You know, we’re fortunate to live in a world where, for the most part, there are no utterly terrible and boring cars. Even if something’s not out-and-out exciting, at least most modern examples will get you where you need to be without extracting your very will to live. That said, there are still cars in the sub-$25K bracket that are more fun than others, and we have one such contender here today. In this video, Nathan takes a spin in the 2020 Volkswagen Jetta R-Line.
VW redesigned its Jetta sedan for 2019. While the base car starts at $18,895 (before destination), you can get this sporty R-Line model without really braking the bank. As equipped, this car costs just $24,115. Considering you get an efficient turbocharged engine, a pretty good amount of space and the fundamental tech you need (including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), the Jetta is already good value on its face.
Under the hood, the Jetta R-Line gets the same 1.4-liter TSI engine as the other cars in the lineup. Granted, you can also get a hotter 2.0-liter engine shared with the Golf GTI, but you’re also moving up the price bracket then. This car still comes with a fairly snappy six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment. On that basis, you can still have some fun, and wring out the most of its 147 horsepower. At 184 lb-ft of torque, the Jetta’s engine does feel more punchy than its numbers may suggest.
Find out more about what Nathan has to say in the video above, and let us know your thoughts on the most fun new car for under $25,000 in the comments below!
