Driver's Seat: 2015 Jetta: Fun ride in a plain package

German duo:

A Volkswagen sedan and a hatchback, sporting vastly different turbocharged engines, go head to head.

This week: 2015 VW Jetta 1.8T SE.

Price: $26,160 as tested. (The 1.8T SE started at $23,650, and added $995 for fog lights and $695 for the safety package.)

Marketer's pitch: "More. With an extra helping of more."

Conventional wisdom: Edmunds.com liked the "spacious interior and trunk; good fuel economy and performance from turbocharged engines and available Jetta Hybrid," but not the "weak, inefficient base engine; high price of hybrid and diesel-powered TDI; middling handling and steering capabilities; mediocre touchscreen displays."

Reality: Jetta with a jolt.

What's new: The Jetta, a little long in the tooth since its 2012 redesign, gets fresh styling and improved fuel-efficiency for the 2015 model year, the Volkswagen press material says.

On the road: Handles like a Volkswagen, crisp and competent with just enough zig in the suspension to feel fun.

Up to speed: The Jetta 1.8T is fun enough to drive. The 170-horsepower 1.8-liter turbo is head and shoulders above the 115 horses pulling the standard 2.0-liter four, and a little more than the 150 of the TDI. Overall, though, it was sprightly in straight lines and on curves.

D is for Dog? I love the VW clutch for comfort and ease of use, but the German sedan I tested came with a six-speed automatic with Drive, Sport, and Shift mode. Drive seemed a bit of a dog, but extra accelerator pressure cleared that up.

A large-car feel: The ride was smooth and refined, even on rough roads.

Inside: Despite the revamps, the Jetta interior still is not much to write home about. Rectangular vents reside in a plain black vinyl dash. I'd expect something more interesting from Germany.

Outside: The refreshening hasn't gussied up the exterior either. Jettarolla, as the other auto writers say.

Fast feedback: Gauges are clear dials, easy to read and informative.

Driver's seat: The contour is nice, but lack of thigh support can reduce back muscles to tears. The seat raises and lowers on an axis, which means Mr. Driver's Seat can only tilt himself forward, not raise the whole seat up in a straight line. I suffered the lower-back and shooting leg pains of sciatica the week I tested the car; they went away afterward. Manual seat controls also took some getting used to - the recline function is in front of the seat bottom adjustment.

Keeping warm or cold: Volkswagen heater controls remain among my favorite: Three simple dials for fan speed, temperature, and location.

Play some tunes: Intuitive radio controls don't require a lot of touchscreen time.

A steady speed: The cruise-control system is new and unimproved. What used to be a clear separate stalk has devolved into six buttons, including separate buttons to raise and lower the speed by ones or by fives. The volume control sits poorly marked below them. Its icons are not clear, so it took a while to add that into the mix, as well.

A look around: Visibility ranks among the best I've tested.

Night shift: Lighting inside is good - outside as well.

Friends and stuff: The rear seat is roomy: leg, foot, and head room are superb. I did bonk my head on the way in; watch the rear door frames. The console bin is really tiny. But there's a decent-sized tray in front of the shifter. Jetta's trunk can hold plenty, though, almost making the case against the Golf.

Fuel economy: The trip odometer keeps resetting itself, but I got some good numbers. One mostly highway trip hit 36 m.p.g.; on others, I averaged low 30s. Once around the country was high 20s; a lot of stop-and-go driving kept it in the low 20s. For a Volkswagen with a hot-rod engine, it achieved excellent mileage. And regular unleaded is fine.

Where it's built: Puebla, Mexico.

How it's built: Consumer Reports predicts the gasoline-powered versions will fall well below average in reliability.

Next week: 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI SEL.