I鈥檝e spent far more time agonizing over my review of the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta than I鈥檇 care to admit. After all, the Jetta is a car that ticks all the boxes, delivering just about everything anyone would want in a compact family sedan. But I鈥檓 having a hard time getting excited about the new Jetta鈥攁nd it鈥檚 driving me to the very edge of sanity. Let鈥檚 talk about all the things the new generation Jetta does right. First and foremost is the engine, a 1.4-liter turbocharged mighty mite that puts out 147 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Forget the numbers, because the bottom line is this thing scoots. Our colleagues down the hall at Motor Trend timed the automatic version I drove to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds鈥攏ot as quick as the Honda Civic 1.5T but respectable performance. I also found the Jetta has plenty of mid-range punch. Yes, it鈥檚 an overused phrase, but one that accurately describes what a small turbo four does best.
What small turbo fours often don鈥檛 do best is fuel economy, even though this is supposed to be their raison d鈥檈tre. A few years back, I did a back-to-back drive of sixth-generation Jettas, one with a 1.8-liter turbo four and the other with the then-new 1.4T. The smaller engine actually delivered worse fuel economy. It needed to keep the turbo boiling in order to stay on the pace, and when the turbo is working, the fuel is a-flowin鈥? So I took the Jetta鈥檚 34 mpg EPA combined figure with a grain of salt. I shouldn鈥檛 have, because here, too, the Jetta delivered. The Automobile staff sampled two different Jettas, a base-model Jetta S and a top-of-the-line SEL, and both averaged in the low 30s on the car鈥檚 instant readout, a good showing considering we have an office full of lead-footed car hacks. That鈥檚 all good as well. Though I didn鈥檛 have a chance to really wring either Jetta out on my favorite curvy roads, I have enough experience in other MQB-platform based Volkswagens to express confidence that they know their way through the tight turns.
I like the Jetta鈥檚 light steering and steady ride, which delivers decent feedback but doesn鈥檛 kick over sharp bumps. Why can鈥檛 everyone engineer suspensions this competent? Complicated interiors are a pet peeve of mine, so Vee Dub鈥檚 no-nonsense cabins fit in nicely with my ethos. Every Volkswagen model features easy-to-read gauges and well-labeled, easy-to-find switchgear. The new 2019 Jetta comes with regular analog gauges in the low-end models, while the SEL can be had with an optional video-screen panel that鈥攕urprise, surprise鈥攎imics the analog gauges in the low end car. Whether you get the basic air conditioner or one with dual-zone climate control, everything is simple and sensible. Even the touch-screen infotainment system is easy to use. The problem with Volkswagen interiors is that they can easily veer off into dreary. There鈥檚 plenty of it for front-seat passengers, and back-seaters get adequate legroom and enough headroom that they need not fear clonking their noggins when getting in.
Not that the new 2019 Jetta gets everything right. While many have praised its exterior looks, to me it seems though the grille and headlights are sliding off the front of the car and the trunk is growing down over the taillights. Add in all those creases in the bodywork, and it leaves the impression that it鈥檚 been left out in the sun too long, where it鈥檚 withered, dried out, and started to melt. Then there鈥檚 long term quality and reliability, areas where Volkswagen has historically struggled. In an effort to counter that reputation and provide new owners with peace of mind, the automaker has just introduced an epic 6 year/72,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty which is fully transferable to the Jetta鈥檚 second owner. So why am I still agonizing over this review? The problem I鈥檓 having is that I simply don鈥檛 find the 2019 Jetta all that interesting when taken as a whole. Now, one might argue that when you鈥檙e shopping for a daily driver priced in the low 20s, excitement isn鈥檛 on the menu.
But I鈥檇 argue that you only need to go back a few years to look at the fourth-gen Jetta, sold from 1999 until 2007 (and still sold in China if you鈥檙e up for the trip). That Jetta occupied the same niche, and it was interesting. It鈥檚 a point that鈥檚 magnified when you consider the cars the Jetta competes against. First and foremost is the Mazda3, the enthusiasts鈥?delight, though it鈥檚 short on back-seat space compared to the Jetta. The Honda Civic drives well and possesses some of the same character that marked the Mark IV Jetta. And let鈥檚 not forget about the Ford Focus. It may have one foot in the grave, but it鈥檚 still good to drive. Even the Chevrolet Cruze seems marginally more interesting than the Jetta, although this may well be an illusion. Heck, I鈥檇 even prefer Volkswagen鈥檚 own Golf. From all the measurable data points, the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta is a great car: Powerful, efficient, roomy, and good value for money. But then there is that which cannot be measured, that inherent sense of fun some cars have and others don鈥檛. At least to me, the Jetta doesn鈥檛 seem to have that it factor. And it鈥檚 driving me nuts.
