You know a kind of something I like? Unapologetically cheap things that aren’t terrible. Happily, there are things that definitely still fit into this category: hammers, some burgers, maybe those tiny single-board computers. When it comes to cars, though, this category gets mighty lean. The average price of a car in 2022 is $48,000, and it feels like hardly any carmaker gives a brace of BMs about the low end of the market. But there are still some cars on the low-end of the market worth looking at, like the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta.
[Editor’s Note: I want to try something new here: we have been getting more cars to review, which is great, but our usual deep-dive approach to car reviews just isn’t always the right approach to every car. Some cars just don’t need a 5,000-word review covering every minute detail. So, with that in mind, we’re going to try some Micro-Reviews, like this one here, the first of its name.
In a Micro-Review the goal is to get you the important information and distill down what you actually need to know into two take-aways: first, the three most significant traits of the car, good or bad, and then one final punctum of the car, a term I’m borrowing from Roland Barthes and the art criticism world. Essentially, what it means in this context is what is it about the car that actually manages to get your attention. It could be a detail or one feature or the feeling you have when you walk away from it. It doesn’t have to be rational or qualitative, but it has to be what the essence of that particular car feels like.
So, let’s try this out! – JT]
The Basics
Price: Starts at $20,415 (Tested the SE trim at $25,240)
Engine: 1.5-liter inline turbo four, 158 hp, 184 lb-ft
Transmission: 6-speed manual available, 8-speed auto, FWD
Fuel Economy: 29 city/42 highway/34 combined
Body Style: four-door sedan
Why Does It Exist?
Volkswagen needed a cheap, entry-level car in America, I assume, and since we no longer get the basic Golf, the Jetta is it. I suppose it’s also an option for the vanishing number of people who still want a traditional three-box sedan, which for VW means either the Jetta or the sleek and premium Arteon.
How Does It Look?
In a word: fine. It looks fine. It’s not exactly memorable or even striking, but I think it can be handsome, especially in profile. You’re not going to be embarrassed by the look of the Jetta, but you also may have trouble remembering exactly what it looks like, too. The color selection is more soporific than terrific, all grayscale except for a lone (but very nice) blue, which is the color of the one I had and the one you should pick.
How About The Inside?
Again, fine. It’s comfortable, I like the design of the door cards and the instrument cluster LCD isn’t trying to pretend to be fake gauges or anything. Center stack screen isn’t huge but it’s good enough. Plenty of physical controls, which is nice. A little dark in the choice of materials, but my one actual complaint is this:
Yep, that’s fake, molded-in stitching on the dash. I thought this kind of goofy shit went out with the Chevette. Who still does fake stitching? You’re better than that, VW.
Other than that minor gripe, it’s pretty roomy, comfortable, and the materials don’t feel like garbage. Oh, and the trunk is a good size, and the rear seat folds down if you need to cram in a taxidermied monitor lizard or something like that.
How’s It Drive?
This was the surprise: much better than you’d guess for an entry level car! Sure, 158 hp doesn’t sound like much, but 184 pound-feet of torque and a weight of 2,989 pounds somehow conspire to make the Jetta actually feel pretty quick. Stomping the gas delivers a satisfying surge, and, maybe by simple virtue of being a lower-than-every-crossover-and-SUV vehicle out there, it feels pretty good to fling around.
I had some fun driving this thing, and then when I decided to pretend to be an adult again, it gave good fuel economy, averaging close to 32 mpg. It’s not life-altering, but it’s good! You can drive it in a fun way, and it responds well, and if you’re not in the mood, it’s as easy and forgettable as anything else out there.
Also, it has the smallest squishy pedestrian-safety engine cover I’ve ever seen. It’s this little foam block, right there in the middle:
Does it Have The Electronic Crap I Want?
Uh, sure, probably. Android Auto/Apple Car Play (though not via Bluetooth), it has IQ Drive in SE and up trim, which is VW’s lane-keeping/emergency braking/adaptive cruise setup, and that all works like you’d expect. If you’re really all about ultra-modern tech stuff in your car, this probably isn’t for you. For most people, though, it’s fine and feels modern enough without making tech the centerpiece of the car.
Three Things To Know About The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta:
- It’s pretty cheap to buy.
- Gas mileage is better than I’d have guessed
- It’s more fun to drive than I’d have guessed
Does It Fulfill Its Purpose?
Yes, I think so. It’s a decent entry-level car that won’t embarrass you and delivers good economy, comfort, and space. It’s not a crossover, and it’s not even trying to pretend to be one. It’s a car, one maybe you can afford.
What’s The Punctum Of The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta?
It’s a fun car going undercover as a rational, practical car. Especially if you get the manual.
I like this format a lot. I do appreciate the deep dives as well, but a general problem I have with car reviews is that the reviewers look *so hard* for differentiators while at the same time seem to feel an understandable pressure for said differentiators to be either THE BEST or THE WORST, so a car with 251 hp is screaming while a competitor with 249 hp is undrivably slow despite them having the same basic hp/lb.
I think we’re in a historically enviable position of cars are basically all reasonably good and there’s a lot of convergence across the industry. No one has useful long-term ownership or reliability data to include so a quick “these are the nice bits and this is who it’s generally for” is great
I’m all for the micro review, but should probably include a bit more information that may be useful to the enthusiast. Such as mentioning the manual is only available on the base S and Sport trims (SE and SEL are automatic-only), so you’d have to give up some features to row your own. Also, blue is not the only non-greyscale color available, you can get red too! But only on SE and SEL.
This micro review is too micro. I think you probably spent more time finding background for your photos and setting up the shots than writing.
This is exactly how I feel about my Ford Focus.
She’s an everyday car that’s just fun, damnit, and I love her mostly for that. She’s got fit and finish that makes this Jetta look like a luxury car. But she’s good at what she does, and has surprising pep and handling abilities.
But yeah, the manual makes all the difference though.
Aaaaand Ford won’t sell you one anymore. Can’t be sold with as much margin between manufacturing cost and sales price as an F-150, etc, etc.
I’m glad my fellow citizens are wealthy enough to want nothing but huge SUVs and pickups so it makes sense for Ford to go this route, but I do wonder: what happened to that joy of driving for its own sake the majority of us used to have when we were young? When did it go away for so many people?
I know this is a bit far-removed, but my previous car was a 2011 Jetta TDI with the 6-speed manual. That generation, in particular, was cheapened up quite a bit (Americanized), but really did punch above its weight. It was more like a mid-sizer in terms of legroom and overall interior space. It got phenomenal mileage that was literally too good to be true (see dieselgate), and held up pretty well over 95k miles. This gen looks like it carries over the same general formula, while bringing back some niceties, and is a very solid choice, indeed. Nice little write-up.
Honestly the biggest crime with this car is that they unceremoniously axed the taillights with amber turn signals and replaced them with red ones halfway through this generation.
Hard for me to consider a “low end” car that is considered cheap at $25K…….that is a LOT of money.
It is all relative, I guess.
The CPI Inflation calculator:
https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
says 25K is about 15K in 2000 and about 19.25 in 2010.
It’s all relative, I also guess.
There aren’t many that sticker for less, are there?
Which, Tbf, sucks because 25k is still a lot of money no irrespective of how many 2000 dollars it is
Is there going to be a GLI version or is that gone? It was a strong competitor to the Civic Si I ended up getting late 2020.
Yes there is a GLI and yes you should choose it (if you are already choosing a Jetta) even though it is more expensive. It is almost as much fun as a GTI!
Averages are meaningless if you want to say something about the “typical” example. Always use a median, and (in this case) use the median price of an actual new vehicle sold, not the median of all models on sale.
Where does one go to see what median sale prices are like? A cursory Google turns up plenty of averages or percentage-with-no-scale trend graphs, but nothing meaningful for what people are actually mostly paying
A good option for the general use car – commute, shopping, etc. I would not want to road trip in it.
If I didn’t already replace the lease….
You know what I miss in so many reviews these days? A table of dimensions. If we are going to talk about smaller cars, then it’s worth assuming that people interested in smaller cars are interested in tighter urban use cases and ease of parking. Sure you can go look up dimensions on the manufacturer site, but would it hurt to cite length and width in a review? I mean we could also go look up HP figures and mileage ourselves too, but thankfully those are mentioned.
Just to show my ignorance, wtf is a “pedestrian-safety engine cover”?? It’s the pedestrian part I guess I really don’t get. Unless you mean non-professional, not automotively inclined?
A lot of cars these days come with foam covers over their engines, in part so that in pedestrian impact testing the pedestrian doesn’t land directly on the engine block as they crash into the hood.
Gotcha. Thanks!
A friend of mine has one of these. He’s got a fairly long commute and i’m pretty sure averages over 40 mpg. Really hard to beat that without going to a hybrid. I looked at a Jetta last year when i was car shopping, really needed more cargo space (wound up in a used Outback) but if i had a longer daily drive i would have probably gone for the Jetta.
Wanted to add: I like this format, i agree that not every car needs 5000 words. Thanks!
“…not exactly memorable or even striking, but I think it can be handsome…” Sure beats all the hideously overwrought stuff currently being produced.
Now, if there were a wagon version, like there used to be…
Technical note, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto would be via Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth. Although it does use Bluetooth to set up the ad-hoc Wi-Fi connection.
(This Wi-Fi is unrelated to mobile hotspots, and are usually mutually exclusive)
When presented with rental options in the lot that include various American, Korean and VW options, I will choose the VW *if* it has less than 25000 miles. Granted all rental cars get beat on but the durability of VW products is very suspect in my anecdotal experience (I’ve owned 2 Audis and used to recommend them to friends and family…some of those people don’t speak to me anymore).
Love this format. Exactly right length review for this car.
YES, I rarely read the full length articles unless I care about the car, but I’d even give a Nissan a full read with this format (maybe).
I have a 17 Jetta which I bought new almost six years ago because I wanted a fuel-efficient stick shift. Was kind of nervous about reliability, but today I just replaced the original battery after 100K+ miles, and have had no problems or other replacements. It drives well and can stow a lot of gear. A friend bought one new this year and he claims to be hitting 50 mpg on his (admittedly rural) commute. It is a lot of car for the money, and if I was not thinking electric for the replacement, I would do it again.
2020 Jetta, purchased new when a box truck rear-ended and totalled my fiat 500c at a stop sign. $17.5 before delivery/taxes. 1.4L turbo, 6mt with no options selected, other than blue paint (i think it was the only new, non gray scale manual on a lot in Ohio in December ’20). Only 147 hp, but similar torque to this. Averaging 41 mpg combined over the first 36K miles (my commute is 90% freeway and suburban highway, but my weekends are mostly city driving), and recently averaged north of 50 mpg freeway driving roundtrip from central OH to central(ish) ON (other than the Blue Water Bridge and the 40 miles from the 402 to my destination (2x)). I have been accused of driving like an granny before. I rarely cruise above 2K rpm, which is only 73 mph in 6th on this (right lane of course), but i will pass at 85+ when it’s called for, and when i’m visiting family in metro Detroit, 80 is about the floor for the freeways.
Some of the competitive points i looked at in the reviews current in December ’20: lower CO2 discharge (5 tons per 15K miles) than Civic, Corolla, Elantra/Accent, Rio. More rear leg room than any of those. Most of my dislikes are about things found in most modern cars: throttle by wire ( i think that’s why my last two cars like to creep up in speed in low gears even when i lift my foot), lack of push back in steering, clutch and brake. Dislikes of this specific car: balky responses from driver’s position rear window switches; erratic interface with Android Auto.
Mind you, this critique comes from someone whose all time favorite vehicle was a barebones 97 ranger, 2.3, 5 speed, no power anything (including lights from time to time over the 11 years owned: leaky ford electric harnesses), even preferred it to my r50.
Was this comment longer than the article?
The punctum sums up what I’ve always liked about the Jetta (and Golf, too). The styling is kinda blah, but it isn’t offensive. Curious to see if they’ll actually sell any. I used to see jettas and passats everywhere all the time, but now only tiguans, atlases, and gtis. Kind of surprisingly almost none of the Taos. I’ve seen more arteons in the wild than jettas last couple of years
I like the concept behind the car, the styling, the features, and the price. Honestly, I’m too afraid to take a risk on anything made by VW these days. I wish I didn’t feel that way but I can’t deny what I’ve seen some VW owners go through.
At ENORMOUS risk of jinxing myself, I’ve got 95,000 miles on a Mk7 Golf and think you should consider a VW.
At ENORMOUS risk of jinxing myself, I’ve got 95,000 miles on a Mk7 Golf and think you should consider a later VW.
I’ve got 135k on a mkv Rabbit and it’s been great apart from having to rebuild the transmission at 120k. Maybe a heavy qualifier but that’s been literally the only issue outside of normal wear and tear.
My first thought was “Jason, please tell us this is an actual press car and not your wife’s service loaner.”
In a parallel world where efficiency experts outcompeted humans, this car would be the mandated form of transportation.
nah, the Honda Fit. 100% space efficiency, extremely reliable, no frills.
Decent entry level? This is two sizes up from a polo (rabbit?). This is a big car. You really don’t like small cars in the states do you?
No we don’t.
Americans don’t downsize unless compelled to by financial crises or oil price shocks.
Outside of a couple densely populated coastal cities there is virtually zero pressure on vehicle size. Polo-sized vehicles have been tried here and have pretty much all been miserable sales failures.
No, I think most Americans would go bankrupt before giving up their large vehicles. It’s a strange culture we have. CAFE standards really changed the US automotive landscape. Vehicles are so large that you need to buy a large vehicle just to feel safe!
I’m not there yet, but it really is intimidating to have a truck or SUV grill taller than my rear window.
What exactly do you think the average car on the road looked like pre-CAFE standards?
It was a 200+ inch long body on frame vehicle, powered by a V8 engine driving the rear wheels.
The same is true (to an extent) today.
The only thing CAFE did was change the form factor of that vehicle from a sedan or coupe to a pickup or large SUV. The preference of the American driver has always, always, always been for the larger vehicle, except for in the mid 70s-mid 80s (oil crisis) and the late 00s-early 10s (recession, oil prices again).
With downsized engines, hybrids, and electrics, buyers no longer have to make that tradeoff; they can get their large vehicles without serious personal compromise. That’s why I predict small cars will never again make a comeback in this country.
All good points. We buy bigger because we can. If Europeans had cheaper gas and more open space they would too. I get tired of people acting like other countries prefer smaller cars solely because they are so enlightened or moral or something. People are people.
In Canada we have huge open roads and reasonably priced gas if compared to Europe. Still, Canadians generally don’t go out to buy the largest car they can afford. Compacts and subcompacts still sell very strongly here as a result. Don’t get me wrong, we have many, many pickups and SUVs, bit I just don’t think we equate personal status with car length the way Americans do.
I don’t think it is that strange. Europeans were strapped for resources after the war, and had cities established way before cars were thought up with less space to move around in. Meanwhile, the US had WIDE open spaces, abundant resources, and designed modern cities around the automobile. I believe people in general (regardless of nationality) will buy the biggest, nicest vehicle they can afford (to purchase/fuel/insure) and reasonably maneuver/park where they live. I don’t blame anybody for buying up crew cab pickups. They do pretty much anything anybody ever needs a vehicle to do, and we have the space and cheap gas to support it. I happen to prefer smaller cars, but don’t hold Europeans up on some pedestal because they have that preference.
In the past I would agree with this statement. However we’ve been going through some what of a financial crisis and record high gas prices this past year and it seems to have had ZERO impact on people still buying big trucks & SUV’s. It seems like Americans have now quit giving any *ucks about even trying to be more economical and save money on fuel no matter what. Cuz ‘MURICA
Because they have learnt its only temporary. Can you imagine thinking it was a great idea to trade in your Suburban in 2008 for a Yaris because fuel got a bit pricey, I am sure there was a lot of buyers remorse going around. And believe me I live in a country where petrol got more expensive than the UK for a bit and not once did I seriously consider trading in one of our cars/SUVs for a Leaf. I knew the price would come back down. And even now when considering buying a new car, it will be a bigger car not a smaller one, I have kids, kids have friends, we have family visit and it would be really nice to have 7 seats and I refuse to drive a penalty box like an X-Trail or Outlander. So people buy what they need/can afford.
I mean, the price of used BEV and PHEV cars outpaced the rest of the market, did they not? Other than isolated incidents (the pipeline that got spywared) supply hasn’t been an issue in the US to my knowledge, just increased prices, so as much as it sucked, it’s not really a good parallel with either OPEC shock. There was also no cash for clunkers type program that is distorting the normal function of the market so not really a great recession parallel. We’ve spent the last decade getting used to longer loan terms and higher prices anyway and the supply constraints further distort things. If you need a car, cheap cars aren’t cheap, and nothing is available anyway you keep driving what you have or buy what you can swing the payment on if you like it or not
Yep. I’d love an Up! myself, but in America, the Jetta is the cheapest car VW sells.
Try driving 1,000 miles in a day at 90 mph surrounded by semis and brodozers and you won’t like small cars either.
Man, that’s 11 hours of driving a day. I’d really be thinking about a different job. Maybe one of those telework things?
Try driving 1,000 miles in a day at 90 mph
And just how often does anyone actually do this?
In real life, I mean, not just in the comment section.
I mean, 85 mph for a couple hundred miles through the desert is enough for you to start wanting a more refined highway cruiser. That’s only true if you’re doing it in a pre-2005 compact, though. Any modern compact should be more than enough.
85 mph for a couple hundred miles through the desert
in a pre-2005 compact
I can’t imagine there’s much need from the drivers covered by the second line for the scenario outlined in the first.
Even if you drive an F350 you’re not going to win again semis.
Yep, Americans hate small cars. Where I live, having an enormous car is easy as can be. No narrow city streets, and the parking lots and spaces are generally enormous. I’ve driven several big vehicles around this area over the years and never once did I think to myself, “this car is too big.” That includes the 16-foot U-Haul truck I used when I moved. Even that thing was easy to navigate on our wide roads.
That said I do have a small (by US standards) car, a Jetta Sportwagen. Love having a small car, hate how much bigger everything around me has gotten.
Not really, no…
Are those…buttons and knobs?
Perfect format for a review of a car that I really dont care much about, but will distract me from doing my actual job for a few more minutes.
Completely agree. This is a much better read than the long form stuff. T. Hundle does a fine job, but the longer articles get tedious to read no matter how much snark is mixed in. Especially when it’s about the next SUV whatever.
I take a certain amount of pride in having read every article posted on this site, regardless of topic. That being said, some are easier to read than others. This was easy & enjoyable to read, and I feel like I got all the needed info out of it.
I have stopped reading his reviews about modern SUVs, I can’t even pretend to give a fuck about what other idiots spend 50k on. You would need to hold a gun to my head to make me buy one before every last manual wagon I can get my grubby fingers on has been scrapped. Hopefully I can David Tracy a yard full of them until I die. But yeah, shorter articles aren’t a bad thing, only have so many hours to read a day.