2022 Volkswagen Jetta vs 2023 Nissan Versa

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta maintained its status as Volkswagen’s best-selling vehicle despite the automaker’s overall sales decline due to various global issues. In 2021, the Jetta and its performance version, the Jetta GLI, accounted for over 61% of Volkswagen’s U.S. car sales, a figure that rose to 70% in the first quarter of 2022. The 2022 model received a mild makeover, including an engine update, exterior styling tweaks, improved infotainment, and a new Sport trim. The Jetta’s exterior changes were subtle, with minor updates to the front fascia, bumper, and grille, and new wheel designs and paint colors. The interior also saw subtle updates, with new seat patterns and contrast stitching, and an 8-inch Digital Cockpit instrument cluster became standard across the lineup.

The 2023 Nissan Versa borrowed design elements from Nissan’s larger Sentra and Altima sedans, giving it a more upscale appearance. The Versa’s new front end featured a more elaborate V-Motion grille, a new wheel design for the SR trim, and a Gray Sky Pearl paint option. The interior design was creative for a budget model, with large round air vents and an elaborate dashboard. The SR trim added red stitching and upholstery inserts, heated front seats, automatic climate control, a center console with an armrest, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Despite being an economy car, the Versa’s fit and finish were impressive, even on a pre-production test car.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta was powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, replacing the previous 1.4-liter turbo-four. This engine produced 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, with transmission options including a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic. The Jetta’s fuel economy was impressive, with the manual transmission rated at 29 mpg city, 43 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined. Automatic transmission models had slightly different ratings, with S and Sport models achieving 31 mpg city, 41 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined, while SE and SEL models were rated at 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined. The Jetta offered a comfortable ride, though its powertrain had some drawbacks, including a touchy throttle and turbo lag. The vehicle’s dynamics were tepid, with numb steering and a jumpy feel in stop-and-go traffic.

The 2023 Nissan Versa featured a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque, paired with front-wheel drive. The base Versa S came with a five-speed manual transmission, while a continuously variable transmission (CVT) was optional on the S trim and standard on the SV and SR models. The Versa’s handling was satisfactory, with notable body roll in corners but good grip and responsive steering. The ride quality was comfortable, with the suspension effectively cushioning impacts and low cabin noise levels. The Versa felt more substantial than typical subcompact cars, with handling and refinement that seemed a class above.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta offered ample passenger space for four adults, with the ability to accommodate five if needed. The seats were comfortable, though the front seats’ bottom cushion had a slight incline that might not suit shorter individuals. The cabin was driver-centric, with buttons for climate control, audio, and seat controls conveniently located. There was usable storage space, including door pockets, a center console bin, and a slot next to the cupholders. However, the center storage bin’s cover lacked a latch, which was unusual but not problematic.

The 2023 Nissan Versa, available only as a four-door sedan, offered 14.7 cubic feet of trunk space in the base S trim and 15 cubic feet in the SV and SR trims. This was more cargo space than the similarly sized Kia Rio and Mitsubishi Mirage G4 sedans. A 60/40 split-folding rear seat was not standard but available with the S Plus Package or higher trims. The front seats provided more headroom and legroom than the Kia and Mitsubishi sedans, though the rear seats had less space. The front row felt spacious, with good outward visibility, though the center console bin was small. The shifter was mounted on a raised platform, which looked cool but wasn’t the best use of space.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta received a technology upgrade, with all models equipped with the Digital Cockpit digital instrument cluster. The S, Sport, and SE trims had an 8-inch display, while the SEL trim had a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro. The Jetta SEL also featured an 8-inch MIB3 infotainment system with navigation, wireless App-Connect, wireless device charging, multi-phone pairing, and enhanced voice recognition. Standard infotainment included a 6.5-inch touchscreen with App-Connect, Bluetooth, and USB-C ports. The SEL trim added HD Radio, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, a Car-Net Hotspot subscription, and a Plus Nav package. The voice activation and navigation commands were not intuitive, often requiring manual input for addresses and points of interest.

The 2023 Nissan Versa S trim came with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth phone connectivity and streaming audio, Siri Eyes Free voice control, three USB ports, and keyless entry. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were available with the S Plus Package or higher trims. The SV trim added a 7-inch driver information display and a wireless phone charging pad, while the SR trim featured an 8-inch touchscreen, six-speaker audio system, Wi-Fi hotspot, and NissanConnect Services telematics. The touchscreens were small by current standards, with outdated graphics and crowded menus. However, the digital instrument cluster display made the Versa feel more upscale, providing useful information alongside the analog speedometer.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta came standard with IQ.Drive, Volkswagen’s suite of driver-assistance technologies. The Jetta S and Sport included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward-collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian recognition. The Driver Assistance package added adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. Travel Assist combined adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist, while Emergency Assist monitored driver attentiveness. The full IQ.Drive suite was standard on the SE and SEL trims. The 2022 Jetta had not yet received crash safety ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS, but the 2021 model received a five-star rating from the NHTSA and mostly “Good” grades from the IIHS, with some lower scores for headlights and LATCH use.

The 2023 Nissan Versa exceeded expectations with its standard driver-assist tech. The base Versa S included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and lane-departure warning. The SV trim added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, while the SR trim included adaptive cruise control. The NHTSA gave the 2023 Versa a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in side-impact crash testing and four stars in the frontal and rollover categories. The IIHS had not published updated safety ratings for the 2023 Versa, but previous models received “Good” ratings in older crash tests.