The range-topping Execline also gets the trick diff, plus real leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, fog lamps, remote start, and the 8-inch centre screen gains GPS navigation. Execline also has a 10.25-inch digital dashboard which appears to have come straight out of Audi. This can be configured a bunch of ways, including putting the SatNav map right in between the two main gauges. Or, you can make the entire display be the SatNav map 鈥?no excuse for getting lost in this car. Execline also has a Dr. Dre-inspired 400 watt BeatsAudio sound system with eight speakers plus a subwoofer to really annoy people in the car next to you at the stop light. I found the seats firm, comfortable and supportive without being overly restrictive. Loads of room in the back, too, with a nice chair-high seat cushion that is remarkably comfortable. A middle rear seat rider is even reasonably well accommodated.
The trunk is huge, given the car鈥檚 modest overall dimensions, and that split-folding rear seat makes this car a proper hauler, if need be. One thing VW has yet to get right is rear seat headrests. They block a huge percentage of your visibility to the rear; not sure why this seems worse than in other cars this size. Statistically speaking, there鈥檚 almost never anyone sitting in the back seat, yet 100 per cent of the time, there鈥檚 a driver who needs to see what鈥檚 coming up from behind. Or the car will have done that for you; VW expects some 80 per cent of buyers will go for the eight-speed automatic transmission, although a six-speed manual is standard on all trim levels in Canada. For those of you who might stumble upon U.S.-based outlets describing this car (you wouldn鈥檛 do so deliberately, now would you?), note that the manual transmission is only offered on the lowest trim level in the States. On the road, the new Jetta has a solid feel, and rides well, although North Carolina鈥檚 roads don鈥檛 suffer from the frost-induced damage that ours do.
Handling is excellent; the steering is a bit on the light side, but that鈥檚 what customers want these days. You have the option of adjusting this and other driving characteristics on models equipped with the Driving Profile Selection system which comes with the R-Line package or in the Execline trim level. The turbo engine doesn鈥檛 really feel like a turbo, with that torque coming in early on. Acceleration is decidedly brisk, and you can chirp the front tires pretty much at will. Overall gearing is quite tall; common highway speeds in the 110 km/h range come in at around 2,000 r.p.m., to the benefit of both interior noise level and fuel economy. I made a point of snagging a stick-shift car for a quick boot around Durham, and frankly, was saddened that it didn鈥檛 feel better. The shifts are long and sloppy, and clutch take-up, usually a German and VW strength, was vague at best.
So, slushbox it should be. It shifts well, and actually has a slightly better highway fuel consumption number than the stick (the City numbers are identical). Be prepared for stop/start technology, though. It is standard and only available with the automatic. If it鈥檚 your first shot at this type of system, it might be a bother (鈥淲hy does my car keep stalling??鈥? It is saving you money, so get used to it. If the base price of the new Jetta seems a lot higher than the last time you looked, that鈥檚 because it is. VW used to offer a stripper model for somewhere around 15 grand. Nobody bought it, so VW decided to be more honest with pricing, and the new model is priced competitively in this segment. And that鈥檚 what you get with the new Jetta. An honest car that offers what seems like a decent amount of equipment for the money, and good driving dynamics which, despite its Mexican manufacture, shows its German roots. Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSI. 4 doors, 5 passengers, compact sedan. 1,400 for eight-speed automatic transmission. ENGINE: 1.4-litre inline four cylinder, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, direct injection, turbocharged.
