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Volkswagen interiors are closely studied by the competition for good reason. Volkswagen designers accomplish more with less, combining expensive-looking materials with simple but attractive styling and excellent ergonomics. The result is inviting cockpits that are pleasant places to spend time behind the wheel.The leather upholstery in a 2.5 we drove was well fitted and stitched around contours that provide a high degree of support. The Tamo ash wood trim is indeed trim and not the great expanses of lumber that are sometimes used in a lame attempt to class up an interior. To the contrary, the Jetta's wood is tastefully applied to complement the interior's sweeps and angles. Helping to relieve the eye of any monochromatic monotony are such touches as metallic trim around the shift lever, metallic instrument cluster rings; chrome door handles, glovebox lock cylinder and trunk release switch, and the button for the parking brake lever. Finding a comfortable driving position is aided by an eight-way power adjustable seat with a power lumbar adjustment, an adjustable steering column and a height-adjustable safety belt. The driver's seat can be positioned using controls on the side of the seat cushion or by pressing of the three memory buttons (which also adjusts the outside mirrors) or by the key fob (which can be programmed for each driver). The GLI interior is a bit dressier than the standard cabin thanks to touches of bright trim and the handsome three-spoke leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel. The sport seat fabric is a plaid-like material that harkens back to previous interior designs from VW, and it may not be to everyone's taste. The durable-feeling leather is really the way to go for a full upmarket experience. A short styling aside here: Exposed windshield wipers were a pet peeve of former VW chairman Ferdinand Piech, and so he ordered that all future VWs would have hidden wipers. To aid in this design, a cowling now sits along the base of the windshield and cuts off some of the view over the nose of the car. It's not a safety issue, but former VW owners will notice the difference right away. To Piech's credit, the hidden wipers do indeed lend a more upscale look. Three-point safety belts with emergency locking retractors are provided for all five passengers, and each position has an adjustable headrest. The front seat belts also have pre-tensioners with load limiters for a more effective reaction, and the front headrests are active, automatically moving up and forward if the occupant's torso is pressed back in the seat, as happens in many kinds of collisions. To help reduce leg injuries, the pedals get away from the driver in the event of a front-end collision. Six airbags are ready to deploy if needed, including side curtains to help provide head protection for the four outboard passengers. The thick-rimmed, padded three-spoke steering wheel frames a gauge cluster dominated by the two large dials of the tachometer and speedometer, well shaded from ambient light by a curved cowl. In daylight the graphics read white on black, at night changing to white on soothing swimming-pool blue with lighted red pointers. In either case, the data are easy to comprehend at a glance. Within both the tach and speedo are a number of warning lights and advisories about secondary functions, including one thoughtful warning that the fuel filler door was left opened after gassing up. Optional steering wheel buttons can be used to operate a phone, mute the radio, or toggle between the various modes of the sound system. To the left of the steering wheel is the headlamp switch, which has three positions: When turned off, the daytime running lights are activated. Click the dial once to the right, and automatic headlight control is activated, which measures ambient light and turns on the headlights when needed, such as in a long tunnel or as night approaches. A third click and the headligh
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