2011 Volkswagen Jetta First Drive Review

2011 Volkswagen Jetta - First Drive

VW has lowered the price of its legendary compact sedan, but had to give up some of the car's 'German-ness' to do so.

After years of trying to get its compact sedan to dress the part, Volkswagen has finally managed to naturalize the Jetta. The German 4-door now wears a suit that's bound to strike a chord with the notoriously conservative American masses, and carries a price tag that car buyers will find much more appealing, thanks to a slew of cost-saving tricks. But those changes come with a price all their own.

Volkswagen has ditched the old flashy chrome grille in favor of a more subdued front fascia. The look ties the car to the sportier and handsomer Golf while making the Jetta appear more mature.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Engine Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Interior Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

Model Lineup
Volkswagen is offering the 2011 Jetta in four trim levels, from bare-bones to dressed-to-the-nines. Eventually a fifth model, the performance-oriented GLI, will join them on showroom floors. Things get started at S trim, featuring 15-inch wheels and not much else; cloth seats and soul-crushing hard plastic dominate the cabin. Fortunately, stepping up to SE trim takes care of a few of those issues. Stylish 16-inch rollers take the place of the smaller 15-inch wheels, and leatherette seating surfaces show up inside. The interior also receives a small dress-up package in the form of chrome accents around the climate-control knobs.

You can also adorn your Jetta SE with a convenience package that throws in amenities such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a more civilized 6-speaker sound system, though we would be just as likely to opt for the SEL trim. This next step up throws in all of the goodies found in the SE convenience package, but adds hardware such as a fog lights, 17-inch wheels, keyless entry and a navigation system.

At the top of the lineup is the TDI. It's basically a Jetta SE with disc brakes on all four corners and an uberefficient diesel engine.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Interior Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Pictures

Under the Hood
Volkswagen has added a new engine to the Jetta lineup for next year. Starting in 2011, you can get your sedan with a 2.0-liter 115-horsepower 4-cylinder engine that produces around 125 lb-ft of torque. The new engine is part of the company's plan to lower the price tag, and it comes bolted to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic. While the Environmental Protection Agency hasn't issued fuel-economy figures for the new engine yet, Volkswagen promises somewhere around 24 mpg city/34 mpg highway.

If the little 2.0-liter doesn't serve up quite enough punch for you, Volkswagen is also offering the same 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine found in the previous generation. For next year, buyers will have the choice of the same two gearboxes offered with the 4-cylinder engine. Either way, they can expect the 2.5-liter to churn out a more respectable 170 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque, all while returning just 1 mpg worse on the highway.

The company's endearing 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel engine will also make a return for 2011. It produces 140 horsepower and a ridiculous 236 lb-ft of torque, making it feel significantly larger than its diminutive displacement would suggest. Expect to see around 30 mpg city/42 mpg highway when equipped with either the 6-speed manual or 6-speed direct-shift gearbox.