The 2016 Volkswagen Jetta Sport: The Re-Review

"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
03/10/2016 at 17:42 • Filed to: None

Well, first of all you’re probably all thinking “Why are you reposting this review?”

The reason being, I rewrote it entirely. I was a little hypercritical of the flaws that it had. Frankly, it was because of what kind of car I’m coming from to what kind of car I have now, and I realize that the first review that I made painted the Jetta in a bad light and I don’t feel that writing it that way was fair for the car. The 2016 Jetta Sport is by no means a perfect car, but it is a good one for sure.

In 2015, the Jetta was starting to get a little ripe. The 2.5 liter 5 cylinder, while reliable was about ready to go and the ancient, horrible 2.Slow liter naturally aspirated 4 cylinder had overstayed its welcome by a few years at least. That’s when Volkswagen realized “HEY, 1.8t!” Yes, that’s right the infamously reliable, or was it unreliable, engine that made us all aware of the Mk4 Jetta and Golf. So, Volkswagen reintroduced it. The fourth generation 1.8 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder was then reborn the 2.5 liter engines place. The 2.Slow was replaced by a 1.4 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder.

That’s where I came into the picture. I needed a fun, fuel efficient, manual and sporty sedan for under $20,000. The Fiesta ST was too expensive, didn’t fulfill my equipment requirements and was too small for my needs. It also wasn’t a sedan. Nothing else really stuck out to me for the price point that I needed and I REALLY needed a fuel efficicent car. Then I visited Volkswagens website and found the Jetta Sport....

Because people have and will continue to ask, “What makes the Jetta Sport a Sport model?”

Well, it’s relatively simple. Black mirror caps, ‘17 Joda alloys, a lip spoiler, fog lights and the suspension setup out of the GLI (As I’ve been told) and finally, white and black two tone sport seats.

Engine 7/10

The 1.8t is a familiar engine for many, myself included. Making 170 horsepower and 184 foot pounds of torque, it isn’t exactly a power monster. But with 25 city and 37 highway as the MPG figures, what it lacks in power is made up in miles per gallon. The engine itself runs quiet and makes alright power. I feel like the Jetta 1.8t could definitely benefit from 40 extra horsepower, which I’ll eventually get with a tune. It feels down on power regularly and the boost does kick in, albeit a little lag.

Transmission 7/10

The five speed manual (yes, five speed) is interesting. First gear is very short, second is too tall, third is too short and forth is WAYYYYY too long and it’s very easy to lug unless you’re going above 45. The throws are nice and tight and it is a very well put together feeling gearbox besides its random flaws as far as spacing is concerned. It could also benefit from a 6th gear. Reverse is the same as most other Audi and Volkswagen products.

Toys 8/10

The Jetta Sport comes from the factory very well equipped. Push button ignition, navigation, Carplay, Sirius XM, heated wiper nozzles and mirrors, power mirrors, a high resolution backup camera and Car-Net which nobody uses most likely. For the price, you are getting A LOT of car and there’s no doubt about that. Strangely enough, power seats are nowhere to be found and there isn’t a sunroof and every car I’ve ever owned has had a sunroof.

Interior 8/10

Despite what a lot of people say about the Jetta, the interior is actually a quite nice place to be. There’s some soft touch stuff, some hard touch stuff and some weird touch stuff. The steering wheel, shift knob and e-brake lever are wrapped in leather and there’s white stiching pretty much everywhere. I do deduct a couple points because of the white seats, which are very easy to get dirty even though they look really nice.

Seat Comfort 12/10

While I dislike the whiteness of the seats, I did feel the need to create an entire category dedicated to the seating surfaces of this car. They are probably among the best seats I’ve ever sat in. Thigh support is excellent, back support is excellent, the bolstering holds you tight and they are overall absolutely great. They’re also nicely padded and feel very premium, yet sporty at the same time.

Exterior styling 7/10

The MKVI is getting up there in age. In 2015 they did do a refresh which included a bunch of stuff. It does retain an attractive profile and does still get compliments because of how clean the design is. The corners of the rear doors do tend to attack people because of how far out they stick compared to a lot of other cars. (4 kills so far.) Otherwise, the blacked out window trim, tinted taillights and various other stuff do make it look quite nice. I would change out the front grille though and the lower front grille as I’m not a huge fan of their styling though.

Handling 9/10

GLI suspension so understeer is minimal, rides well and looks great as it is slightly lower than the standard Jetta ride height. That being said, it pretty much sits at the perfect height where you don’t scrape anything and it doesn’t look like a 4x4 either.

Value 10/10

The Jetta delivers German quality, Mexican build quality (lol) and a great value for the price. I take back most of the negatives that I bitched about earlier when angry Jkm was here.

The Jetta and all Volkswagens have a massive and well known tuning and enthusiast community, making the Jetta Sport a great choice for anybody who wants to get into modifying cars and hopefully not stancing them.

Total: 68/80

Pictured below: Probably the only non-shit picture I have of the interior

DISCUSSION (41)

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 17:48

“Well, first of all you’re probably all thinking “Why are you reposting this review?””

Actually I’m thinking, why havent you taken any actual photos of the exterior yet?

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 17:48

I think the seats may be the same contours as the MK7 GTI. If so, I agree with your assessment despite my fat ass.

They do support quite well. I’ve autocrossed a MK7 GTI quite hard

HammerheadFistpunch > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 17:49

I’ve never understood why VW keeps the 5 speed around instead of simplifying supply chain costs and building only the 6 speed. Sure its a more expensive gearbox to make but is it really cheaper to make 2 different gearboxes?

jkm7680 > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
03/10/2016 at 17:49

I have a few, but they're all taken in my driveway and I'd rather keep that off Oppo.

jkm7680 > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
03/10/2016 at 17:50

I think you might be right on that, they look about the same. Just different material.

jkm7680 > HammerheadFistpunch
03/10/2016 at 17:50

I've heard it's fuel economy related. That being said, Volkswagen aren't exactly the best about keeping their fuel economy promises, haha.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 17:53

Point the camera away from the house next time ;)

HammerheadFistpunch > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 17:57

How could 5 speeds possibly be more fuel efficient than 6...and if thats the case, shouldn’t the diesels have the 5? The truth is that the 6 can handle more torque and VW is lazy about putting the 5 out to pasture and just adopting the 6, or retooling the 6 to be more cost effective.

BobintheMtns > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 18:02

“The 1.8t is a familiar engine for many”

You’re not confusing the new 1.8 tsi motor with the 1.8t motors from the B5 Passat era are you? Totally different motors- they just happen to share the same displacement... But the new 1.8 tsi isn’t an updated 1.8t from back then- rather it’s a scaled-down version of the ea888 (the 2.0t used in present GTI’s etc)

BobintheMtns > HammerheadFistpunch
03/10/2016 at 18:04

My impression was that it was a gimmick to get you to upgrade... “well you can get the cheap model, but it’s only got a 5-speed”

jkm7680 > BobintheMtns
03/10/2016 at 18:06

I’m not, I’m just putting it out there that the 1.8t is a familiar sounding nameplate that could draw people back to the Jetta.

HammerheadFistpunch > BobintheMtns
03/10/2016 at 18:06

pisses me off. I’m looking to replace the Nox box if VW gets its act together and buys it back but I can’t replace it with a new VW because you can’t get a 6 speed wagon or even a manual with Vtex. Lame. I certainly don’t even want to go back to VW...but my wife is pretty insistent on “german engineering”

Tripper > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 18:07

Great re-review! I knew I should have specd mine up a little lol.

I bought a Jetta brand new in 2013 to drive to a job that I hated. It was an S 2.Slow 115hp and the softest suspension I have experienced in a modern car. I put 18k miles on it in 15 months and my foot into the passenger door one night. Then traded it for a significant loss :(

I thought when I was buying it that I should have gone up a little.

BobintheMtns > HammerheadFistpunch
03/10/2016 at 18:16

“Nox box” hahahahahahaha..... So you’ve got a tdi wagon now? Why would want to ever replace that??

jkm7680 > Tripper
03/10/2016 at 18:19

The 2.Slow really was a bit of a piece, haha. Had a wedding to go to in Portland, rented a Jetta with the 2.Slow. Holy shit, it felt broken it was so slow. They’re really good, fuel efficient commuter cars though.

HammerheadFistpunch > BobintheMtns
03/10/2016 at 18:19

Because I trust it to last to 100,000 miles like I trust its emissions.

BobintheMtns > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 18:20

Gotcha.... I worked a vw dealership for a few months when the new 1.8 came out and every other salesman there (all non-gearheads) was like, “oh shit, it’s the same motor from 5 years ago.” And I was all, “Gaaaaaah! No it’s not!!!!”

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > HammerheadFistpunch
03/10/2016 at 18:21

320d touring?

HammerheadFistpunch > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
03/10/2016 at 18:23

hmmm. A little pricey but still...hmmm

BobintheMtns > HammerheadFistpunch
03/10/2016 at 18:23

Dude... those are nice cars. It’ll last a while... was it made in Germany or Mex?

BruceS85 > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 18:24

forth generation

Unless you’re backing up, then it’s the reverse generation.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > HammerheadFistpunch
03/10/2016 at 18:26

If I hadn’t bought the Skoda, the BMW was my next choice. Great motor, a genuinely refined diesel with a bit of pace and great handling. Also, it’s German and it’s engineered.

jkm7680 > BobintheMtns
03/10/2016 at 18:27

Haha, I’ve heard that many times.

HammerheadFistpunch > BobintheMtns
03/10/2016 at 18:28

MEXICO!!! Paint is wimpy, the door squeaks more at 50,000 miles than my cruiser does at 272,000 the fuel system has already grenaded once and it surges a little, the HVAC has always stunk and some of the switches are feeling flimsy already. Unimpressed.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 18:32

Yep, that’s my guess

BobintheMtns > HammerheadFistpunch
03/10/2016 at 18:34

Hmmmm... my vw (07 GTI) was actually made in wolfsburg.. and it’s been such a solid car.... but yeah, the mexico cars are a bit rougher....

Tripper > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 18:55

So slow lol. You’re right though, great commuter car. To be honest the car became affiliated with the job to the point where it gets undeserved hate just because of the job. My fiancee cant even look at a red one without turning her nose up lol. I was kind of into the red when I bought the S3 and I could have made a better deal as they had one at a nearby dealer with the options I wanted and a great price. However, the S3 being a bit of a Jetta on steroids, I just couldn’t do it. Plus I had the strongest boner for the blue.

jkm7680 > Tripper
03/10/2016 at 19:03

Definitely, if I were going to have an S3 it would be in Sepang blue.

Chasaboo > jkm7680
03/10/2016 at 19:44

Thanks for posting. Been interested in one for awhile now.

One of these days I’ll test drive one.

jkm7680 > Chasaboo
03/10/2016 at 19:46

It’s a great car!

Got any questions?

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch
03/10/2016 at 20:35

I really think they keep the 5-speed around and just so they have one more thing to claim is an upgrade on the GLI over the 1.8's.

I’ve driven both the current GLI with the 6-speed and a Golf Sportwagen with the 1.8T and 5-speed. The 5-speed really isn’t that bad of a box, but it could use the extra gear. Also, the 2016 wagon I drove was most definitely a manual with V-Tex so they do exist. If the 6-speed is that big of a deal to you, definitely check out the GTI - it really isn’t that much smaller than the GSW.

I stopped looking at VW’s when the local dealers refused to lower prices after dieselgate and found that Subaru is doing this same 5-speed crap right now too. All of the Imprezas/Crosstreks are still stuck with the old 5-speed. I moved up to a Forester over an Impreza Sport hatchback mainly to get a 6-speed. The extra 22 hp and 29 lb-ft is nice too though.

HammerheadFistpunch > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/10/2016 at 21:30

The online build tool doesn’t show manual and vtex as a combo option

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch
03/10/2016 at 22:13

Damn that sucks they got rid of it for 2016. But they also dropped the base MSRP a little so I guess something had to give. V-Tex was definitely available with the manual last year. Quick, grab a new 2015 while you still can! http://m.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/…

(Yes I realize it’s in a different state than you)

Edit never mind that’s a diesel so it’s probably not really for sale...

Edit 2: Looks like the 2015 TSI’s are basically gone. This one is listed as new, but has 1000 miles must have been a demo. But does have a manual and V-Tex! http://m.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/…

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > jkm7680
03/11/2016 at 11:04

Nice review. Shows how much I’ve been keeping up with VW. I had no idea they now had a 1.4t as the baby motor.

Also I had no idea the jetta sport used GLI suspension. that makes it VERY appealing to me. See I care about MPG’s more than out right power since I commute daily. But handling has always been very high on my list.This would be just about perfect for what I’d use it for.

I currently have a 2013 Ford Fusion 1.6L with 18" wheel package and it handles beautifully. it also gets 36mpg highway. I love my car but if anything ever happened to it I would highly consider one of these Jettas as a replacement.

jkm7680 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/11/2016 at 18:15

It’s a very well balanced car, I’d recommend it to a lot of people.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > jkm7680
03/11/2016 at 18:23

Turns out there is no such thing as a Jetta sport in Canada. As usual you guys get the good stuff.

jkm7680 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/11/2016 at 18:34

Huh, that’s strange. Wonder why?

EAEThatsMe > jkm7680
06/03/2016 at 15:15

I just leased a Jetta Sport in a situation where rolling some negative equity took our the GLI option and two kids with a double stroller removed the GTI option. I could not be happier. Other than the white seats, that scares the shit out of me... Really.

Driver76 > jkm7680
08/15/2016 at 21:01

It is great. We bought one with the lighting package which includes an upgraded gauge cluster back in June. Love it!

uhooru > jkm7680
09/16/2016 at 05:29

Just got the Sport, to replace my 2010 Golf TDI. Modded the diesel, and I really love the pull on that engine. The 1.8 however is not too bad, I’m pleasantly surprised. I think with a mild tune down the line, it will be a sweet engine.

The tuned suspension on the Sport is really very nice. Its brand new right now, but is quite positive and nicely stiff. Much quieter body then my TDI too. I have a 6 speed manual in the TDI and a 5 manual in the Jetta. Its really not too bad at all. I notice the car will run at 65 MPH in 5th gear right at 2000 rpm. My last gas engine would be closer to 3000 rpm which would put me close to 70 MPH. The Jetta gets 70 at about 2100 or so. So the 5th gear is really pretty tall.

ALEX773 > jkm7680
07/27/2017 at 23:42

Girlfriend is getting one tomorrow, and I am actually pretty excited to see how that GLI suspension handles Chicago roads. I might consider getting a GTI depending on how reliable her car turns out to be.