So, someone in the family is about to get one of these..... I spontaneously vomited at the notion and warned them that I'd heard nothing but bad things about the Jetta, VW, and Audi in general.

Specifically, I heard from tow truck drivers, other owners, and people on automotive forums that Jettas are notorious for electrical problems. After mentioning my concerns to the salesperson "She" was told that VW now uses the same electronics manufacturers used by Toyota and Honda... sounds like a crock to me. The salesperson acknowledged reliability issues in the 2004 and older models.

So does anyone here have experience (first or second hand) with the latest Jetta?

I think you'd have to be helladumb to buy one, but that's just my opinion.