2019 Volkswagen Arteon vs. Passat vs. Jetta: Which is for you?

2019 Volkswagen Jetta Passat Arteon ・ Photo by Volkswagen

Volkswagen is one of the world’s greatest sedan makers. Volkswagen passenger cars are popular for their sporty driving dynamics, comfortable interiors, and affordable pricing. While other manufacturers are fleeing the passenger sedan market, Volkswagen is working to earn the business of “orphaned” customers.

If your favorite model has been discontinued, Volkswagen wants to earn your business. So we thought it would be good to survey the current VW lineup with the compact Jetta and Jetta GLI, to the mid-size Passat, to the premium Arteon. We’ll take a close look at each car individually and then compare them in several key areas like engine power, safety equipment, and trim levels. By the end of this article, you should know which VW sedan is for you.

About the 2019 VW Arteon

The 2019 Volkswagen Arteon is freshly redesigned and built on VW’s new MQB chassis architecture. The Arteon replaced the Volkswagen CC as the brand’s flagship luxury sedan as a 2019 model. The Arteon rides on a wheelbase 5 inches longer than the CC, and the car is 3 inches longer overall. That gives the Arteon a larger cabin and a more athletic stance than the CC had.

The Arteon exterior design is what’s called a grand touring four-door coupe, meaning that the rear roofline slopes away steeply like a two-door fastback. VW has put everything it has into the Arteon, from advanced driver assistance and safety technology to a modern, powerful engine with available all-wheel drive. With everything available on this car, the Arteon has earned its place as VW’s flagship model.

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About the 2019 VW Passat

The mid-size 2019 Volkswagen Passat is made in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It’s historically been one of VW’s best-selling vehicles. Unlike the Arteon, the Passat is made with a traditional sedan profile. However, this four-door family car is anything but boring. The Passat has an attractive and dignified design that says European sport sedan, and the performance to match.

The Passat has been sold since 1990 in North America, and it has been redesigned four times in the last 29 years. The last redesign came in 2012, so the Passat is due for a refresher, which is coming for the 2020 model year. However, the current body still looks good, and the Passat design has been passed on to both the Jetta and the Arteon.

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About the 2019 VW Jetta

The freshly redesigned 2019 Volkswagen Jetta is celebrating the model's 40th anniversary. Worldwide, more than 14 million Jettas have been sold since the first Jetta hit the streets in 1979. The Jetta has always been a compact four-door sedan, and the current model represents the seventh generation of the model.

The latest redesign gave the Jetta the same design cues as the Passat and Arteon, finishing of Volkswagen’s sedan family in America. The new Jetta also received the same suites of safety and dashboard technology as its larger cousins. It’s also worth noting that the Jetta has a very generous cabin for a compact. Drivers looking for more performance should carefully consider at the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI. 

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Trim Levels

The Arteon is available in four distinct trim levels. The base SE trim with front-wheel drive has limited availability in America, but the SE with 4Motion all-wheel drive is available. All high trims feature 4Motion. The SEL R-Line and SEL Premium R-Line are the top trims, and also the volume sales models.

Volkswagen reduced the Passat trim selection for the 2019 model year. Where there were four trims, now there are only two. The Wolfsburg trim is the base, and the SEL R-Line is the upgrade. The Wolfsburg offers few options and is designed for economizing. The SEL R-Line offers a technology upgrade, adding LED headlights, navigation, and adaptive cruise control.

The 2019 Jetta is available in five trim levels, plus the performance-oriented Jetta GLI. The basic Jetta S and SE trims are designed for value, while the R-Line, SEL, and SEL Premium allow you to choose a sporty package and two luxury trim levels.

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Interior Space

The Arteon is not big on the inside, with 96.2 cubic feet of passenger volume, but its liftback configuration gives it a huge 27.2 cubic feet in the trunk. You can seat five, but the coupe-like profile limits passenger volume and rear headroom. The Arteon provides 37.0 inches of rear headroom and 40.2 inches of rear legroom.

The Passat actually offers more passenger volume than the Arteon, at 102 cubic feet because of the Passat’s traditional sedan profile. Trunk space is smaller at 15.9 cubic feet, and rear seat passengers have 37.8 inches of headroom and 39.1 inches of legroom.

Even as a compact, the Jetta comes with 94.7 cubic feet in the cabin, 37.2 inches of rear headroom, and 37.4 inches of rear legroom. The Jetta also provides 14.7 cubic feet of trunk space. You can fit five into the Jetta, but it’s tight for adults.

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Engine and Drivetrain Options

All three Volkswagen sedans are available with variations of the same 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. The Arteon is tuned to 268 horsepower, while the Jetta GLI performance model makes 228 horsepower. The Passat is the tamest two-liter of the bunch with 174 horsepower, though most Jettas come with a 1.4-liter engine rated at 147 horsepower.

The Jetta is the only model available with a six-speed manual transmission. Both the Jetta and Jetta GLI can also be ordered with a seven-speed automatic. The Passat comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, and the Arteon features an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Only the Arteon is available with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system, while the others are only front-wheel drive.

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On the Road

Despite their difference in size and price, the compact Jetta and the flagship Arteon both ride on Volkswagen's scalable MQB chassis architecture. This means that the ride and handling experience is closer than you might expect between them. One notable thing about vehicles built on MQB is how quiet the cars are. Volkswagen has done a great job keeping noise on the outside of its cars. The Passat, though an older design, also rides and handles well.

With the most powerful engine, you expect the Arteon to be fast, and it is. The Jetta GLI is also very quick, as it has the same 258 pound-feet of torque as the Arteon. However, the big surprise is how well the 1.4-liter engine in the base Jetta performs. The Jetta makes excellent use of the available power for a truly fun driving experience. The Passat has acceptable performance, but no one would call it exciting.

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Advanced Safety Features

The 2019 Arteon offers virtually every safety and driver assistance feature available on the market today. Standard features include a forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear traffic alerts. Additionally, the Arteon SEL Premium model receives adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, automatic parallel and perpendicular parking, rear park distance control with automatic braking, automatic high beams, and a surround-view camera.

Forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and a rear traffic alert are standard on every 2019 Passat. The SEL R-Line trim adds adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and rear park distance control.

The 2019 Jetta's forward collision warning system does not include pedestrian detection, but it does offer available automatic high beams, along with all the other standard features found on the Passat and Arteon.

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Pricing

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta starts at just $18,745 and reaches $27,695 for the SEL Premium. The Jetta GLI starts at $25,995 and ranges up to $29,195.

The 2019 Passat costs $25,295 for the Wolfsburg trim and $29,995 for the R-Line trim.

The 2019 Arteon carries a starting price of $35,845, and ranges up to $46,210. The least expensive Arteon with 4Motion all-wheel drive is the SE trim at $37,645.

Photo by Volkswagen

Which Volkswagen sedan is right for you?

Volkswagen markets each of these sedans differently — and its marketing terms fit perfectly. The Jetta is called “the compact sedan.” If you’re looking for an affordable commuter or first car, this is a great choice. The Jetta GLI is “the performance sedan” and it’s breathtaking for driving enthusiasts. The Passat is called “the midsize sedan,” and it’s a perfect choice for family use or anyone who wants a spacious four-door car at a great price. Finally, the Arteon is called “the premium sport sedan.” This sedan is a great option for someone who wants a little more style and power, plus all-wheel drive. The Arteon costs quite a bit more than other VW options, but it’s worth it.

By now, it’s probably clear to you which Volkswagen fits your needs and your budget. We won’t try to rank them, because each model fits a different profile of customer. We’ll just say that there’s not a bad choice among them.

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