2022 Volkswagen Jetta vs 2022 Nissan Sentra

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 remained a strong contender, accounting for more than 61 percent of VW’s U.S. car sales in the previous year and increasing to 70 percent in the first quarter of 2022. The 2022 model received a mild makeover, including an engine update, exterior styling tweaks, improved infotainment, and a new Sport trim. The Jetta’s design changes were subtle, with minor updates to the front fascia, bumper, and grille, and new wheel designs and metallic colors added to the paint palette. The interior also saw subtle but appealing updates, including new seat patterns and contrast stitching, with an 8-inch Digital Cockpit instrument cluster now standard across the lineup.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra, redesigned in 2020, carried over into 2022 with minimal changes. Its exterior resembled a downsized Altima, featuring a low-slung, coupe-like, and modern design. The Sentra’s interior was a highlight, with a modern yet simple layout that combined form and function. The front cabin design was capped off by a touchscreen that served as the visual centerpiece. The Sentra was available in three trims: S, SV, and SR, each offering a range of standard and additional features. The SR trim, in particular, added sporty elements and a Midnight Edition package with dark accents. The Sentra’s interior provided spacious seating and ample cargo space, making it a practical choice for daily commuting and occasional road trips.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta was powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, replacing the previous 1.4-liter turbo-four. This engine produced 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, with transmission options including a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic. The Jetta’s fuel economy was impressive, with the manual transmission rated at 29 mpg city, 43 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined. Automatic transmission models had slightly different ratings, with S and Sport models achieving 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. During a road trip, the Jetta averaged 46.9 highway mpg, demonstrating its efficiency. However, the Jetta’s powertrain had some drawbacks, including a touchy throttle, turbo lag, and tepid dynamics. The vehicle offered Eco, Normal, Sport, and Custom drive modes, but the overall driving experience was not particularly engaging.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive. While the engine was not outstanding, the CVT managed power well, providing solid low-end acceleration and satisfactory highway performance. The Sentra’s steering was well-weighted, and cornering was sharp for a non-performance-oriented car. The suspension handled most road bumps well, though it struggled with harsher conditions. Overall, the Sentra was a reliable choice for commuting, city driving, and occasional road trips, offering consistent performance across different driving scenarios.

Despite its compact size, the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta offered ample passenger space for four adults, with the ability to accommodate five if needed. The seats were comfortable, though the front seats’ bottom cushion had a slight incline that might not suit shorter individuals. The driver-centric cabin featured easily accessible buttons for climate control, audio, and seat controls. There was usable storage space in the front, including door pockets, a center console bin, and a sunglass holder. However, the center storage bin lacked a latch, which was an unusual design choice.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra provided 14.3 cubic feet of trunk space, which was better than many other small sedans. The trunk space could be expanded with a 60/40 split-fold rear bench, though the ledge created by the bench might make it difficult to slide larger items through. The Sentra’s trunk could be remotely opened via the key fob or a button on the dash. The Sentra’s interior offered spacious seating in both rows, with the front seats providing ample headroom and legroom. The rear seats also had decent legroom and headroom. The front row featured large in-door cargo trays and bottle holders, while the center console had plenty of cupholders and trays for gear storage.

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. The Jetta SEL also had an 8-inch touchscreen-navigation system. Standard infotainment included a 6.5-inch touchscreen with App-Connect for Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and MirrorLink integration. The Jetta SEL had the newer 8-inch MIB3 system with navigation, wireless App-Connect, wireless device charging, and enhanced voice recognition. However, the voice activation and navigation commands were not intuitive, often requiring manual input for addresses and points of interest.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a USB port and Bluetooth connectivity. The SV and SR trims had a larger 8-inch touchscreen. The menu navigation was easy to follow, with conventional hard buttons and volume and tuning dials. However, the graphics could use updating, and the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was a drawback. Despite these limitations, the Sentra’s infotainment system was user-friendly and functional.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta came standard with IQ.Drive, Volkswagen's suite of driver-assistance technologies. The Jetta S and Sport included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward-collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian recognition. The Driver Assistance package added adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. Travel Assist combined adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist, while Emergency Assist monitored driver attentiveness. 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 Nissan Sentra came equipped with a comprehensive list of standard driver-assistance features, including forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, forward collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, driver drowsiness monitoring, lane-departure warning, and blind spot monitoring. Additional features on our test model included a surround-view parking monitor and adaptive cruise control. The Sentra earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and the highest rating of "Good" from the IIHS in all crash tests. The IIHS also rated the Sentra’s driver-assistance features as "Superior," though the headlights received lower ratings. Despite this, the Sentra earned a "Top Safety Pick" award.