2024 Volkswagen Jetta Review: Classic Competence

The compact sedan segment in the USA might have shrunk as buyers scramble to get SUVs in their driveways, but a good proportion of people would still have a sedan instead - the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla sell in their hundreds of thousands every year. The VW Jetta looks like excellent value in this class, undercutting even the sub-$22k Corolla on price, but languishes far behind in sales, with under 50,000 sold to Americans in 2023. It certainly doesn't excite the senses with its fairly anodyne styling, an unsporting demeanor, and a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing just 158 horsepower, so maybe that's part of the problem. The GLI injects some performance spice, but we review that car separately. The standard Jetta is usefully upgraded this year with a full suite of driver assists and, with a $21k base price, a new Volkswagen Jetta sedan is still stellar value if you want to forego the mainstream players for something a little more Germanic.

New for 2024

For 2024, the Jetta gets more standard equipment. The S gets a leather-trimmed steering wheel and shifter knob, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror, while the Sport gets heated front seats and a lightweight space-saver spare wheel. All IQ.Drive driver-assistance technologies are now standard across the range. This includes adaptive cruise control with semi-autonomous Travel Assist (includes steering support), blind-spot monitoring with steering assist and rear cross-traffic alert, active lane-keep assist, and front-collision alert with automatic emergency braking. The suite additionally gets Emergency Assist in automatic-transmission Jettas; this system can safely bring the car to a stop in an emergency situation and call for help. The added standard tech means that the Jetta's starting price increases by under $1,000 this year.

2024 Volkswagen Jetta Price: Which One to Buy

The price of the 2024 Volkswagen Jetta S is $21,435, followed by the Sport at $22,585, the SE at $24,875, and the SEL at $28,825. These prices are MSRP and apply to the trims in their base configurations, which is to say with the six-speed manual gearbox in the case of the two bottom trims. Adding the eight-speed automatic transmission that is standard on the top two trims to either of them will cost you an additional $800. VW's destination fee adds another $1,225 to the price of any Jetta.

The regular Jetta doesn't lend itself to sporty driving, and we'd imagine most buyers going for the automatic anyway to suit the car's laidback family-carrying personality. But if you want the manual gearbox, the Sport is the trim to have, giving you that sport differential for better traction, bigger wheels, a stealthily blacked-out exterior, and heated front seats over the base car. It's worth noting that the manual Jettas aren't sport in the way the GLI is, thus we'd avoid aiming for sporty here. So, priced halfway between the base S and the most expensive SEL, the auto-only SE is the best Jetta overall. It usefully ups the feature count by adding dual-zone climate control, leatherette upholstery, a power driver's seat, and push-button start. It's difficult to justify the SEL's price next to its low power output and compared to its formidable rivals.

Interior and Features

The cabin is neat and upscale and made from quality materials, but its design doesn’t stand out and it doesn’t break any new ground.

Last year, the Jetta's interior was updated with a smart new digital gauge cluster and more premium materials in key spots, so it's now an even more upscale and attractive cabin than before. The seventh-gen Jetta is already five years old, so the dashboard doesn't make allowance for a huge contemporary touchscreen, but the available displays are crisp and clear and mounted on the same level as the gauge cluster for optimal visibility. Thankfully, the Jetta still makes use of physical buttons on the steering wheel and not the much-criticized touch-sensitive controls on some other modern VWs. Interior space is a strong suit, and right on par with the latest Civic. The seats are supportive, but you make do with cloth, manual adjustment, and no heating at the bottom of the range. You don't slide across to get inside as you would into a crossover with a high ground clearance, but ingress is easy enough, while all-round visibility is excellent.

Space

The cabin is roomy, though headroom is obviously not up to the levels of an SUV. Still, there is a commendable amount of space all around, matching the far newer Honda Civic in almost all metrics - despite the VW's wheelbase falling short of the Japanese car's by two inches - and handily beating the Corolla. The second row has enough space for medium-sized adults, though three across is a squeeze, as it usually is in a compact sedan. The base trim lacks the other trims' rear center armrest.

Cargo

Trunk space is decent; the 14.1 cubic feet available behind the rear seats beats the Corolla sedan by one cu-ft and doesn't fall much short of the Civic and Elantra, so it's a good showing from the Jetta on this score. You can enlarge the total trunk volume by folding down the 60/40-split rear seats, but VW doesn't provide a total figure. The folded rear seats form a step in the trunk floor and don't fold completely flat. All trims except the S have a rear center armrest with a through-loading opening for accommodating long, slim items without having to fold down the seats.

In-cabin storage is no more than average. The glovebox and the lidded storage box in the center console are a bit small, but you can buy an organizing tray for the latter to make better use of the available space for $25. There are roomy door pockets front and rear, two front cupholders with a narrow storage slot next to them, a storage tray/phone rest in front of the shifter lever, and - on the top three trims only - a rear center armrest with two cupholders.

Materials and Colors

Titan Black is the predominant theme in all trims, with the seats, upper dashboard, and carpeting rendered in this color. The S gives you a Storm Gray alternative, lightening the mood significantly, because the seats, lower dash, and door panels are all covered in this lighter color. The Sport comes in Titan Black only, with white contrast stitching and piping on the seats and stainless-steel pedal caps. Both of these trims get cloth upholstery, but the SE upgrades to V-Tex leatherette in the same two color schemes as the S. Only the SEL comes with leather upholstery in Titan Black or a fetching tan Volcano Brown, but this shade is only used on the seat centers and partially on the door panels. The pillar trim and headliner are Storm Gray in all trims except the Sport with its all-black interior. Keep in mind that not all interior colors are available with all the paint colors, so check the configurator for your desired combination. From this year, all Jettas come with genuine leather on the steering wheel and shifter knob.

Features and Infotainment

As the price leader, the S comes with the fewest features, which is to say cloth upholstery and manual adjustment for the regular air-conditioning and unheated front seats. However, it gains leather on the manually adjustable tilting/telescoping steering wheel and shifter knob this year, and an eight-inch digital gauge cluster is standard. You have to move up through the trims for additional features such as ventilated and/or heated front seats, heated rear seats, a power driver's seat, leatherette upholstery, push-button start, a larger digital gauge cluster, and dual-zone climate control. Options are limited mostly to a few accessories, but the SE offers a bit of flexibility with an optional power panoramic sunroof (standard on the SEL).

The lower three trims share the same infotainment system with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, subscription-dependent Wi-Fi capability, two front USB ports, App-Connect smartphone integration, Bluetooth with audio streaming, Car-Net-powered myVW connected services, and a sound system with only four speakers. From the SE, you get two rear-cabin USB ports as well. In the SEL, the system is upgraded to an eight-inch touchscreen with a proximity sensor, navigation, SiriusXM, HD Radio, voice control, a wireless charging pad, and a Beats audio system with nine speakers, including a subwoofer. The SEL also gets a larger configurable 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster.

Performance

Ride and handling are competent if unremarkable, and a number of rivals now outshine the Jetta on this score.

The only engine available in the Volkswagen Jetta (excluding the GLI) is a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder with 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. That's not a lot, but the unit is fairly eager and produces its torque over a wide rev band. Front-wheel drive is the only drivetrain configuration, but you get a choice between a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission in the S and Sport; the SE and SEL get the auto only. The Sport benefits from extra traction thanks to an XDS Cross Differential System. The Japanese Aisin-sourced eight-speed auto isn't a sports transmission and unlike what you'd expect, the Volkswagen Jetta's 0-60 time isn't actually any faster with it. In either case, the Jetta should get you to 60 in the mid-seven-second range. In all Jettas, top speed is limited to around 125 mph.

The Jetta is mostly pleasant to pilot, but it does nothing exceptionally well - and comes with a few flaws. Power delivery and step-off response aren't always smooth and predictable, but the refined four-pot pulls well enough once underway. It has to be worked hard to perform, with only 158 hp on tap. Ride and handling are mostly pleasing, with the Jetta being quiet and composed enough on decent roads. Push on, though, and the steering is too lifeless, the body control too loose, and the suspension occasionally choppy, especially at the rear. The Sport tries to inject some sportiness with its trick front diff, but it adds little to the fun and the message is clear - if you want verve, go for the GLI, because you won't find much in a standard Jetta. The latest Civic has now put miles between itself and the Jetta when it comes to driving pleasure.

Fuel Efficiency

The little turbocharged and direct-injected four-pot does work sparingly with fuel, though, blessing the Jetta with good gas mileage. Interestingly, the manual loses out nothing to the automatic, according to the EPA, with the Volkswagen Jetta's mpg figures for the city/highway/combined cycles being 29/42/34 mpg in manual guise and 30/41/34 mpg for the auto in base S form. In the Sport, SE, and SEL with the larger wheels, the automatic is slightly thirstier at 29/40/33 mpg. For comparison, the Civic 1.5 turbo and naturally aspirated 2.0 Corolla return 34 and 35 mpg, respectively, in automatic form.

With a fuel capacity of 13.2 gallons, a Jetta should give you a range of between 435 and 449 miles on a full tank.

Safety

Crash safety doesn’t lead the class, but the standard new IQ.Drive suite adresses the Jetta’s former shortcomings on the driver-assist front.

In the NHTSA's safety review of the Volkswagen Jetta, the agency gave it five stars overall, but the frontal crash and rollover test garnered four stars each. The IIHS's test results were mixed as well, with mostly Good scores, but the latest updated moderate overlap front and side tests were scored Poor and Acceptable, respectively. The headlights were rated Poor in the base trims, and even the upgraded LED-projector headlights of the SEL could score no better than Marginal.

Avoiding an accident is much easier this year, thanks to VW's IQ.Drive driver-assistance suite now being standard equipment on all Jetta trims. The suite's features include front-collision alert with pedestrian/cyclist detection and automatic emergency braking, Travel Assist that combines the abilities of the adaptive cruise control and active lane-keep assist to semi-autonomously drive the vehicle, blind-spot monitoring with steering assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. The suite additionally gains Emergency Assist in Jettas with the automatic transmission, which can safely bring the car to a stop in emergencies and call for help. Additional driver assists include an auto-dimming rearview mirror and rain-sensing wipers. Only the upgraded LED-projector headlights of the SEL come with automatic high beams.

US NHTSA Crash Test Result

Reliability

The Volkswagen Jetta's reliability is generally good, with JD Power giving it a score of 81 out of 100 for Quality & Reliability. More good news is that neither the 2024 nor the 2023 Jetta has been recalled. The last recall on record is for the 2022 Jetta for a non-displaying backup camera.

In terms of warranty cover, the 2024 Volkswagen Jetta comes with four years/50,000 miles of coverage for both its limited and powertrain warranties, plus complimentary servicing for two years/20,000 miles.

Warranty

Design

The Jetta won't stand out in the parking lot, with its demure, nondescript styling, but it cannot be accused of being ugly, and the sharp body creases and businesslike countenance are appropriate for a compact European sedan with semi-premium aspirations. The S runs on 16-inch alloys, but all the other trims get 17s (optional on the S). The Sport gets blacked-out exterior trim and shares its grille light bar and subtly reprofiled sports bumpers with the SEL. The SEL is the only trim to get upgraded LED-projector headlights with signature LED DRLs and a power panoramic sunroof, but the latter is optional on the SE.

Verdict: Is The 2024 Volkswagen Jetta A Good Car?

In its five years on the market, the latest-gen VW Jetta has slid down the class rankings and rivals such as the Honda Civic and Mazda 3 offer better overall packages than the aging German. There's nothing much wrong with the Jetta and it does a decent job in terms of general driving dynamics, fuel economy, and equipment levels, but decent isn't good enough in a shrinking market segment. Its performance is sedate for the class and crash safety is no longer at the cutting edge. It becomes increasingly difficult to recommend the Jetta among a rash of strong rivals.