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2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE (with six-speed automatic transmission) Compact Economy Sedan

2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE Overview

The Jetta is Volkswagen's best-selling vehicle, and has the lowest cost of entry for a compact German car. The word "Jetta" is an abbreviation for Jet Stream, and it follows the automaker's practice of naming its vehicles after winds. Spanning five generations, this sedan is the product of North American market observation showing our preference for sedans over hatchbacks (the Jetta is the sedan counterpart of the Volkswagen Golf). In other countries/locations, this fifth generation vehicle is also called the Volkswagen Bora, Volkswagen GLI, Volkswagen Sagitar, and Volkswagen Vento.

The 2008 Volkswagen Jetta SE has so many standard features that prospective buyers will be pleasantly surprised by the content, given its MSRP of $19,760. Because of all these great features Jetta has earned a place in the luxury segment as an upscale economy car - which appears to be a contradiction of terms, but surely defines its great value and European styling for its below-$20,000 MSRP. The majority of this vehicle's parts come from Germany and Mexico, with its transmission shipped from Japan. The final assembly point for the Volkswagen Jetta is at Puebla, Mexico.

Though slightly lacking in the mileage department (City MPG/21, with between 17 and 25 expected range, Highway MPG/29, with between 24 and 34 expected range), the Jetta 2.5 brings refined European styling and also a PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) version sold in California for those looking to buy a greener car. Competing models for the Volkswagen Jetta are the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord.

The 2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE (additional $1,075 for six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission) trim level is a notch up from Jetta's base S trim level. It provides more features aside from the standard 16-inch steel wheels, keyless entry, air conditioning, complete power accessories, cruise control, and heated mirrors, among others. The Jetta 2.5 SE also include 16-inch alloy wheels, a satellite radio, and a sunroof. Step it up to the SEL trim level and you'll get DSG Direct Shift Transmission (one of the best transmissions on the market and delivers clutchless manual shifting), as well.

Those people whom are particular about entertainment features in their cars will find this Jetta to be more than adequately equipped. On board the Jetta SE are a six-disc CD changer and a ten-speaker stereo system with an auxiliary input jack. A premium audio system, which is standard on the Jetta SEL, is available as an option on the Jetta SE. An iPod adapter (additional $199) is optional, as well.

2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE Exterior

For this test, we drove a Jetta finished in Campanella White, with an Anthracite interior. The Jetta closely resembles a baby Passat, and it has better styling and a more substantial look than its Japanese competitors. Its exterior features a new style direction sporting a new chrome grille, which is also present in other models.

This fifth-generation version comes with improved reliability - Jetta's weakness in the past - although it seems to have affected the styling. The result is a less edgy and less youthful appearance than Volkswagen had marketed in the past. But it is still a great looking product that it is roomy for four people and boasts an easy-to-load trunk with more than adequate space. These styling changes are a fair tradeoff for better reliability. And the 16-inch alloy wheels and that new chrome grille looked quite striking against the white finish.

2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE Performance

For this test, we drove a Jetta finished in Campanella White, with an Anthracite interior. The Jetta closely resembles a baby Passat, and it has better styling and a more substantial look than its Japanese competitors. Its exterior features a new style direction sporting a new chrome grille, which is also present in other models.

This fifth-generation version comes with improved reliability - Jetta's weakness in the past - although it seems to have affected the styling. The result is a less edgy and less youthful appearance than Volkswagen had marketed in the past. But it is still a great looking product that it is roomy for four people and boasts an easy-to-load trunk with more than adequate space. These styling changes are a fair tradeoff for better reliability. And the 16-inch alloy wheels and that new chrome grille looked quite striking against the white finish.

2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE Interior

The inside of the Jetta SE is comes standard with leatherette upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and leather trim on its shift knob. The dashboard, while a bit plain and plasticky, gets kudos for being easy to use and great fit and finish - it won't collect dust in the components. This model also is also equipped with heated front seats, and a folding with storage and pass-through center armrest in the rear seat. Overall, the Jetta has an elegant finish, with its great fit and materials making it much more refined than its Asian competitors. The cramped interior of the past has been improved in this model, and the roomier rear seat gets points.

The only real downside is the optional iPod adapter (to be placed in the center console), which made things more confusing, rather than easier, for us to use. While a great idea to begin with, it does not allow control of the iPod, so if you want to cycle through menus or select a song or album, you need to do it on the iPod itself. This would be hard to do while driving because you would have to open the center console, make your selection, and reinsert the iPod into the dock. A simple solution would be to just pass on this adapter (which costs an additional $199) and just use the auxiliary input, which is already standard on the Jetta, anyway.

The Volkswagen Jetta sedan is equipped with a 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter, inline five-cylinder engine. While the horsepower has been increased by 20 from the previous year, fuel economy is still a bit substandard for a compact sedan. Competing model Nissan Altima has a four-cylinder engine with 5 more horsepower than the five-cylinder Jetta, and it is less expensive.

The Jetta doesn't come in a V6 version, unfortunately. We could recommend the Jetta 2.0 Turbo GLI (which has a 200-horsepower engine) but it is still low-powered compared to a V6 Nissan Altima or Honda Accord. Mileage is poor compared to others in its class. Nissan Altima has more power and much better mileage - five cylinder engine mileage falls between a four and a six in consumption.

2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE Ride and Handling

The Jetta is very smooth to drive, and has a solid feel to it, like what you would expect from a German car, say, a BMW 3 Series or an Audi A4. This sedan has that solid German feel, but for a much lower price. While it is no BMW, the Jetta handles well and was comfortable even over the bumpy sections of the local roads where we do our test drives. It is precise and quick, although not the most exciting car to drive. The additional power is a good addition, although the GLI would certainly provide more excitement and acceleration.

Its rear suspension bears a striking similarity to that of the Ford Focus. VW reportedly hired engineers from Ford who designed the suspension on the Focus.

2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE Safety

The Jetta is adequately equipped with safety and security features, among which are a four-wheel Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), stability and traction control, front and rear head airbags, and dual front side-mounted airbags. This sedan is also family and child-friendly as it is equipped with child seat anchors and rear door child safety locks. Rear passenger side impact airbags are optional, however.

The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta four stars out of five in frontal crash tests, five stars out of five in side crash tests, and four stars out of five in rollover tests. Aside from this, the Jetta also received a top score of "Good" for frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE Conclusion

The 2008 Volkswagen Jetta SE is a really nice, entry-level German sedan. This model has a better fit, finish, design and styling than the Japanese competitors for the money. For its under-$20,000 (starting) price tag, this compact sedan combines polish and standard features into a nice package.

Pros: An excellent entry-level European sedan that is a cut above Japanese products. Better reliability, roomy interior, great design, finish, and handling - all for a reasonable price.

Cons: A little heavy for the engine, so acceleration is a little sluggish. Substandard mileage compared to others in its class.

Ratings:
Style: 9
Performance: 7
Price: 8
Handling: 8
Ride: 8
Comfort: 9
Quality: 8
Overall: 8.14



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