2020 Volkswagen Jetta S	vs	2020 Toyota Corolla L
$19,695	MSRP	$19,600
1.4L turbo 4-cyl	Engine	1.8L 4-cyl
147hp / 184 lb-ft	Horsepower / Torque	139 hp / 126 lb-ft
8-speed auto / 6-speed manual	Transmission	CVT
FWD	Drivetrain	FWD
30/40/34	Fuel Economy	30/38/33

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2023 Volkswagen Jetta 1.5T SE

$27,692

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Better Performance

The 2020 Volkswagen Jetta drives better, plain and simple. The 1.4-liter turbo-four on the Jetta has way more torque than the Corolla 1.8-liter four-cylinder. As a result, low-speed acceleration for the Jetta is much better. Also, the six-speed manual is available on the base Jetta S trim; the manual transmission variant of the Corolla is only available on the more expensive SE trim. The Jetta has a performance model variant, the Jetta GLI, that features a 228 horsepower 2.0-liter turbo-four (228 horsepower, 258 lb-ft of torque) with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The Corolla just has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder (169 horsepower, 151 lb-ft of torque) engine; there’s no true performance variant. If driving experience is important to you, then the Jetta wins, hands-down.

Better Connectivity

The Jetta is more device-friendly and better tech than the Corolla. Both the Base model Jetta and Corolla are relatively barebones when it comes to features (by design), but the Corolla is underwhelming. The Jetta S features Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and two high-speed USB-C ports from the get-go, including the S models. The Corolla only gets Apple CarPlay and a single normal USB port. And that’s not just on the L trim, that’s for every Corolla trim. Similarly, the Volkswagen infotainment interface is crisp, intuitive, and responsive. The Toyota interface is dated, clunky, and slow.