Compare the2024 Toyota CrownVS 2024 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Crown have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Volkswagen Jetta GLI doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Crown are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota Crown has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Crown has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Crown has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Crown (except XLE) offers an optional Bird’s Eye View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Jetta GLI only offers a rear monitor.

The Crown’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Crown and the Jetta GLI have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Toyota Crown weighs 622 to 1069 pounds more than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Crown 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Jetta GLI. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Jetta GLI ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Crown’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Jetta GLI’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

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

The battery on the Crown is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Crown’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Jetta GLI’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 55 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Volkswagen.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 23rd.

The Crown’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 8 more horsepower (236 vs. 228) than the Jetta GLI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Crown Platinum’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 112 more horsepower (340 vs. 228) and 142 lbs.-ft. more torque (400 vs. 258) than the Jetta GLI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Crown Platinum 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the Crown gets better mileage than the Jetta GLI:

Regenerative brakes improve the Crown’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Regardless of its engine, the Crown’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. Volkswagen only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Jetta GLI Automatic.

The Crown has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Jetta GLI (14.5 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Toyota Crown comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Jetta GLI.

The Crown has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Crown has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the Jetta GLI. The Crown offers optional 21-inch wheels.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Crown’s wheelbase is 6.6 inches longer than on the Jetta GLI (112.2 inches vs. 105.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Crown is 2.6 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Jetta GLI.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Crown Platinum is quieter than the Jetta GLI Autobahn:

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Crown a Mid-size car, while the Jetta GLI is rated a Compact.

The Crown has 4.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Jetta GLI (98 vs. 93.9).

The Crown has 1 inch more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 1.5 inches more rear legroom, 1.7 inches more rear hip room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Jetta GLI.

The Crown has a much larger trunk than the Jetta GLI (15.2 vs. 14.1 cubic feet).

With its sedan body style, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the Crown offers cargo security. The Jetta GLI’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Crown. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

If the windows are left open on the Crown the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Jetta GLI can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

Both the Crown and the Jetta GLI have standard heated front seats. The Crown Limited/Platinum also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Jetta GLI.

Both the Crown and the Jetta GLI offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Crown has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Crown Platinum’s Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Crown, based on reliability, safety and performance.