Driving is where the Jetta shines brightest. Whether on the Interstate or a favorite country road, the Jetta will please. Its ability to take curves at speed make driving it shear pleasure. We've driven this newest generation Jetta along California's Pacific Coast. From San Diego to the small village of Mendocino and around Monterey Bay, the Jetta kept us entertained and it felt crisp on the rural roads of Maryland. It handles long interstate cruises very well with stability that made us feel like we were driving a larger vehicle.Jetta's stiff body structure made it possible for VW engineers to design a suspension that gives the Jetta a smooth ride while providing excellent handling ability. (MacPherson struts are used in front, while a multi-link arrangement is used for the rear suspension.) The chassis and rear suspension were also designed to provide more trunk space. Energy-absorbing crumple zones are designed to protect passengers. Volkswagen's reputation was built on capable four-cylinder engines and the latest evolution shows incredible improvement. The 2.0-liter engine that comes in the GL and GLS produces 115 horsepower. That sounds a bit low by comparison to the competition, but the engine works well and is solidly built. It delivers good off-the-line performance with a wide power band for mid- and high-end performance. The TDI (turbocharged direct-injection) diesel engine is popular in Europe where it earned industry awards and customer acclaim for its efficiency. With the 5-speed gearbox, EPA rates it for 49 mpg on the highway. (We have not tested it.) Our favorite is the VR6, Volkswagen's innovative narrow-angle V6 engine. Besides being an impressive runner, this VR6 is smooth and nearly noise free, except for a wonderful rumble emitting from the exhaust pipe. The VR6 engine generates 174-horsepower. But more impressive is its torque. This low-rpm torque offers the driver plenty of power at all engine speeds. Step on the gas in any gear and it goes. On the highway, there's enough power to pass a slower vehicle without downshifting from fifth gear. Numerous times we found ourselves caught behind a large truck and the Jetta had plenty of torque to get us to the front of the line in nothing flat. The close-ratio manual transmission makes it a joy to move through the gears. The shifter has a more solid feel than in years past, making it easier to make quick shifts. The steering is very precise with excellent on-center feel -- there's absolutely no play in the steering. This is a real driver's car. The new Jetta is a breeze to drive day in and day out. It is a vehicle that we could just as easily jump into for a long commute or a quick run to the corner market. The VR6 engine allows Jetta GLS and GLX models to gobble up the miles in a manner reminiscent of larger and more luxurious vehicles. This new Jetta showed its handling prowess on each twist and turn along California's coast. It sometimes takes us a little time to adjust to Volkswagens, but after a short period of adjustment we find ourselves driving much harder into the corners. At the absolute limit of adhesion, there's a slight bit of understeer making the Jetta easy to drive quickly. But you have to drive very hard to find that limit. On heavy-footed acceleration the Jetta tracked true with no detectable torque steer. In high-speed sweeping corners it feels like it's on rails.
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