Volkswagen Jetta Sedan

2011 Volkswagen Jetta

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Shopping for a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan? MSRP: $15,515 - $26,445

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The Volkswagen Jetta is VW's compact sedan, accompanied by a wagon dubbed the SportWagen. The Jetta has carved out a niche as a sporty, well-appointed, and affordable four-door. It's closely related to the Volkswagen Golf (Rabbit), and its primary competition includes the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, and Kia Forte.

The Jetta surged to popularity in the 1980s, offering a spacious, upright design and sporty, uniquely European driving feel, but the oldest models you're still likely to find on the used-car lot are the third-generation Jettas, introduced in 1993. These models are more refined than earlier editions, and offer performance that's as good or better than other compact sedans of the time with the 115-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Special VR6 models, with the 174-hp, 2.8-liter narrow-angle V-6 engine, gave the Jetta sport-sedan credentials at the time, with 0-60 times of under seven seconds.  

In 1999, the Jetta was redesigned on a platform shared with the New Beetle and Golf. At first the engine was the same carryover 2.0-liter four, but 2000 marked the introduction of the turbocharged 1.8-liter four. Originally making 150 horsepower and later uprated to 180, that engine (referred to as the 1.8T) is a better alternative to the base engine, bringing stronger acceleration and better real-world fuel economy. The VR6 engine remained available, upgraded to 200 hp, but was overshadowed by the 1.8T. Overall, this generation was known for its upscale interior appointments, which outclassed those of most other small sedans in the same price range. Reliability has been an issue with some cars of this generation.

The fourth-generation Jetta made its debut for 2006 and was significantly larger than the model it replaced--growing from compact to mid-size interior volume, by some measurements. While its exterior design was too conservative for some tastes, the interior was again a big step up, with improved quality and a very spacious feel, with reasonable backseat space for adults for the first time. The old 2.0-liter base engine was replaced with another older-design engine—a 150-hp, 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that has never performed especially well nor been very fuel-efficient. It does do well with the six-speed automatic, however, and provides relaxed highway cruising. Ride quality and refinement were also improved for these newer Jetta models.

Wagon versions were offered for fourth-gen Jettas from 2001 through 2005, then again from 2009 on. For most years, Jetta wagons have appointments that are virtually the same as their sedan counterparts but with the added versatility of rear seats that fold nearly flat.

Also of interest, especially to green-car shoppers, are the TDI diesel models. The 1.9-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine was last offered through 2006, then for emissions reasons the engine didn't return until 2009—as a 2.0-liter making 140 hp. Its enviable 236 lb-ft of torque can sprint it to 60 mph slightly faster than the base engine yet provide fuel economy well above 40 mpg on the highway, with transmissions including a six-speed manual or the excellent six-speed direct-shift (DSG) automated manual transmission.

There's also the sporty GLI model, which in recent model years has provided a 200-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (2.0T), plus the DSG and important suspension, tire, and wheel upgrades. Just like other Jetta models it has front-wheel drive, though.

In the 2011 model year, Volkswagen replaced the Jetta sedan with a new model, still built in Mexico, but lengthened specifically for U.S. customers demanding more rear-seat room. With a torsion-beam rear axle and a base 2.0-liter four, the Jetta has drawn comments for its less rich-looking interior and the painfully slow performance of the 2.0. The 2.5-liter five is an option, as is the recommended TDI turbodiesel. While the sedan diverged from its European cousins, the SportWagen remained a European-built vehicle, essentially identical to the 2009-2010 model.

For the 2012 model year, the Jetta lineup once again has a GLI in the fold. Mechanically, that makes for three separate Jettas--the base car with the five-cylinder or turbodiesel four, the independently suspended Jetta SportWagen, and now the GLI, which blends the longer body of the Mexico-built Jetta sedan with an independent rear suspension and VW's 200-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder. The GLI has sprightly acceleration and handling, not to mention lots of road noise, and it also has a soft-touch cap that covers the sedan's hard plastic dash. Between all the available models, the diesels and the GLI make particularly good sense, though their pricetags are far from the mid-teens prices advertised for the base car.

2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen

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