2012 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Volkswagen Jetta review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Jetta, and includes VW Jetta safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The 2012 Jetta is Volkswagen’s entry into the competitive compact car class. A four-door sedan, the Jetta’s primary competition comes in the form of the Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza, and Toyota Corolla.

After a complete redesign for 2011, the 2012 Jetta gains a 2.0L S with Sunroof model and a 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel with Premium model. A new Fender premium sound system is also newly available for 2012.

In an effort to make buying a Jetta easier, Volkswagen packages options into specific models. That makes comparing one to another a bit daunting, but we’ll make sense of the lineup below.

The least expensive model, the one VW likes to advertise while depicting a Jetta that’s far better equipped, is the 2.0L S. For less than $17,000, this Jetta comes with a five-speed manual gearbox, air conditioning, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power windows, power heated mirrors, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, six-way manually adjustable front seats, and a four-speaker stereo with a CD player and auxiliary audio input jack. This basic Jetta rides on 15-inch steel wheels with plastic wheel covers, making it the perfect candidate for a visit to Tire Rack. If you’d like more stuff, the new 2.0L S with Sunroof model comes with cruise control, a front center console storage box with an armrest, and a power sunroof.

Notched in above the basic models is the far more satisfactory 2.5L SE, which gets an adequately powered engine, larger 16-inch wheels, leatherette seats, chrome interior décor, and a rear armrest with a trunk pass-through feature. Next up is the 2.5L SE with Convenience, which adds 16-inch alloys, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker sound system with an iPod connection. Buy the 2.5L SE with Convenience and Sunroof and you’ll get a premium sound system with a touchscreen display and an SD card reader, and a power sunroof.

At the top of the Jetta 2.5L lineup is the 2.5L SEL. It swaps out the Jetta’s rear drum brakes for a more effective four-wheel-disc setup, adds 17-inch alloy wheels, and dresses the exterior in chrome trim. Fender premium sound, a navigation system with an SD card reader, and keyless access with push-button start are also included on this model, along with a trip computer, driver’s seat lumbar adjustment, and fog lights.

That brings us to the most appealing Jetta models, the 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel versions. In standard format, this car is equipped like the 2.5L SE with Convenience, adding four-wheel-disc brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, and a trip computer. Notably, the 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel is just $670 less expensive than loaded 2.5L SEL.

Two upgrades for the TDI are offered. The 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel with Premium adds a Fender premium audio system and a power sunroof, while the 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel with Premium and Navigation includes upscale chrome exterior detailing combined with keyless access with push-button start, a navigation system with an SD card reader, and a driver’s seat with adjustable lumbar support.

Depending on the 2012 Jetta model you choose, you’ll get one of three available engines, each covered by Volkswagen’s Carefree Maintenance Program that provides free scheduled service for the first three years or 36,000 miles.

At the bottom of the lineup sits the standard 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine, whose job it is to provide for a low entry price point and to ultimately frustrate Jetta owners. Given that the underpowered, 115-horsepower engine must motivate a minimum of 2,800 pounds before a driver and passengers are put on board, chances are that drivers are going to flog this engine, which means it is highly unlikely to achieve its EPA mileage ratings of 24 mpg in the city and 34 mpg highway with the standard five-speed manual gearbox or 23 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway with the optional six-speed automatic.

Do yourself a huge favor and get the 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine. Fuel economy ratings drop almost imperceptibly to 23-city/33-highway with the manual transmission, but this larger and more powerful engine actually gets better gas mileage than the base motor when paired to the optional six-speed automatic, at 24-city/31-highway. This engine makes 170 horsepower, 55 more than the base engine, and 177 lb-ft of torque, a bump in twist of 52 lb-ft.

Our favorite engine, however, is the 2.0-liter, turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine installed in the TDI models. Its 140 horsepower might not seem terribly exciting, but this engine makes a fat wad of torque down low in the rev range, right where you want it for lively acceleration. It’s good for 236 lb-ft of torque between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm, and gets 30 mpg in the city and 42 mpg on the highway whether you pair it with the standard six-speed manual transmission or the optional Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), a fully automated sequential manual gearbox.

Six airbags, traction and stability, and antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist come standard on every 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. Also standard, the Intelligent Crash Response system automatically unlocks the doors, disconnects the fuel supply to engine, and activates flashers in more serious collisions. Note that the only Jettas equipped with rear disc brakes are the 2.5 SEL and the 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel models.

The Jetta’s crashworthiness is good, but not great. While the car did get a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for 2011, results from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new, more rigorous testing procedures has produced a 4-Star overall rating. According to the NHTSA, the Jetta gets 4 Stars for frontal-impact protection, 4 Stars for side-impact protection, and 4 Stars for its ability to resist a rollover.

Reliability information remains sketchy as this is written. Consumer Reports has not yet made predictions for the Jetta Sedan. In 2011, J.D. Power and Associates said dependability should prove to be average, but the market research firm gave the redesigned Jetta it’s lowest rating for Initial Quality, based on what owners told the company in satisfaction surveys.

Last year, Volkswagen “dumbed down” its most popular model, the Jetta Sedan. Compared to the previous-generation version, the newer Jettas are significantly underpowered when equipped with the base engine, are equipped with inferior drum rear brakes and an unsophisticated torsion-beam rear suspension, and feature lots of hard, glossy plastic parts inside the cabin. This, combined with more conservative and almost generic styling, has resulted in greater profit margin and a lower advertised price. Notably, it has also resulted in a significant 75-percent increase in year-over-year sales. This fact underlines that American car buyers are easy to trick if the marketing message hits them where they’re hurting.

The Volkswagen Jetta Sedan wears a more compelling base price than its forbearers, but is no longer the fun-to-drive, compact luxury sport sedan it used to be. Instead, it’s a German Toyota Corolla. The Jetta isn’t necessarily poorly equipped compared to many of its rivals (we’re looking at you, Corolla), but it has lost much of what used to make it a special, and great – if underappreciated – choice in the compact class. Now at parity with the competition, but simultaneously unable to match the best small sedans with regard to safety or quality, today’s Jetta is just one of many compact-car choices.

By Christian Wardlaw