2023 Volkswagen Jetta vs. 2024 Volkswagen Jetta

2023 Volkswagen Jetta vs. 2024 Volkswagen Jetta: A Comprehensive Breakdown

With the new year comes many new vehicles on the road, and Volkswagen has a delightful sedan that has steadfastly remained one of the best and most affordable on the road. The 2024 Volkswagen Jetta is a classic sedan with a spacious interior, offering drivers the comfort of a quiet ride and premium fuel efficiency. While it may not be the sportiest ride on the road, the VW Jetta is a reliable and affordable option for Ohio drivers, rated fifth amongst the top compact cars on the market.

Overview of the 2024 VW Jetta

While sedans might not be quite as popular as they used to be, the Jetta remains popular amongst commuters. The Volkswagen Jetta shares many of the same features as the VW Golf, but the Jetta adds some features. The 2024 VW Jetta boasts agile handling, allowing you to navigate city streets and parking lots with ease.

The Jetta might not be the most powerful sedan on the market, but it uses its 158-horsepower turbocharged inline-4 engine to make the most of your commute. The standard Jetta includes a six-speed manual. If a manual transmission isn’t your style, an eight-speed automatic is available as an upgrade for only a few hundred dollars more.

Other fun and notable features include heated power exterior mirrors, cloth upholstery, and a smattering of safety features, including forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking, all of which come standard in the base S model. There are also a slew of available upgrades, allowing you to manage your bells and whistles according to your price point.

New for 2024: Comparing the 2023 Jetta to the 2024 Jetta

As in most new vehicle models, there have been upgrades to the previous year’s model. But what are the main differences when it comes to the 2023 VW Jetta vs. 2024 VW Jetta, and what’s new?

The biggest news for 2024 is the fitment of Volkswagen’s ID.Drive driver-assistance suite that comes standard for the base S trim and up. 2024 also sees the addition of an eco-leather steering wheel, a leather gearshift, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. If you move up a model, the Sport trim adds standard heated front seats and a lightweight and compact spare tire.

The 2024 Volkswagen Jetta comes in four different available trim levels: The S, Sport, SE, and SEL. The S model is the base trim and the SEL is the top-level trim.

Depending on the trim and features you choose, the price of the 2024 Volkswagen Jetta starts at around $22,585 and goes up from there, which is slightly higher than the 2023 Volkswagen Jetta, whose base MSRP starts at $20,415.

The Sport trim might be worth the upgrade if it is within the budget and brings over several desirable features over the base model. The Spor trim includes 17-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, a slightly sportier front bumper design, and Volkswagen’s XDS brake-based limited-slip differential.

A step up again, the SE adds power seats, keyless entry, and more, while the SEL adds leather ventilated front seats, heated front and rear seats, a sunroof, and more.

Engine and Performance

The 2024 Jetta features a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. The base model, as aforementioned, comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, but an eight-speed automatic transmission is available as an upgrade for a few hundred dollars more. The 2023 VW Jetta came with an automatic transmission as standard on the base model, marking a change for the new 2024 model.

The sedan was designed carefully, the chassis allowing for a quieter and more comfortable ride with clean and responsive handling.

Fuel Economy

In the 2024 VW Jetta, the base S model, when equipped with the automatic transmission, earns the highest fuel efficiency rating with an EPA-estimated 31 mpg city and 41 mpg highway. When equipped with the manual transmission, the fuel efficiency takes a hit to city mileage, dropping to 29 mpg city but increasing to 42 mpg highway. These numbers are comparable to the 2023 Volkswagen Jetta.

It should be noted, however, that the Jetta Sport, SE, and SEL trim levels get slightly lower fuel economy ratings due to the difference in equipment. For more information about the EPA’s rating and the Jetta’s fuel efficiency, visit the EPA’s website. For the most part, however, the 2024 Volkswagen Jetta has a surprisingly high fuel economy.

Interior

The Jetta offers a spacious interior, featuring a satisfying amount of front passenger head, shoulder, and leg room. The visibility is excellent and the cabin design is contemporary, increasing in features and design with each trim level.

The base mode, the Jetta S, features cloth upholstery, manually adjustable seats, useful door pockets, and a deep center console bin. Other features on the higher-tier models include ambient interior lighting, wireless device charging, and ventilated front seats.

The Jetta also includes plenty of interior space, holding up to seven bags in the trunk for plenty of storage on the go.

Infotainment

The 2024 Jetta S, Sport, and SE trim levels all come with a basic 8-inch digital gauge cluster, while the SEL comes equipped with a 10.3-inch, fully customizable setup. Similarly, the S, Sport, and SE trims all come with a 6.5-inch touchscreen display with attendant hard knobs for volume and tuning, while the SEL takes advantage of the newer 8.0-inch infotainment system and a 12-speaker setup.

The models come with standard or available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities and wireless charging comes standard on the top two trim levels.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

This compact car has an NHTSA rating of five stars, making it one of the best compact sedans on the market for safety. Even the entry-level Jetta comes with a variety of standard driver-assistance features, all of which you can further upgrade with equipment like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and more.

Other key safety features include standard forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and available adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go technology.

Warranty Coverage

Volkswagen offers competitive warranties, especially with its limited warranty that covers four years or 50,000 miles. The powertrain warranty, not quite as good as the limited warranty, covers four years or 50,000 miles. Lastly, Volkswagen offers complementary maintenance for two years or 20,000 miles.

The 2024 Volkswagen Jetta at Evans Volkswagen

If the 2024 Volkswagen Jetta sounds like the perfect vehicle for you, stop by Evans Volkswagen to take one for a test drive. While you’re at it, take a look at our current selection of new and pre-owned vehicles. Check out our specials, too!