Used 2021 Volkswagen Jetta

The Jetta’s driving dynamics continue to be refined and athletic. Other strong points include excellent interior space, good overall comfort, and reasonable pricing.

VW designed the Jetta for Americans, but it has a European feel and sophistication. While all the Jetta models have good driving manners, the sporty GLI has excellent power and driver involvement.

Potential rivals include the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, plus others like the Subaru Impreza, Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, and Mazda3.

The ingredients may not appear to add up to much: 147 horsepower from a 1.4-liter engine, plus a simple torsion-beam rear suspension. But the 2021 Jetta responds well, balancing good handling agility with the smooth ride quality of a European marque.

A 6-speed manual transmission is standard in the base S and lightly sporty R-Line Jetta models. Stick-shift aficionados will be pleased with its easy and precise action. Alternatively, the 8-speed automatic transmission works well, shifting smoothly when you’d expect and kicking down eagerly whenever you need a shot of quick acceleration.

The Jetta R-Line benefits from an XDS electronic differential, which comes from the Golf GTI and helps put the power down when the car is accelerating out of tight corners.

Then there’s the 2021 Jetta GLI, which brings 228 horsepower and a sophisticated multilink rear suspension to the regular Jetta. The GLI is quick and nimble, yet perfectly fine for everyday use. The GLI’s strong brakes come straight from the high-performance Golf R, which has been discontinued.

Both GLI trims (S and Autobahn) have the 6-speed manual transmission as standard. A 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters is optional. The Autobahn is the only Jetta GLI with adaptive suspension; it has an impressive range between comfort and sport.

With clean lines and tidy shapes, plus soft-touch plastics and mostly high-quality materials, the Jetta cabin is pleasing and ergonomically sound. Lower trims use a 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen, while higher ones have an 8-inch unit.

The Jetta S has cloth upholstery. The next three trim levels get simulated leather while the top SEL Premium gets the real thing. As well as model-specific interior elements, the Jetta GLI cars come standard with adjustable 10-color ambient lighting (also in SEL/SEL Premium trims).

Passenger space is excellent. Rear legroom nearly matches that of the Toyota Camry, and the Jetta’s trunk is only slightly smaller than that of Toyota’s midsize sedan. A rear seat that folds and splits 60/40 adds versatility.

A traditional 3-box sedan, the 2021 VW Jetta is neither a prime example of superb aerodynamics nor something that looks particularly quick. Nevertheless, we think it’s a handsome design that will wear the years well

The R-Line trim looks sporty with its unique grille and bumpers, plus black caps for the side mirrors. Both this trim and SEL Premium have fog lights, while R-Line is the point where 17-inch alloy wheels come on board.

The top Jetta, the sporty GLI, looks best. It sits lower than its siblings by half an inch, plus it has 18-inch wheels, a rear spoiler, and an eye-catching red stripe across its grille.

DIGITAL COCKPIT
This configurable driver-information display – showing road and engine speeds, plus navigation and other information – first appeared in Audi vehicles as the Virtual Cockpit, replacing traditional gauges. You can have your nav screen appear directly in front of you, and let the screen in the center stack stay dedicated to the audio system.

DCC ADAPTIVE SUSPENSION DAMPING
Adaptive suspension damping is standard on the Jetta GLI Autobahn. It constantly adjusts the compression and rebound rates of the shock absorbers to help the Jetta adapt to various road conditions and meet the desired needs of the driver. It works great, and the driving modes range from cushy soft to sporty firm.

The 2021 Volkswagen Jetta S has the 1.4-liter engine and the 6-speed manual transmission. It also has 16-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting, cloth upholstery, 4-speaker audio setup, Wi-Fi, a pair of USB-C ports, smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto/MirrorLink, Bluetooth, 6.5-inch touch screen, and AM/FM radio.

In our opinion, a smarter buy would be the SE, since it already comes with an automatic transmission while adding some driver aids like forward-collision mitigation and blind-spot monitoring. Among the other standard features are heated front seats, simulated-leather seating surfaces, keyless entry/ignition, and dual-zone automatic climate control.

The 2021 GLI versions start out with 18-inch alloy wheels, extra performance hardware to complement the bigger engine, and the full set of driver aids.

If some buyers want their new Jetta to have a dash of driver appeal without going for a full-on GLI variant, the R-Line has the electronic front differential, along with 17-inch alloy wheels.

The SEL doesn’t have the XDS diff, but it does have the Beats 8-speaker/400-watt audio system with satellite radio and a CD player.

While the Jetta S can be ordered with some driver aids, the SE and R-Line are eligible for a Cold Weather package (heated steering wheel/windshield-washer nozzles/wipers, park/rear seats), which is standard in the SEL and SEL Premium.

Jetta GLI buyers can choose summer tires (at no extra cost) and the 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. The GLI Autobahn also is available with a cosmetic Black Package.

The less sporty 2021 Jetta variants have a turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine making 147 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. With either transmission, you’ll get 40 mpg on the highway. Even better, the 1.4, though turbocharged, runs just fine on regular 87-octane gasoline.

A 6-speed manual transmission is standard in the S and R-Line trims. The others have an 8-speed automatic, which is optional in the S and R-Line.

The more performance-oriented 2021 Jetta GLI models have a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine developing 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque with regular gasoline. The GLI S employs a 6-speed manual transmission as standard; a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic is optional.

All 2021 VW Jettas have front-wheel-drive (FWD) setup. As before, those with automatic transmissions have a fuel-saving engine stop/start feature.

1.4-liter turbocharged inline-4
147 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
184 lb-ft of torque @ 1,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 30/41 mpg (manual & automatic)

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (Jetta GLI)
228 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
258 lb-ft of torque @ 1,700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/35 mpg (automatic), 24/33 mpg (manual)