First off is rear-seat room. Fine for average-sized folks or smaller, passengers on the tall or wide side may find the shoulder and headroom limited -- especially with the sunroof. No problems were noted with visibility.
Secondly, on the highway, road, suspension and wind noise are markedly present. Even at 110 km/h, the noise level was beyond what one might expect given the cockpit's look and quality.
Five-in-a-row makes it go
Propulsion comes from a 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine with dual cams and 20 valves. Total output is 150 horsepower. Rather than using a four-cylinder to create the same output, each cylinder in the 5-cylinder configuration works less hard -- meaning the engine is smoother and quieter than a comparable 150 horsepower inline-four.
Attached to a six-speed automatic transmission, the engine has plenty of options which keep gear hunting to a minimum. An appropriate gear and rev combination is always on standby in any situation. There's a manual mode too, allowing driver-chosen gear changes by tapping the shifter up or down. The shifts are gentle, rarely upsetting the car's driveline -- and response time was pleasantly quick.
A well balanced handling story
Changing direction offers much the same precision and response as changing gear. Steering loads up nicely and offers some feedback to take full advantage of each corner. The ratio is fairly snappy and though Jetta isn't set up as a corner-carving machine, it's eager enough to satisfy most drivers urges for some fun in the backroads when appropriate.
Highway mileage averaged 7.2L / 100km.
Safety
Safety is covered by means of standard ABS brakes across the model range, as well as a four-wheel independent suspension which enables responsive handling. Driver, passenger and side airbags are standard, as is traction control. Stability control and curtain airbags are available too. Add the standard alarm system, and you've got a machine that provides its owners real peace of mind.
Secondly, on the highway, road, suspension and wind noise are markedly present. Even at 110 km/h, the noise level was beyond what one might expect given the cockpit's look and quality.
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| 2.5 litre 5-cylinder engine puts out 150 hp and plenty of torque. |
Five-in-a-row makes it go
Propulsion comes from a 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine with dual cams and 20 valves. Total output is 150 horsepower. Rather than using a four-cylinder to create the same output, each cylinder in the 5-cylinder configuration works less hard -- meaning the engine is smoother and quieter than a comparable 150 horsepower inline-four.
Attached to a six-speed automatic transmission, the engine has plenty of options which keep gear hunting to a minimum. An appropriate gear and rev combination is always on standby in any situation. There's a manual mode too, allowing driver-chosen gear changes by tapping the shifter up or down. The shifts are gentle, rarely upsetting the car's driveline -- and response time was pleasantly quick.
A well balanced handling story
Changing direction offers much the same precision and response as changing gear. Steering loads up nicely and offers some feedback to take full advantage of each corner. The ratio is fairly snappy and though Jetta isn't set up as a corner-carving machine, it's eager enough to satisfy most drivers urges for some fun in the backroads when appropriate.
Highway mileage averaged 7.2L / 100km.
Safety
Safety is covered by means of standard ABS brakes across the model range, as well as a four-wheel independent suspension which enables responsive handling. Driver, passenger and side airbags are standard, as is traction control. Stability control and curtain airbags are available too. Add the standard alarm system, and you've got a machine that provides its owners real peace of mind.
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| The Jetta's edges are soft and rounded with discreet lines and curves. |