First Drive: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta gets with the (American) program

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Volkswagen, First Drive

For Volkswagen of America, it doesn’t get more brot-und-butter than the Jetta. Forced into the shadow of the best-selling Golf, VW Germany’s refrain was “Sell more Golfs!” To which VoA would steadfastly reply, “Americans don’t want hatchbacks!”

This went on for over two decades until the corporate mothership finally recognized that its compact sedan was what the people wanted Stateside. So for 2011, the Jetta has been restyled, reformed and reinvigorated with a new purpose: to take on the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, not to mention the Mazda3.

How? This story begins and ends with price. A 2011 Jetta in “S” trim will set you back just $15,995. Compare that to the 2010 model, which starts at $17,735, and the Civic and Corolla which clock in at $15,655 and $15,450, respectively. The “German premium” has finally been addressed. But at what cost? We trekked to San Francisco to find out.

Photos by Damon Lavrinc / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

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First Drive: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta gets with the (American) program originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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