If I'm honest, I was prepared to be bored with the 2014 Jetta TDI that arrived in the Car Tech garage this week. I was unimpressed with the Jetta SE 1.8T when I tested it last year and I was wondering if I should even bother reviewing this base 2014 model, with the 2015 Jetta just around the corner. But then the Jetta TDI did something that I didn't really expect; it made me smile. Without any infotainment tech more complex than an iPod dock and with its base model amenities, this Jetta won me over thanks to its torquey turbo diesel engine. Lift the hood and you'll find that this Jetta is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine -- an absolute gem of a power-plant that is torquey, flexible, and pretty thrifty. It's just a bit loud at idle, but makes up for the racket by outputting 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. It's that second number that you'll want to pay particular attention to. In this example, that engine is mated with a six-speed DSG dual-clutch automated transmission in a front-wheel drive configuration.
Drop it into Drive and roll onto the accelerator and you may notice that off-the-line acceleration can feel a bit hesitant. You may also notice that, when in their normal Drive mode, the engine and transmission have a tendency to depend heavily on the torquey diesel's ability to tool around while spinning below 2,000 revolutions per minute. This gives the power-train a laid back feel and helps economy, but also makes makes it feel a bit lazy and less responsive than I know it's capable of. In this mode, the TDI never really feels like it's working hard, but for daily commuting that's not a bad thing at all. The DSG features a Sport program that is accessible by pulling the shift lever past the stop for Drive. In this mode, responsiveness is sharpened up by allowing the engine to play around in slightly higher rpm reaches and adjusting the transmission's programmed shift points. However, even this mode feels just a bit lazy for truly sporty driving. But then I popped the dual-clutch gearbox into its manual shifting mode and it finally made me grin. I may have actually laughed aloud at how the engine seemed to come alive in this mode. Run up the rpms between 3,000 revs and the engine's relatively short 5,000 and the TDI shines delivering strong, linear acceleration. Even when stretching its legs, the TDI never really feels taxed and there's an effortlessness to its acceleration. Paddle shifters would make this a much more fun drive, but nudging the shift lever around wasn't so bad.
A 6.5鈥?Touchscreen infotainment System comes in standard in the Base S, SE and R-Line trims. It is positioned towards the driver and offers excellent reach and feedback to the driver. An utterly disappointing feature in the Jetta is the lack of USB ports in the Starting 3 Trims. The S, SE and R-Line trims just do with 1 USB port and we feel that in the current age of Connectivity, VW could have done more. Volkswagens of the past have always been criticized for their Boring and Dull Exteriors and Styling. With the 7th Generation of the Jetta, VW has tried to change this reputation of theirs by incorporating better design and character. The Design is not offensive or aggressive unlike the competition but tends to stay Non offensive. There are Sharp lines across the bonnet of the Sedan that offers some Flair to the otherwise 鈥淪ubtle鈥?front. The Standard LED Headlamps do tend to grab attention of On Lookers but Young Buyers may not feel the same. The 7th Gen Jetta has changed heavily in terms of Weights and Dimensions, after the incorporation of the MQB platform.
It has grown considerably bigger over its previous generation avatar owing to the same fact. The Grill has grown bigger than before, with a more prominent VW Logo in the front. The Wheelbase has grown to 105.7 Inch while the overall length has grown to 185.1 Inch. The Jetta is now the Longest Sedan in this Comparison courtesy of the MQB platform. The Tall Height of the Jetta allows Tall passengers to be accommodated comfortably in the Cabin. One downside to the new design however is the low ground clearance, which means you will have to be little bit careful while going over speed bumps. The Exterior of the 7th Generation Jetta has features like LED Headlamps and Tail Lamps as standard on the base trim, which no other Sedan in this comparison has. The Honda Civic is the Benchmark of the Compact Sedan Segment because of multiple reasons. It has a powerful engine that feels refined and delivers good fuel efficiency. It also offers tremendous space inside the Cabin and in Cargo area as well. The VW on the other hand offers Unmatched Build Quality, something that even the Japanese have to match.
The VW offers features like LED head lamps and Tail Lights as standard in the base variant which is a feature unheard of in this segment. 1,000 which makes it good value. The Mazda Mazda3 has been the top pick among the buyers in the compact sedan segment for its amazing ride and handling characteristics. The Mazda has great sporting credentials and it instigates enthusiastic driving in the driver. The Mazda however is yet to get a 2019 edition and for now, it鈥檚 starting to feel dated. The VW on the other hand is a fresher design, higher cargo capacity and superb build quality to help its cause. The VW is also the cheaper among the 2 and has the edge in terms of features offered in the various trims as well. The Toyota Corolla has been the most selling car in the compact sedan segment for a while now.
