Anything that makes life simpler, easier, and more enjoyable gets high marks in my book. That’s why I’m a big fan of the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta, despite its advancing age and dull design. Almost as big inside as a midsize car, priced in line with its compact exterior dimensions, and demonstrating the engaging driving dynamics associated with German vehicles, the Jetta is easily one of the best mainstream cars you can buy.  Frequently derided as a “chick car,” as are so many small vehicles of substance, the Jetta is genuinely fun to drive and comes across as a value even when fully loaded with a price tag north of $28,000. Draped in Platinum Gray paint, my Jetta SEL Premium test car doesn’t look like anything special, but that’s a part of its charm. Anonymity has its benefits, especially if you’re addicted to speed like I am.  FOLLOW THE DAILY NEWS ON FACEBOOK. 'LIKE' US HERE.  This is the third Jetta I’ve driven in the past year, in addition to a Dark Bronze Jetta SE with the new standard turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and a Tornado Red Jetta GLI performance version. These experiences have absolutely convinced me that this Volkswagen is well worth your consideration, even if the company has suffered a significant ethical setback in the form of “Dieselgate.”  Plus, given all of the recent negative publicity and the loss of the turbo-diesel engine option, my bet is that your local dealer is quite eager to help put a Jetta in your driveway.  When it comes to traditional 3-box sedans, few cars are as boxy and bland as the Jetta. Now six years old, the conservative Jetta has aged well but nothing about it conveys excitement. Nevertheless, it is fundamentally appealing, resembling an Audi without its makeup and jewelry.  The same sensible, no-nonsense design theme continues inside the car. The focus is clearly on the driver, and on making the car as easy to drive as possible. Surface patterns match almost to a fault, and in versions with the Titan Black interior color only black gloss surfaces, carbon fiber pattern trim, silver accents, elegantly detailed instruments, and perforated seat inserts with horizontal seams serve to break the relentless monotony.  While I would prefer that some of the soft material used for the dashboard also extended to the upper door panels, the Jetta is otherwise nicely finished. Fabric-wrapped windshield pillars match the headliner, the V-Tex leatherette does its best to convince you that it is the real deal, and the genuine leather wrapped around the steering wheel is smooth and supple.  Quality levels are high, too. Nothing I used or touched felt flimsy or insubstantial, and I spotted no flaws with regard to part and panel fit.  Comfortable and supportive, the Volkswagen Jetta’s front seats are like dining room chairs…or thrones. Behind the steering wheel, the driver sits up high with a commanding view of the surroundings and the road ahead. Tall seating makes it easy to enter and exit the car, and once aboard the front seat occupants will find softly padded door and center armrests. The center armrest also slides and adjusts for height to ensure greater comfort.  Rear seat passengers enjoy similar accommodations. The bottom cushion provides excellent support, there is plenty of room for legs and feet, and the front seat backs are soft and padded. Aside from the Jetta’s narrow width, this car is just as comfortable and accommodating as a midsize sedan.  It might not look very exciting, but that’s because the Jetta’s control layout is about function over form. Everything is purposefully designed and arranged, making this Volkswagen’s cabin a model of simplicity, legibility, and ease of use.  For 2016, Volkswagen introduces new infotainment systems for the Jetta, and most versions of the car include a proximity sensing display, quick response to inputs, and modern graphics. More detail is offered in the Technology section below.  At night, Volkswagen’s cabin lighting illuminates frequently referenced instrumentation in a soft white glow, while secondary controls are illuminated in red. This approach distinguishes the importance of the gauges, making them easier to consult at a glance.  Volkswagen prepares the Jetta for inclement weather, too, by offering heated front seats, heated side mirrors, and heated washer jet nozzles as an option. Rain-sensing wipers are available, and all four of the car’s windows feature one-touch express operation, one of many examples of Volkswagen’s thoughtful attention to detail.  Comfortable seating and simple controls are just two of the Jetta’s best interior traits. Volkswagen also makes it easy to carry a ton of stuff in this car.  Every occupant gets a large door panel storage bin, and rear seat riders can use a couple of cubbies built into the back of the front center console. The glove box is large and equipped with a shelf, and my test car had an overhead storage compartment for sunglasses. The cup holders are large, and Volkswagen supplies a handful of additional nooks and crannies in which to carry things.  Taking a trip? Check out the Jetta’s cavernous trunk, which measures 15.7 cu.-ft. That’s huge for what is supposed to be a compact car, easily more accommodating than what’s offered for many traditional midsize sedans.  Pop the lid using the key fob or interior release, and it swings all of the way open instead of releasing and sitting there, forcing you to lift it up. Volkswagen nicely finishes the trunk space, too, and provides grips on both inner sides of the lid to make it easy to swing shut no matter which side of the car you’re standing on.  One of the major changes for the 2016 Jetta lineup is a new family of infotainment systems that includes a standard USB port. All versions of the car, except for the basic Jetta S, are further equipped with a larger 6.3-inch proximity sensing and capacitive touch display screen, Bluetooth connectivity, a reversing camera, and App-Connect. App-Connect is Volkswagen’s fancy way of saying smartphone projection technology, which is a generic way of referencing Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and MirrorLink systems.  As an iPhone owner, I connected via the USB port and launched Apple CarPlay. While the system does provide familiar icons on the infotainment screen, and sometimes works seamlessly, it still requires some acclimation and never completely eliminates distraction. I will say this, however. Using Siri to make calls and get directions is much easier than using VW’s available voice recognition technology.  Voice recognition is a part of the upgraded infotainment system that is installed in all Jetta models except for the S and SE variants. It includes a navigation system and equips the Jetta with Car-Net connected services. An active subscription is required to access Car-Net and its features, including automatic crash notification, emergency calling, roadside assistance, and remote access to certain vehicle attributes. Owners can also use Car-Net to remotely find the Jetta’s location, and the Family Guardian service provides speed and boundary alerts to parents of teenaged drivers.  Given its SEL Premium trim level, my test car had the larger 6.3-inch display screen. Yes, that is small compared to many competitors. However, because it offers knobs and buttons in addition to the screen, the sacrifice in size is easier to accept. Also, note that the Jetta’s available Fender premium audio system sounds terrific.  In addition to next-generation infotainment systems, the 2016 Jetta is newly offered with automatic post-collision braking. Standard on all models, this technology is designed to bring the car to a halt as soon as is possible following an initial collision, thereby reducing or eliminating the potential for secondary impacts after the air bags have initially deployed.  Exclusive to the SEL and SEL Premium models, an adaptive cruise control system debuts for 2016, paired with forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems. While this is a step forward, limiting this important safety technology to just two of the Jetta’s seven different models suggests that perhaps Volkswagen is simply chasing eligibility for a “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) – which it earns.  A blind spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert is also offered for the Jetta GLI, SEL, and SEL Premium models. It works perfectly, and the rear cross-traffic alert system sounds a warning and provides an arrow on the reversing camera display showing the direction of the approaching vehicle. If the driver takes no action and continues backing up, the Jetta will automatically brake in order to avoid a collision.  Volkswagen’s adaptive cruise control also impresses, providing a wide range of distance sensitivity levels and working with remarkable refinement as it automatically slows the car and then accelerates again. The forward collision warning system emitted just one false alarm during a week of driving, detecting a vehicle that was turning left from a left turn lane on a curved section of road and sounding the alert before deciding that I wasn’t going to hit the other car after all.  My test car also had adaptive bi-Xenon headlights, clearly lighting the way in my neighborhood, which does not have streetlights. Parking assistance sensors make it easy to maneuver the Jetta in tight situations, and are far more useful than any autonomous parking assist feature can be.  Weighing a minimum of 3,124 pounds, the Jetta is one of the heaviest vehicles in the compact car segment, which is important when it comes to safety. All Jetta earn a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the IIHS, as well as a 5-star overall crash-test rating from the federal government.  Turbocharging has become a popular way to preserve engine power while increasing fuel economy, but nobody knows how to do it as well as Volkswagen does.  View the Jetta 1.8T’s specifications on a chart and you might scratch your head and say: “What’s the big deal about 170 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque from a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine?” I understand that. The magic here is how the power is developed and delivered.  First, let’s discuss the torque. That 184 lb.-ft. starts at just 1,500 rpm, and is basically available to the driver’s right foot nearly to where the 170 horsepower kicks in at a low 4,800 rpm. Taken together, maximum power output is available across the majority of the engine’s rev range, and the result is described with a single word…WHOOSH!  If you’ve got a clean driving record when you buy a Jetta 1.8T, and especially if you buy a Jetta GLI, chances are good that you’re going to start racking up tickets. That could be one reason for this car’s anonymous, wallflower design.  A 6-speed automatic transmission with a Sport driving mode and a manual shift gate is paired with the turbocharged 1.8-liter engine. Under light throttle application, it upshifts rapidly to conserve fuel. For hill climbing, the transmission holds a lower gear to help the driver to maintain speed. In Sport mode, the transmission holds gears longer, quickening the car’s pace. At all times, it serves as a model of refinement.  Taken together, the broad power curve delivers plenty of zing, and the Jetta 1.8T delivers a satisfying blend of power, fuel efficiency, and refinement. My test car got 29.8 mpg on my standard test loop, beating the EPA’s projection of 29 mpg in combined driving. That, combined with a 14.5-gallon fuel tank, gives the car an easy 400 miles of range between stops at the gas station.  Take a Jetta 1.8T for a short test drive, and you will find that it provides light and effortless steering, a rather soft and compliant ride quality, and a brake pedal that is sometimes difficult to modulate. Don’t write the car off because of these characteristics, especially if you are a driving enthusiast, because they don’t fully communicate the joy associated with using a Jetta as a daily driver.  As speeds increase, the Jetta’s delightful steering simply improves. Always crisp, always responsive, always accurate, it becomes resolute and steadfast at higher velocities, the somewhat thin-rimmed steering wheel a genuine pleasure to grip. Vented front and solid rear disc brakes can be a little sticky and hard to modulate at lower speeds, but they work beautifully and resist fade when the car is driven hard.  Sitting on a sophisticated MacPherson strut front and 4-link independent rear suspension, the Jetta supplies a sublime blend of ride and handling. Compliant suspension tuning, noticeable body roll, and 225/45R17 all-season tires make it clear that the SEL Premium is not the sport sedan version of the Jetta, yet the car handles in a secure and predictable fashion, the contact patches howling across every painted line on the pavement. You can drive this car like you stole it, as long as you’re not prone to motion sickness.  Despite the soft, sometimes woozy ride, the Jetta SEL Premium remains communicative, clearly transmitting information from the road surface through the suspension, the seat, and the tires. And if this version of the car isn’t enough fun, don’t forget about the racy GLI version, which is basically a VW GTI with a trunk.  Lost amid the furor over emissions cheating and “clean diesel” engines that turned out to be dirty, and despite design and engineering that dates to 2011, the fact is that the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta is one of the best cars you can buy unless you need a wider interior or a luxury badge on the grille.  Equipped with comfortable seating and cargo space for a family of four, delivering impressive crash-test and effortless fuel efficiency ratings, technologically advanced and enjoyable to drive, and blending so deeply into the scenery that few people or law enforcers pay it an ounce of attention, the 2016 Jetta represents more than simply a raging bargain.  Especially in SEL Premium or GLI trim, this Volkswagen is a stealthy and upscale German sport sedan for the 90-percent.  Total Vehicle Score:172/200 points Overall Vehicle Rating: 8.6 For More Volkswagen Jetta Information: Review: 2016 Volkswagen Jetta GLI has the ultimate sibling inferiority complex Buyers Guide:Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid  Did you find this article helpful? If so, please share it using the "Join the Conversation" buttons below, and thank you for visiting Daily News Autos.
Though its conservative design is rapidly aging, a program of continuous improvement makes the 2016 Jetta one of the best cars in its class.