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2017 Volkswagen Jetta

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OEM Interior Primary
OEM Exterior Standard
OEM Exterior
Interior Profile
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Expert Rating
Unavailable

Our expert ratings are based on seven comprehensive criteria: quality, safety, comfort, performance, fuel economy, reliability history and value.

You can interpret our ratings in the following way:

: Outstanding vehicle. Only the most exceptional vehicles achieve this rating.

: Very Good vehicle. Very good and close to being the best vehicle in its class.

: Good vehicle. Decent, but not quite the best. Often affordable, but lacking key features found in vehicles of the same class.

: Below average vehicle. Not recommended, and lacking attributes a car buyer would come to expect for the price.

: Poor vehicle. Simply does not deserve to be on the road.

Select a Trim
Select a Trim
2017 1.4T S 4dr Sedan
most popular
Price:   -  From $17,895
2017 1.4T SE 4dr Sedan Price:   -  From $20,895
2017 1.8T Sport 4dr Sedan Price:   -  From $22,175
2017 1.8T SEL 4dr Sedan Price:   -  From $24,995
2017 1.8T SEL Premium 4dr Sedan Price:   -  From $26,995
2017 GLI 4dr Sedan Price:   -  From $27,895

Overview

Despite its roomy interior and grown-up looks, the Jetta remains the most affordable route to putting a new VW in your garage. It's a well-rounded, highly efficient compact aimed at buyers who demand a lot of car for their money.

What's New for 2017

The lineup has been condensed into four main trim levels, each with substantially more standard equipment than last year.

Volkswagen Jetta

Choosing Your Volkswagen Jetta

The current Jetta is known for its generous interior dimensions. Passenger and trunk space come close to midsize levels, and so does the base engine. The 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder puts out 150 horsepower and delivers up to 33 mpg in combined city and highway driving. As before, you can upgrade to a 1.8-liter turbo with 170 horsepower. Both engines come standard with a five-speed manual transmission, and a six-speed automatic is optional.

At the top of the engine roster is a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that achieves 210 horsepower. The 2-liter can be paired with a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automated manual.

Trim levels correspond to engine size:

Volkswagen Jetta

1.4T S

Comes with the 1.4-liter engine and a hefty load of standard features, including a rearview camera, heated front seats and washer nozzles, Bluetooth phone and audio, LED running lights, and two-tone cloth seats. The S rolls on 16-inch steel wheels. Alloys are optional.

Volkswagen Jetta

1.4T SE

Adds leatherette upholstery, leather trim for the steering wheels and shifter, a sunroof, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and standard alloy wheels.

Volkswagen Jetta

1.8T SEL

Gets the 1.8-liter engine, plus a power driver seat, automatic wipers and headlamps, automatic climate control, adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking.

Volkswagen Jetta

1.8T SEL Premium

Builds on the regular SEL with adaptive bi-xenon headlamps, a cooled glove box, an eight-speaker Fender audio system, and 17-inch wheels.

Volkswagen Jetta

2.0T GLI SE

Receives the 2-liter engine along with upgraded braking and suspension systems. All of the other SE equipment is standard, along with navigation, parking sensors, the Fender sound system, and 18-inch wheels.

CarsDirect Tip

We're pleasantly surprised by how much extra standard equipment VW bestowed on the Jetta this year. Every model offers impressive content for the price. The SE stands out as an especially good value, all things considered.

Get your price on a Volkswagen Jetta »

Read our review on the Volkswagen Jetta »

Volkswagen Jetta
author image
Automotive Editor
Read Less

Expert Review

Expert Rating
Unavailable

Our expert ratings are based on seven comprehensive criteria: quality, safety, comfort, performance, fuel economy, reliability history and value.

You can interpret our ratings in the following way:

: Outstanding vehicle. Only the most exceptional vehicles achieve this rating.

: Very Good vehicle. Very good and close to being the best vehicle in its class.

: Good vehicle. Decent, but not quite the best. Often affordable, but lacking key features found in vehicles of the same class.

: Below average vehicle. Not recommended, and lacking attributes a car buyer would come to expect for the price.

: Poor vehicle. Simply does not deserve to be on the road.

author image
Automotive Editor

At seven years old, the 2017 Volkswagen Jetta is getting up there in age. That said, for the dwindling sedan market, it remains popular with customers despite VW's widely publicized issues.

Pricing and Equipment

As Volkswagen’s entry-level sedan, the Jetta starts at just $18,715 for the 1.4T S trim level with a five-speed manual transmission (the six-speed automatic is a $1,100 option). However, because of the extra features it offers and proximity in price to the base trim, buyers will likely gravitate toward the $22,815 1.4T SE trim. This version comes standard with:

  • Sixteen-inch alloy wheels
  • Keyless entry and ignition
  • Faux leather upholstery
  • Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob
  • Four-speaker stereo with a 6.3-inch touchscreen
  • 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 150 horsepower

For those looking for more upscale features, there is the $25,815 SEL or the $27,815 SEL Premium trims – the latter trim is only available as a special order and isn't listed on VW's US consumer website. For a little extra performance, there is also the GLI trim, which starts from $29,815.

In addition to its base engine, he 2017 Jetta has two optional turbocharged units available, including a 170-hp 1.8-liter in the SEL trims and a 210-hp 2.0-liter in the GLI trim.

Performance Pros

Volkswagen Jetta

The 2017 VW Jetta has a trio of engines available, and each one serves different groups of buyers. This helps give the small sedan a wide range of potential suitors.

  • Handling is good, even in the lower trims – the GLI is even better.
  • The GLI’s additional performance is exciting to play with.
  • Comfort levels are high on all types of roads.
  • Fuel economy is great at up to 28 miles per gallon city, 40 highway, and 33 combined with the 1.4-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission.

Performance Cons

  • Hard throttle really puts the 1.4-liter to work, and its noise is a little excessive.
  • No diesel or hybrid option this year, putting it behind some competitors.

Interior Pros

  • There’s plenty of rear seat legroom and headroom, even for adults.
  • The trunk is roomy at 15.7 cubic feet.
  • Higher trims play the part of a more premium car admirably, thanks to their upscale features.
  • As an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus, this is one of the safest sedans around.

Interior Cons

  • The design of the interior is seven years old, and it’s starting to show.
  • There's a lot of cheap materials.
  • Its competitors have more comfortable front seats.

The Most Pleasant Surprise

The Jetta’s roominess is truly surprising. Despite its official compact classification by the EPA, the Jetta has plenty of room for four adults and their luggage. In a pinch, even five people can load up in this sedan for shorter hauls.

The Least Pleasant Surprise

The Jetta’s styling is somewhat of an acquired taste. This conservative design debuted in 2011 and hasn’t seen many changes since then. This leads to a boxier body and very few eye-catching cues in the cabin.

The Bottom Line

Sure, the Jetta’s looks are a bit long in the tooth, but they are vanilla enough to be almost timeless. Plus, it has so much going for it, including peppy turbocharged engines, amazing crash-test scores, impressive fuel economy, and plenty of room. So, for those willing to look past appearances and get right to the technical details, the Jetta is a good option.

Read Less

Specs & Features

Highlights
Overall Crash Safety Rating
Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque
1.4L I-4 / 150 HP / 184 ft.lbs.
Transmission
Standard: 5-spd man w/OD
Available: 6-spd Tiptronic w/OD
Drive Type
Front-wheel
Fuel Economy - City/Highway/Combined
28 / 40 / 33 Mpg
Passenger Capacity
5
Bumper to Bumper Warranty
36 Months / 36,000 Miles
Mechanical Specs
Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque
1.4L I-4 / 150 HP / 184 ft.lbs.
Drive Type
Front-wheel
Fuel Economy - City/Hwy/Combined
28 / 40 / 33 Mpg
Brakes
4-wheel Disc
Front Suspension
Strut
Rear Suspension
Independent Multi-link
Spare Tire And Wheel
Full-size Steel
Fuel Tank
14.5 Gal.
Recommended Fuel Type
Regular Unleaded
Average Cost To Fill Tank
$55
Dimensions & Capabilities
Maximum Cargo Volume
15.7 Cu.ft.
Passenger Volume
94 Cu.ft.
Exterior Length
183.3 "
Exterior Width
70.0 "
Exterior Height
57.2 "
Front Headroom
38.2 "
Rear Headroom
37.1 "
Front Legroom
41.2 "
Rear Legroom
38.1 "
Front Shoulder Room
55.2 "
Rear Shoulder Room
53.6 "
Front Hip Room
Rear Hip Room
Curb Weight
2,939 Lbs. / 3,025 Lbs.
Wheel Base
104 "
Turning Radius
18.2 '
Exterior Features
Door Count
4 Doors
Wheels
16.0 " Steel / 16.0 " Silver Aluminum / 18.0 " Silver Aluminum
Paint
Clearcoat Monotone
Exterior Mirrors
Dual Power Remote Heated
Bumpers
Body-colored
Grille Moldings
Black W/chrome Accents
Rear Spoiler
Lip
Exhaust
Stainless Steel / Stainless Steel With Chrome Tailpipe Finish
Interior Features
Seating
Passenger Capacity
5
Seat Trim
Cloth
Front Seat Type
Bucket
Heated Front Seats
Driver And Front Passenger Heated-cushion, Heated-seatback
Front Driver Seat Direction Controls
6-way
Front Passenger Seat Direction Controls
6-way
Front Armrests
6-way
Rear Armrests
Rear Seats
60-40 Bench
Radio & Infotainment
Radio
Am/fm Stereo, Seek-scan
Speakers
4
Radio Steering Wheel Controls
Apple Car Play
Android Auto
Bluetooth w/ Hands-Free Connectivity
Convenience Features
Steering Wheel Type
Telescopic Tilt
Climate Control
Climatic
Cruise Control
With Steering Wheel Controls
Sun Roof
Rearview Mirror
Day-night / Auto-dimming Day-night
One Touch Open Window
Front And Rear
Tinted Windows
Light
Vanity Mirrors
Remote Keyless Entry
Keyfob (all Doors)
Power Outlets
2
Safety Features
Overall Crash Safety Rating
Overall Front Crash Safety Rating
Overall Side Crash Safety Rating
Rollover Crash Safety Rating
Not Yet Available
Front Impact Airbags
Driver And Passenger
Driver Side Impact Airbags
Seat Mounted
Knee Airbag
Passenger Side Impact Airbag
Seat Mounted
Rear Side Airbag
Seatbelt Pretensioners
Front
Anti-Lock Brakes
4-wheel Anti-lock Brakes (abs)
Forward Collision Warning
Blind Spot Sensor
Lane Departure Warning
Autonomous Cruise Control
Pedestrian Detection
Driver Attention Alert
Daytime Running Lights
Auto High Beams
Adaptive Headlights
Parking Sensors
Security Systems
Security System
Panic Alarm
Ignition Disable
Immobilizer
Warranty
Bumper To Bumper Months Miles
36 Months / 36,000 Miles
Major Components Months
60 Months / 60,000 Miles
Included Maintenance Months
Roadside Assistance Months
36 Months / 36,000 Miles
Corrosion Perforation
144 Months / Unlimited Miles
Accessories Months

Used 2017 Volkswagen Jetta for Sale

7 vehicles found within 50 miles of your area
Volkswagen
1.4T S
Color: White
Price

$9,995

Mileage

111,441 mi

Map location icon

Herrera Auto Sales (16 mi)

Phone: (323) 268-2868
Volkswagen
1.8T SEL
Color: Silver
Price

$11,230

Mileage

85,384 mi

Map location icon

Anaheim Hyundai (31 mi)

Phone: (714) 956-1820
Volkswagen
1.4T S
Color: Gray
Price

$11,500

Mileage

43,985 mi

Map location icon

Sammys Enterprise (16 mi)

Phone: (714) 615-3678
Volkswagen
SE
Color: Gray
Price

$12,930

Mileage

58,976 mi

Map location icon

STG Auto Group Bellflower (16 mi)

Phone: (909) 552-7433
See All Used Car Listings

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