Volkswagen Beetle vs. Volkswagen Jetta

iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Volkswagen Beetle and Volkswagen Jetta contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Volkswagen Beetle and the Volkswagen Jetta.

When we compare the Volkswagen Beetle's and the Volkswagen Jetta's specifications and ratings, the Volkswagen Beetle has the advantage in the areas of interior volume and base engine power. The Volkswagen Jetta has the advantage in the areas of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars, and fuel efficiency. Based on this comparison of the Volkswagen Beetle's and the Volkswagen Jetta's specifications and ratings, the two cars are fairly comparable.

Pricing: A used 2019 Volkswagen Beetle ranges from $15,994 to $28,997 while a used 2019 Volkswagen Jetta is priced between $10,332 to $20,776.

Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Volkswagen Beetle’s base engine makes 174 horsepower, and the Volkswagen Jetta base engine makes 147 horsepower. The Beetle is rated to deliver an average of 29 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 479 miles. The Jetta is rated to deliver an average of 34 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 528 miles. This gives the Volkswagen Jetta the fuel efficiency and maximum range advantage over the Volkswagen Beetle. Both models use regular unleaded.

Passenger Space Comparison: The Volkswagen Beetle has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front head room, front leg room, and cargo space. The Volkswagen Jetta has the advantage in the areas of front shoulder room, rear head room, rear shoulder room and rear leg room.

Safety Ratings: The Volkswagen Jetta has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.

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Model & Pricing
Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Jetta

2019 Volkswagen Beetle Hatchback
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Volkswagen Beetle for Sale

2019 Volkswagen Jetta
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Volkswagen Jetta for Sale

New Car Pricing

Asking Price:

-

Starting MSRP:

20895

Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Compact Cars)

21340

Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Compact Cars)

14795 - 40395

New Car Pricing

Asking Price:

-

Starting MSRP:

18745

Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Compact Cars)

21340

Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Compact Cars)

14795 - 40395

Used Car Pricing

Avg Used Car Price:

22575

Price Range:

15994 - 28997

Category Avg Price:
(Compact Cars)

17470

Category Avg Price Range:
(Compact Cars)

10157 - 31336

# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:

150

Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:

50806

# Good or Great Deals:

45

Used Car Pricing

Avg Used Car Price:

15442

Price Range:

10332 - 20776

Category Avg Price:
(Compact Cars)

17470

Category Avg Price Range:
(Compact Cars)

10157 - 31336

# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:

942

Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:

85670

# Good or Great Deals:

330

Volkswagen Beetle Scores & Rankings

Overall Score:

Not available

Reliability:

Not available

Retained Value:

Not available

Safety:

Not available

Volkswagen Jetta Scores & Rankings

Overall Score:

8.0 / 10

Reliability:

7.5 / 10

Retained Value:

8.5 / 10

Safety:

8.0 / 10



iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Volkswagen Beetle

Remaining Life Expectancy (years):

11.6

Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Compact Cars)

5.8

Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Compact Cars)

2.8 - 12.1

Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:

0.016

iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Volkswagen Jetta

Remaining Life Expectancy (years):

4.1

Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Compact Cars)

5.8

Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Compact Cars)

2.8 - 12.1

Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:

0.067



Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls

Expected Lifetime Recalls:

4.839063067724528

Typical Category Recalls:
(Compact Cars)

4.8

Category Range for Recalls:
(Compact Cars)

1.0 - 12.6

Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls

Expected Lifetime Recalls:

10.802373785944539

Typical Category Recalls:
(Compact Cars)

4.8

Category Range for Recalls:
(Compact Cars)

1.0 - 12.6

Volkswagen Beetle Rankings

Not yet available

Volkswagen Jetta Rankings

Most Reliable Small Cars Under $25k

3 / 10

Most Reliable Small Cars

5 / 31

Best Small Cars for the Money

5 / 21

Best Small Cars Under $25k

5 / 10

Most Affordable Small Cars

6 / 21

Best Family Small Cars

7 / 31

Best Gas Mileage Small Cars

7 / 31

Small Cars with the Most Legroom

7 / 31

Best Small Cars

9 / 31

Safest Small Cars

10 / 31

Best Small Cars for Tall People

19 / 31

Small Cars with the Most Horsepower

21 / 31

Small Cars with Best Resale Value

22 / 31

Most Comfortable Small Cars

27 / 31

Available Body Styles

Convertible, Hatchback

Available Body Styles

Sedan

Available Drivetrain Options

Gasoline

Available Drivetrain Options

Gasoline

Volkswagen Beetle Trim Levels

2.0T Final Edition SE, 2.0T Final Edition SEL, 2.0T S, 2.0T SE

Volkswagen Jetta Trim Levels

GLI 35th Anniversary Edition, GLI Autobahn, GLI S, R-Line, S, SE, SEL, SEL Premium

Warranty Information

Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:

6 years / 72000 miles

Warranty, Powertrain:

6 years / 72000 miles

Warranty, Roadside Assistance:

3 years / 36000 miles

Warranty Information

Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:

6 years / 72000 miles

Warranty, Powertrain:

6 years / 72000 miles

Warranty, Roadside Assistance:

3 years / 36000 miles

Safety Ratings

NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):

Not yet available

2026 NHTSA Overall Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

2026 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

2026 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:

Not yet available

2026 NHTSA Rollover Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

IIHS Safety Rating:

Not yet available

Safety Ratings

NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):

5 out of 5 Stars

2026 NHTSA Overall Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

2026 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

2026 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:

5 out of 5 Stars

2026 NHTSA Rollover Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

IIHS Safety Rating:

Not yet available

Base Drivetrain Specs

Horsepower:

174 hp @ 5000 rpm

Torque:

184 foot-lbs @ 1500 rpm

Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):

0.057 hp per pound

Base Drivetrain Specs

Horsepower:

147 hp @ 5000 rpm

Torque:

184 foot-lbs @ 1400 rpm

Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):

0.051 hp per pound

Engine Specifications

Engine Size:

2 liters

Engine Configuration:

Inline

Number of Cylinders:

4

Transmission:

Automatic

Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:

FWD

EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):


26 / 33 / 29

Range (city/hwy):

377 / 479 miles

Recommended Fuel Type:

Regular Unleaded

Engine Specifications

Engine Size:

1.4 liters

Engine Configuration:

Inline

Number of Cylinders:

4

Transmission:

Manual

Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:

FWD

EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):


30 / 40 / 34

Range (city/hwy):

396 / 528 miles

Recommended Fuel Type:

Regular Unleaded

Standard/Optional Features

Alloy wheels:

Standard

Bench Seats:

Standard

Bluetooth:

Standard

Keyless Entry:

Standard

Power outlet:

Standard

Android Auto:

Available

Apple CarPlay:

Available

Heated Seats

Available

Keyless Ignition:

Available

Leather Upholstery:

Available

Navigation System:

Available

Parking Sensors:

Available

Satellite radio:

Available

Sunroof/Moonroof:

Available

Voice Recognition:

Available

Adaptive Cruise Control:

N/A

Air Suspension:

N/A

Automatic Parking:

N/A

Captain's seat:

N/A

Cooled/Ventilated Seats:

N/A

Front Bench Seats:

N/A

Heated Steering Wheel:

N/A

Internet Radio:

N/A

Massage Seats:

N/A

Paddle Shifters:

N/A

Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof

N/A

Power Lift Gate:

N/A

Quad Seats:

N/A

Roadside assistance:

N/A

Roof Rack:

N/A

Trailer Hitch:

N/A

Wifi:

N/A

Wireless Smartphone Charging:

N/A

Standard/Optional Features

Alloy wheels:

Standard

Bench Seats:

Standard

Bluetooth:

Standard

Keyless Entry:

Standard

Power outlet:

Standard

Android Auto:

Standard

Apple CarPlay:

Standard

Heated Seats

Available

Keyless Ignition:

Available

Leather Upholstery:

Available

Navigation System:

Available

Parking Sensors:

N/A

Satellite radio:

Available

Sunroof/Moonroof:

Available

Voice Recognition:

Standard

Adaptive Cruise Control:

Available

Air Suspension:

N/A

Automatic Parking:

N/A

Captain's seat:

N/A

Cooled/Ventilated Seats:

Available

Front Bench Seats:

N/A

Heated Steering Wheel:

Available

Internet Radio:

N/A

Massage Seats:

N/A

Paddle Shifters:

Available

Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof

N/A

Power Lift Gate:

N/A

Quad Seats:

N/A

Roadside assistance:

Available

Roof Rack:

N/A

Trailer Hitch:

N/A

Wifi:

N/A

Wireless Smartphone Charging:

N/A

Safety Features

Backup camera:

Standard

Blind Spot Monitoring:

Standard

Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:

Standard

360-Degree Camera:

N/A

Driver Attention Monitoring:

N/A

Forward Collision Warning:

N/A

Lane Departure Warning:

N/A

Lane Keeping Assist:

N/A

Pedestrian Detection:

N/A

Rear Seat Reminder:

N/A

Safety Features

Backup camera:

Standard

Blind Spot Monitoring:

Available

Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:

Available

360-Degree Camera:

N/A

Driver Attention Monitoring:

N/A

Forward Collision Warning:

Available

Lane Departure Warning:

Available

Lane Keeping Assist:

Available

Pedestrian Detection:

N/A

Rear Seat Reminder:

N/A

Interior Dimensions

Front Head Room:

39.4 inches

Front Leg Room:

41.3 inches

Front Shoulder Room:

55.3 inches

Rear Head Room:

37.1 inches

Rear Leg Room:

31.4 inches

Rear Shoulder Room:

49 inches

Cargo Space:

15.4 cubic feet

Overall Interior Volume:

100.5 cubic feet

Interior Dimensions

Front Head Room:

38.5 inches

Front Leg Room:

41.1 inches

Front Shoulder Room:

55.9 inches

Rear Head Room:

37.2 inches

Rear Leg Room:

37.4 inches

Rear Shoulder Room:

54 inches

Cargo Space:

14.1 cubic feet

Overall Interior Volume:

94.7 cubic feet

Exterior Dimensions

Curb Weight:

3045 lbs

Width:

71.9 inches

Height:

58.6 inches

Length:

168.8 inches

Wheelbase:

100.1 inches

Ground Clearance:

5.7 inches

Exterior Dimensions

Curb Weight:

2888 lbs

Width:

70.8 inches

Height:

57.4 inches

Length:

185.1 inches

Wheelbase:

105.7 inches

Ground Clearance:

5.6 inches

Standard Wheel/Tire Information

Wheel Size:

16.0 x 6.5 inches

Wheel Type:

aluminum alloy

Tire Size:

215/60R16

Standard Wheel/Tire Information

Wheel Size:

16.0 x 6.5 inches

Wheel Type:

aluminum alloy

Tire Size:

205/60R16

Exterior Colors

Black

Deep Black Pearl

Blue

Silk Blue Metallic

Gray

Platinum Gray Metallic

Orange

Habanero Orange Metallic

Red

Tornado Red

Silver

White Silver Metallic

White

Pure White

Exterior Colors

Black

Black Uni

Blue

Silk Blue Metallic

Gray

Platinum Gray Metallic

Orange

Habanero Orange Metallic

Red

Tornado Red

Silver

Pyrite Silver Metallic / White Silver Metallic

White

Pure White

Interior Colors

Black

Titan Black

Gray

Not available

Interior Colors

Black

Titan Black

Gray

Storm Gray

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