
| Vehicle | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Volkswagen Jetta | $5,990 | $13,652 |
| 2012 Toyota Matrix | N/A | N/A |
| 2012 Mazda Mazda3 | $14,991 | $21,599 |
| 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid | N/A | N/A |
| Average | $10,491 | $17,626 |


| Vehicle | Min | Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Volkswagen Jetta | $102 | $232 | |
| 2012 Toyota Matrix | N/A | N/A | |
| 2012 Mazda Mazda3 | $255 | $367 | |
| 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid | N/A | N/A | |
| Average | $178 | $299 | |
Based On: 10% down, 5% APR, 60 months


| MPG | city | hwy |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Volkswagen Jetta | 23 | 30 |
| 2012 Toyota Matrix | 22 | 29 |
| 2012 Mazda Mazda3 | 23 | 32 |
| 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid | 44 | 44 |
| Average | 28 | 34 |

The Volkswagen Jetta is beautifully wrought inside and out.- Automobile
There ought to be a rule that Jetta GLS 1.8T drivers have an accessible winding road, or else they'll be wasting some of the Jetta's finer aspects.- New Car Test Drive
The exceptional V-6 provides very quick acceleration.- DriveChicago.com
The optional turbodiesel offers superb gas mileage (over 40 mpg).- Auto Reviews
VW's [manual] shifter has improved...but it remains vague compared to competitors.- AutoWeek
The knob for reclining the seat back is awkward to reach and difficult to operate.- New Car Test Drive
It exhibits a fair amount of body roll.- New Car Test Drive
Narrow doors make rear entry/exit a squeeze.- Consumer Guide
The Volvo V40's...four-cylinder engine is less powerful, not as refined as the [Jetta's] 1.8T or VR6 engines.- The Car Connection
Feels very heavy and grown-up when compared to other compacts like the Ford Focus.- The Car Connection
The rear seat is a no man's land.- Car and Driver
Nothing about this car is cheap except for the price.- New Car Test Drive
This totally new Volkswagen Jetta, the fifth-generation of this four-door compact sedan, is one of the most important in VW's long history of selling cars in America. Certainly it's the most significant since the turn of the century, because its success is crucial to reviving Volkswagen's flagging fortunes. The Jetta has long been the company's best-selling model in the U.S. The Jetta has, in fact, been the perennial best-selling European nameplate on this side of the Atlantic, and its continued success is central to Volkswagen's fortunes in this, its most critical market outside of Europe. Key elements of this larger Jetta are a new, developed-for-America-only high-torque five-cylinder engine, a sophisticated six-speed automatic transmission (optional), a much more spacious interior, and a high level of standard content to help sweeten entry prices that begin under $20,000.
Despite forays into the ultra-luxury market with the Phaeton and the lucrative SUV game with the Touareg, VW sales have flagged, primarily because the Jetta/Golf model platform was aging and overdue for replacement. Add in the factor of a weak dollar against the Euro, which led to severe price challenges from competitors, and it was no wonder VW dealers were clamoring for a level playing field. With the new Jetta, they're getting what they want, and the game's momentum could very well shift in Volkswagen's direction yet again.
Greeting the driver of a new Jetta is a commanding seating position, excellent outward vision paths and a logical, ergonomically sound array of controls and instruments. The build quality is superb inside and out and even the base model has an elegant, high-quality cabin. The raspy-sounding five-cylinder is pleasantly robust delivers and the Jetta carves through corners with precision. It's comfortable on long trips and responsive around town.
The Volkswagen Jetta body is completely redesigned. It's larger, dimensionally as well as visually, in every direction. Compared to the previous Jetta, it has a longer wheelbase and wider track. It has also put on a little weight, tipping the scales at a little over 3,200 pounds. However, that extra mass was put to good use, as the greatly improved structural rigidity now puts the Jetta at the top of its class, and there's a larger trunk and more interior room, particularly for rear seat passengers.
The eye is drawn at once to the chrome-framed front grille. Like it or not, get used to it, because this is the new face of Volkswagen. Chrome is also used in eyebrows atop the large engine air inlets in the front bumper and, on 2.5 and TDI models, for the side-window surrounds.
Though the most striking element is the aggressive thrust and slope of the car's snout, compared to some other recent nose-forward designs, the composite headlamps and various inlets and grilles are well integrated into the Jetta's raked rearward flow. A striking vee, created by the slant of the headlamps and sloping hood lines, is carried strongly toward the rear by the steeply raked windshield and character lines running along the flanks. The rear window is carried deeply into the well-defined C-pillar, accentuating the designers' quest for a coupe-like sweep to the rear quarters. Flares at the four wheels blend into well-defined side skirts and, at the rear, into a lower valance panel accentuated by twin chrome-tipped tailpipes.
The car's tail is a significant departure from previous Jetta styling. The whole structure appears longer, but the larger taillight clusters, now divided between the trunk and rear fender, help widen the proportion of the car's hindquarters in relation to its height, giving the car a more substantial, less boxy-looking stern. Also helping to integrate the increased bulk of the trunk into the fenders is the coupe-like sweep of the C-pillar and the extensive rear window, which slants deeply into the trunkline.
The round rear driving and brake lights will likely be singled out as the new styling's most derivative statement, giving the car a blander, more Asian look to it than previous Jettas. The car's overall look is more pleasant than exciting.
How well this new design is accepted by the beholder is, however, an entirely different matter from the execution. And the execution is where Volkswagen excels. The body panels fit tightly and the paint finish is exquisite. If there's little excitement in the Jetta's styling, there's certainly a perceptible aura of rational engineering everywhere you look.
Volkwagen interiors are closely studied by the competition for good reason. VW's designers accomplish more with less, combining expensive-looking materials with simple but attractive styling and excellent ergonomics for very inviting cockpits.
Our test car, a 2.5L with six-speed automatic, was as full of stuff as could be stuffed in a new Jetta. The leather upholstery is well fitted and stitched around contours that provide a high degree of support. The Tamo ash wood trim is indeed trim and not the great expanses of lumber in a lame attempt to class up the interior. To the contrary, it's tastefully applied to complement the interior's sweeps and angles. Helping to relieve the eye of any monochromatic monotony are such touches as metallic trim around the shift lever, metallic instrument cluster rings; chrome door handles, glovebox lock cylinder and trunk release switch, and the button for the parking brake lever.
Between the eight-way power seat, power lumbar adjustment, adjustable steering column and height-adjustable safety belt, all but the rarest of human body types will find a comfortable driving position. The fully electric front driver's seat is positioned with the controls on the side of the seat cushion or it can adjusted automatically, via a three-level memory switch (which also adjusts the outside mirrors) or by the key fob, which can be specifically programmed for each driver (this adjusts only the seat).
A short styling aside here: Exposed windshield wipers were a pet peeve of former VW chairman Ferdinand Piech, and so he ordered that all future VWs would have hidden wipers. To aid in this design, a cowling now sits along the base of the windshield and cuts off some of the view over the nose of the car. It's not a safety issue, but former VW owners will notice the difference right away. To Piech's credit, the hidden wipers do indeed lend a more upscale look.
Each of the five possible passengers is held in place by a three-point safety belt, and each position has an adjustable headrest and emergency locking retractors for the belts. The front seat belts also have pre-tensioners with load limiters for a more effective reaction to need, and the front headrests are active, automatically moving up and forward if the occupant's torso is pressed back in the seat, as happens in many kinds of collisions. To help reduce leg injuries, the pedals get away from the driver in the event of a front-end collision. And there are six airbags throughout the cabin ready to deploy if needed, including side curtains to help protect the outboard passengers.
The thick-rimmed, padded three-spoke steering wheel frames a gauge cluster dominated by the two large dials of the tachometer and speedometer, well shaded from ambient light by a curved cowl. In daylight the graphics read white on black, at night changing to white on VW's signature, soothing swimming-pool blue with lighted red pointers. In either case, the data are easy to comprehend at a glance. Within both the tach and speedo are a number of warning lights and advisories about secondary functions, including one thoughtful warning that the fuel filler door was left opened after gassing up.
Part of option Package 2 are steering wheel-imbedded buttons that can operate a phone, mute the radio, or toggle between the various modes of the sound system. The large center pad holds the air bag and sounds the horn when pressed.
To the left of the wheel is the headlamp switch, which has three positions: When turned off, the daytime running lights are activated. Click the dial once to the right, and automatic headlight control is activated, which measures ambient light and turns on the headlights when needed, such as in a long tunnel or as night approaches. A third click and the headlights are turned on. When they become available, front foglamps will also be worked with this switch.
A large electronic message pad sits dead center, just over
Climb in the new Jetta 2.5L, turn the key and the driver is greeted by the raspy growl of the new five-cylinder engine. It's definitely an in-your-ear sound that will find favor with those who appreciate mechanical sturm und drang, but it might be a little annoying to drivers who'd rather talk on the phone.
As soon as the Jetta pulls away from the curb, there's a noticeable feel of solidness and a clear sense of high build quality. As there should be. A large part of the investment in the Jetta went toward increasing the car's structural integrity. The stronger structure forms not only a more solid grounding for suspension and drivetrain components, it helps reduce unwanted noise from being transmitted into the cabin.
The other element that was considered most critical in the design of this performance-oriented car was the suspension. This is, without question, the best handling front-wheel-drive car Volkswagen has ever produced yet, somewhat paradoxically, it all starts with the new multi-link setup in the tail of the car.
The physics are complicated, but, simply stated, if the rear end of the car won't properly follow the front, then handling limits are low and driver effort is high. Replacing the old solid-beam axle with the new four-link rear suspension (with telescopic gas-filled shock absorbers, coil springs and stabilizer bar) means reduced body roll, better contact between the wheels and the pavement, and improved ride quality. Angling the shock absorbers and combining them with oval helper springs also contribute to a wider trunk opening for easier loading.
Changes to the front suspension also made dramatic differences to the car's feel. The MacPherson strut arrangement (with coil springs, telescopic shocks and a newly designed, integrated stabilizer bar to reduce weight) has improved geometry to increase front wheel location and reduce torque steer to unnoticeable levels, even when the throttle is maxed out in a corner. This is an amazingly balanced car, with little or no sense that the front end is doing the work of both pulling and steering the car.
Credit the new Servotronic power steering for the sharp response through the steering wheel. It not only adjusts to speed, providing more assist at low speeds and higher effort on the open road, but, through electronic control of the steering column, it automatically corrects the car's direction when such external forces as crosswinds threaten to move it off track. It's a bit disconcerting at first for the car to do something a driver expects he'll have to do but after a short time becomes very welcome in its ability to reduce driver effort.
Getting the car underway is generally effortless, even in slippery conditions due to the application of various standard traction aids. Every Jetta comes with EDL, an electronic differential lock that varies power to either front wheel depending on which one has more traction. It works by applying the brakes very slightly on the wheel that has lost traction, while at the same time it sends more torque to the other wheel. Also standard across the line is ASR, anti-slip regulation, which reduces engine power to the front wheels if slip is detected.
Both EDL and ASR are part of the electronic stability program, or ESP, which is standard on the 2.5L and TDI models and optional on Value Editions. ESP incorporates ABS to brake any of the car's four wheels individually and reduce the risk of skidding. Studies in Europe have shown how effective electronic stability systems are in helping avoid accidents and should be considered a standard item on any serious driver's order list.
The only commotion during take-off, then, is the raspy growl of the new five-cylinder engine, which has been tuned for instant gratification. Throttle tip-in is aggressive, especially when the Sport mode is chosen from the automatic transmission's shift pattern. Upshifts and downshifts then occu
The all-new Volkswagen Jetta is a delectable dish of European-bred automotive technology, superior materials and tangibly good build quality. Choosing to address the American driver's thirst for torque was one of the more pleasing ways that Volkswagen fashioned this car for the stop-and-go derby of urban driving, but it's still how well the Jetta conquers the open road that makes the Volkswagen driving experience especially distinctive and enjoyable.
New Car Test Drive correspondent Greg Brown filed this report from Southern California.
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