In recent weeks, I鈥檝e spent hundreds of miles in the new Honda Civic Sport Touring Hatchback, as well as the new Chevrolet Cruze Diesel Hatchback. Both machines are prime examples of how carmakers are working, in various ways, to give shoppers more for their affordable-car dollars. Lately, connectivity, safety, styling, and overall value are all being ramped up, proving that there鈥檚 probably never been a better time to buy an affordable car. So it made sense to also put together a Volkswagen Jetta review. My most recent test drive was of the new 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. Though it鈥檚 not a hatchback, it is the same price as both the Honda and Chevrolet I drove one and two weeks prior, respectively. And, like both of those testers, the Jetta arrived in my custody in fully-loaded guise, with nearly-identical pricing to the fully-loaded Civic and Cruze. If you鈥檙e in the market for a fully-loaded version of a highly-affordable car, the new Jetta needs to be on your test drive hit-list. I鈥檒l put the conclusion up here: this is about as good as it gets for today鈥檚 money, provided you鈥檙e not a performance buff.
First, the new Jetta feels big. On board, drivers can stretch out, the other side of the cabin seems a mile away, and the rear seats are totally adult-friendly (even for bigger, taller guys and gals). Further back, the trunk is also monstrous: big, wide, and deep. The first time you open it, you might feel like you鈥檙e seeing an optical illusion: it looks impossibly large, given the Jetta鈥檚 overall size. Just watch the trunk when it鈥檚 open though: failure to push the trunk all the way up may see it drop down at random, causing you to take some sheet metal to the cranium. The interior impresses from a glance. Gorgeous instruments are all-digital on higher-grade Jetta models like my tester, and they flow into a gorgeous central touch display that鈥檚 logical, powerful, and very responsive. This interface is top notch: it鈥檚 simple and as straightforward, easily learned, and uses proximity sensors to only light up certain on-screen functions as your hand approaches, reducing display clutter. The display is colorful, detailed and high in resolution, and there鈥檚 absolutely zero lag or slow-down.
On visuals and responsiveness, both the instruments and central screen used here blow anything at this price point clean out of the water. The cabin includes embossed leather, wood and aluminum accenting, and plenty of modern-looking gloss black. It feels like you鈥檙e stepping into a pricier car. Still, some of the cabin uses cheap plastic, and a few too many of the consoles and switches haven鈥檛 been updated. The window switches, mirror adjusters, and climate control console will be highly familiar to owners of older modern VW products. But as a whole, and in in no uncertain terms, the new Jetta鈥檚 digs reflect the demands of today鈥檚 shopper, and a long-time expectation of VW fans for an interior that feels pricier than it is. A 1.4 litre turbo four-cylinder sends a modest 147 horsepower to the front wheels. My tester ran an 8-speed automatic for invisible gearshifts and low cruising revs, and gloriously, a six-speed manual is available鈥攅ven on the top-dog Execline model. The ride is typically excellent. It isolates occupants very nicely from most of the undesirable sensations from the road beneath.
Typically, Jetta floats along, and noise levels are kept appreciably low provided you鈥檙e on smooth pavement. If you blindfolded me, took me for a drive, and told me I was in an Audi or Cadillac, I鈥檇 probably believe you based on the ride and noise levels alone. Even whacking the sort of pothole that makes you bite your own eyebrow hardly breaks the Jetta鈥檚 composure. Note though that interior noise levels are at the mercy of the surface beneath. Though the cabin stays quiet to well above the speed limit, certain rougher textures of pavement passing beneath can cause a rapid spike in road noise seeping into the cabin. A drive mode selector can be used to alter or customize the way the Jetta feels and responds. The SPORT setting was my favorite, since it makes the driveline less lazy, and heavies up the steering for a more bolted-down highway feel. And the steering, like the powertrain and ride, is buttery smooth and never transmits much of anything back your way. Overall, Jetta鈥檚 main appeal seems to be exceptionally careful fine-tuning of what sensations are allowed into the car, and which ones aren鈥檛.
The slight buzz and vibration through the driveline inherent of any vehicle is all but invisible here. Jetta鈥檚 smoothness and refinement make many a competitor feel more brash, and this machine amounts to about the best example I鈥檝e yet seen of a car that works to make you feel like your driving something far pricier. Performance is adequate at best, and if you鈥檙e someone who wants to hear and feel what the powertrain of your car is up to, or you want more than the 147 horsepower available here, you鈥檒l need to go elsewhere. Here, the Honda Civic Sport Touring might be a better choice: its small turbo engine delivers about 30 more horsepower, and feels much more eager, even if it鈥檚 a noisier and less-refined driveline. Also, Jetta鈥檚 cabin, though super modern, is let down by some of those dated controls and consoles. And the brakes, though powerful enough, feel a bit sludgy when initially pressed. Finally, rougher pavement and broken roadways can knock ride quality and refinement back several notches. Head to the roughest road possible on your test drive to confirm.
