2011 Volkswagen Jetta
It used to be that the Volkswagen Jetta was classified as a four-cylinder compact car to rival against competitors such as the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, and the Ford Focus. Now that the Jetta has been redesigned inside and out for 2011, it has “grown-up” so to speak, and Volkswagen came up with this crazy idea to make the very first car in its class to have such must-have amenities like leather seats, Bluetooth, and iPod compatibility for around a $20,000 starting price. Sure, you can call this crazy, but it is true; just ask Volkswagen.
Let us start from the top; you have a stripped down 2011 Volkswagen Jetta with your basic features such as cloth seats, an AUX port for your iPod, no sunroof, steel wheels with hubcaps, power windows and door locks, with an AM/FM radio for $15,995. Why doesn’t a Honda Civic have all those options? Why doesn’t a Toyota Corolla have all those options? Because they are not 2011 Volkswagen Jettas. The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta has a bigger body, but it is still considered a “compact” car to compete with said Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, but the Jetta is a lot roomier than the two cars because of the extended back.
The Volkswagen Jetta (SE/SEL) also has the leading horsepower in its class; it has a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder with 170 horsepower at 5700 rpm, and 177 lb-ft. of torque at just 4250 rpm; try that on a Civic or Corolla. Of course, the Jetta S’ 115-horsepower engine would not be able to catch up to the Japanese. The Jetta comes in two transmission modes: A standard 5-speed manual and an optional 6-speed Tiptronic automatic (sorry, no paddle-shifters). Now, you might be asking the ultimate question: “Where is that 2.0T engine we’ve been dying to hear about?” Don’t worry; I have asked that question myself; and according to my sources from the dealers, there has been no word from either them or Volkswagen themselves, but we might be able to see one coming in soon sometime in the summer or fall of this year with an updated 2.0-liter TFSI Jetta.
Now, how did the new Jetta drive? You know what? It is actually pretty peppy for a car this size; it’s bigger than a Civic, but smaller than a Honda Accord. It may not have the DSG’s “oomph” to back up the performance, but the 170 horsepower surely is sufficient. With a sporty suspension made of struts in the front and a twist beam in the rear and coil springs, you will not have a problem attempting to handle those windy curves going up to Big Bear Mountain. Gas mileage is pretty good at around 24 miles per gallon in the city, and 35 miles per gallon on the highway.
Drawbacks on an all-new car? The Bluetooth feature is still something that someone needs to get used to, and the cruise control button has not been moved to a different position; it is still positioned close to where the left and right blinker stalk is. Also, most of you might or might not know that the “leather seats” on the SE trim is not 100% leather; the SEL’s leather seats are 100% comfortable. Between the SE and SEL trim, the price range is about a $2500-$3000 difference; so if I were you, I would go for the SEL if you want to get the real thing.
