Ready to drive with us on a road test of the fuel efficient and fun-to-drive 2016 Volkswagen Jetta including a touchscreen that downloads apps and connects to your smartphone? A 2016 VW Jetta review.
VW’s compact sedan has lots of good competition including Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda Mazda3, Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla.
We drove a “platinum gray metallic” 2016 Jetta 1.8T SEL Premium with an all-black leatherette interior. But today’s Jetta comes in four trims—S, SE, SEL and SEL Premium—with a total of 10 different equipment levels.
Our 2016 Volkswagn Jetta SEL Premium trim starts at an MSRP of an affordable $25,380. The 2016 VW Jetta SEL premium adds 17-inch “Lancaster” aluminum alloy wheels, two-tone sport seats, a full-power driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, a cooled glove compartment and a Fender auto system and rounded out at just under $29,000.
Exterior: The Jetta may not be the sexiest sedan on the roads today, but this sleek commuter car certainly fills the bill for those who are seeking sporty refinement. This new Jetta’s radiator grille is pure German minimalist sophistication. The sidelines are straight with wide haunches to the fenders and a rather bootylicious back side. We relished in our Jetta SEL Premium’s 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, which gives this compact much more pizzaz.
Interior: The best feature of the 2016 VW Jetta’s interior is the spaciousness. The Jetta has always had excellent headroom and leg room (38.1 inches). The gentle arch of the back windows gives the second row ample headroom of 37.1 inches. Plus, the 2016 Jetta has one of the deepest trunks with 15.5 cubic ft. of “usable” space (which can be increased by folding down the 60/40 rear split-back seats). The driver’s cabin in the Jetta is always ergonomic with a quality build and this 2016 Jetta is no exception. From the silver-ringed instrument gauges to the varying textures of matte black to shiny piano black and bright chromes to burnished metallics, the Jetta’s interior comfortably shines. The entry-level 2016 Jetta comes well equipped with standard air conditioning, multi-function steering wheel, cruise control, power windows, power locks, remote keyless entry and power-heated exterior mirrors. The 2016 Jetta comes in four trim levels with ever-increasing luxury features for the money such as six-way power driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, sunroof, heated front seats, 6.3-inch MIB II infotainment touchscreen, rear view camera and premium Fender sound system.
Infotainment and Connectivity: Even the entry-level 2016 Jetta comes with a 5-inch “composition color” touchscreen plus auxiliary inputs, SD card slots, a USB multimedia interface for Apple’s iPhone, reverse camera display and Bluetooth connectivity.
Upgrade to the MIB II infotainment touchscreen and you realize this isn’t just any in-car tech system. Like a smartphone, this screen uses “capacitive” touch sensors that require pressure and enable “gesture controls” like swiping and “pinch zooming.” With MIB II, Google Play runs on your car’s touchscreen to mimic the apps already downloaded on your smartphone.
VW says their new MIB III system also creates the foundation for VW’s next-gen “Car-Net connected vehicles services platform.” Car-Net is a “comprehensive suite of connected vehicle services,” including “app-connect smartphone integration,” Bluetooth (for sending and receiving text messages), simultaneous two-phone sync, two SD card slots, a JPEG viewer, SiriusXM and HD radio. Jetta models installed with Car-Net also have access to security and safety features, such as automatic crash notification (think OnStar), manual emergency call, roadside assistance and GPS location services.
Got a teenager? Car-Net offers “family guardian,” which notifies the car’s owner when a predetermined speed limit or boundary has been exceeded. The system also provides a “vehicle health report” for diagnostics and maintenance. Got an Apple Watch? VW has an app for that too. Apple Watch wearers and Jetta owners can do things right from their wrist like locking and unlocking the car, or seeing whether or not doors, windows or the sunroof is open. The Car-Net app on the Apple Watch can also locate your parked car, give you walking or driving directions via a map and even honk your car’s horn and flash the lights until you get there.
Performance: VW’s Jetta is known for its fast acceleration, nimble steering, smooth suspension, quick transmission and overall fun-to-drive performance. Certainly, this 2016 Jetta 1.8 turbocharged model did not disappoint as I enjoyed each and every ride in this zippy compact sedan. I was also made happy at the pump as the 2016 Jetta 1.8T gets 29 mpg combined for both city and highway driving.
Ready to road test the new Jetta? This affordable, fun-to-drive, comfortable, spacious, fuel-efficient and highly connected compact sedan is just waiting for owners who love to drive and live the global lifestyle.
