2019 Volkswagen Jetta Meets the 1982 Original

There isn't going to be another video like this. We've got a mint condition 4-door from before this editor was born in a similar color to the 2019 Jetta. But they have almost nothing in common, like the tape player and internet streaming.

We don't know what it is about these old cars, but they really do it for us. This Jetta is like the reasonably E30. Maybe that comparison is a little crazy. But they did make a coupe, right?

The size difference is huge as well, with the 1982 model being almost 20 inches shorter, 7 inches narrower and 2 inches less tall. Though it's easy to just launch at the overgrown 2019 sedan, this model has been built specifically for the Americans. They don't sell it in Europe anymore.

Weirdly, trunk space is the same - 14.1 cubic feet - but you get a lot more under the hood. The modern version uses a 1.4 turbo with 147-hp and 185 lb-ft, compared to just 76-hp and 83 lb-ft back in the day.

The newer model is also more efficient, averaging 34 mpg compared to 21. But you kind of expect that when you go from a 3-speed auto to an 8-speed.

Anybody who's driven a Volkswagen from that era will tell you the brakes are bad. With ESC and ABS, the modern one has no such issues, not to mention electric power steering makes life easy. LED headlights, satellite radio, apps, eight speakers from Beats, navigation, dual-zone climate control, heated seats, USB - we could go on with the creature comforts for quite a while.

But the point is, even though the old Jetta is slow, it doesn't automatically make us want to buy the 2019 model. We want a little more character, which could come next year wearing the GLI badge.