2016 Volkswagen Jetta SE front interior seats

Similarly, the interior design is also quietly sophisticated. It just doesn't feel it, with too much obvious hard plastic and not enough surprise and delight. No vents for the rear seat passengers? Really? That's a pity because in packaging terms the rear seat is very good. And, of course the trunk is massive.

The Jetta sells because it's cheap, and Americans love a bargain. A bare-bones 1.4T starts at less than $19,000 including destination and delivers a reasonable car for the money. The 1.4T SE with the Connectivity package comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, a rearview camera, heated front seats, and VW's Car-Net App-Connect system, which allows it to run apps off your smartphone, and at just over $23,000, it's the most expensive of the 1.4-liter-powered Jettas.

The Jetta is due to move on to the MQB architecture for the 2018 model year. It'll still be an affordable, conservatively styled sedan with roomy rear seats and a massive trunk, a formula that's appealed to generations of first-time new-car buyers in America. But maybe this time VW will offer Americans a Jetta they want to buy because it's great, not just because it's cheap.

2016 Volkswagen Jetta SE (1.4T)
BASE PRICE	$19,815
PRICE AS TESTED	$23,145
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
ENGINE	1.4L/150-hp/184-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4
TRANSMISSION	6-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	3,058 lb (59/41%)
WHEELBASE	104.4 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	183.3 x 70.0 x 57.2 in
0-60 MPH	8.4 sec
QUARTER MILE	16.3 sec @ 86.2 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	123 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.81 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	27.3 sec @ 0.63 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	28/39/32 mpg
ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY	120/86 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.60 lb/mile