Let me set the scene. It was opening night of the Detroit Auto Show, also known as the North American International Auto Show. For us in the media, these nights are filled with various unveiling events and some wining and dining. Hey, somebody has to do it. I happened to be at the Volkswagen event, where the food was delicious, and the open bar was doing a brisk business (not by me, but by many others). Sitting under the covers, about to unveiled, was the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. I admit, I was more interested in the next round of crab cakes than the German compact car that would soon be unveiled for the first time. But, when the sheet was pulled off and the lights hit it, and the music started playing, it had my attention. 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 the Jetta I know,鈥?I told one of my colleagues. Truth be told, I鈥檝e found the previous generation of the Jetta quite ho-hum.
The looks were stale, and the interior was underwhelming. I did like the way it drove, somewhat. So when I saw the new looks of the 2019, I took notice. But when I got to actually drive it this week, that was like my own personal reveal - only nobody was bringing me crab cakes. I have always wanted Volkswagen to more closely resemble the styling of its luxury mothership, Audi. It never has. But Volkswagen specifically designs their vehicles with the American market in mind. They brag how in tune and in touch with the American consumer they are. Side note: This Jetta is made in Mexico. The 2019 Jetta has a markedly better appearance. It has a modern, timeless look with a distinctive front end. This is infinitely better than other Jettas of the past where they all look the same. The front end is the best aspect with indentations on the hood that are repeated on the side panels, too.
This congruent look ties the entire design together. The rear loses some of the styling, with somewhat boring rear tail lights and a downplayed back end. On paper, this new Jetta with its new engine, still seems like it鈥檚 under-powered. But, get behind the wheel and the turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine actually feels quick, but not fast. With no noticeable turbo lag, it gets off the line adequately and gets to highway speeds rapidly. Don鈥檛 be put off by the 147 horsepower as the Jetta drives more like a car that鈥檚 knocking on the door of 200 horses. The optional eight-speed automatic transmission is impressive. The steering is responsive, and the overall handling is what you expect from a German-engineered vehicle, which is to say, it鈥檚 athletic in turns. The various drive modes change the dynamics of the car, and that鈥檚 a new offering for this model year. The Jetta has been quite underwhelming in the past when it came to interior quality.
In Detroit we couldn鈥檛 get very close to it to see how the interior had improved. As I sat down in my tester, I gave it the 鈥減oke鈥?test, remember the numerous hard plastic materials in the last Jetta I drove. This one passed my poking and prodding with improved touch points. There are more soft materials used, although there鈥檚 still some harder materials that exist. But that being said, the road noise is practically non-existent. Plus, the infotainment system gets kudos from me for employing Apple CarPlay (and Android Auto, too) which integrates well on the 6.5-inch touchscreen. Any bigger screen than that would overpower the center stack of this small car. As a compact, one of the biggest assets of the Jetta is its low starting price. 18,545. There are three other trim options. My tester was the top-of-the-line SEL trim, but that came with an advanced audio system and sensor-based safety features, too. 24,415, making it still quite affordable, for a top-trimmed car. Fuel economy for this new-look, new-powered Jetta, is impressive. It has an EPA rating of 30 mpg/city and 40 mpg/highway. It鈥檚 not often than a non-hybrid-powered vehicle attains that magical 40 number. In a week鈥檚 worth of mostly suburban driving, I averaged nearly 36 mpg. All the free food and fanfare aside, the new 2019 Volkswagen Jetta left a good first impression on me. Spending a week with it just reinforced it further. That first impression lasted all week long. Thank you for reading the Dayton Daily News and for supporting local journalism. Subscribers: log in for access to your daily ePaper and premium newsletters. Thank you for supporting in-depth local journalism with your subscription to the Dayton Daily News. Get more news when you want it with email newsletters just for subscribers. Horsepower鈥︹€︹€︹€︹€︹€︹€︹€︹€︹€︹€?147 hp/184 lbs.-ft.
Without knowing what to look for, you could be buying someone else鈥檚 problem instead of your transportation solution. Volkswagen Jetta鈥檚 can be full of hidden and costly maintenance issues, so before purchasing one, you need to know what to look for, how to find it, and if it is worth fixing. Before making any decisions about purchasing a used VW Jetta, use the following guidelines to ensure that you are getting a safe and mechanically sound car. Test Drive During Daylight - Check panels for rust or repair. If you notice color variations between panels, chances are the vehicle has had bodywork. Confirm Up-to-Date Maintenance - Look for Jetta models with complete service records and that the owner鈥檚 manual maintenance schedule was followed. It is a commonly reported problem that previous Jetta owners failed to follow the recommended maintenance schedule. Check Over the Engine - Inspect the engine, looking for wear on the engine鈥檚 belts, and rust or corrosion on the engine and its parts. Confirm High-Quality Oil Changes - This is crucial for Jetta models with turbochargers. The quality of the oil and proper interval of oil changes is key to the turbocharger lasting the lifetime of the vehicle.
