Mk4

[Cabell_T_Treadway@res.raytheon.com]

Khan, I can tell you have more experience with the Mk4 than I, but a lot of
the things you mentioned I had noticed...

>For example:

>1. The dampened "oh crap" handles, and the way they recess into the
>roof when you let go.

Since I sit in the driver's seat, this really isn't an issue for me,
although I admit that is a nice feature.

>4. The automatic door locks when you reach 5mph.

This I have a big problem with.  First of all, since the door opens with
just the handle even with the door locked, what's the point of locking the
doors, unless you're really worried about being carjacked?  Locking the
rear doors is nice if you have kids, but I don't, and I've never even had a
reason to look if the Mk3 had child locks in the back.  Do they?  Second,
the knobs on the doors are serrated, and the first ride I took in a Mk4,
when the door locked, the knob (which goes flush with the window ledge when
locked) pulled the skin on my arm with it, being uncomfortable and actually
drawing blood.  Then another friend of ours had the same thing happen to
him.  We all thought this was a rather nasty and poor design.

>5. The built in clips to hold the floor mats in place.

My Mk3 has this on the drivers side, and there's never been a problem with
the passenger side.

>6. The built in cup holders (that's a gimme-- anything is better than
>the afterthought cupholders in our Mk3's)

That's very true, although the cupholders in ours make good loose change
holders.

>7. The stock lights are way superior.

I've never driven a Mk4 at night, although I have also never thought the
Mk3's lights were that terrible.

>8. The stock tires are way superior.

Never drove my Mk3 with the stock tires, it had brand-spankin' new BF
Goodrich's on it when I bought it.

>9. The GLX wheels look cooler than the stock Mk3 wheels.

I like my '97 wheels, and I actually have never noticed the Mk4 GLX wheels.

>10. The aluminum loading panel in the trunk.

That's cool, but the trunk is smaller than ours, and I'd rather have the
extra room than the loading panel.

>Things I hate about the car?

>4. This is also a continuation of #2-- the door pillar between the
>front and the rear is unusually forward, which means that when I try
>to get into the car sometimes, my butt hits the door pillar because I
>expect it to be further back than it is.

I'm used to that, since I have to climb around the pillar when I get in,
since the seat is all the way back.

>5. I hate the concentration of buttons for controlling the
>conveniences-- in any seat. In the drivers seat, you can't just reach
>and hit the right button without glancing down. Too many times, I
>have lowered the rear window when I meant to do the forward window.
>Bad design. Also, you can't tell with a glance which button locks the
>doors, and which ones open the window on the passenger side. The Mk
>3. is clearly superior in this area because it has the window buttons
>on the handlebar (very convenient, and easy to get to!).

I don't like that only the controls on the driver door have the one touch
down feature.  I like everyone getting that feature in the Mk3.

>6. Rear foot room is definitely worse in the new Jetta.

I didn't realize it could be worse.  Of course, I have my seat all the way
back, so there's enough room back there for the tripod I carry around for
my camera, but that's about it.

>- -Khan

Other things that I've noticed..

I hate the rear windows that don't roll all the way down.  That's always
annoyed me.  I realize it's because the whole window goes down, unlike the
split window on the Mk3, but I'd rather have a split window that rolls
down.

For my taste, I've always felt that good German cars felt very simple,
open, uncluttered, when sitting in them, as opposed to Japanese cars which
always seem to have way too many buttons and knobs and stuff.  I like how
the Mk3 feels, and I think that the Mk4 just has extra stuff for the sake
of having extra stuff.  Probably in reality there are about the same
controls and such, but it feels more open in the Mk3.

I don't like the radio being buried down on the console, I like it being
high up and easy to get to.  True, this is also more conspicuous to
potential thieves, but it's easier to access when driving.

I do like the blue lighting on the instrument panel, but I'd rather keep my
white faced gauges.

I'm sure many Mk4 owners feel differently than I do, and that's good,
because it's good to like the car you own, and I realize that most of this
is due to the fact that I have a Mk3 and therefore I should like it better.
I'd hate to own a car that I really didn't like, and if I was unhappy with
my Mk3, I'd trade it in.  But I'm just glad that I got a good car before
they changed them to a design I don't like.  Also, when they went to the
Mk3, it took a while for the new design to catch on, and I'm sure the Mk4
will grow on me.

Cab
97GLX
72Bug