Comfort Our tallest editors found the rear seat spacious, even with the driver’s seat adjusted for someone of their stature. Getting in and out is a simple task, thanks to doors that open nearly 90 degrees and a suitable seat height.

Adorned with an all-new design, the interior of the 2005.5 Volkswagen Jetta feels as though it has grown larger than its predecessor. However, interior dimensions are very similar, with two exceptions – two extra inches of rear legroom and four additional cubic feet of passenger volume.

Our tallest editors found the rear seat spacious, even with the driver’s seat adjusted for someone of their stature. Getting in and out is a simple task, thanks to doors that open nearly 90 degrees and a suitable seat height. The rear bench is also comfortable, featuring a natural recline position and firm cushions. Our tester included a padded fold-down center armrest and padded door armrests with leatherette inserts. The front seatback includes a hard seat brace that lines up with the rear passenger’s knee, potentially resulting in some painful bruises, and the center position is a cruel joke with a hard seatback and bottom, minimal foot and legroom, and an interior dome light that leaves a nice imprint on your scalp. Ample headrests are provided for three rear seat passengers, though they work with the thick C-pillars to limit visibility. Exterior mirrors cover a wide range, but are a bit small.

Both the front bucket seats offer ample bolstering and, unlike the previous version, the 2005.5 Volkswagen Jetta provides plenty of front seat travel – most drivers should find the chairs to be of sufficient width, though they’re no Buick Barcaloungers. Our 2.5L example had front power seats that adjusted 12 ways and included three memory settings, so finding a comfortable driving position was easy. A tilt and telescoping steering wheel only added to the comfort, while wide-opening doors afforded quick entry and exit. The center armrest, which adjusted up and down and back and forth, was appreciated, as were the standard seat heaters, controls for which were logically integrated with the heating and air conditioning display.

Standard on the 2.5L and TDI models is the dual-zone climate control system, featuring blue and red dots to designate air temperature, and clearly marked buttons for fan speed and direction, as well as front and rear defrosters. We were always warmed or cooled as desired, though having to reset the fan settings after each use was annoying. Making up for that minor irritation was the extremely simplistic sound system. Supplemental controls on the steering wheel addressed volume and tuning, and plain-as-day buttons on the radio face outlined FM and satellite modes. But, best of all were the separate knobs for bass, treble, fade, and balance – often buried behind a vague “Audio” button on other systems. And you’ll be thankful for the quick access, because the mediocre sound quality requires lots of fine-tuning.

Secondary controls, such as the power door lock and power window switches, were on the door panels, as expected. Sunroof controls were logically placed overhead next to the sunglass storage, and the stability control on/off button was located just forward of the shifter. The only oddball was the cruise control stalk that moved back and forth; the other stalk controls moved up and down.