2011 Volkswagen Jetta vs. Its Competition

Martin Padgett Editorial Director

The 2011 VW Jetta has a foot in two worlds: it wants to be tight and inexpensive like some compact cars, but roomy and a great value like some mid-size sedans.

VW says the Honda Civic is a prime target, and the current Civic has a few Achilles heels, from the relative lack of interior space designed in with its steep windshield, to its overly busy instruments and cockpit.

The new Kia Forte nearly hits the Jetta’s space specs, and outdoes its features list with thousands of dollars to spare, but it’s nowhere near as sweet-handling even with a full independent suspension.

Three other cars we’d suggest you drive along with the Jetta are the Kizashi, a compact with great handling and refinement but a marked lack of marketing personality; the Hyundai Sonata, which has a huge front seat and loads of features for a base price under $20,000; and finally the Subaru Legacy, which occupies some of the Jetta’s demographics and handles almost as well—while it also adds much more interior space and flatter, more responsive handling.