2011 Volkswagen Jetta Review

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Review

After years of poorly made products and an indifferent dealer network, Volkswagen is struggling to re-establish itself as the maker of fun, value-conscious vehicles in the face of so much emotional baggage. It’s doubly embarrassing since corporate sister Audi has swung back so positively into buyer minds with stylish, must-have products that are mostly sterile to drive.

VW’s plan is to have North American-only products that are better focused on our wants and needs, which is what led the company to build a new manufacturing facility in the United States. The plant in Tennessee will eventually crank out a new Passat model, designed specifically for our market with a larger overall size and a lower base price.

NEW JETTA IS UP IN SIZE, DOWN IN REFINEMENT

But another offering in that plan is at your local dealer right now: the larger, roomier, and cheaper 2011 Jetta. Those are not usually words that find themselves in the same sentence when dealing with a new vehicle, but the company’s goal was to get back to its People’s Car history.

Here are the basics. The new Jetta is three inches longer than before, which also stretches the wheelbase for a larger cabin. That makes it one of the largest vehicles in its class, and helps contribute to a 2.7-inch increase for rear-passenger legroom, something that was already adequate. The big tail hides the class-leading 15.5 cu-ft trunk, which gets significantly larger when the 60/40-split rear seat is folded down.

Standard equipment is halfway decent too, with air conditioning, power one-touch windows, keyless entry, a touch-screen audio system, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, six airbags, ABS, traction- and stability control. Throw in a base price that’s a fiver under $16K – easily Volkswagen’s least-expensive vehicle and $2,000 less than the cheapest Golf hatch – and this starts to look like a real bargain.