Volkswagen Jetta Interior Review
The compact Jetta body belies its roomy interior. The Jetta is roomier than a Honda Civic and provides more headroom than a Toyota Camry. Shorter drivers will appreciate the height-adjustable front seats.
Getting in and out is easy with front doors that open wide. The interior serves up logically laid out controls that have a high-quality feel. Instruments are attractive and highly legible. Rubber-lined pockets in the front and rear doors and at the sides of the front seats provide a quiet place for odds and ends to ride.
There's more trunk space than a BMW 7-Series luxury sedan and the trunk lid lifts beyond vertical for easy loading.
Our $21,455 Jetta GLX came standard with air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, mirrors and sunroof, and a new 10-speaker Bose music system with AM/FM/cassette. An optional $250 all-weather package added heated front seats and a heated windshield washer nozzle. It was also equipped with the $395 optional side airbags. Leather is an $800 option.
A new radio frequency central locking system comes standard on all Jettas.
All Jettas are appointed with dual vanity mirrors, a lockable split-folding rear seat back, folding armrest, three cup holders, rear heating ducts, and an emergency repair tool kit.
Volkswagen Jetta Road Test
The Jetta GLX is a lot of fun to drive and the source of much of that fun resides under the hood. The VR6 engine revs well and propels the Jetta quickly down winding roads. But it's the strong mid-range response and wide power band that really sets the GLX apart from the other cars in its class.
The VR6 engine generates 85 percent of its pulling power at only 2000 rpm--much lower than most engines--and continues pulling right up to 6000 rpm.
Punch the gas pedal at any speed or rpm and the GLX is an instant getaway car. For example, the GLX can get away from an Acura Integra GS-R, a Nissan 200SX SE-R and a BMW 318ti.
This power comes with polish. VW's VR6 is one of the smoothest engines in its class. Ongoing development has largely eliminated the noise that plagued early versions of this engine.
All Jettas offer a great balance of handling, driver feedback and ride quality, the result of a rigid structure and finely tuned suspension. At higher speeds, the Jetta is exceptionally stable, thanks to VW's track-correcting rear suspension bushings that minimize unwanted steering effects from the rear wheels during cornering.
The standard Jetta five-speed manual transmission is smooth and precise. The GLX has a close-ratio five-speed gearbox that helps keep the engine in the sweet spot of its broad power band, to enhance acceleration.
VW's optional four-speed automatic adjusts shift patterns according to how the car is being driven. The ample torque supplied by the VR6 works well with this smart automatic.
Volkswagen Jetta Lineup