2025 Volkswagen Jetta Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Volkswagen hasn’t redesigned the Jetta since the 2019 model year, when the automaker replaced a clean, simple, and timeless design with one wearing unresolved detailing that made it look cheap. A refresh in 2022 just made things worse.

Now, for the 2025 model year, that problem is resolved with new front and rear styling, revised wheel designs, and fresh paint colors, like the Monterey Blue Pearl paint seen on our test car (Monument Gray is the other new color for 2025). The rear overhang remains excessive, but the styling modifications emphasize the car’s width, visually widening and lowering it for a more appealing and premium appearance.

The interior also gets an upgrade with what VW claims are nicer materials and a redesigned dashboard. An 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and dual-zone automatic climate control system are now standard, but the latter includes distracting and frustrating touch-sensitive controls. Fortunately, many people can set it and forget it unless they need the defrost and defog functions.

Volkswagen offers the 2025 Jetta in S, Sport, SE, and SEL trim levels. The GLI is a separate Jetta model due to its performance-tuned nature. Prices for the standard Jetta lineup range from $21,995 to $29,000, not including the $1,225 destination charge. Our Jetta SEL test car carried a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $30,225 with destination.

We’re fans of Volkswagen's styling changes, and the interior is nicer than before. Plenty of plastic remains in the cabin, but that’s to be expected of an entry-level car. Still, in SEL trim, the Jetta boasts leather upholstery, ambient interior lighting, upgraded digital instrumentation, and additional comfort features that pay dividends no matter the season.

One thing that hasn’t changed for 2025 is the Jetta’s turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. It produces an unimpressive 158 horsepower but compensates with 184 pound-feet of sweet turbocharged torque at a low 1,750 rpm. An eight-speed automatic transmission transfers that power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive (AWD) isn’t available.

The Jetta’s window sticker lists an EPA fuel economy rating of 33 mpg in combined driving. We averaged 31.8 mpg during testing in blistering late-summer heat. Notably, we achieved that result using the Sport driving mode the majority of the time. In Normal mode, the Jetta suffers a turbo lag problem, in which there’s a delay between pressing the accelerator pedal and the turbo building up enough boost to provide real thrust. Sport mode mostly resolves that, making the car more pleasurable to drive.

Another contributing factor to driving satisfaction is the lowered, sport-tuned suspension, which is standard on all but the base Jetta S. Previously, the Jetta felt too soft and compliant, making it dull to drive. The firmer underpinnings supporting the 2025 Jetta give it a proper German driving character. Paired with the Jetta SEL’s larger 18-inch wheels, that suspension helped make the car more enjoyable on the twists and turns of Angeles Crest Highway near Pasadena, California. It’s no GLI, but the SEL’s higher fidelity contributes to a rewarding driving experience.

Despite the firmer settings and simple torsion-beam rear suspension, the Jetta SEL was an agreeable commuter on Los Angeles freeways as well. Though triple-digit temperatures required constant use of the air conditioning, the Jetta’s trip computer indicated that the car averaged as much as 38 mpg on the highway.

Not long ago, midsize cars were no bigger than the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta. This is a remarkably roomy compact sedan with comfortable front and rear seats and a sizable 14.1 cubic-foot trunk. Whether commuting, running errands, or schlepping a couple of kids around, you won’t require more space than a Jetta provides most of the time.

Our SEL test car had numerous comfort enhancements, starting with leather seats. The driver’s seat offered power adjustment, and both front seats featured heating and ventilation. The steering wheel and the back seats were also heated. Remember, the Jetta SEL is a car wearing a window sticker exceeding $30,000 only because of the destination charge.

Given the blazing temperatures on testing day, we didn’t need any of the heated items. We can report that the dual-zone automatic climate control system and ventilated front seats effectively combat extreme temperatures. Unfortunately, the new touch-sensitive climate control panel is displeasing. Mounted low on the dashboard, it forces the driver to look too far down and away from the road to make adjustments. Worse, some of the markings are hard to discern quickly, adding to the amount of distraction.

It’s also too easy to accidentally activate the wrong thing, causing confusion on top of distraction. For example, after the heatwave broke, we needed to turn up the heat and use the defogger on a chilly morning. Somehow, we instead adjusted the temperature colder and then, to correct that error, wound up activating maximum heating.

Previously, the Jetta had two large temperature control knobs with the commonly-used front and rear defoggers nestled into the one closest to the driver. You could use the old system without looking away from the road. Now? Not so much. That misstep is unfortunate because the 2025 Jetta is an otherwise comfortable, simple, and practical daily driver.

With the 2025 Jetta, Volkswagen equips every trim level with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and an 8-inch digital instrumentation panel. Upgrade to the Jetta SEL, and you’ll get a more sophisticated, configurable 10.25-inch Volkswagen Digital Cockpit Pro driver display.

The Jetta S and Jetta Sport comes standard with Bluetooth, wired versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and access to Car-Net connected services and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Jetta SE upgrades to wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless smartphone charging, and a voice recognition system. Our Jetta SEL test car had all of those features, plus a navigation system and eight Beats Audio speakers.

At first glance, the infotainment system’s two knobs, clearly marked menu shortcuts, and flat menu design promise a refreshingly simple user experience. But depending on the infotainment screen shown, when you raise your hand, a proximity-sensing menu appears at the bottom. If you drop your hand to study it, it disappears before you finish the task.

Also, the function of the right knob changes depending on which screen is active. Regardless, the left knob controls volume, but the right knob tunes the radio only when the radio is on the screen. Furthermore, tuning is not as simple as twisting the knob. Your first twist calls up the station list. Your second twist takes you to other stations. Then you push the knob to choose the station.

Given some of the hassles with the infotainment system's operation, we would normally recommend trying the voice recognition technology. Unfortunately, that feature is an extra-cost subscription available through Car-Net, and it wasn’t active in our test vehicle.

You can side-step these issues by using the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. That is, unless you run into the problem we did. After several days of driving the Jetta, our iPhone’s inbound and outbound calling functions worked fine, but Apple CarPlay no longer worked. Going through Apps and choosing CarPlay, it didn’t list our device as a choice and instead wanted to use the phone of a previous driver.

Volkswagen equips every 2025 Jetta with IQ.Drive, which is the name for its collection of driver assistance systems and safety features. The number of features on offer is competitive with other brands, and VW even offers a couple that those other brands don’t.

First, the blind-spot monitoring system includes active collision avoidance. If you attempt an unsafe lane change despite the system’s warnings, it will countersteer against your inputs to discourage a dangerous decision.

Second, Emergency Assist stands guard when using Lane Assist, the lane-centering assist system. With Lane Assist turned on, if the driver falls asleep or suffers a medical emergency and becomes unresponsive, Emergency Assist can bring the Jetta to a safe stop and activate the hazard lights.

During testing, the IQ.Drive features worked with remarkable precision and refinement. The exception, as is common across makes and models, was Lane Assist’s ability to resist unnecessary warnings when a lane widened to become two lanes and when two lanes narrowed to become one lane.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2025 Jetta a five-star overall safety rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) isn’t as bullish on the Jetta’s safety. The compact sedan earned top “Good” ratings in the IIHS’ small overlap front crash test and original versions of the moderate overlap front and side-impact tests. But it received a lower “Acceptable” rating in the updated side crash test.

As much as we like the refreshed 2025 Jetta, it competes against numerous capable and appealing rivals. Some offer more efficient hybrid powertrains. Others are available with AWD. Several are available as hatchbacks as well as four-door sedans. Comparatively speaking, aside from the GLI sports sedan, the Jetta is a one-trick pony.

As an incentive, VW includes Carefree Coverage with every Jetta purchase. This plan provides two years or 20,000 miles of complimentary scheduled service, three years of free roadside assistance, and five years of Car-Net Remote Features connected services via the MyVW smartphone app. The Jetta’s warranty covers the car for four years or 50,000 miles.

That’s appealing, and the Jetta is competitively priced. This VW also boasts German driving dynamics, a roomy and comfortable interior, and a big trunk. People who value such things will like the 2025 Jetta.