drivetofive

Odometer (Legend):  531,532

Odometer (ILX):  96,329

“Jetta” is a nameplate that’s carries a long history.  Since the 1980 model year, the Jetta has made a name for itself as the best selling Volkswagen in the United States.  Now in its 6th generation, the Jetta is undergoing what VW calls an “evolutionary refresh” for the 2015 model year.  I was invited as part of the Phoenix Automotive Press Association (PAPA) to attend a special ride & drive program at the Phoenix Art Museum on Tuesday evening.

First Generation Jetta

Sixth Generation Jetta

When I think of “diesel,” my ears automatically start hearing the characteristic loud idle of my younger brother’s Ford F-250 PowerStroke pickup.  It’s the kind of idle you have to raise your voice to speak over.  But this Jetta TDI?  Refined, quiet, and if it weren’t for the low-RPM tachometer and the characteristic diesel torquey driving demeanor, I would have not even guessed it was powered by diesel fuel.  In short:  46 miles per gallon and still enough power to be fun to drive?  This Jetta made me seriously rethink my perception of the VW brand.

Volkswagen representative Megan Garbis flew in from the company’s training facility in Herndon, Virginia and shared a few slides that captured the highlights of the newly-improved Jetta.  The Jetta is made in Puebla, Mexico where VW has had production operations for over 47 years.  I’ll share just a few standout points and driving impressions.

I like how they’ve started offering ‘upscale’ features to be purchased a la carte as opposed to grouping them with packages.  HID headlights with LED treatment, for example, can be added to even the lower trim levels of the Jetta.  The base model, by the way, starts at $16,215.  Aside from that, there are some new features that are firsts for this class of vehicle – like an active radiator shutter that closes automatically at a certain speed to reduce wind drag.

There are a total of 5 engines available on the Jetta, but the clear pick for me would be the 2 liter diesel TDI.  Volkswagen says that adoption of diesel-powered vehicles is on the rise in the U.S., with TDI sales roughly at 28% of overall sales from the VW family of vehicles.  Some may overlook the Jetta TDI based on the fact that it only has 150 horsepower.  But, as Megan stated, “People buy horsepower, but they drive torque.”  Consider the fact that my ILX has 201 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque.  The Jetta has 150 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque.  This translates into a driving experience that I described to my friend Kyle during our test drive as “grabby.”  The TDI shoots off like a rocket as soon as it hits about 2,000 RPM.  I found the 6-speed gearbox fun to drive.

Equipped as a mid-$20’s car, too, the Jetta brings a lot of refinement.  The doors close with a solid ‘thud.’  Fit and finish was good everywhere except the door panels, which had hard plastic materials up top.  The glossy piano black trim finish that surrounds the radio is a nice touch, and there are matching trim pieces on the steering wheel (which, by the way, is carried over from the famous “hot-hatch” Golf GTI model).

The Jetta is a serious contender in this very competitive segment, and I’d encourage anyone looking for great MPG and plenty of optioning choices to give it a very close look.  I thank the Volkswagen team for hosting me at the conference and for the chance to take the new Jetta for a spin!  I left a little tread on the tires for you.

This entry was posted on September 18, 2014 at 6:42 am and is filed under Vehicle Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.