Matching the Jetta's high performance drivetrain is a chassis and body structure as rigid as a boot camp drill sergeant. My tester

My tester was fitted with an optional Luxury Package that included a sport suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

was fitted with an optional Luxury Package that included a sport suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels. It also included a power sunroof. Why VW chose to call this cluster of performance-oriented stuff a Luxury Package rather than a Sport Package is beyond my power of deduction. What was well within my consciousness, though, was an appreciation for the extended handling thresholds delivered by Volkswagen's "Luxury Package." The so equipped Jetta 2.0T is a joy to place into a turn, holding the perfect arc through its duration. Thanks to a well-balanced chassis, handling dynamics feel neutral and predictable. Steering is tight and responsive while transmitting plenty of raw-data road-feel. In three short words, my only handling complaint: front-wheel drive. Even with the benefit of an electronically locking front differential, traction suffers. Enough said.

The athletic Jetta rides upon a fully independent suspension system that finds

The Jetta's road and wind noise were suitably muted for this class of vehicle. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

MacPherson struts with lower wishbones up front and a four-link arrangement out back. Front and rear tubular anti-roll bars help keep the Jetta stable during hard cornering while minimizing body roll. The Jetta's Sport Suspension Package may add to the firmness of its ride, but without much appreciable difference over the stock calibration. My tester absorbed serious road ruckus quite competently for a midsize sedan with a spirited soul, however smaller deformations were transmitted as intrusions into the otherwise vault-like cabin. Road and wind noise were suitably muted for this class of vehicle.

Three short words can also be used to sum up the Jetta's braking prowess

Due in part to Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and hydraulic brake assist (BA), the Jetta's 4-wheel antilock disc-brake setup does a fine job hauling the car down quickly. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

(which is well beyond expectation for its entry-level midsize class segment): strong, sure-footed, eager. Okay, that may be four words depending on how persnickety one chooses to be, but what's not in dispute is the meaning of the words. Strong and sure-footed need no further explanation, "eager" on the other hand may. Due in part to Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and hydraulic brake assist (BA), the 4-wheel antilock disc-brake setup restraining the Jetta is constantly alert and fully primed to grab hold of the car's 1,520 kg (3,352 lb) curb weight - and it does so with lightening speed. Little pedal pressure is necessary to achieve a full-force anchor drop that feels as if it's going to suck the eyeballs from their sockets.

Should the Jetta's admirable handling finesse and dynamite braking not hold

The Jetta offers a full complement of active and passive safety features, keeping all occupants as safe as any vehicle in the midsize class can. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

trouble at bay, its Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) will interject with wheel-specific braking and engine censure to return the vehicle to a state of equilibrium. This important safety technology is standard equipment in the Jetta 2.0T, as are dual front impact airbags and dual seat-mounted side impact airbags. Unfortunately side curtain protection and rear side airbags will cost extra, but in my view they are well worth the additional coin. With the optional airbags in place, the 2006 Jetta became the first vehicle in its class to earn the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) top rating of 'good' in side impact testing. VW engineers managed to increase the Jetta's body rigidity by 50 percent while employing enhanced safety cage principles of construction.