Vehicle Overview
The Jetta is Volkswagen’s entrant in the compact-car segment. Available with a gas or diesel engine, the five-seat Jetta is offered in sedan and wagon body styles. Competitors include the Honda Civic, Mazda3 and Ford Focus.
A Jetta Hybrid is also offered; it’s covered separately in the Cars.com Research section.
(Skip to details on the: GLI)
New for 2014
A new 170-horsepower, turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine replaces the 2.5-liter inline-five-cylinder in the Jetta lineup, and all gas engines can now run on E15 fuel. The car’s semi-independent rear suspension has also been replaced with a more sophisticated multilink independent rear suspension. Upper trim levels gain a backup camera.
Volkswagen’s Car-Net communication system is also available for the Jetta. It includes services like roadside assistance, crash notification and stolen vehicle location assistance as well as boundary and speed alerts, a vehicle health report and an enhanced point-of-interest service for vehicles with navigation. All Car-Net features can also be administered by a smartphone app.
Exterior Highlights
- Standard 15-inch steel wheels
- Standard power-operated heated side mirrors
- Available 16- or 17-inch wheels
- Available body-colored side mirrors with turn-signal indicators
- Available moonroof and fog lights
Interior Highlights
- Seats up to five
- 60/40-split backseat folds to expand 15.5-cubic-foot trunk
- Available simulated leather upholstery
- Available cruise control
- Available center console storage
- Available center armrest for backseat passengers
- Available heated front seats
- Available Bluetooth connectivity
- Available iPod connectivity and satellite radio
Under the Hood
- Base 115-hp, 2.0-liter gas four-cylinder engine
- Available 170-hp, turbocharged 1.8-liter gas four-cylinder
- TDI diesel’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes 140 hp
- Manual or automatic transmission
Safety Features
- Antilock brakes
- Electronic stability system
- Side-impact airbags for the front seats
- Side curtain airbags for both rows
- Active front head restraints
GLI
True to the GLI moniker’s heritage, the Jetta’s up-level trim packs higher performance and premium features. Under the hood is the automaker’s turbocharged 2.0-liter gas four-cylinder, which makes 210 hp. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic optional.
- 30th anniversary edition available late in the 2014 model year
- Exterior cues include a honeycomb grille, vertical fog lamps, smoked taillights and dual exhaust tips
- Standard 17-inch alloy wheels; 18-inch alloys optional
- Sport-tuned four-wheel independent suspension
- Launch control system is included on GLIs with the dual-clutch transmission
- Bolstered sport seats
- Flat-bottom steering wheel
- Touch-screen stereo
- Available dual-zone automatic climate control
- Available heated simulated leather upholstery
- Available Fender premium stereo
