2020 Subaru WRX vs 2021 Volkswagen Jetta

For many, Subaru is synonymous with camping, skiing, and dog lovers. This active, outdoorsy reputation is one that Subaru has carefully cultivated through the years. But there is another side to the brand and one that is just as critical to its success. Its performance and motorsports efforts helped develop the symmetrical all-wheel-drive system found in nearly every modern Subaru. The 2020 Subaru WRX is the road-going manifestation of decades in world rally racing.

The WRX is a home-grown celebration of all the technologies that underpin the lineup of reliable, efficient Subaru wagons, sedans, hatchbacks, and SUVs. But in the WRX these chassis and powertrain innovations are distilled to their hard-driving extremes. Can a four-door, four-cylinder car be a halo car for a brand? When that brand is Subaru, the answer is “yes.”

Small cars aren't asked to do much beyond the basics: provide efficient, reliable transportation at a manageable price. Plenty of models fit this form, and in some rare cases, they manage to do it while also being fun to drive, like the Mazda3. In other cases, the vehicle manages to feel more upscale than the competition, like the Honda Civic. But the Volkswagen Jetta's legacy has historically been defined by its ability to offer both an upscale interior and a rewarding driving experience.

But then something happened with the Jetta. Starting with the 2011 model year, Volkswagen attempted to broaden the Jetta's appeal, and until 2018 we were left with a drab interior, an underpowered engine, and an uninspiring driving experience. VW’s hallmark was always that its cars felt a little special, so by adopting a homogenous look and feel, VW removed what made the Jetta unique and desirable to its fans.

So Volkswagen had some work to do with the seventh-generation Jetta, which launched in 2019. Does this car move the Jetta name back toward driving refinement and upscale feel? Or does it continue to disappoint as just another bland entrant among small cars?