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2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan Review

July 4, 2009

STYLING | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

crisp and handsome
Automedia

elegant trim
Edmunds

Nothing very special to look at
The Auto Channel

The current Volkswagen Jetta has been criticized for its Corolla-like lines and for giving up on VW’s crisp, European styling heritage. The interior, though, is precisely Volkswagen, with a simple but sophisticated look and feel.

Intellichoice laments, “Gone is the Teutonic styling, once elegant in its stark, purposeful appearance, replaced by a more staid, Japanese-influenced design.” It’s an “overgrown Toyota Corolla dressed in papa Passat's clothes,” they conclude. This opinion is seconded by The Auto Channel, which feels that the 2009 Jetta is “nothing very special to look at, particularly in [its] soft gray color.” A redesign leaves the Volkswagen Jetta without its trademark angular style and with a “tame exterior,” Edmunds says. It decries the Jetta’s “dull exterior styling” that “contradicts the nameplate’s youthful image.”

CNET has the opposite sentiment: “Gone are the boxy corners and the rectangular lights. VW has replaced them with more refined, curvaceous bodywork and lights that feature circles and ellipses.” Automedia likes it as well, calling it “crisp and handsome, with its sculpted wedge profile, strong upper and lower character lines and contemporary taillamps.”

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta might be generic outside, but inside it’s a well-drawn, well-fitted place. Automedia remarks, “The roomier new interior is attractively designed and beautifully assembled from premium materials throughout.” Edmunds refers to its “elegant trim,” and Autoblog notices touches like the child-safety anchors in the backseat, where “even their rear LATCH point got prettied-up by one of the company’s designers with a brushed-steel look.” “Unfortunately, the interior doesn't live up to the expectations generated by the exterior styling,” argues CNET.

Conclusion

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta has a very generic style, but inside it's attractively functional.

STYLING | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:crisp and handsomeAutomediaelegant trimEdmundsNothing very special to look atThe Auto Channel The current Volkswagen Jetta has been criticized for its Corolla-like lines and for giving up on VW’s crisp, European styling heritage. The interior, though, is precisely Volkswagen, with a simple but sophisticated look and feel. Intellichoice laments, “Gone is the Teutonic styling, once elegant in its stark, purposeful appearance, replaced by a more staid, Japanese-influenced design.” It’s an “overgrown Toyota Corolla dressed in papa Passat's clothes,” they conclude. This opinion is seconded by The Auto Channel, which feels that the 2009 Jetta is “nothing very special to look at, particularly in [its] soft gray color.” A redesign leaves the Volkswagen Jetta without its trademark angular style and with a “tame exterior,” Edmunds says. It decries the Jetta’s “dull exterior styling” that “contradicts the nameplate’s youthful image.” CNET has the opposite sentiment: “Gone are the boxy corners and the rectangular lights. VW has replaced them with more refined, curvaceous bodywork and lights that feature circles and ellipses.” Automedia likes it as well, calling it “crisp and handsome, with its sculpted wedge profile, strong upper and lower character lines and contemporary taillamps.” The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta might be generic outside, but inside it’s a well-drawn, well-fitted place. Automedia remarks, “The roomier new interior is attractively designed and beautifully assembled from premium materials throughout.” Edmunds refers to its “elegant trim,” and Autoblog notices touches like the child-safety anchors in the backseat, where “even their rear LATCH point got prettied-up by one of the company’s designers with a brushed-steel look.” “Unfortunately, the interior doesn't live up to the expectations generated by the exterior styling,” argues CNET. ConclusionThe 2009 Volkswagen Jetta has a very generic style, but inside it's attractively functional. 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA STYLING | [7 out of 10] Automedia: “crisp and handsome” Edmunds: “elegant trim” The Auto Channel: “Nothing very special to look at” The current Volkswagen Jetta has been criticized for its Corolla-like lines and for giving up on VW’s crisp, European styling ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Ford Fusion is a slight step up in size; it has a nicely creased style, available all-wheel drive, and a big V-6 engine, though its base four-cylinder engine is just fine. It shares some running gear with the Mazda6, which gets a new rounded style for 2009, as well as a more refined interior. The Honda Civic is also a close competitor, but it’s not as handsome as the Jetta. It does offer a coupe body style, a hybrid version, and a natural-gas drivetrain, as well as a better reputation for reliability. Another rival is the Impreza, which comes as a roomy sedan, with a comfortable ride and good handling; all-wheel drive is standard on the Impreza.

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See the Volkswagen Jetta Sedan in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

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