2022 Volkswagen Jetta vs 2022 Dodge Charger

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta had been a steadfast performer for Volkswagen, maintaining its position as the automaker’s best-selling vehicle for three decades. Despite overall sales declines due to various global issues, the Jetta held its ground. In 2021, the Jetta and its performance variant, the Jetta GLI, accounted for over 61% of Volkswagen’s U.S. car sales, a figure that rose to 70% in the first quarter of 2022. While Volkswagen’s SUV sales were significantly higher, the Jetta still outsold the rest of the VW car lineup combined. For 2022, the Jetta received a mild makeover, including an engine update, exterior styling tweaks, improved infotainment, more features, and a new Sport trim. The Jetta Sport replaced the outgoing R-Line model, and the SEL Premium was dropped, simplifying the lineup to four trims: S, Sport, SE, and SEL.

Externally, the Jetta’s design changes were subtle, requiring a keen eye to notice. The front fascia, bumper, and grille were redone, featuring more chrome elements. The grille now had a chrome frame and two horizontal chrome pieces aligning with the standard LED headlights and daytime running lights. The rear bumper was redesigned to be less squatty and more square, with a full-length chrome feature extending from deflector to deflector. New wheel designs and metallic colors were added to the paint palette, including Kings Red, Oryx White, and Rising Blue. The interior updates were equally subtle but appealing, with new rhombus-patterned cloth seats and contrast stitching across all upholstery types. The Jetta also featured an 8-inch Digital Cockpit instrument cluster as standard, with the SEL trim receiving a 10-inch Digital Cockpit Pro and an 8-inch touchscreen-navigation system.

The 2022 Dodge Charger had been running on essentially the same platform since 2005, shared with the Dodge Challenger coupe and Chrysler 300 sedan. This platform originated from an older Mercedes-Benz E-Class from the Daimler-Chrysler days. Despite its age, Dodge had made impressive updates to the Charger. The Charger underwent major interior and exterior updates in 2011 and a significant facelift in 2015. Unlike its Challenger counterpart, which embraced throwback muscle-car styling, the 2015 Charger design that carried over to 2022 was more modern and menacing. While the exterior was updated in 2015, the cabin remained largely unchanged, looking dated by modern standards with thick bezels and chunky buttons and dials. However, it made up for its lack of modernity with ease of use.

The 2022 Charger was available in several trims: SXT, GT, R/T, R/T Scat Pack, Hellcat, Redeye, and Jailbreak. The SXT trim came standard with a V6 engine, power-adjustable front seats, rear parking sensors, cloth upholstery, a six-speaker stereo, and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The GT trim also featured the base V6 engine with a slight bump in output, adding a rear spoiler, sport-tuned suspension, and performance tires. The R/T trim was the most affordable option with a V8 engine, while the R/T Scat Pack featured a larger V8, launch control, a high-performance suspension, and Brembo performance brakes. The Hellcat, Redeye, and Jailbreak trims offered supercharged V8 engines with outputs ranging from 717 hp to 807 hp, along with various performance and appearance upgrades.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta was powered by a single engine: a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, replacing the previous 1.4-liter turbo-four. This engine produced 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, with transmission options including a standard six-speed manual or an optional eight-speed automatic. The Jetta’s fuel economy was impressive, with the stick-shift model estimated at 29 mpg city, 43 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined. Automatic transmission models had slightly different ratings, with S and Sport models at 31 mpg city, 41 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined, while SE and SEL models were rated at 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined. On a road trip, the Jetta averaged 46.9 highway mpg, requiring only two fill-ups for a roughly 1,000-mile journey.

The Jetta’s powertrain, however, had its drawbacks. The throttle was touchy, and the turbocharged engine exhibited some lag and surge. The vehicle offered Eco, Normal, Sport, and Custom drive modes, but the steering feedback was detached, and the overall dynamics were tepid. While the Jetta provided a comfortable and competitive cabin for cruising, its power delivery in stop-and-go traffic was jumpy, making sub-25 mph drives annoying. On the highway, the eight-speed automatic transmission performed well, but the overall driving experience was not without its quirks.

The 2022 Dodge Charger offered a range of engines, starting with a 3.6-liter V6 in the SXT and GT models, producing 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque in base form, and 300 hp and 264 lb-ft in the SXT AWD and GT trims. The R/T trim featured a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 370 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque, while the R/T Scat Pack came with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 making 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The Charger SRT Hellcat, Redeye, and Jailbreak trims offered supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 engines with outputs ranging from 717 hp to 807 hp. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with rear-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive available on V6-powered SXT and GT trims.

The Hellcat drivetrain delivered incredible acceleration, with the Hellcat and Redeye models sprinting from zero to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph. The Hellcat Widebody setup, featuring 11-inch-wide Pirelli P-Zero tires, allowed for better power delivery and cornering precision. The Charger offered Auto, Sport, Track, and Custom drive modes, adjustable via the SRT Performance Pages menu on the in-dash touchscreen. In normal driving, the Charger Hellcat was surprisingly composed, but in Track mode, it delivered a thrilling ride with immense power and torque.

Despite its compact proportions, the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta was not cramped, offering ample passenger space for four adults and accommodating five if needed. The seats were comfortable, though the front seats’ bottom cushion had a slightly inclined edge, which might not be appreciated by those with shorter legs. The cabin was driver-centric, with buttons for climate control, audio, and heated and ventilated seats easily accessible. There was usable storage space up front, including door pockets, a center console bin, a slot next to the cupholders, and a sunglass holder. However, the center storage bin lacked a latch, which was an odd omission.

The 2022 Dodge Charger, being a large sedan, didn’t always feel large due to its tall transmission tunnel and high center console. The performance bucket seats provided an intimate experience from the front seats, while both rows offered plenty of legroom. However, headroom was limited, especially in the rear seats. The Charger’s storage space was less accommodating compared to modern sedans, with a smaller center console bin and trays around the shifter. The Charger provided 16.5 cubic feet of trunk space, but the small trunk lid and high rear bumper made loading large items challenging. Despite these limitations, the Charger offered sports-car performance with four doors and a usable trunk, making it versatile.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta received a technology upgrade, with all models equipped with the Digital Cockpit digital instrument cluster. The S, Sport, and SE trims had an 8-inch display, while the SEL trim featured a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro with additional widgets for navigation, phone history, and driver-assist systems. The Jetta SEL also had an 8-inch MIB3 infotainment system with navigation, wireless App-Connect, wireless device charging, multi-phone pairing, and enhanced voice recognition. Standard infotainment in the S, Sport, and SE trims was a 6.5-inch MIB2 system with capacitive-touch sensors, App-Connect, Bluetooth, USB-C ports, and an SD card multimedia interface. The SEL trim also included premium Beats Audio sound and a remote start system.

The 2022 Dodge Charger came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect infotainment system, known for its ease of use and simple layout. The base SXT trim had the 7-inch screen, while the rest of the lineup featured an 8.4-inch version. Both screens included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the Charger wasn’t the most advanced car on the road, its blend of technology and conventional controls provided a user-friendly experience.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta came standard with IQ.Drive, Volkswagen's suite of driver-assistance tech. The Jetta S and Sport included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward-collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian recognition. An optional Driver Assistance package added adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. The full IQ.DRIVE safety list was standard on Jetta SE and SEL trims. The 2022 Jetta had not yet received crash safety ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS, but the 2021 model received a five-star rating from the NHTSA and mostly “Good” grades from the IIHS.

The 2022 Dodge Charger showed its age in terms of safety features. Standard equipment included a backup camera and rear parking sensors, with the backup camera displaying a grainy image. Optional safety features included forward-collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, rain-sensing wipers, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.