I was ready to be insulted by that comment, since I bought a Jetta. But I realized you are probably right.
So why did I (60 year old male) buy a Jetta?
I commute 100 miles per day. 40 mpg is great. And based on the looks of most cars today - the classic old school look of the Jetta is far nicer than a Mazda 3, Corolla, Civic and so forth.
And it was less expensive.
Jettas are fine vehicles, engineered to handle autobahns and among the roomiest in the compact class.
I believe VW offered very affordable leases attractive to working women who didn’t want to pay up for luxury brands but wanted some European cachet.
Judging from what I’ve seen the past decade, young guys seem to prefer the Golf over the Jetta.