seeing as the Trendline is at $20k, AND you still get the 1.4TSI, does that negate the crappy interior somewhat in your mind?
Somewhat, yes. That's what I mean when I say that the engine is what will sell the vehicle alone, and how they sold the Trendline 2.0 without heated front seats is beyond me.
That's the thing. The Trendline+ trim here is liveable. Compared to the 2006 Honda Civic, it's downright excellent, actually. But compared to the Corolla LE Eco, or even the Kia Forte, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, it just seems like a drab place to be. Hard plastics can even be in luxury vehicles, but how they are applied matters greatly. One touch of the steering wheel in this Jetta and it was apparent that costs were cut. The seat fabric was ok, but other surfaces were just laughable. The 'black' plastics were drab and greyed out (like it was washed and thrown in the dryer a few too many times). Trust me - after feeling the turbo whoosh and the better outward visibility, I really, really wanted to like the Jetta more. I just couldn't in that trim. ...and that's a shame, because for its price point, and on paper, it has EVERYTHING I could want: heated seats, variable intermittent wipers, a great engine, auto up/down windows (all 4), etc. This compares VERY favourably to the 2010 Corolla CE I'm driving. But, and there is a but, times have changed. This cannot be the base model any longer.
And as for the transmission, I haven't driven it, but people's definition of a 'bad' transmission can differ. For example, I have no problems with the performance of ZF's 9-speed in most vehicles, a transmission which is almost universally panned by journalists.
You're correct, in some ways. The 9-speed has an inherent design that provides a momentary pause that many would not find to be cause for concern. Likewise, once underway, the Jetta's 6-speed unit is not truly a problem. However, in terms of day-to-day driving, the lack of momentum at first jab of the pedal would prove infuriating for an owner. Perhaps one would get used to it, but I'm not sure how. To be honest, it's not nearly as bad as the hesitation in the 9-speed units, but it is there. It's also not as bad as Hyundai's 7-speed DCT, but at least you get a DCT there (and the fuel economy benefits of the 9-speed unit). Here, there's not much to love. It's fine and likely won't be an issue, but I found it rather annoying.
I'm really really looking forward to the New Civic launch to see how that car manages. If they can equip it with decent materials (Civics, in my mind, have always had decent insides) AND it has the newer uprated engines, it will be a force to be reckoned with.
In the same way that the current-gen Corolla made waves in terms of refinement, this new Civic will be the one to watch out for. Having not sat in it, nor driven the new Civic, I cannot say to what degree of success it will enjoy, but I do caution the same thing as with the Jetta: the difference between lesser and higher trims will be significant. With that being said, I do not anticipate the basic 2016 Civic to be as 'cheap'-feeling as this Jetta was.
It was just a bit painful to sit in a car with such a peach of an engine, a beautiful HMI, and auto up/down windows, just to be so disappointed in the transmission, headlights, seats, dashtop, and brakes.