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The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2010 Volkswagen Jetta

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta

Overview

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2010 Volkswagen Jetta Review

By KBB.com Editors

A cut above the generic four-door sedan, the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta borrows mechanical components from the upscale Audi division, provides an exceptionally strong safety rating and a list of standard and optional equipment rarely found in this class. With slightly less rear-seat legroom than the more expensive Passat, the Jetta still provides the kind of "big car" feel you won't find in many of its competitors. On the downside, the Jetta does not offer a V6 engine – although the sporty Wolfsburg model's turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant delivers the power of a V6 with the fuel economy of a frugal four. The really big news, however, is the availability of a 50-state compliant TDI clean diesel engine, which can achieve upwards of 42 miles per gallon in highway driving.

You'll Like This Car If...

If you're looking for a sedan with European ride and handling capabilities, the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta offers German engineering at an attractive price.

You May Not Like This Car If...

If you're looking for that "old-school" VW look and feel, the fifth-generation Jetta's styling doesn't convey the same sense of youthful enthusiasm as its predecessors. Although improving, VW's reliability and repair history still lag behind its Japanese competitors.

What's New for 2010

The 2010 Jetta receives a revised interior, including a new instrument cluster, air conditioning control panel and steering wheel. SE, SEL and TDI trims all acquire standard Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and premium audio upgrade. The sporty GLI has been discontinued.

Driving the Jetta

Driving Impressions The 2010 Volkswagen Jetta provides good handling, a competent and quiet ride and some of the best seats for long distance driving we've experienced. While the 2.5-liter five cylinder doesn't...

make the Jetta the fastest car in its class, it's now fast enough to nose its way past the pack when it has to. The five-cylinder is bit buzzy at times, and its flat torque curve does little to inspire daring passing maneuvers. At highway speeds the Jetta remains composed and stable, but if your favorite leg of any journey is the twisty one, the Jetta delivers ample cornering ability complemented by quick, smooth manual Tiptronic downshifts and a satisfying exhaust note. If you can swing the extra cash, go for the Wolfsburg Edition. It offers the same 2.0-liter turbocharged engine used in the GTI, giving great performance and, depending on your transmission choice, identical or better fuel economy as the non-turbo 2.5.

Favorite Features

Six-Speed Tiptronic Transmission
The newest VW transmission shifts quickly and smoothly in three distinct shift modes – regular and sport automatic modes, plus a manual mode.

Rear Seat Side-Impact Airbags
When combined with the standard side-curtain airbags, this option adds another level of security for rear-seat passengers.

2010 Volkswagen Jetta Details

Interior

While rear-seat passengers won't sit with their knees at their chins (a position well known to passengers of previous Jetta models), there is still not as much rear seat leg room as found in the similarly priced Mazda MAZDA6. To be fair, the Jetta competes with the likes of the Honda Civic and Mazda MAZDA3, which offer roughly the same interior dimensions. Fit and finish is first rate, as are overall ergonomics. A height-adjustable passenger seat with manual lumbar support, a rarity on so many vehicles, is standard on the Jetta, as are heated front seats. Volkswagen's familiar red and blue dash lighting still delights the eye, and at night every switch, knob or button seen during the day is backlit for your convenience. The 60/40 rear seats can be folded flat and, on SE, SEL and TDI trims, include a center armrest trunk pass through. Other cool features unique to the Jetta are power windows with pinch protection that can be raised or lowered when the key is turned and held in the door lock.

Exterior

Ironically, the newest version of the best-selling European car in the U.S. features several styling elements seemingly imported from Japan, and oddly fails to receive the sleek new front end provided to the Jetta Sport Wagon and Golf. This model marks the largest Jetta to date, touting seven additional inches over the last generation. It also ranks high in content, offering such useful cold weather features as heated side mirrors and washer nozzles. Whether you find the less-playful styling more appealing may depend on whether you think of the Jetta as a fun beach cruiser or a high-value German sedan.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

The 2010 Volkswagen Jetta comes with an AM/FM stereo with MP3-compatible CD player, one-touch up/down power windows, power mirrors, cruise control, manual climate control, outside temperature display, heated front seats and washer nozzles, four-way adjustable steering column and eight-way adjustable cloth front seats with manual lumbar support and power recline (driver's seat only). Standard safety equipment includes electronic traction and stability control, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes (ABS), active head restraints and front side-impact and full-length side-curtain airbags.

Optional Equipment

Optional equipment on the Jetta varies by trim and includes leather or V-Tex leatherette seating, power-adjustable driver's and passenger's seats, in-dash AM/FM stereo with MP3-compatible six-disc CD changer, iPod interface, rear seat side-impact airbags, a 115-volt outlet (SEL and TDI) and a trip computer. Additional options include a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission (standard on SEL), six-speed DSG automatic (TDI and Wolfsburg), power sunroof, premium sound system, navigation, alloy wheels, SIRIUS Satellite Radio and 12-way adjustable front seats with driver's memory.

Under the Hood

Volkswagen offers three engine choices for the Jetta: a 2.5-liter in-line five cylinder, a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder and a 2.0-liter turbodiesel. The recently-improved 2.5-liter is good for 170 horsepower, which is on par with most of the cars in its class. The long throws and sloppy feel of the standard five-speed manual transmission, however, is a bit of a disappointment, especially coming from a company known for its enthusiast-oriented cars. Best stick with the Tiptronic automatic with this engine. Also available is the new 2.0-liter TDI turbodiesel, which offers less horsepower but an amazing 236 pound-feet of torque, the power you need for rapid acceleration. The TDI diesel and turbocharged Wolfsburg Edition trims also gets a vastly better six-speed manual gear box or the option of the wonderfully quick DSG auto manual transmission.

2.5-liter in-line 5
170 horsepower @ 5700 rpm
177 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4250 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/30 (manual), 23/30 (automatic)

2.0-liter in-line 4, turbocharged
200 horsepower @ 5100 rpm
207 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/31 (manual), 24/32 (automatic)

2.0-liter in-line 4 diesel, turbocharged
140 horsepower @ 4000 rpm
236 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1750-2500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 30/41 (manual), 30/42 (automatic)

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2010 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.7

Out of 10

Based on 897 Ratings for the 2005 - 2010 models.

Review this car

Value

8.9/10

Quality

8.9/10
Reliability

8.9/10

Performance

9.1/10
Comfort

8.9/10

Styling

9.1/10

I love my car.

By Anne (TN) on Thursday, June 06, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 84,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Great price, great fun to drive"

Cons: "small amount of road noise"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Just bought this car and logged on to see how I did compared to the bluebook value. Happy to see that I paid a fair price for it and I can't say enough about how great this car is. Everyone I talk to that has owned one has been happy as well and claims they never had any major issues out of theirs. I am hopeful that this will be the case. So far it drives smooth is comfortable and the air is great. We have even used the heated seats with the air to sooth our backs which I never did in our other car I only used them when it was cold but it's pretty helpful. I can't believe the trunk space, it is huge for such a small car. The only thing I noticed is that there is a little more road noise then I expected but I am okay with it. This car makes me smile."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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I love my car.

By Anne (TN) on Thursday, June 06, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 84,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Great price, great fun to drive"

Cons: "small amount of road noise"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Great car, smooth & solid, but a few hiccups

By bill5115 (VA) on Friday, May 31, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 35,500

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 8/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"I've had my Jetta TDI Sportwagen (6 speed manual) for just 3 years. At the beginning there was an issue with the fuel system but it seems to have worked itself out until this week. Fortunately I had bought the extended warranty. Occasionally the turbo will quit and I have to turn off the engine for it to re-set. Otherwise this is a great vehicle - fun to drive, solid, good performance and economy. It's peppy and not a diesel dog."

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love this car very roomy and enjoyable to drive

By pumpkin (FL) on Tuesday, May 28, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 92,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "drives smooth , drives fast, good on gas"

Cons: "replaced a belt on the car"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"love this car bought it used and i havent had any serious problems out of this car but i just had to replace the tension belt"

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love this car very roomy and enjoyable to drive

By pumpkin (FL) on Tuesday, May 28, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 92,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "drives smooth , drives fast, good on gas"

Cons: "replaced a belt on the car"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"love this car bought it used and i havent had any serious problems out of this car but i just had to replace the tension belt"

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best for price, safe and reliable

By mjb (MA) on Thursday, May 16, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 50,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 8/10

Pros: "fun to drive,,,,,,very strong body.......handling"

Cons: "small back leg area, no awd, all else terrific-"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"rear seat room is slighly small, excellant in snow, not a single repair at 50 thou miles-now needs 700$ brake job- not even tune up mileage is 20/30 on the dot safety tops, except the new [20013] small frontal crash test [only volvo 60/suburu forester new, pass] may keep but only change if i can not get vw that passes the new IIHS crash test end of this year important to get 2008 model jetta 2.5 =only, best ever made"

3 people out of 5 found this review helpful

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See all 897 reviews