Anthony Fongaro
In Volkswagen’s lineup, the Jetta is its value leader. For less than $30,000, consumers can take home a relatively spacious sedan. There aren’t that many vehicles that can be bought for less than $30,000, but competition from the likes of the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic is fierce. There is one thing that the Jetta is missing: a hybrid powertrain. Although the competition does have hybrid powertrains, the Jetta fights back with technology and space. At around $30,000, this top-of-the-line Jetta SEL comes with many features, including ventilated seats and a sunroof. Let’s see how well the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta SEL does against its rivals.
At the front, the Jetta houses LED headlights and a lightbar connected by a thin grille. Underneath is a larger mesh grille with silver accents. This Jetta SEL came in Kings Red Metallic paint and 18-inch alloy wheels. The basic silhouette of the Jetta remains, but this 2025 comes with a few different body creases. Volkswagen gave the Jetta fake exhausts which look more like fake vents. It helps break up the sea of body coloring on the rear. Large VW and Jetta logos are centered. Oversized lights and an SEL badge round up the rear of the Jetta. The look hasn’t changed too much, but it’s still a handsome compact sedan and instantly recognizable as a Jetta.
Inside, the driver has a heated steering wheel with buttons for the digital gauge cluster and adaptive cruise control. In front of the driver is a 10.25-inch customizable digital gauge cluster which is clear to read. Next to this is an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android. It works alright, but the screen doesn’t integrate well with the rest of the cabin. Jetta SEL vehicles come with heated and ventilated front seats which could feel a little flat. While there are hard buttons for the seat controls, the climate controls are touch-sensitive and not as simple to use. Thankfully, the BeatsAudio system works quite well with plenty of bass and treble. SEL vehicles also come with a sunroof, but continue the tradition of hard plastics throughout the cabin.
Powering the Jetta SEL is a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Mated to an eight-speed automatic and front-wheel drive, the Jetta SEL accelerates from 0-60 MPH in around seven seconds. That’s good for this segment, but the automatic felt a little sluggish to accelerate. On the move, the Jetta SEL produces a small amount of wind and tire noise. Handling is decent, with good body control. Eco, Normal, and Sport are the three drive modes and I found myself in Sport a good amount of time when I was on the highway and the engine still returned more than 35 MPG.
Pricing for the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta starts at $22,000 for the base S. At the opposite end of the scale is this SEL, at around $30,000. I would forgo the SEL and stick with the SE, which comes in at around $25,000 and includes heated seats, remote start, and a wireless charging pad. Still, the Jetta SEL is a good and solid car. It has plenty of space, good technology and features, and an airy interior. The large amount of hard plastics doesn’t help its case, but lower-trim levels can justify their low prices.
