2025 VW Jetta: Practical and Simple for $22K US

20th November 2025 Sam Gomez

Should you be in the market for a new (to you) vehicle, the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta (while still available) is a smart, simple compact sedan that is short on jewels but great on practicality.

(Editor’s note: this review will focus on the 20025 Jetta; the 2026 model is essentially unchanged sans a few upgrades on the higher-end trims.)

I have always liked the Jetta since it became more of an ‘everyman’ car about a decade ago. There is nothing exciting about it; the interior can feel a little on the cheap side. Fuel economy is good. It is surprisingly roomy and quiet for a compact economy car.

My first impressions of this year’s Jetta were positive, assuming you do not need nor want much in a car other than reliability and practicality. If you goal is just to get from Point Gay to Point Turkey Day safely, smartly and with as little drama as possible, this Jetta is for you.

While Edmunds.com calls the Jetta’s simple style “conservative”, that simplicity and non-splashiness of the 2025 Jetta is echoed in every review you may read. Personally, I find that refreshing. The less money you spend on a car means there will be more money for you to be physically and emotionally fabulous.

Utilitarian points and maybe a few sugar sprinkles here and there highlight the interior and exterior of this classic. Combined mileage is 33 mpg, and that is impressive for a gas-only vehicle.

You might be able to get a new 2025 Volkswagen Jetta for around $22,000 US, possibly through websites trying to unload unsold inventory. Indeed, it does pay to shop around. With the Jetta, the base S trim with turbocharge should be sufficient for your everyday urban Bear needs IMHO.

You may have heard on the news recently that you can now buy a car from Amazon.

It’s not that you can buy an Amazon-branded car; the company will merely act as a broker and effectively can handle all those messy little details that can be time-consuming. In theory, you can go from making a few clicks on your keyboard to magically having a certified used car delivered directly to you.

Personally, I would use this online tool for research only and would not purchase a car this way. I still would like us Bears to get inside, see how it fits, test drive it and then make an informed decision. Yet for those of us who admit to being a lazy bear (like me), this is a genuine option.

A really old song contains the lyrics “my mama told me, you better Shop Around.”

Just some advice Sage to go with your Parsley, Rosemary and Thyme (to quote another moldy oldie).