NEW JETTA IS UP IN SIZE, DOWN IN REFINEMENT
But another offering in that plan is at your local dealer right now: the larger, roomier, and cheaper 2011 Jetta. Those are not usually words that find themselves in the same sentence when dealing with a new vehicle, but the company’s goal was to get back to its People’s Car history.
Here are the basics. The new Jetta is three inches longer than before, which also stretches the wheelbase for a larger cabin. That makes it one of the largest vehicles in its class, and helps contribute to a 2.7-inch increase for rear-passenger legroom, something that was already adequate. The big tail hides the class-leading 15.5 cu-ft trunk, which gets significantly larger when the 60/40-split rear seat is folded down.
Standard equipment is halfway decent too, with air conditioning, power one-touch windows, keyless entry, a touch-screen audio system, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, six airbags, ABS, traction- and stability control. Throw in a base price that’s a fiver under $16K – easily Volkswagen’s least-expensive vehicle and $2,000 less than the cheapest Golf hatch – and this starts to look like a real bargain.
