Used 2016 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews
Used Jetta for sale
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Fun, fast, efficient & reliable!
Cole, 02/10/2016
updated 02/13/2017
2016 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4T S 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
I have always been a VW fan and when it was time for a new car I knew I would be looking at a Jetta or Golf. The Jetta is an amazing value especially compared to Japanese rivals. The handling is great; I feel totally secure, tons of cargo space and good storage, super efficient engine that's fast and it has a great base stereo that's easy to use. The only con for me is, on the S trim, there is no lumbar support for the front seats. I think this should be standard. I definitely notice this on longer trips and all of my older VW's had this standard. I've been getting awesome fuel economy too. I took a trip to Minnesota and I averaged 44mpg on 87 octane! Definitely check out the Jetta; what you get for your money, you'll be very pleased. Update: The car now has approx. 20,000 miles on it and it's been a dream. Reliability has been perfect and it's been great for road trips. Only gripe is the tires that come with the car aren't very good; snow performance is terrible. Invest in some good all-season or snow tires.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
15000 miles and running great
Mike, 06/06/2018
2016 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4T S 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
Small car, great price, easy to drive and park, lots of trunk space and rear seats fold down for more. Just drove it from Tucson to Chicago (1800 miles) and I got 44 mpg for the trip with the air conditioner on and driving 70-75 mph. Incredibly efficient engine, has lots of torque and performance for city driving too! She's a plain Jane, but a tremendous value.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2016 Volkswagen Jetta for sale near you
Showing 3 of 47 listings
- 1.8T Sport PZEV SedanMSRP: $10,368In-stock online
- 1.4T S SedanMSRP: $14,599In-stock online
- 1.4T SE SedanMSRP: $13,998In-stock online
See all 47 listings
Best car in its class!!
Nikola Karev, 09/09/2017
2016 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4T S 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
If you are looking for a regular, normal, everyday car that can get you safely from point A to point B, then look no further. In my opinion the Volkswagen Jetta is the best car in its class. This is not a sports car, this is not a BMW or Audi, so don't expect this car to pull out miracles. This is a regular "economy" sedan and it is probably the best compared to its other competitors (ford, chevy, Honda etc.). I have many reasons why I state this. First of all the car extremely reliable. It is probably the most reliable car I owned, and I own a lot of cars (BMWs, Fords, Audis and other VW's). I "trust" my Jetta more than any other cars I have. I use it almost everyday in any season, and I never (literally never) had any problems with it. Of course I do a regular 10k service, but that's it...nothing else. Compared to my BMW for example which is a "hassle" to own (I still enjoy it though, it is really the Ultimate Driving Machine). I find the Jetta comfortable enough, and fast enough for every occasion. I traveled the whole country north to south and west to east with my Jetta without a single problem. It is also great on your pocket (you won't feel the money you spend on gas)... Overall I recommend the Jetta to everyone who likes a reliable , economical and good looking sedan at the right price... If you are looking for a sports sedan, with 300+ horsepower and 4.0 + engine size with terrible fuel economy then the Jetta is not for you.....In that case open your wallet wide and go to another dealership (BMW, Audi etc.)...but don't blame VW
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Delighted with 2016 VW Jetta - Updated Dec 2017
jbrooksws, 06/24/2016
updated 12/30/2019
2016 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T Sport PZEV 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
Updated Dec 2019 - Traded Jetta in on Passat GT. Jetta had about 50,000 miles on it and proved to be very reliable. Gas mileage stayed really high and using regular gas was consistently inexpensive to operate. In NC insurance was about $100 per month which seemed a little on the high side. Updated Dec 2017 - Jetta still doing great - have only been in for a routine 10,000 mile service and oil change - the only issue I have is figuring out how to put third party windshield wipers on car. We kept passing down our 2004 Volvo S60 from oldest son to youngest son to dad Volvo quit running. Hmmm - children in college - limited budget - shopping for a new car. Could not have been more surprised and pleased with the little Jetta. Checked out the safety - that was good - test drive was good and I am now in the car for a year and a half -- some impressions that I hope may help someone else. Sorry - can't start a new paragraph so I think this ends up as one long paragraph. First of all - my issues: don't understand why VW does not hike the price of the car $300 bucks and put key fob door unlock. The car has pushbutton start, but I have to remove the key to unlock the door, then put it back in my pocket. I know its a niggly thing but (fixed on 2017 SEL) . Performance oriented observation - be prepared -- in the midrange in middle gears - there is a little big of turbo lag. I have a pair of SAAB 9-3's and a Ford Edge Ecoboost so I think I understand turbos - I'm just not used to lag - been many many many years since I have been aware of lag. OK having said that just be prepared for it so your revs are in the right place or you are either in sport mode or manual mode and then you can manage it. Every day driving, or even Freeway merges you won't notice, and a heavy foot and kickdown will spool the turbo up fast and make up for the lag. The Sport version moves you up to leatherette from cloth - I had this in one of my past Audi's and I actually like the leatherette - does not absorb perspiration like the leather does. My interior is black and the seats are off white with black trim - it's a little austere. OK regarding fit and finish. This is a cheap car, but despite what the reviewers keep saying, it doesn't really look and feel it. I am happy with the trim and quite honestly, the more mature I get, the more I really appreciate what a car is -- what I can afford is a lot different than what I want to spend now a days so I'm happy to look at my well finished interior and thing about the money I did not spend on zerbrano wood trim et al. I have never sprung for nav systems in a car so I was presently surprised to find nav, and other gizmos standard in a cheap car. Gadget gurus may not be impressed, but I repeat this is a cheap car. So it's comfortable on the road in both city and highway - even though its roughly the same size as my SAABs, it feels a little tighter - could be the prevalance of black in the interior I don't know. The back seat has a lot of room and the trunk is certainly more than roomy. As you would expect one or both seats flip down - there is also a ski boot. Thus far I am averaging a very nifty 31 combined so this car really sips gas. While I really enjoy cars, I do look at the other part of the equation as well - watched the videos of the safety tests - that was good. Also Consumer Reports said the headlights stink so get the lighting option. I did and the headlights are really good. They are HID so I always think about what the replacement cost will be once they are out of warranty...but they are really good. One note about the lights in the low end and in the sport version (did I mention that this car was cheap?) the headlights are manual - so you have to turn them off (updated in 2017 Jetta), Anyway - summing up - I am very pleased with this car - like the color - bright red - cabin is a little dark and windshield is a little close - I am used to more expansive. However I am no longer paying luxury car insurance rates, or property tax rates. The car has good acceleration, handling and brakes - great fuel economy so its a good little car -- then add in the GREAT deal I got. I think this one is going to be a winner! Update 6-25-2017 - Edmunds asked for an update on this car. It has actually been passed to my son. He was in an accident - not his fault - which totalled the 2011 SAAB - he and his girlfriend walked away (why did GM ruin SAAB??). So he is now driving the 2016 Jetta. So far, it continues to be an excellent car with improving fuel economy. I had to have another car, so I am the proud owner of a 2017 Jetta. Could not get it in bright red so I settled for another color, but that car is performing equally well. I would purchase again (well obviously, because I did!). 2017 Jetta SEL is 13 months old and has 18,000 miles and one routine service. Lot of highway miles - very comfortable and good gas mileage.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Give it a try, you might be surprised
Jim, 02/16/2016
2016 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T Sport PZEV 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
This Jetta puts a smile on my face every time I get into it, simple as that. It's a very well balanced car. I have only two complaints about it: (1) somewhat lacking steering feedback - not a huge deal once I got used to it but I prefer the steering feel of Ford Focus; and (2) headlights not turning off with ignition - this one is annoying enough to force me to search for an aftermarket solution. Other than that the car is excellent and great value for money now that tumbleweeds are rolling through VW showrooms and dealers are knocking 15-20% off MSRP. Responsive engine, good torque in a wide RPM range (even better with aftermarket tuning if that's your thing), smooth manual transmission, solid handling and braking (aside from the steering that might take some time to get used to), very nice touchscreen with Android Auto support, comfortable seating position, lots of space in in the back and in the trunk, I'm sure I'm forgetting something but the main thing I use a car for is to drive it and the Jetta does that better than any car I tried in this price range.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value