Driving

However, power isn’t all there is to driving, and there are no 50 lb-ft in the chassis, so we’ll have to go over each car’s strengths and weaknesses on the road.

There was a time when a driving comparison between a Jetta and Corolla would have been no contest from the get-go, but this new Corolla is a sharp little number.

While the steering wheel doesn’t quite telescope as much as I’d like, it is still a decent piece to hold onto, and does a wonderful job of translating driver input to the wheels with an even, linear feel. Push a little harder and though the S features upgraded tires they’re still fairly moderate in terms of their grip. The Corolla handles reasonably well, yet it does not punish on rougher roads, and it has a fairly settled demeanour on the highways, though you can feel that it is a lighter car as it is affected more by cross winds and road surfaces.

While the Corolla is good for a typical commuter in almost every driving category, the Jetta is superior in a couple of ways. Visibility is slightly better thanks to larger windows, and it feels even more planted and composed on the highway with a cushy comfortable ride. Unfortunately that cushy ride is at the expense of any handling, where the basic Jetta feels soggy and the tires flabby. And although the steering itself is well sorted, the steering wheel itself is a bit of a creepy, artificial plastic that is best handled using thick winter gloves, and doesn’t channel the same magic of sporty Vee-Dubs we were looking for.

Noah found it curious that the Corolla feels bigger, even though they are the same size: “Shockingly, of the two, the Corolla feels the bigger car.  The dashboard is high and closer to the driver, though outward visibility is fine at all times.  The high trunk lid, however, does make reliance on the backup camera more of a necessity, when backing into or out of a parking spot.”

And then there are the brakes. Time and time again we’ve noted that lower VW trims have disappointing brake feel, and here again we find that the Jetta’s brakes are slow to react and feel dull. The Corolla brakes aren’t in any way extraordinary, but they are perfectly decent and reassuring, so score another point for the Corolla driving experience.

There are plenty of VWs I’ve driven in the past that outperform even the sportiest of Corolla’s, but not this Jetta. The Corolla is both easier to drive because of its smooth CVT and a better drive thanks to sharp responses in turning and stopping, without any great compromise on the comfort front. While the Jetta is marginally more comfortable and a bit more serene in highway cruising, it’s not enough to overcome the deficiencies in its braking and handling abilities.

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