by 
VW’s refreshed 2025 Jetta wears new hues, new wheel designs, grille/headlight rhinoplasty and a reconfigured rump. Under the hood, there’s a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mill (158-hp). It now mates faithfully, no manual, to conventional eight-speed automatic.
All Jettas, except the GLI, have torsion-beam rear suspensions. Other power routing items include a cross-differential braking setup intended to improve vehicle steering response on GLI and Jetta Sport.
Inside the Jetta, there’s a standard eight-inch touchscreen (with volume and tuning knobs), which protrudes slightly from the dashboard’s fascia.
The SEL has a soft-touch dash pad and front door cards. The lower dash features a firm leatherette covered bar. VW’s Digital Cockpit handles the instrument cluster’s job.
VW replaced the Jetta’s former climate-control dials and buttons with a touch-sensing panel. There’s a voice-operated assistant, too. She culls touchscreen menus.
VW’s native navigation system is improved. This 2025 Jetta found my house (the 2024 didn’t) and amazingly for a VW—it noticed my workplace address is on a limited access road. Then, it routed me to the location’s nearby parking lot.
The SEL’s front seats are supportive. VW doesn’t hem the headliner, offers a two-position front-center armrest—padded though—and punishes those in the back with hard-plastic door cards. Some parts have obvious flashing, seams and sharp edges (especially under the front seats). The outboard rear riders, however, get bun warmers.
The SEL’s flat-bottom steering wheel has VW’s push-button switchgear. The wheel, as some other SEL interior items, deflects your attention from low-rent plastic with contrasting stitching. The right front seat, as before, lacks height and tilt adjustments.
The rear seat folds forward 60/40 expanding cargo length. You must work around an intrusive rear center shoulder belt, though. That seat’s outer headrests aren’t adjustable.
The trunk’s materials (carpet and paintwork) are basic. And the trunk lid’s hinges crunch cargo. It will bang your head too; its lift springs don’t fully open it. I found several unsightly spot welds under the Jetta’s hood. The under-dash bits aren’t covered.
The Jetta SEL, even in Sport mode, often shifts into high gear lugging the engine. This “thrum major” ruins an otherwise comfortable carriage. There’s a shifter-lever slot—not some electronic gizmo or dial—which lets you downshift and rev the engine slightly higher. Then, the droning stops.
The turbo engine/tranny sometimes garble low-vehicle-speed maneuvers, otherwise this Jetta promptly propels itself forward when prodded. Highway takeover acceleration requires a right-foot stomp. Engine sound isn’t dulcet. Road and wind noise are present. Fuel economy is good. The EPA says 33 mpg overall, 29 city and 40 highway. I observed 40 mpg during one highway trek; 32.5 mpg overall.
VW’s compact sedan has a light feel. And despite the optional 18-inch wheels, it rides comfortably. You can throttle steer the Jetta, but the engine’s turbo lag or shift pattern sometimes mucks up your intended arc.
This sedan’s spacious interior and generous greenhouse are its chief virtues. Jettas come with VW’s IQ-Drive assortment of driving aids. Mine had adaptive cruise control. Pricing starts at about $23,200 and rises to $30,680 for SEL, which includes Beats Audio, wireless charging, wireless Android Auto or Apple Carplay.
Should you getta Jetta? Well, it doesn’t impart the luxurious chariot called the Mazda3. And the Civic-minded models I’ve driven seem better sorted. Yet, there are moments when VW’s Teutonic flare declares itself.