2010 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan

The Volkswagen Jetta is a small, sporty sedan, also available as a small station wagon. It has been dramatically redesigned, inside and out, for 2010. It’s available with either of two gasoline engines or a diesel engine that’s legal in all 50 states.

Ten trims are available on the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta: seven versions of the Jetta sedan and three of the Jetta SportWagen. The Jetta S trim features 16-inch wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, heated front seats, keyless entry, power accessories, and an 8-speaker sound system. The Jetta Limited, SE, and SEL trims gradually add features and enhancements. The Wolfsburg Edition offers the SE trim with a turbocharged engine and a slightly racier exterior. The TDI and TDI Cup “Street” Edition trims are the diesel models. The TDI Cup steps up to 18-inch wheels with performance tires, and includes a long list of performance features.

Standard on most trims of the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta is a 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that delivers 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway with the standard 5-speed manual transmission, according to EPA estimates. With the optional 6-speed automatic transmission, city gas mileage rises to 23 mpg. The premium Wolfsburg Edition Jetta features a smaller but more powerful engine: a turbocharged, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder model that produces 200 horsepower. With the optional dual-clutch automatic transmission, it delivers 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. The Jetta TDI employs a 140-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine that delivers a combined 34 mpg with either the manual or the dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Standard safety features on the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta include 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with brake assist, stability control, traction control, front side air bags, and side curtain air bags. In government crash tests, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Jetta 5 (out of 5) stars for side-impact protection and 4 stars for front-impact protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Jetta the highest-possible “Good” ratings in frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests.

Starting MSRPs for the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta ranged from $17,735 to $24,990.