 328i and VW jetta

In the near future I will have a review and road test of the 2011 jetta and 328i X.

2009 Jeep Commander Long-Term Update

For the last couple days I have been fighting off a could. My head feels stuffy, my mind seems to be running on diesel, I feel all cold and achy, and I just want to get rid of the cold. That's kind of how I feel about the jeep Jeep Commander. It's not any fun to drive day-in and day-out. Unless if you off-road on the weekends there is really no need to have a Commander. Sure it's big and safe feeling, and it seats seven. The truth is, it only seats seven if your passengers who sit in the back row are amputees. Also, when the back rows are flipped up, the driver can no longer see out of the back window. Driving this tank on the road is tiring. Your constantly fighting to keep it on the road. The suspension is way too soft and springy. I just came to a stop in the garage got out and started typing this blog, and the jeep is still swaying on it's suspension. The four wheel drive system in this Commander is a peach. Snow can't stop it. When it rains, the jeep drives like it's dry out. Another positive about this jeep is the monster that lives under the hood, the 5.7L Hemi V8. Fuel mileage is not the greatest, but the optional V6 is not much better. I got about 13-14mpg in the city and 16-17mpg on the highway. That's still not too bad for this 5,000 pound 4x4 SUV I suppose.  There was really only one mechanical problem with this jeep. One day the key decided to lose it's anti-theft coding while I was pumping gas. The jeep did not start, because it didn't think there was a key in the ignition. So the jeep had to be flat-bedded to the dealership. Other than that little incident, the jeep has been fault free. 

Just as I'm tired of having a cold, I'm tired of driving this jeep. The interior is cheap, it's hard to see out of, and it handles like a 1920's John Deer tractor. I won't miss it a whole lot when it goes back to Chrysler. 

2011 BMW 328i X-Drive Quick Review

There has been some complaints about the new 3-series interior. You won't be hearing any from me though. Before we get into that, lets start with the outside. The 3-series has recently been refreshed with new headlights and such. Whatever BMW did, this car is gorgeous. The front end looks mean, and the lines that run along the car are perfect. If you get it in black, the 3-series will look classy and sinister at the same time. Let's move into the interior, it's a nice place to be. The materials seem of good quality for the most part and it's all screwed together nicely. The seats are a little firm, but from past experiences they will be very comfortable on those long drives. People have been saying that the layout of the dashboard and controls are no good on this be-emm. I say they are just fine. No, the controls are not great, but there not bad either. I have no complaints about the interior, so Bah! Humgug! to the naysayers.

I do wish rear folding seats came standard though. The trunk is plenty big for a smaller car like the Beemer, but it would be nice to have folding seats to give you some flexibility.

Let talk about the ride. Yes the Be-Emm comes with run-flat tires. Yes those tires are stiff and results in a little more jiggle in the cabin. They are no deal breaker though. The BMW still ride VERY nicely. It's smooth over bumps, yet stiff in the corners. If your a car enthusiast you'll probably by two new sets of tires for this car. Summer tires and winter tires. That way you'll get the most out of the car. If you just want to drive, the run flats will be fine.

Stay tuned for a more in-depth review if the 328i. This B-em will also be added to the long-term test fleet.

New Blog

I just started up a new blog, The Crumpler Review. I am attempting to keep this blog Camera and Car oriented, and I realized that I have way too many Crumpler bags to leave unreviewed. Messenger bags don't really fit under the Car or Camera category. I figured it's best to create an entire blog dedicated to Crumpler products. I put a couple old reviews from this blog up on The Crumpler Review. I have a couple bag reviews already in the works.

If ya like Crumpler bags, or don't even know what they are, check out my new blog.

Volkswagen Beetle News: 2012 VW New Beetle Renderings – Car and Driver

The folks over at Car and Driver fired up their photoshop once more. I was hopping for a more drastic change to the upcoming beetle's look. This seems more like a facelift of the old-new beetle, even though it not true. The beetle will have all new underpinnings, which is long overdo. I do like the looks, it more macho.

Link....

Volkswagen Beetle News: 2012 VW New Beetle Renderings – Car and Driver

2011 Dodge Durango Sneak Peek

Dodge has recently released a few teaser shots of the upcoming Durango crossover on their website...

2011 Dodge Durango

From the photos it seems like Chrysler is continuing it's trend of upscaling the quality of their vehicles. The '11 Durango looks a little bit minivan-ish, but it still looks very good. We won't be able to see what it really looks like until Chrysler releases more photos.

Sigma 50-500mm now with optical stabilization

Sigma has finally released an OS version of the famous 50-500mm telephoto zoom lens. I have the non-OS version of this lens and I can tell you this lens needs it. I can get get sharp photos no problem, it's just when the light starts to fade or if there is a lot of panning, things can get a little shaky. This is a heaver lens, so for some people the lens might cause their arm to be fatigued.

The only problem I had with my lens is my HSM motor squeaks if it focuses fast. It gets really bad in the cold. It hasn't hurt the performance of the lens yet. It's been squeaking for a couple years now. Other than OS the new 50-500mm is basically the same lens as mine. So I can speek for the lens, it will be a great lens.

Cars and Cameras now on Twitter

Yes, I finally caved. I set up a Twitter account. This will be the more informal side of C&C. So for more up to date postings check out C&C on twitter. You may might be thinking that Cars and Cameras on blogger might be dead. This is far from the truth, after April I am done with college. So there will be much more postings. In the meantime, check out twitter to get your C&C fix.

Cars & Cameras now on twitter

The Little Rebellious Camera.

I started to think the other day, and my brain still hurts. Zing! What I was thinking about was my little "cheap" SLR, the Canon Rebel XT. I realized just how wonderful it really is. Because the camera is cheap, I carry it everywhere I go. I don't worry too much about it being lost, stolen, or damaged. As I said in previous posts, the best camera is the one that you have with you. Also, the camera is very compact, so it is very portable. If I have a smaller lens on it and no accessories it can be, errr, ummmm. It doesn't look professional, so people at concerts don't take it away. We'll leave it at that.

The XT is a tuff ol' bird too. It may feel like a Tonka toy, but it is holding up pretty darn good. Believe me, it has seen its fair share of hard knocks too. The shutter is still going strong and all the buttons still work.

The image quality of the XT is top notch. Even though this camera is a few years old now, it still holds its own when compared to the shiny new cameras. The new cameras have at least 12 megapixels nowadays, but this little guy has 8mp. Actually, 8mp is overkill most of the time. Heck, 8mp is even good for printing posters. I don't Megapixel envy at all.

In the end, my Canon Rebel XT is a very good little camera, that I use more than my professional gear.

CB radio, Alive or Dead?

What comes to mind when you think of CB (Citizens Band) radio? The 70s, or maybe movies such as "Smokey and the Bandit"? Most people proabably think CB's are ancient technology that cell phones have replaced. Well, there are a lot less people who use CBs today then in their hayday. Nevertheless, there still is a LOT of CBers out there. Now what's the point of a CB in a car if everybody has a cell phone? Unlike cell phones, the general public can hear everybodies conversations. So, a CB equiped car can get real-time road condition updates. Some CBs even have a weather band feature, which is pretty handy. Because CBs don't require a "network" like cell phones they will always work when your in the middle of nowhere. There tends to be a bit of trash talk on the CB nowadays, but CBs are still a lot fun. A lot of the CBers are fun to listen too. Some will even mention where the "smokeys" are hiding. If your lost and your trusty GPS is on the fritz, ask for help over the CB. Other CBers will love to help you out.

If you do a lot driving, there should be a CB installed in your car. They can be a very helpful tool.

Ok, I talked you into buying a CB. "Which one should I get and how much will it cost me?", you may ask. Well, the good news is that buying a "setup" doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. There are many routes you can go. You can buy used or new. Personally, I'd buy all new, but that's just me. You can buy a cheap Radioshack CB radio for $40 and a cheap $30 magnetic mount antenna. The setup will work just fine too. The reason why other radios cost a lot more is they have more features. All radios are limited to 4 watts by law, so the expensive radios will not give you anymore range then a cheap radio. There are some people who buy illegal linear amplifiers to up their wattage. Sometimes, these people can be heard from hundreds of miles away. With a legal 4 watt setup, the range is probably not too much more than 10 miles on a good day.

Next, you'll need an antenna. Again if you want to do a cheap setup, just go to Radioshack and buy a cheap magnet mount antenna. There are all sorts of antenna out there. Metal "whips", fiberglass antennas, cell phone look-a-likes, etc... There are many ways to mount antennas too. The easiest way to do it, without drilling holes, is a magnet mount. Just run the wire out the door and your in business. The most important thing to do is calibrate your radio and antennas SWR. Failure to do so can result in a damaged radio. Also, if your SWR is off, you might not be transmitting at full capacity. You can buy an SWR meter, or try and borrow one from a CB shop or friend.

I recently bought a new CB system for my car. I bought a Midland handheld CB radio (Pictured above). Midland LINK

This is a great little radio. It has many features and it's really compact when it's in its "car mode." Meaning, its the size a microphone when the battery compartments are off if it.

I bought a fiberglass antenna to go with it. The antenna is a Firestik II adjustable tip antenna. Normally the longer the antenna the better, but for looks I got a two foot antenna. For only being two foot long, the antenna does a pretty darn good job. I mounted it with Firestik's magnet mount, also attached a medium duty spring with quick disconnect.

Firestik LINK

This setup does a very good job for me. For you beginner CBers out there, have fun!

Mercedes-Benz & Fashion Week

I ran across a pretty cool video on you tube the other day. It features the SLS AMG and some of the lighting setup can be seen. This is a pretty cool video because it features both CARS and CAMERAS.

Check it out...