The standard Jetta S comes with a surprising amount of standard technology, for the price. A 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo gas engine offers 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque paired with a six-speed manual transmission. An eight-speed automatic is a roughly $800 option.
LED headlights and taillights are standard, along with 16-inch wheels, blind-spot warnings, forward collision warnings, and autonomous emergency braking assistance. Volkswagen even throws in heated side mirrors. Inside, there’s Volkswagen’s Digital Cockpit, replacing traditional gauges with an 8-inch display, while the infotainment system — albeit with a fairly small 6.5-inch touchscreen — supports wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Finally, you get air conditioning, cruise control, and sturdy cloth seating surfaces, together with an alarm, engine immobilizer, and tire pressure monitoring system. That’s not bad at all for the price, but the Jetta Sport trim does make some changes worth considering.
