Compare the2024 Volkswagen JettaVS 2022 Acura ILX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Jetta has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The ILX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Jetta has standard Rear Traffic Alert and automatically engage the brakes. Acura charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Monitor on the ILX and the ILX’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

Both the Jetta and the ILX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volkswagen Jetta is safer than the Acura ILX:

	Jetta	ILX
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Stress	152 lbs.	166 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	308/63 lbs.	768/623 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Jetta is safer than the Acura ILX:

	Jetta	ILX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	101	234
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	317 lbs.	487 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	306	324
Spine Acceleration	56 G’s	64 G’s
Hip Force	554 lbs.	699 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	239	299
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	56 G’s
Hip Force	627 lbs.	945 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Jetta’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the ILX’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Jetta for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Acura doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the ILX.

There are over 2 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Jetta’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Jetta third among compact cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The ILX isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 27 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Acura.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Jetta gets better mileage than the ILX:

			MPG
Jetta
	Manual	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/42 hwy
	Auto	S 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	30 city/41 hwy
		SE/SEL 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/40 hwy
ILX
	Auto	2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/34 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Jetta Automatic’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The ILX doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Jetta uses regular unleaded gasoline. The ILX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Jetta higher (7 out of 10) than the Acura ILX (3). This means the Jetta produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the ILX every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Jetta stops shorter than the ILX:

	Jetta	ILX
70 to 0 MPH	176 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

The Jetta Sport/SE/SEL has a standard space-saver spare (not available on S) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the ILX; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Jetta is 1.3 inches wider in the front and .2 inches wider in the rear than on the ILX.

The Jetta’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (59% to 41%) than the ILX’s (63% to 37%). This gives the Jetta more stable handling and braking.

The Jetta Sport handles at .87 G’s, while the ILX A-SPEC pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Jetta’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the ILX’s (35.8 feet vs. 36.8 feet).

Chassis

The front grille of the Jetta uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The ILX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Jetta has 5.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the ILX (94.7 vs. 89.3).

The Jetta has .5 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 3.4 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the ILX.

Cargo Capacity

The Jetta has a much larger trunk than the ILX (14.1 vs. 12.4 cubic feet).

The Jetta’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The ILX’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

Ergonomics

The Jetta’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The ILX has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The power windows standard on both the Jetta and the ILX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Jetta is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The ILX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Jetta’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The ILX’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Jetta’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The ILX’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Jetta SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The ILX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Jetta SEL detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The ILX doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Jetta SEL has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The ILX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Both the Jetta and the ILX offer available heated front seats. The Jetta SEL also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the ILX.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Jetta SEL keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The ILX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Jetta SEL’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The ILX doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Jetta SEL has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The ILX doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Jetta owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Jetta with a number “3” insurance rate while the ILX is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Jetta is less expensive to operate than the ILX because typical repairs cost less on the Jetta than the ILX, including $61 less for fuel injection and $190 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Jetta, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Volkswagen Jetta outsold the Acura ILX by over six to one during 2022.