Jetta Set: 2022 Volkswagen Jetta Prices Jump

While the company claims their sporty sedans come with great value attached, the refreshed 2022 Volkswagen Jetta gets pricier than the 2021 models. Both the 1.5-liter I-4 TSI EA211 and the 2.0-liter I-4 turbocharged EA888 modular engines return for the Jetta and Jetta GLI, respectively, and the sedan gets a mild cosmetic refresh. Are you getting your money's worth?

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2022 Volkswagen Jetta S

The entry into the Jetta lineup, the Jetta S, had been priced at $19,990 for the 2021 model. For the 2022 model, the manual six-speed transmission starts at $21,190 and comes with the basic bells and whistles. For an additional $800 ($21,990), you can get it with an automatic transmission.

In addition to what it received last year, the 2022 S comes with 16-inch aluminum two-tone wheels; manual-folding but heated power mirrors; 8-inch digital cockpit display; Car-Net, the app that lets you connect to your car and control some features from your phone; 6.5-inch infotainment display; and Front Assist, the frontal collision and autonomous emergency braking that also looks out for pedestrians. Whether that additional equipment and the slightly revised exterior and interior styling is worth the $1,200 price bump will be up to buyers.

You can also pay $995 more for driver assist packages, one for the automatic called IQ.Drive—utilizing lane keeping, adaptive cruise, travel assist, and emergency assist—and driver assist for the manual—which is the same minus the emergency assist feature and fancy name. However, you also must consider that you can opt for a Convenience Package at no additional cost with those driver assist options. The add-ons with the convenience option include rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

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2022 Volkswagen Jetta Sport

This second step for the Jetta, the 2022 Jetta Sport, comes with everything from the S trim but adds 17-inch black aluminum wheels, an XDS electronically controlled locking differential, black trim, unique cloth sport seats, and a black headliner. It's $22,090 for the six-speed and $22,890 for the automatic.

There was no 2021 Jetta Sport, but there was the R-Line model that cost $23,790 for the manual and $24,590 for the automatic version. The 2021 R-line was similar to the 2022 Sport trim but had a leather steering wheel standard. You can get that with the Sport with the same $995 driver assist option (for both automatic and manual) and going with its additional Convenience Package from the S. In this case, you are getting a step up in value from the outgoing model. The price difference for either refreshed Sport transmission model with driver assist and no-cost convenience option is $1,700 cheaper than its matching 2021 R-Line trim.

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2022 Volkswagen Jetta SE

The 2022 Jetta SE is $24,790 for the automatic version, which is the only transmission offered for this trim. It's a combination of the S package auto with the IQ.Drive driver assist and convenience options plus 17-inch wheels, keyless entry with push button start, and automatic climate control. Seating the occupants is a six-way power comfort sport seat for the driver while both front seats are heated and all seats have leatherette material on them.

The only upgrades from the 2021 SE is the 2022 model refresh and its price, which is $900 more than the 2021 SE. However, you also get the option of a panoramic sunroof for $850 more and a set of dark graphite wheels for $395 more.

2022 Volkswagen Jetta SEL

The Jetta SEL was our choice of trims to purchase for the 2021 model and it was priced at $26,740 while the Premium version went for $29,040. For 2022, the SEL is $28,790 and there doesn't appear to be a Premium version this time around. Despite that, the SEL might still be our choice in trims for the 2022 model as it adds everything from the 2021 SEL Premium with a price that would land darn near between it and the 2021 SEL. The 2022 SEL builds upon the SE trim with additional parts for the additional price. The exterior features projector LED headlights with high beam control and Volkswagen's Adaptive Front-lighting System, sunroof, and a cold weather package with heating features built into the windshield wiper park and washer nozzles.

Inside, you'll get a heated steering wheel along with ventilated and heated front seats, power driver seat with memory and lumbar support, leather seating surfaces, three-line door card stitching, ambient lighting, Volkswagen Digital Cockpit Pro with 10.25-inch display, Discover Media infotainment with 8-inch display and navigation; voice control, wireless charging and wireless App-Connect for compatible devices, SiriusXM with 360L with a three-month Premium Plan trial, and premium BeatsAudio sound system with nine speakers.

2022 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn

For 2022, the only Jetta GLI is the Autobahn trim that starts at $31,990 for the manual and $32,790 for the automatic. Being the high-performance model of the Jetta, it comes with the full monty of performance VW parts including a VAQ electronically-controlled torque-sensing limited-slip differential and XDS, DCC adaptive damping system, driving mode selection, sport exhaust, stainless-steel pedal caps, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Outside, the 2022 GLI also comes with projector LED headlights with AFS and light assist, sunroof, heated side mirrors with turn signals, multifunction touch-control steering wheel, auto-dimming rearview mirror, rain sensor, and keyless entry. The cabin of the GLI comes with automatic climate control, power driver seat with memory and lumbar support, leather seating surfaces with red contrast stitching, heated and ventilated front comfort sport seats, illuminated door sills, push-button start, ambient lighting, three-line door card stitching, and a black headliner. Both the automatic and manual get IQ.DRIVE driver assistance technology but only the automatic gets the remote start, for obvious reasons.

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Information for the driver comes from the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit Pro with 10.25-inch display while a Composition Media infotainment with 8-inch display and voice control entertains everyone onboard. A wireless charging and wireless App-Connect for compatible devices, SiriusXM with 360L with a three-month Platinum Plan trial, and premium BeatsAudio sound system with nine speakers all also come standard for the GLI Autobahn.

The bump in price over 2021 GLI Autobahn is modest with a $250 price increase. Unfortunately, only having the Autobahn version means that stepping into the high-performance sports sedan is now $4,650 more expensive over the outgoing 2021 GLI S. Even the jump from the 2022 SEL to the GLI is now larger than it was in 2021. Where it was only a $600 increase between the SEL and GLI S has now become a $3,200 jump for the 2022 SEL and GLI Autobahn trims.