The Volkswagen Jetta is often considered to be the outsider looking in. With the GTI and Golf R lineup commanding the bulk of the attention from a shrinking pool of buyers, Volkswagen knows it has to think outside the box when it comes to occasionally when it comes to keeping things fresh for the Jetta. One of these efforts is the 2023 Jetta Sport which aims to inject value-focused performance into the lineup. But is that enough to help reel buyers who would otherwise gravitate toward crossovers?
Jetta Sport Styling Walks Proverbial Tightrope
The Jetta Sport is one rung above the S, and as a result, its exterior styling may not look that noticeably different at first glance. Look closer, and you’ll spot some distinctive touches that help them stand out from the crowd. All Sport models get 17-inch alloy wheels, while all Jetta models get standard LED head and taillights. The rest of the exterior styling, though, is still typical Jetta, which means a look that might seem bland from some angles.
This motif is also starting to age when viewed against rivals like the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and Subaru Impreza. Speaking of the Impreza, we had the opportunity to compare the Jetta against our resident Impreza Premium, and we have included a link to our Tiktok video on that mini comparison below.
@carlmalek the #volkswagenjetta and our resident #subaruimpreza went head to head in a mini #comparison test. Who came out on top @volkswagen or @subaruofamerica ? #fyp #compactcars #carsoftiktok #review #volkswagen #subaru
Jetta Sport Interior Is Built For Value Versus Flair
Slip inside the Jetta Sport, and you’ll immediately discover that the car was built to match a certain price point. The cabin is well assembled and comes with goodies such as an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, cloth seats, and a pair of USB ports. However, this is also alongside some of the cheap plastics that make up the bulk of the space as well as the small 6.5-inch infotainment screen. The climate control system is also manually controlled, and the seats don’t have built-in seat heat either. When combined with the old-school turn-key ignition, it’s an interesting glimpse back in time.
The seats themselves are very comfortable, and the interior layout is ergonomically sound. The aforementioned infotainment screen runs on older software which means that while it’s slower than Volkswagen’s most up-to-date systems, it has a simpler layout, and there are fewer steps involved when accessing some of the menus. Our tester arrived with one lone option, the $955 Driver Assistance package that adds adaptive cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, multiple driver assistance features, and a flat-bottomed steering wheel that’s on par with the one in the GLI. Visibility is good for the most part but the back seat room is cramped for taller adults. The seats can be folded down to help expand room in the cavernous trunk, which is great for groceries and other bulky items.
Spirited Performance Is Budget Pleasing Trait
Performance for the 2023 Volkswagen Jetta Sport comes from a 158-horsepower, 1.5-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine, which is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox (an eight-speed automatic is optional.) This gearbox was very easy to get used to and we liked the smooth shifting behavior that we experienced from the Sport during our time with it. It’s no GLI, but at least the stick here does a good job of rewarding the driver with good clutch action and a straightforward shift map.
Unfortunately, the engine itself is where the Sport begins to fall apart despite posting a 0 to 60 time of 7.0 seconds. The spec sheet on our tester said that it makes 184 lb-ft of torque, but there were multiple occasions where we wondered where this supposed torque was with the engine napping when it wasn’t subject to full boost. This can be chalked up to the engine not being allowed to roam in its proverbial sweet spot, but this habit made certain passing maneuvers a challenge, especially if the car had to get up to speed to help overcome streams of traffic. The steering in our tester was competent, but like other compact entries, there are spots where the over-boosted nature of the electronically assisted rack can blunt some of the feel generated by the front tires when going over the road. Volkswagen made minor alterations to the Sport to try and make it more spirited than its S counterpart, but while the mechanical tweaks have helped improve things slightly, buyers hoping to get a price cut GLI out of this package will be disappointed.
Value Quotient:
Pricing for the 2023 Jetta Sport starts at $22,650, with the Sport only being $890 more than the base S model and is over $10,000 less than a GLI. At the same time, the split personality syndrome exhibited by the Sport does cause it to fall behind similar versions of the Honda Civic Sport and the Elantra N-Line, with both of these models offering better interior quality, push-button start as well as better infotainment systems when compared to the Volkswagen.
That said, the Sport is still a decent option for budget-minded buyers that are willing to explore the Sport’s inner personality and are willing to sacrifice a few frills in order for them to get the full driving experience. We still wouldn’t;t recommend it over the beefier GLI model, but if you want VW performance for a budget-friendly price, the 2023 Volkswagen Jetta Sport is definitely worth a closer look.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.