With so many tempting new cars on the market in 2025, be it with traditional internal combustion engines or with hybrid or electric powertrains, it can be difficult to settle on a particular model. Despite facing significant challenges over the past decade or so, such as Dieselgate, the Volkswagen brand has remained one of the consistently familiar sights on US roads, with the Tiguan crossover being its top-selling model.

It’s not a true volume brand, but it retains a 4% share of the US market as of 2024, about the same as Subaru and Tesla. Given that Volkswagen literally means ‘people’s car’, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that its offerings are priced toward the lower end of the market. For those on a tighter budget, this is the cheapest new model VW offers in the US in 2025.

This piece explores the cheapest brand-new model offered by Volkswagen in 2025, and whether it is a sound purchase or not. All data used was sourced from reputable providers.

The Jetta Is The Cheapest New VW You Can Have In 2025

The most affordable VW on the market in the US in 2025 is the Jetta, a compact four-door sedan that is based on the legendary Golf hatch, though it sits on an older version of the ubiquitous MQB platform – the A1, as opposed to the latest Golf 8, which is underpinned by the MQB Evo variant The Golf is more successful across the Atlantic in Europe, but the Jetta’s sedan form factor is more popular in the States. The cheapest Jetta is the base S trim level, which can be had for a base MSRP of $22,495, though the destination charge of $1,225 and any relevant extra fees will need to be added to that.

The Jetta Has Been Around For Decades

Like the Golf it’s based on, the Jetta has built up a reputation as being one of the most trusted models the German manufacturer offers. It first turned up in 1979 due to VW wanting to crack the US market, with the Golf hatchback not quite cutting the mustard with US drivers, who preferred the larger three-box sedan bodystyle. As a result, an extended trunk section was grafted onto the rear of the standard Golf, with the new creation christened the Jetta.

Sold in Europe as well as the US since 1980, the Jetta proved popular with its target market and remains a staple of VW’s portfolio 45 years later. The current seventh-generation Jetta made its debut in 2018, though it has undergone several mid-cycle refreshes during its tenure, with the latest coming for the 2025 model year. Aside from updated exterior styling and a revised interior, which includes a nifty floating eight-inch infotainment screen design – now standard across the board – and a few other new features.

The Jetta Offers A Lot For The Money

While the Jetta will set you back a fair amount of extra cash compared to the cheapest car available in the USA at the moment – the $17k 2025 Nissan Versa – you do get more standard equipment, a far more powerful engine, and a vehicle built to higher quality standards. Aside from the eight-inch touchscreen infotainment setup and automatic climate control, you’ll also be treated to rain-sensing windshield wipers, adaptive cruise control, and even a leather-wrapped steering wheel. You’ll also have the VW IQ.Drive suite of safety features on hand to protect you and your passengers, such as lane assist and forward-collision warning. For a little over $22,000, buyers will likely be perfectly happy with the level of equipment afforded to them.

The Jetta Is Also Decently Affordable To Run Every Day

While the Jetta doesn’t boast Toyota-levels of dependability, it should prove to be a trusty workhorse as long as you treat it with respect. According to CarEdge, a 2025 Jetta should set you back around $1,919 in maintenance costs during its first five years of ownership, which increases to just over $6,000 over a decade of use. This puts it around $300 above average for the vehicle type, with its 17.42% chance of suffering a major issue during this period putting it 0.73% worse off than the industry average.

It does well in terms of insurance costs too, with CarEdge reporting an average cost of $2,534 per year for a 40-year-old driver with a clean license and who covers an average number of miles. This ensures that it’s comparable with the likes of the Kia Forte and Toyota Corolla, which should cost around $2,350 and $2,600 per year to insure, respectively. The Jetta can’t quite hold its value as well as its close rivals though, with its $10,300 depreciation expectation over five years faring worse than the Forte’s $9,131 and the Corolla’s $9,271 figures.

The Jetta Comes With A Sprightly Turbocharged Engine

As far as speeding around town or on the highway goes, the little Jetta is well-suited to both, thanks to its turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four powerplant. With 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque on tap, which is sent through the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, even base Jettas can get you to 60 mph in around seven seconds. This is more than quick enough to beat the lights.

The Jetta is pretty spacious too, with its 14.1 cubic foot trunk offering extra practicality when compared to that of the cargo space boasted by the Forte and Corolla. CarBuzz also found that the Jetta’s engine was pretty frugal when compared to the competition too when we drove it, with its average gas mileage of 33 mpg placing it ahead of the Forte. We also liked its sporty handling, though the ride of more expensive models with the bigger wheels like the SEL can be a bit firm.

The Jetta Is A Strong Purchase In Its Class

All in all, the Jetta represents a smart buy in the compact sedan sector, the model offering a generally premium level of equipment and build quality for a low price, though it would be nice if there was a little less plastic trim. For the price, though, it’s to be expected. It also drives well, and should look after you financially if taken care of. The Jetta’s commanding reputation remains well intact.

If the Jetta seems a little too restrictive from a space standpoint, then perhaps the 2025 Taos would be the superior option. The subcompact crossover’s base MSRP is $24,995, making it $2,500 more expensive than the Jetta. The base S trim comes with the same 1.5-liter engine as the Jetta, albeit in a more powerful state of tune to deal with the extra weight of the bulkier SUV, as well as a similar amount of standard equipment.

The Taos’ value is illustrated by the practicality it offers, with its higher roofline and hatchback-style tailgate allowing it to offer a vastly superior 27.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats up, nearly twice that of the Jetta, and 65.9 cubic feet when they’re collapsed. While legroom across both models is comparable, the Taos’s higher roof means it comes with a ton more headroom, with its 40.7/39.8 inches of front/rear headroom far exceeding the Jetta’s 38.5/37.2 inches.

You may have to give your bank account more of a workout to get one, but the Taos is the superior choice for buyers looking to transport their growing families around. For those without kids or who prefer the look of a sedan, though, the Jetta is a great bargain way of buying a brand-new VW.

Sources: Volkswagen, VisualCapitalist.com.