Waching daily Jan 7 2017

The 2017 Volkswagen Jetta offers generous interior space and a range of lively engines, yet

there's not enough German personality to help it stand apart.

We're still coming to grips with the current evolution of the Volkswagen Jetta. The Jetta of

the past signified European refinement and a more sophisticated driving experience than the

typical economy car, yet now we encounter an automobile that is all about a big interior

package and a small price, as if it were meant to be sold at Costco.

OK, maybe we exaggerate, as Volkswagen has slowly added more features to the Jetta and

recalibrated its personality since this car's introduction. The current Volkswagen Jetta has

more cabin and trunk space than its predecessors, not to mention more than some

of today's smaller midsize sedans. Yet the Jetta no longer represents a uniquely European

interpretation of an affordable five-passenger sedan, and this makes it harder for this

Volkswagen to compete with the vastly improved breed of modern compact sedans.

Still, the 2017 Volkswagen Jetta offers some upside. A rearview camera is now standard on all

models. Sophisticated driver aids such as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and

adaptive cruise control now show up even on lower-priced trim levels. An updated infotainment

system finally includes a USB connection in place of the former setup with its annoying

proprietary cable. Finally, the 2017 Jetta's lineup of four-cylinder engines is pretty sweet, and two

of the three available engines even offer a manual transmission.

But given the high standards set by compact sedans from other brands, it's hard to overlook

the Jetta's bland interior design and similarly bland road manners. Top-rated competitors such

as the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Mazda 3 have copied the playbook of the classic Jetta,

combining distinctive styling with a premium-style range of convenience features, not to

mention lively handling in some models. We recommend checking them out, and you might

even consider the latest four-door