Upgraded Jetta long on charms, fuel mileage

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- Quick, what's the top-selling German car in the United States?

I'm guessing that numerous models popped up in numerous minds, but if you came up with the Volkswagen Jetta, proceed to the head of the class.

Bonus: There's more for American motorists to like this time around.

The Jetta received a major reworking for the 2019 model year, with sporty exterior styling tweaks, a freshened interior cabin and more space in the back seats and trunk.  OK, it looks pretty sweet inside and out, although I'd characterize the changes as party on the outside and more business-like on the inside.

The tested 2019 VW Jetta 1.4T SEL retained much of what I liked about the previous-generation Jetta.  Yes, you can drive it from Sacramento to Los Angeles on a single tank of gas and still have some fuel to spare for your own Hollywood driving tour.

The interior controls are straightforward and easy to understand.  Interior comfort on this affordable sedan is top-notch.  My upper level SEL was lavishly dressed up, but it showed a totally reasonable bottom line of $25,265 on the sticker.  Still too much?  You can get yourself a basic Jetta S for a starting price of less than $19,000.  Very nice.

Perks on my ride were plentiful, including a digital instrument cluster, LED lighting all around, an Intelligent Crash Response System, a power panoramic sunroof and heated/folding/power exterior mirrors.

Other goodies have been noted by other reviewers, particularly the 10-color ambient interior lighting system.  Cool enough, but I'm not one of these motorists who counts colors.

What I do notice is performance, and the tested Jetta's 1.4-liter turbo 4 delivered handsomely in all conditions.  It felt significantly more powerful than the advertised ratings of 147 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque.  Handling and steering were spot-on, and I felt completely comfortable and secure when the Jetta was in serious traffic.

That Sacramento-to-L.A. trip sans fuel stops is made possible with fuel mileage ratings of 30 miles per gallon in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.

Shoppers looking for an affordable, reliable sedan these days are likely to hit the Toyota and Honda lots when they venture out with checkbooks in hand.  My 2 cents for those folks: You might be wise to plan a stop at a VW store, where Jettas are awaiting test drives.