yeah, a lot of carmakers cheap out with the plastics. i remember my 2012 jetta se had such cheap plastic trim, including a shiny hard plastic dashboard. the seats were hard too and no lumbar support and not heated despite being pleather. step up to the sel trim or one of the gli models and you got better plastics, seats, stereo and other features. the newer jettas look even cheaper inside. i later had a 2016 golf se, and that car was leaps and bounds nicer inside than the jetta, including carpeted glove box and door pockets. a couple of years later, they started cheaping out on that model too.