2018 Volkswagen Jetta Review

The base S model is pretty sparse. It has 16-inch aluminum wheels, cloth upholstery, manual seats, heated side mirrors, a height-adjustable driver seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 60/40-split rear seats, a rearview camera, 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; this package is standard on every other trim level.

A 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (150 hp, 184 lb-ft of torque) is the only engine available in S, Wolfsburg Edition and SE trims. All three of those trims have a standard five-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic transmission.

New for 2018 is the Wolfsburg Edition trim, which is largely similar to the S trim save for a few additional features. It adds foglights, simulated leather upholstery and driver lumbar, heated front seats, a backseat pass-through, and a leather-wrapped transmission selector knob and parking brake cover.

SE models add a few goodies, including a sunroof, color-keyed mirrors and chrome side window trim, blind-spot monitoring, keyless ignition and entry, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 6.3-inch touchscreen, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.

The SE Sport model is like an SE with more power. SE Sport models come with a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (170 hp, 184 lb-ft of torque) and a six-speed automatic. A trunklid spoiler, 17-inch wheels, gloss black cabin trim, and a black headliner and roof are part of the deal.

SEL models share their engine and transmission with the SE Sport and add a few creature comforts such as automatic headlights, automatic wipers, a power-adjustable driver seat, navigation, a premium Fender sound system, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a cooled glovebox. Adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking are also included.

The GLI trim is where things get zesty. It gets a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (210 hp, 207 lb-ft of torque), a six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission, larger brakes, 18-inch wheels, and unique body and cabin trimmings. Standard equipment includes sport seats, a unique steering wheel with shift paddles, parking alerts and a self-dimming mirror. Adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking are two notable deletions, however.