The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta 1.5T is a fun and practical daily driver.

The Volkswagen Jetta is one of the most successful models from the Volkswagen stable ever since its launch more than 40 years back. Being part of the compact sedan segment, it was also a favorite amongst the American buyers due to its peppy performance, superb fuel efficiency, and comfortable ride and handling. With the launch of the seventh generation of the Jetta back in 2018, Volkswagen has fine-tuned this sedan to make it even better than the outgoing models.

Offered for a base MSRP of $20,365, the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta 1.5T sees many changes from the outgoing 2021 model. There have been some major tweaks to the exterior and interior design, a new 1.5-liter turbocharged motor is under the hood, and more standard features and driver-assistance tech are offered as well. Competing with the likes of the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, and Hyundai Elantra, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta 1.5T.

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The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta 1.5T comes with the 1.5-liter turbocharged TSI inline-4 engine, which is the same engine present in the Volkswagen Taos. It produces 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque and comes mated to a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission and FWD drivetrain. This helped the Jetta to do 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds and the quarter-mile run in about 16 seconds.

This 1.5-liter turbocharged motor is quite a decent performer. The smooth automatic transmission makes the driving experience even zippier. The impressive low-end torque makes it an excellent city commuter, making better in this regard than the Kia Forte and the Hyundai Elantra. The mid-range performance is more than adequate for highway driving, too. However, the power does taper off at higher revs, as you would expect from a car from this segment.

Coming with coil spring suspension with anti-roll bars, the ride quality of the 2022 Jetta is very similar to the previous model years. The slow-speed ride is very comfortable, and we also liked the mature suspension tuning, making it feel similar to some of the more expensive models from the Volkswagen stable.

The highway ride quality is easily better than most of the rivals. Unlike the Hyundai Elantra, which gets a bit bouncy at higher speeds, the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta turned out to be very pliant. The bumps and potholes that are met at high speeds do not filter into the cabin like the competitors, and the vertical movement and body roll are under control.

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The front row is one of the roomiest we have found in the compact sedan segment. The headroom of 38.5" and legroom of 41.1" means that even the taller folks are not going to be cramped on a long journey. There are many storage spaces for all your knick-knacks too.

The rear row has always been a selling point of the Jetta, and that ethos is carried forward unchanged. It has better headroom and legroom than most of its rivals. The rear seat can accommodate three passengers in adequate comfort. The under-thigh and lower back support are excellent as well. The 14.1 cu ft of cargo space turned out to be decent for the segment and there is also a spare tire which is neatly tucked under the trunk floor. However, the rivals like the Kia Forte and Honda Civic offered slightly superior cargo capacity.

The strut front suspension and the torsion beam rear setup mean that the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta is not going to be exceptionally fun to drive. However, for a compact sedan that is going to do duty as a daily driver, the driving dynamics are very much acceptable. The steering is sharp and responsive, however, the feel and feedback could have been better.

The highway driving experience turned out to be positive, as the car could do the highway speed limit all day long. The well-calibrated suspension setup coupled with the rigid chassis does contribute to the excellent stability. Driving through the twisties is reasonably fun, too. However, the Jetta GLI is the one to get if you want the best driving experience.

The 2022 iteration comes with subtle changes to the exterior, even though we still prefer the previous generation in terms of styling. The front end now gets a larger grille with chrome and black elements. The LED headlights with LED DRLs and the accent light in the lower bumper add to the character. However, it blends in with all the other cars and doesn't stand out like the Hyundai Elantra.

The side sees no changes, with the same length and wheelbase as the outgoing model. However, the wheel design has seen changes to the size and design depending on the trim that you opt for. The top-of-the-line SEL trim gets a 17" wheel, however, you could also get optional 18" wheels. Sharp character lines, Jetta embossing on the fender, and the beautifully crafted LED taillights are offered too. The rear end sees very minor changes, apart from subtle changes like the restyled bumper and an updated Volkswagen logo.

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Coming with the same frugal powertrain as the Volkswagen Taos, the fuel efficiency sees no compromises. When equipped with the standard 6-speed manual transmission, the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta 1.5T could do 29 MPG in the city and 43 MPG on the highway, making it the most frugal offering of the segment. The fuel tank capacity of 13.2-gallon is the second biggest of the segment as well, providing the Jetta with more than enough range.

Even if you get the 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission, the fuel efficiency only sees a minor dip. When equipped with the automatic, the 2022 Jetta offered 29 MPG city, 40 MPG highway, and a combined 33 MPG. This comfortable daily driver could do 528 miles on the highway with a full tank of gas.

The cabin design has also seen some minor tweaks, making the Jetta a bit more premium and sophisticated than the outgoing model. The SEL trim comes with leather inserts on the dashboard and door cards and the premium leather upholstery with heating and ventilation. The leather-wrapped steering wheel with a flat bottom and subtle silver accents looks nice.

We also admire the well-integrated touchscreen infotainment system and a bright and punchy digital cockpit. It elevates the interior very well and feels modern. The tactile buttons, contrastive stitching on the dashboard, and the metallic-like inserts are some other plus points. The panoramic-like sunroof is a nice addition too.

The 8" touchscreen infotainment system of the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta 1.5T is loaded with all the necessary features like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, navigation, Bluetooth, SiriusXM radio, USB, and aux support. There are multiple hard buttons and knobs, making the infotainment much easier to use when on the move.

There are no noticeable lags or stutters, and the display quality and touch sensitivity feel similar to the rivals from Hyundai and Kia. There is a wireless charging pad on offer for the higher trims, and the large digital gauge display offers all the relevant information to the driver. The Beats audio system has punchy bass and reasonably clear high-frequency audio output.

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When it comes to the braking performance, it feels quite similar to the Volkswagen Taos, as the braking hardware is almost identical barring the larger front rotors for the Taos. The 2022 Jetta comes with 11.3" front rotors and 10.7" rear rotors coupled with many other braking features, such as ABS with EBD, brake assist, hill hold control, and ventilated rotors.

The brakes are very sharp, offer a great amount of feedback, and have a superb initial bite. The braking progression as you press harder on the brake pedal turned out to be quite good as well, especially when considering the economical price tag of this sedan. If you get the automatic variant, it does a wonderful job in shedding the speed with aggressive downshifting.

One major change that the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta 1.5T received is the addition of a few more standard driver-assistance techs like automated emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring to the base S trim, and the price hasn't seen a big hike either. Apart from that, the other trims also come with forward-collision monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, and lane departure warning.

The standard safety features like airbags, side-impact beams, tire pressure monitoring system, traction control, stability control, rearview camera, parking sensors, and cruise control are standard. The adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go technology is an optional extra. With solid build quality on offer, we expect the 2022 Jetta to come out with excellent crash-test ratings from both the NHTSA and IIHS.