We drove a $23,000 Volkswagen Jetta to see if it's ready to battle Honda and Toyota. Here's the verdict.

Volkswagen Jetta SE 2019

The Volkswagen Jetta is all-new for the 2019 model year.
The new seventh generation Jetta is built on VW's highly-touted MQB platform that also underpins the Audi A3 along with the Volkswagen Tiguan and Atlas SUVs.
All US-bound Jettas are powered by a 147-horsepower, 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to either an eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.
We were impressed by the Mexican-built Jetta's perky performance, strong driving dynamics, and well-sorted infotainment system, but less than enthused by the somewhat cheap feeling interior.
The base Jetta S starts at $18,545, but our mid-grade SE test car carried an as-tested price of $23,005.

The compact sedan was once the go-to for young car buyers. In recent years, the market has shifted to crossovers and SUVs.

According to data from Kelley Blue Book, compact car sales in the US are down 13.9% over the first 11 months of 2018. During the same period, compact SUV sales are up 12.1%.

The compact car market may be shrinking, but it's still substantial in size with more than 1.65 million cars sold through November, accounting for 10.5% of the total US auto sales.

This brings us to the new seventh-generation Volkswagen Jetta that's all-new for the 2019 model year. It's the latest in a long line of successful Jetta sedans from VW. By successful, I mean 17.5 million sold worldwide since 1979 successful. In case you're wondering, US consumers accounted for 3.2 million of that tally.

Recently, Business Insider had the chance to spend a few days behind the wheel a 2019 Jetta 1.4T SE on the roads in and around Atlanta, GA.

The base Jetta S starts at $18,545. The mid-grade SE and sporty R-Line trims start at $22,155 and $22,995 respectively. The luxury-focused SEL and SEL Premium trims start at $24,415 and $26,945 respectively.

Our SE test car, clad in an eye-catching Silk Blue Metallic paint job, carried an as-tested price of $23,005 because of an $850 destination charge.

Here's a closer look at the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta.

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