there are good reasons to buy the seventh-generation Volkswagen Jetta, but
they are not the reasons you'd expect. As the product of a German carmaker you
might expect crisp handling from an Autobahn tuned suspension, but hit a bump
in the Jetta and the suspension floats, like me, squishily absorbing the impact.
Yeah, I know, squishily isn't it word. With sharp steering inputs body roll is
pronounced. If you want taut European driving fun, look outside of Europe.
Softer damping and a simplistic torsion beam rear suspension might dull the
Jetta's thrill quotient, but it doesn't hamper comfort.
For cruising or simply
commuting the Jetta is an excellent choice. In many ways it's more Corolla
than the Corolla, sorry Corolla. Adding to the pile of pragmatic delights
are a highly adjustable driving position, welcoming seats with oddly good lateral
support for rear passengers, superior outward visibility supported by rear
corner windows, and a large center storage area cleverly constructed of
light-colored plastic so you can easily find the stuff inside. As for passenger
space palatial might be over selling it but not by much.
Seated behind my preferred driving position head, knee and foot clearance
are outstanding for a compact car.
While we're on the subject of knee clearance,
this bit of the steering column hits my knees, well vice versa,
when I get in or when I'm just adjusting my legs, and no I'm not going to drive
like this like some kind of idiot. Look I'm driving a bus. In addition to
unexpected knee bruises the Jetta's quirks include rear windows that only open this
much, weirdly low center vents, and absence of
vents for rear-seat passengers, and at least in our test car an ultra finicky
sunglass holder. Hopping back on the complement train the Jetta excels as a
cargo hauler with a large 14.1-Cubic foot trunk and standard 60/40 split
folding seats, just mind the gooseneck hinges so nothing gets crushed.
To some
eyes the Jetta might seem plain outside and in. Whatever your take the interior
is functionally arranged featuring simple controls, soft touch points,
abundant door storage, a useful USB. Adjacent bin for your phone, and an
infotainment screen smartly angled towards the driver. Interacting with the
screen while you're driving can be super distracting, but it's much less
distracting when that screen is easy to reach and to see.
Poke. The logically
arranged interface is displayed on a standard 6.5-Inch or on higher trims
eight-inch touchscreen and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across
the board. Yes, even on the bass S trim which starts
well below $20,000 with destination charges and includes all the
essentials like alloy wheels, AC, cruise control and even full LED lights.
Budget an extra $800 if you want to swamp the bass car's 6-speed manual for
the 8-speed automatic transmission that's standard on all other trims.
Speaking of the eight-speed, it shifts quickly and smoothly and helps maximize
the modest output of the Jetta's 1.4-Liter turbocharged four-cylinder. With
the 1.4-Liter acceleration is adequate once you get off the line.
Where the
small displacement really pays off is fuel economy. Who wants 40 mpg on the freeway? And
that's running regular unleaded instead of premium like some turbocharged engines.
In town fuel economy is strong, too, aided by an automatic start/stop system that
cuts the engine when the vehicle is motionless. When automatic engine
start/stop systems first appeared they kind of sucked. The restarts were really
jarring but in the Jetta restarts are quick and uneventful.
You may have
reached the point where reaching down and pushing the off button is more
annoying than just letting the system do its job. Good job, good job, you're so much
better than all those terrible systems used to be. If we're being honest
Volkswagen's reliability has varied over the years. If let's say you were to have
bought a super unreliable 2005 Volkswagen Touareg you might appreciate
the Jettas sixty or seventy-two thousand mile transferable warranty, bumper to
bumper yo.
If you're ready to join Team Jetta
what should you get? For our money the SE. Is the play. For about $23,000 it adds heated front seats, dual zone
automatic climate control, keyless access with push button star,t and helpful
safety upgrades like blind spot monitoring and forward collision warning
with automatic braking. Climb to the SEL.
And SEL Premium trims if you want
adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, Beats premium audio, leather seats with
ventilation that can be activated in concert with the seat heaters, and this
cool reconfigurable 10.25-Inch digital gauge cluster swiped from
VW's luxury division Audi. Thank you Audi. Lastly there's the Jetta R line
to consider offering sporty-er looks and electronic differential control for
improved power delivery and corners. Though if it's performance you want
maybe save your pennies for a V-dub that starts with the G and ends with an I.
Butt before any of that let's roll out the competitors, which include the
ubiquitous Honda Civic, the fun-loving Mazda 3, the all-wheel drive Subaru
Impreza and countless others.
The seventh-generation Volkswagen Jetta may not be a Teutonic bliss factory but
it is a comfortable, spacious, value-packed, inoffensive sedan with a
long warranty.
For many compact car buyers it's a winning combination..
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