2023 Volkswagen Jetta Review

The Volkswagen Jetta got a major overhaul last year and is likely to carry over without big changes for 2023, with the only update of note the addition of remote start to SE models. Once a step behind the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte (Edmunds' top-ranked small sedans), the Jetta is a more viable alternative after its recent updates.

Those changes included new styling, more standard features, improved technology, and a new turbocharged engine that should give the Jetta more pep. The Jetta's 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four makes 158 horsepower, an improvement of 11 hp over the outgoing model and one likely to help it feel less ponderous. But if you want more power, the Jetta GLI (which we cover separately) offers GTI-like performance in a sedan package.

Volkswagen's minimalist aesthetic stands in sharp contrast to the angular Elantra and Forte, and the Jetta goes about its business with less seriousness than the Civic. We feared the Jetta might go the route of other Volkswagen models and overdo the touch controls on the center stack and steering wheel for most of the car's functions, but instead it goes for the simpler (and better) solution with dials and buttons for the climate and volume/tuning knobs for its screen. If only the GTI and ID.4 could go back in time a little as well.

With an emphasis on style and value, including a long list of standard features and two years/20,000 miles of standard maintenance, the Jetta now sits as the contrarian pick to the mainstream compact sedans, and its roomy back seat makes it a better choice for those who will be carrying more than two people on the regular. See below for more information on the Jetta's trim levels and how it stacks up against competitors.