Her + His Car Reviews
2017 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4T SE
There are two sides to everything, right? To keep our car reviews innovative and interesting, we provide an animated, insightful, detailed and sometimes uncouth two points of view on the same car from - Her + His perspectives.
Her: Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate, women-drivers.com
His: Don Hammonds, Writer, AutomobileJournal.com
| HER | HIS |
|---|---|
| Price | |
| $22,815 | Base price is $21,995; price as tested is $22,815 |
| Performance | |
| The 17' four door Jetta 1.4 weighing in at 2,939 lbs gets good marks for handling and responsiveness. Its got peppiness and go with the TSI turbocharged 4 cylinder which is smooth driving and delivers independent suspension. 150 horse and direct fuel injection. Braking was responsive and reflexes were strong. | With its 1.4 liter, 150 horsepower, TSI turbocharged four cylinder with direct fuel injection, the Jetta honest-to-goodness feels like a cool sports sedan on the cheap. It just flies down the street and scoots around corners, and at the price, you really cannot eat it. And steering--sweet, accurate, correction free, and just a ball of fun to use. The whole car offers way more sportiness and fun than the average car in its class. |
| Fuel Economy | |
| 32 mpg overall, 28 city and 38 highway. Outstanding in its class. | 32 miles per gallon overall, 28 city and 38 highway. It only uses 3.1 gallons of gas to go 100 miles! Phenomenal. You save $1,250 in fuel costs over five years compared to the average new vehicle. Annual fuel cost is a modest $1,150 a year, based on 15,000 miles of driving for five years with $2.45 a gallon gasoline. |
| The Car | |
| From the outside in, this is a strong value choice. Propped up on 16" alloy wheels with all season tires, the 2017 Jetta is attractive, though not a standout. Nothing about the exterior is; that's intentional and a marketable point. Its quite roomy on the inside- especially the back seat. At 22K, if your single or have a family, this vehicle will afford value. The dash is clean - tech and safety features and visible and relatable. More on that below. VW did discontinue the hybrid this year, where mileage was extended up to 37mpg Moonroof included. Heated seats, including adjustable steering wheel. Heated front nozzles, and heated side mirrors - both quite helpful in the frigid winter. One aspect to pay attention to are reliability scores which continue to drop below average. |
Do not, I repeat, do not buy a compact or subcompact car without test driving the Volkswagen Jetta. Yes it is that good! It's roomier than similar cars in its class, fit and finish is dynamite, it's got a good looking interior, and you will almost never have as much fun behind the wheel in a car this size--only the Mazda3 matches it as far as I am concerned. For 2017, VW upped the ante a little bit A rearview camera is now standard on all models. At last, there's an updated infotainment system that is worthy of the car itself. And, a USB connection. About time. |
| Safety | |
| Airbags include front and side supplemental for Driver & Front passenger. Side curtain protective airbags. LATCH. Electronic Stability Control. Intelligent Crash Response System. Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Rearview Camera, Blind spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert is an especially nice addition. Anti-Lock Braking System with Disc Brakes. | Electronic stability control, a intelligent crash response system, tire pressure monitor, the usual gaggle of airbags and belts, anti lock brakes...the usual. |
| Technology | |
| Rearview Camera, Blind spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert is an especially nice addition. Keyless access with push button start. 6.3' touchscreen AM_FM_HD_Radio and CD Player with USB and AuxIn. Decent 4 speaker sound system. Bluetooth hands free telephone connectivity. Sirius Radio Limited Subscription. Cruise Control. Love the VW Car-Net Equipped which interfaces connected integration services like smartphone, security and emergency services. Brought up right onto your navigation screen. |
Standard on the S are 16-inch steel wheels, LED daytime running lights, fog lights, air-conditioning, full power accessories, keyless entry, heated side mirrors, cruise control, cloth upholstery, a height-adjustable driver seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 60/40-split rear seats, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and a four-speaker sound system with a 5-inch touchscreen interface, a CD player, a USB port, and an auxiliary audio jack. An optional Cold Weather package adds heated front seats and windshield washer nozzles. Sixteen-inch cast aluminum wheels are also optional. The Jetta SE includes features as above (minus the foglights), plus 16-inch cast aluminum wheels, a sunroof, keyless entry and ignition, heated washer nozzles, synthetic leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, heated front seats, a rear seat pass-through, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a 6.3-inch touchscreen interface, satellite and HD radio, and Volkswagen's Car-Net App-Connect connected services. |
| Aesthetics & Styling | |
| While the 2017 Jetta has an overall look and appeal to all, we would love to see it re-designed and face lifted. The Jetta has a blandness to it that with just a few updates could broaden its' audience given the tough time VW is in. The attractiveness of the vehicles price point and gas mileage plus a refurnished fa�ade, could do wonders. Inside, lots of plastics, but that correlates to the price point. | The only somewhat weak point to the Jetta: It looks three box dated, and has been looking like that for some time. The interior is nice, but it too, can use some gussying up. |
| Warranty | |
| New Vehicle: 3 years, 36,000 Miles. Powertrain: 6 years, 60,000 Miles, Limited Warranty (Corrosion): 12 years, 120,000. 24 HOUR ROADSIDEASSISTANCE: 3 years or 36,000 miles. | Limited: 3 years, 36,000 Miles. Powertrain: 6 years, 60,000 Miles, Corrosion: 12 years, 120,000. 24 HOUR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: 3 years or 36,000 miles. |
