A solid offering in a tough category. But let’s not get carried away. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

According to the official Volkswagen site for consumers, the 2026 Jetta is “The compact sedan that redefines the standard.”

Well, let’s face it: that’s verbiage that came out of an advertising agency that is tasked with talking big about its clients products.

Arguably, in the compact car segment the definitional products are the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla.

Consider: in the first three quarters of 2025 there were 185,225 Civics sold in the U.S. and 179,983 Corollas. Yes, there are hatches among them, but still.

During the same period there were 43,610 Jettas sold.

It would be hard to redefine something with that.

Which is not to say that the Jetta is not a car worth consideration. It is a good-looking, capable compact that is competing in a tough segment (obviously).

In fact, there is something to be said for zigging while everyone else in the market is zagging.

If you go Jetta, you’re likely to be standing out wherever you drive.

The 2026 Jetta is a seventh-generation vehicle, so there’s experience there, especially with the MQB architecture that the car is based on. All you really need to know about that is that it “feels” like a solid vehicle.

It is 186.5 inches long, 70.8 inches wide and 57.7 inches tall; the wheelbase is 105.7 inches. The Jetta offers 94.7 cubic feet of passenger volume and 14.1 cubic feet of trunk capacity.

It is powered by a 158-hp turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It is a front-wheel-drive vehicle.

That eight-speed, it must be noted, is a differentiator between the Jetta and the Civic and the Corolla, as those two vehicles have a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Some people like the “feel” of a step-gear transmission more than a CVT, so that is a consideration that should be made.

It has EPA-estimated fuel-economy ratings of 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined, which puts it right in the ballpark with the Civic and the Corolla.

The SEL trim driven here has a number of features, including 18-inch alloy wheels, heated and cooled front seats (heated in the rear outboard positions), leather seating surfaces, heated steering wheel, navigation, premium audio, and a sunroof.

One of the features it has that I certainly wish it didn’t is capacitive-touch “buttons.” This is the sort of thing you have on your smartphone: you simply touch a specific area to activate something rather than using a physical button, dial or switch. While this works well on your phone because odds are you are (assuming that you are a good driver, not a scoff-law) standing, sitting or maybe walking while you are doing something with your phone, not traveling at 70 mph as you may be in your Jetta while you are trying to adjust the temperature. (There are buttons and rockers on the steering wheel for a few functions.)

The base MSRP for the 2026 Jetta SEL is $30,450. There is a $1,275 destination charge.

A key consideration, of course, comes down to whether a German marque is more interesting than a Japanese—or Korean: we can’t forget the Hyundai Elantra and the Kia K4, both of which are gamers in the category.