In the final analysis, our winner had the most comfortable driver's seat and driving position. As sport sedans, the Volkswagen Jetta GLX and Ford Contour SE must provide nimble handling, rapid acceleration, and effective braking. They must also perform the chores required by the typical family, from toting groceries to accommodating a young family on across-country trip. These cars are about having a little fun without sacrificing the utility that reality demands, and the driver must be comfortable and properly positioned whether tearing up a twisty mountain road or navigating the McDonald's drive-thru slalom. Had we found both of these cars imminentlycomfy, we may have been unable to select a winner.

Ford has done an outstanding job with the Contour. It goes, slows, and corners with the best sedans money can buy. Frankly, we had low expectations, and our glowing praise for this car is certainly due, in part, to our attitude going into the road test. Within miles, the Contour made us believers. Whatever magic dust Ford used with the tuning of the SE should be sprinkled liberally throughout the rest of the company's product line. Steering is perfectly assisted, and communicates sans translator to the driver. Zing the 170-horsepower 2.5-liter Duratec V-6 to redline, and a giddy smile appears as arms wrestle with moderate torque steer. Power is easy to modulate, and the frenzied exhaust note as the car screams forward is music to the enthusiast's ears. Toss the Contour SE into a corner; body roll is minimal and the Firestone tires on our tester provided good grip. We racked up 750 mostly Interstate miles in three days with ease and speed. The Contour is easy to control, and a blast to drive fast. Our single complaint about our driving experience is the manual shifter. Rubbery and vague, it takes some getting used to before the Contour can be driven smoothly.

Inside, designers sculpted a busy dashboard that works well ergonomically, but has one cutline too many to be truly aesthetically pleasing. However, gauges are perfectly legible,and all controls, with the exception of tiny radio buttons, are easy to find, reach, and understand. Switch gear feels a bit clickety, particularly the power window buttons, and the powerlocks make an odd whirr when activated. Visibility is outstanding, though we wish the heated sideview mirrors were a bit larger. The low cowl and generous glass area contributes to an airy cabin, made more so by our test car's optional power sunroof. The Contour we drove had seats covered in soft, pliable leather that didn't feel very durable. Getting in and out of the split-folding rear seat required some contortion, and while comfortable, the rear quarters do not offer much leg room for full-sized adults. The premium audio system sounds good, but like other Ford stereos we've sampled, suffers from muffled bass. A thick steering wheel offers excellent grip and is perfectly sized. All materials look and feel substantial in terms of texture and assembly, with no glossy plastic or rough edges to give the Contour a K-Mart ambiance.

Exterior styling leaves a bit to be desired, though the SE improves upon the plain-Jane wrapper by adding fog lights, a subtle rear deck spoiler, rocker panel skirts, and aggressive seven-spoke alloy wheels. The Contour is not unattractive, it's just a bit dull. This oval-themed car really blends into the crowd of look-alike sedans, which can be a good thing if you regularly blaze up the Dan Ryan at warp speed. We find the Contour's mechanical twin, the Mercury Mystique, more palatable thanks to traditional styling cues like a chrome grille and full-width tail lights.

In contrast, the Jetta GLX exhibits boxy sheetmetal that provides the car with tasteful good looks and some personality in a world of melted soap bar design. Its upright styling incorporates square headlamps and a prominent louvered grille with a chrome VW badge. Thick front bumpers feature large turn signals with integrated driving lights. A large greenhouse is characterized by nearly vertical side glass. Rear quarters appear to be a bit chunky, and we don't care for the rear decklid wing. Volkswagen replaced last year's lace-spoke BBS wheels with a new seven-spoke design that looks good on the Jetta. We prefer theJetta's refined, distinct styling over that of the Contour.

The Jetta's interior is slightly more pleasant as well. Our test car was finished in pumice-colored leather that felt thick and durable. The black dashboard throws little sunlight glare on the windshield, and features an outstanding gauge layout. Controls are easy to reach, but deciphering them may take practice. Switch gear does not feel any more substantial than that found in the Contour. Visibility is outstanding, despite a higher cowl and taller dashboard. One major gaffe: there is no glovebox on the Jetta. Two deep door pockets serve to hold whatever you might normally store in a dash cubby. Getting in and out of the split-folding rear seat is a breeze, and rear leg room is sufficient for adults. We did find, however, that shins rub on the hard framing along the rear edge of the front seat, which could become painful to rear seat passengers on long trips. Assembly quality was tight, and all materials looked and felt substantial. At night, dashboard lighting is excellent without harsh glare. The steering wheel is thick, yet thin; grasping the rim is like wrapping your fingers around a flattened, curved tube. Door panels are perfectly sculpted to provide frightened passengers a convenient place to lock their forearms and grip the door handle as the Jetta carves through the curves.

Carve through the curves you will. Our Jetta GLX was powered by a 172-horsepower 2.8-liter V-6 engine linked to a close-ratio five-speed manual transmission. The gear lever worked flawlessly in comparison to the balky unit in the Contour SE. Unfortunately, we found the power more difficult to modulate, nearly stalling the Jetta several times when the air conditioning was switched on. Both the Ford and VW engines suffer from a lack of low-end torque, but the Volkswagen seemed positively asthmatic compared to the Contour. Rev the engine beyond 3,500 rpm and the Jetta blasts off. The Jetta is quiet at speed, despite the blocky bodywork. Fling the Jetta into a corner too fast, and the Goodyear tires provide the faintest howl to let the driver know that the limits of adhesion are at hand. Overdo it just a bit,and the tail steps out ever so slightly, giving the driver plenty of time to reel the car in. Volkswagen reworked the Jetta's suspension this year, lowering and stiffening it a bit to reduce the wallowy nature of the 1995 model. The changes improve the ride; very little bounding and floating over undulating urban pavement is evident. The body still rolls excessively in turns, though. The sound system on our test car was excellent, easily handling the nastiest boom that Dr. Dre could produce. Fun car, this Jetta GLX, but it is a more dignified, refined drive than the scrappy, hot-rod personality exhibited by the Contour SE.

Tough decision, recommending one of these cars over the other. Both the Contour SE and the Jetta GLX are outstanding road machines that will handle a variety of duties with aplomb. Both are a darn good time, whether you're cruising across Colorado orscooting over to Safeway. Driving the Jetta GLX, you feel like an enthusiast insider. The Jetta GLX exudes understated German excellence. Think of it as BMW Light. The Ford is just that: a Ford. Driving the Contour SE, you feel like you've got something to prove. The urge to back up the sporty bodywork with sporty driving is irresistible. You want to make sure the world knows that this boring-looking sedan is not a boring-driving sedan. If we were selecting one of these cars to drive to a class reunion, we'd grab the super-cool Jetta's keys.

Living with one of these cars is another story. The Contour's seats are simply superb. Thick side bolsters hold you firmly in place without feeling restrictive. The steering wheel is perfectly located and sized. The driving position is outstanding. Drive it all day, and feel no pain. In contrast, the Jetta's front chair has very hard, very narrow thigh supports. Driving splay-legged is not an option, and if you try, you will be uncomfortable. Moving the seat further back in its track alleviates this problem somewhat, but then the steering wheel is too far away, resulting in an awkward arms-out driving position. A telescoping steering wheel would partially cure what ails the Jetta. Additionally, the seat offers a limited range of adjustment compared to the optional power seat in our test Contour.

Another deciding factor is price. True, the difference is just $1,300, and the Volkswagen is equipped with seat heaters and heated windshield washer nozzles, but the Ford includes remote keyless entry and a power driver's seat in its lesser tag. Better yet, buyers can opt for a lower-level Contour GL or LX with most of the SE's go-fast goodies, further trimming the sticker price.To get the Jetta's powertrain, a GLX is the only ticket to ride.

What really made an impact on us was the way we felt after spending plenty of time behind the wheel of each car. One staffer said the Contour SE was the most fun car we've tested since the Mazda Miata. Another called it America's BMW 3-Series. After driving the Jetta, the best we could muster, while rubbing sore thighs, was "Great car." In terms of value and fun, the spunky, speedy Ford Contour SE edges out the roomier, more refined, and more expensive Volkswagen Jetta GLX.