2025 Volkswagen Jetta SEL Review: Not a Golf, but Straight Down the Fairway

It’s been decades since I’ve been behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Jetta. My last memory is test driving one at a VW dealership in the early 1990s when a 7-foot-tall, fair-haired salesman named Dirk sat on one of its doors to prove how well-built the car was. There was no question that the Jetta was sturdy, but I ended up buying a different car because I didn’t feel any passion for the Jetta. Fast forward to 2024, and after driving a new Jetta, I came away impressed with all of the new features the sedan packs but still felt no emotional connection to the car. Perhaps that’s what Volkswagen has been going for with the Jetta – function over form, pragmatism over passion.

Now, don’t get me wrong. The 2025 Jetta SEL that I drove was perfectly nice, and I’m sure many buyers would be happy to own one. But at the end of the day, it’s simply a middle-of-the-road car that gets you from point A to point B in relative comfort and without breaking the bank.

Stylistically, the Jetta is pretty nondescript, with this SEL trim offering a couple of touches to distinguish itself from the crowd. Most notable are the 18″ machined alloy wheels, which have a dynamic design reminiscent of a spinning pinwheel. It also has chrome trim on the lower fascia and around the exhaust pipes that provide a small amount of flash for its otherwise understated exterior. A horizontal accent light bar runs across the grille on both the SEL and Sport trims. My test vehicle was painted in a shiny Kings Red metallic, which is the sportiest color available.

Every 2025 Jetta, except the GLI Autobahn, gets the same 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission. That provides 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft. of torque. Power is sent exclusively to the front wheels. This drivetrain is perfectly functional, and the transmission shifts smoothly. This setup results in good fuel economy – 29 mpg in the city, 40 mpg on the highway, and 33 mpg combined. Not bad for a non-hybrid car, but exciting it is not. If you bump your budget by a few thousand dollars, the GLI’s 228 horsepower, 258 lb-ft. and 6-speed manual transmission are sure to offer more thrills.

The Jetta’s overall ride quality is smooth and well-behaved, but there’s nothing particularly engaging about its steering or suspension. I heard some wind noise at highway speeds, but the ride wasn’t harsh, vibrations were well controlled, and I detected no squeaks or rattles inside the cabin. Every 2025 Jetta gets Volkswagen’s IQ.DRIVE safety system as standard, which includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane keeping assist. Travel Assist combines the lane keeping and adaptive cruise for effortless highway driving, though you do still need to keep your hands on the wheel.

As the top-of-the-line styling package for the Jetta, the SEL has some premium materials, and compelling design touches inside. It has comfy, genuine leather seats, and I dig the sharp lines that run through the seat stitching and on the door panels. That sharp, angular look adds visual interest to what could otherwise be an ordinary cabin, and the soft-touch materials on the dash feel good. There are still some hard plastics on the dashboard and around the touchscreen, but the interior doesn’t look or feel cheap.

The 10.25-inch digital instrument panel is crisp and well executed, and can be configured to display various information. It used to be that an 8-inch touchscreen was desirable, but now such a small screen seems dated compared to other 2025 model-year cars. It’s got the most basic backup camera, and the camera has a pretty grainy picture. The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are nice to have and are complemented by a wireless phone charging tray. Navigation comes standard on the Jetta SEL as well, and all Jettas

The front seats offer heat and ventilation, and there’s also a heated steering wheel and colorful ambient lighting. The included Beats Audio system offers good dynamic range and a punchy sound well-suited to pop and dance music. The Jetta SEL also has a sunroof with power tilt and slide features.

The second row offers good legroom for a relatively small sedan, and headroom is ample as well. It’s pretty spartan back here though. There aren’t even pockets on the seatbacks. I get that nobody reads magazines anymore but kids could use a place to stash their iPads and Nintendo Switches. There’s not a second-row USB or USB-C charging port either. On the plus side, the outboard rear seats are heated. At 14.1 cubic feet, the Jetta’s trunk has plenty of room for groceries, suitcases, backpacks, and golf clubs, and the rear seats fold down in a 60/40 split for carrying larger items if you need more room.

The Volkswagen Jetta continues to be a solid choice for someone who likes to stay in the middle of the fairway. In SEL trim, it’s got some premium materials, a nice equipment list, and very good fuel economy. Its cabin is spacious. though back seat passengers get the most basic of accoutrements. The Jetta is a perfectly fine vehicle but its drivetrain and exterior design are, in a word, uninspiring. If I had driven the Jetta GLI Autobahn, I might have come away with a different opinion. If you’re a straight-shooter who appreciates VW’s understated aesthetic, I’d suggest testing out a couple of different trims since there’s a pretty big price difference between the base Jetta S and the Jetta SEL tested here, despite having the same powertrain. Base price for the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta S starts at $21,995, while the Jetta SEL starts at $29,000. The performance-oriented Jetta GLI Autobahn has a $32,715 base price. All prices are before a $1,225 destination charge.