• Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

Evelyn Kanter ecoXplorer

green living, smart spending

  • Green Hotels
  • Green Cars
    • Best Cars under $20,000
    • Test Drives
    • Diesel Cars
    • Electric Cars
    • Hybrid Cars
    • Hydrogen Fuel Cell
    • Luxury Drives
  • Travel Deals
    • Free
    • Budget Travel
    • Discount Tickets
  • Xplore More
    • Safety and Health
    • How To
    • Five Best
    • Travel Pioneers
    • Motorcycles
    • Vintage Cars
  • Scam Alert
  • Where to Go Next
    • Historic Travel
    • Epic Adventures
    • National Parks
Home » Best 2011 Cars Under $20,000: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta

Best 2011 Cars Under $20,000: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta

Leave a Comment

2011 VW Jetta (C) Evelyn Kanter

Simply, the 2011 VW Jetta is great car.   This is a family-friendly, budget-friendly sedan that does double duty as a peformance sedan.  This all-new, redesigned model is precision German engineering and safety features, lots of cabin and cargo space, and what I call ‘creature features’.  Combine that with fuel economy of up to 42 mpg highway, depending on engine, at an astounding base price of $15,995,  and the 2011 VW Jetta is one of the best compact sedans on the market.   Most definitely a people’s car — which is the English translation of the name Volkswagen.

The 2011 VW Jetta is three  inches longer than its predecessors, helping make this compact feel more like a mid-size, with best-in-class leg room for rear seat passengers.  Under the hood, there are four engine choices for the United States and Canada, including a 140 HP, 2.0 liter turbocharged clean diesel TDI .  VW is the world market-leader for producing energy efficient clean diesels, including the 42 MPG  Golf TDI.  The VW Jetta diesel was named Green Car of the Year in 2008.

The top 2.0 liter TSI is matched with a six-speed automatic transmission.  All the other engine choices are offered as manuals, with an option to upgrade to automatic.  Even if you upgrade one trim line to the SE model with a 2.5 liter 170 horsepower engine, you’ll still be under $20,000.

All  2011 VW Jetta models include the safety feature VW calls its Intelligent Crash Response System, which shuts off the fuel pump, activates the hazard lights and unlocks the doors in case of an accident with airbag deployment.  This safety feature is common on more expensive vehicles — but not in models at this price.  There also are six airbags.

As I said, the Jetta is fun to drive, which I did in Northern California recently,  at the vehicle’s driving demonstration for press launch.  My MPG for close to 300 miles of driving on a combination of highway, winding mountain roads and stop-and-go downtown traffic was an impressive 39.25 MPG.  My Jetta was responsive and fun to drive, especially in sport mode.  I actually managed to make the tires squeal on a tight turn, which made the VW executive in the passenger seat turn the same grey color as the dashboard.

Volkswagen Group brands now include German siblings Audi and Porsche, plus luxury brands Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini.  The company also owns two brands not sold in North America — Spain’s Seat and the Czech Republic’s Skoda.

Watch a demonstration of VW’s safety feature Intelligent Crash Response here:

Thanks for visiting ecoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars, smart spending and frugal living by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.
Welcome back to exoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars and smart spending by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Posts:

  • 2022 SUVs and Crossovers Under $25,000
  • 2011 best car buys for price, fuel efficiency, value and…
  • 10 Best 2012 Cars Under $20,000 to Buy or Lease Now
  • Worst 2013 cars for fuel efficiency
  • Veterans Day Deals - Retail Stores & Travel
  • 24 Best Historic Golf Courses in USA

Filed Under: Budget Cars, Clean Diesel, Family Cars, Green Cars, Test Drives Tagged With: Drive Smarter

What do you think? We value your comments and love hearing from you.Cancel reply

Most Popular Recent Posts

  • Where to Stream FREE Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur Services
    Where to Stream FREE Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur Services
  • Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
    Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
  • 2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
    2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
  • NYC Guide: Best Things to Do Through October 31
    NYC Guide: Best Things to Do Through October 31
  • Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
    Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
  • NYC Guide: Airport Transportation
    NYC Guide: Airport Transportation
  • Lamborghini Stretch Limousine for Rent
    Lamborghini Stretch Limousine for Rent
  • Car Rental Do's and Don'ts
    Car Rental Do's and Don'ts
  • Best 2023 Car Interiors Under $50,000
    Best 2023 Car Interiors Under $50,000
  • Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients & Caregivers
    Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients & Caregivers

ecoXplorer is your guide to smart spending and eco-friendly living

ecoXplorer is published by Evelyn Kanter, a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

Evelyn Kanter currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), and is a past Board Member of a prestigious professional group for travel journalists.

Evelyn Kanter is Editor of SeniorsSkiing, which focuses on the 50+ outdoor enthusiast.

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com or evelyn@evelynkanter.com.

Search ecoXplorer by category

© 2010-2023 EcoXplorer by Evelyn Kanter. All articles and photos are protected by US (C) Copyright laws. Any unauthorized copying is strictly prohibited. Plus, it’s just not nice.

  • Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

ecoXplorer.com is an independent information service which is compensated by advertisers and sponsors. This site includes some links to other websites which are compensated for by our sponsors when you click them.

 

Loading Comments...