| Test Driver Ratings & Comments |
|---|
| Acceleration comments | Sport mode does shave significant time from the Jetta's acceleration runs but does so without any significant disadvantages. Shifts are still smooth and comfortable. Shouldn't it always shift like this? Best run in Drive. Mild brake torque seems to help a bit off the line, but it's easy to get too aggressive, which slows things down. |
| Braking rating | Average |
| Braking comments | Lots of squish in the pedal, but no appreciable degradation of braking performance throughout all stops. |
| Handling rating | Average |
| Handling comments | As per the norm at VW, stability control cannot be fully disabled, which is frustrating. Turning it "off" does somewhat loosen the reins such that better numbers can be had, but there's no getting too out of shape here. Handling is predictably understeery around the skid pad, which makes control easy through the slalom, but not terribly quick. |
| Dimensions & Capacities |
|---|
| Curb weight, mfr. claim (lbs.) | 3,285 |
| Curb weight, as tested (lbs.) | 3,358 |
| Weight distribution, as tested, f/r (%) | 57.9/42.1 |
| Length (in.) | 179.4 |
| Width (in.) | 70.1 |
| Height (in.) | 59.2 |
| Wheelbase (in.) | 101.5 |
| Track, front (in.) | 60.7 |
| Track, rear (in.) | 59.6 |
| Turning circle (ft.) | 35.8 |
| Legroom, front (in.) | 41.1 |
| Legroom, rear (in.) | 35.5 |
| Headroom, front (in.) | 38.4 |
| Headroom, rear (in.) | 38.1 |
| Shoulder room, front (in.) | 54.8 |
| Shoulder room, rear (in.) | 53.1 |
| Seating capacity | 5 |
| Cargo volume (cu-ft) | 32.8 |
| Max. cargo volume, seats folded (cu-ft) | 66.9 |
| Safety |
|---|
| Front airbags | Standard |
| Side airbags | Standard dual front |
| Head airbags | Standard front and rear |
| Knee airbags | Not available |
| Antilock brakes | Four-wheel ABS |
| Electronic brake enhancements | Braking assist, electronic brakeforce distribution |
| Traction control | Standard |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Tire-pressure monitoring system | Tire-pressure monitoring |
| Emergency assistance system | Not available |
| NHTSA crash test, driver | 4 stars |
| NHTSA crash test, passenger | 4 stars |
| NHTSA crash test, side front | 5 stars |
| NHTSA crash test, side rear | 5 stars |
| NHTSA rollover resistance | 4 stars |
