Ace of Base: 2019 Volkswagen Jetta S

Our man Healey sampled the latest Jetta not long ago, finding it to be a conservative box that has left most of the sporty spunk to its Golf cousin. VW’s MQB platform knows no bounds.

Of the five trims available, the base S has potential to sit at the Ace of Base table. After all, no matter how much ones spends on a 2019 Jetta, one will – right now, at least – find the same engine under its hood. The only trim on which a stick shift appears? The base S. Achtung!

Let’s find out what else is on board.

An automatic is available for $800, of course, but the true Ace of Base shopper will not even acknowledge its existence. Also to be left on the cutting room floor is the $450 Driver Assistance Package that bundles some safety nannies with heated side mirrors. The latter is a feature I am slightly disappointed to learn is not included on the base machine.

That engine – the only engine – is a 1.4-liter turbocharged four, making 147 horses and 184 lb.-ft of torque. Our correspondent found it to be “loud and trashy in the upper rev ranges,” long a hallmark of high-strung, low-displacement mills. I was pleased to read the base prototype offered a good clutch feel and woke up the 1.4L a little bit.

Other standard equipment on the S include natty LED lighting front and rear (hooray for economies of scale), 16-inch alloy wheels, and a carload of airbags. Germans love acronyms, so I am pleased to report that ESC, ASR, EDL, EBA, ABS, HBA, EBD, ICRS, and TPMS are all included with the base trim.

Air conditioning makes an appearance, along with cruise control and a driver’s seat that adjusts six ways. Infotainment, sometimes a low point on base VWs of yesteryear, now features a 6.5-inch touchscreen serving up Bluetooth connectivity and a rearview camera. One of the last industry holdouts, VW added a USB port to its machines not long ago; it shows up here, too.

EPA fuel economy ratings are a remarkable 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. Only the spicy Habanero Orange paint costs extra; the other six hues are offered gratis. It is pleasant to find bright colors on a base car when so many manufacturers penalize thrifty shoppers by restricting them to the greyscale. Blue Silk shown here is especially attractive, as is the Tornado Red in Tim’s review.

I am still getting used to the styling choices, as the new Jetta’s face appears to have an overbite or something going on. I’ll reserve final judgement until I see one in person.

Heated mirrors would make the $18,545 2019 Jetta S a shoo-in for Ace of Base honors. As it stands, your author would probably spring for the R-Line trim – a $4,000 walk. Actually, no. Who am I kidding? For that coin, I’d go for the Golf SportWagen … in base S, of course.

Not every base model has aced it. The ones that have? They help make the automotive landscape a lot better. Any others you can think of, B&B? Let us know in the comments. Naturally, feel free to eviscerate our selections.

The model above is shown with American options and is priced in Freedom Dollars absent of any rebates or destination fees. As always, your dealer may sell for less.