The Volkswagen Jetta: Perfectenshlag

It was the best thing to have reviewed three cars fighting it out for the segment supremacy back to back. This week, it was time for the Volkswagen Jetta to show its hand, and trust me, once the cards are dealt. It’s a flush for the Jetta, as the other two simply don’t give you that feeling. Now there is a price difference when you are looking to go for the German compact Sedan, but does it justify the jump? Let’s find out.

Now I had the privilege of getting behind the wheel of the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta Highline model, which means it was just one model shy of the top-end one. Now let’s get the basic numbers out of the way; the Volkswagen Jetta packs 147 horsepower and a nice 184 pound-feet of torque that propels this car way beyond the Elantra's reach. This means the car is well equipped to fight for the title of the best compact sedan. The torque figure is the same as the Volkswagen Passat, and this one, being lighter, will fly off when you put your foot down. Those numbers come with a surprising 1.4-litre engine on the Volkswagen Jetta, which means an amazing fuel economy.

But let me tell you something, the Volkswagen Jetta is more than just the numbers, the car might not have the class apart interiors like the Mazda 3, neither does it boast a tech like the Elantra, but the Volkswagen Jetta does have all the necessary functions, and it does perform them pretty well.

The interior, I love how it is so driver-centric; I mean, it feels like a mini-cockpit with the screen and controls tilted towards the driver, making the person behind the wheel feel like the captain. The gauge clusters are neat and have a nice digital display between the rev gauge and the speedometer. The build quality, in general, feels superior to the competitors', and the interior carries that forward. The buttons and controls feel premium, with the piano black splashed in some places. Though this also means fingerprints, but that can be managed. The sunroof is bigger than the competitors', and the seats are comfortable; they feel nice and plush and come with heating. 

The Volkswagen Jetta’s exterior look is a treat too; the front end of the car is not as aggressive as the Mazda 3, but it is definitely not something that will go unnoticed. The car looks muscular, firm, and planted compared to its competitors. According to me, the rear end of the car is the best in the competition, and overall, all the lines and the curves on this car are pretty good. Volkswagen Jetta is a compact sedan, but the car is designed in such a way that it looks bigger.

By far, this car gives me the maximum confidence to have some fun; it does not have a fancy mode selector like the Elantra with the graphic changes and the drama. Neither does it have a cool toggle switch like the Mazda 3, but push the gear lever down to S, and you know this car is ready to jump, and before you know it, you will be beyond the speed limit. And the scary part is, you will want to be there all the time if you are in Sports mode. You also have the manual mode, where you can shift the gears rally-style, but the shifts aren’t snappy or quick, and the delay might annoy you. I suggest letting the sport mode do its job; the car behaves exactly as you want it to. The handling of the car is precise and firm; there is some body roll, which is the feeling of being thrown to the side when you turn. But it is not as much as in the competitors; this does not reduce your confidence in the Volkswagen Jetta at a higher speed; the car feels planted to the road and will hold you. The steering is amazing. I was delighted with the steering on the Elantra, but this one is just bang on. Call me biased to Volkswagen, but I have a Volkswagen Passat, which is a bigger and considerably more expensive option than the Volkswagen Jetta. Still, this thing has a better steering wheel; the response is amazing without compromising comfort.

Space and usability, as mentioned, this car has the biggest sunroof, but the back seat legroom is something that I could just not get on board with. It is not the worst, but in the Volkswagen Jetta and the Mazda 3, the backseat legroom is just too cramped. In this aspect, the Elantra does a good job with the back seats. The trunk space is good and can hold your bags for airport trips. One more thing that makes this car fun to drive and great in everyday usability is the speakers. The Volkswagen Jetta comes with speakers that can hold on to the sound quality at a higher volume without cracking or compromising the sound’s clarity. This makes the Volkswagen Jetta an amazing car to drive around daily as along with all the offerings mentioned above of the car; this just makes it a nice package.

Final Verdict, be it pre-owned or brand new, the Volkswagen Jetta does come with a premium price tag compared to the competitors, but if you ask me, I will spend the extra money for this little German pony. The car looks as good as it drives, and gives you the confidence you need. I would give the car 4 MODS; this is only because the backseat legroom is less, and the exhaust sound isn’t as exciting as the drive in the Volkswagen Jetta is, otherwise, as our friend Mr. Dwight Schrute would say, this car is Perfectenshlag.