2009 Volkswagen Jetta Review

A little more than three months ago, oil hit $100 a barrel for the first time. Not surprisingly, it’s stayed north of that milestone, much to the happiness of Exxon Mobil. Subsequently, the price of gas doesn’t seem like it’s going to drop anytime soon, its upward rise showing no sign of slowing down. There is never-ending talk about downsizing in the auto industry, from engine size to vehicle size. People are stepping out of large SUVs into smaller crossovers, and sales of compact and subcompact cars haven’t been healthier in years. The one exception seems to be station wagons, something that I have a difficult time wrapping my head around. Wagons are particularly good at hauling loads, especially the bigger, bulkier items - the sort of things that a trunk can’t hold. To have this capability in a small, economical car should make for an appealing package, but apparently this isn’t the case.

Many brands that once offered station wagons don’t any more. Ford, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Saturn and Subaru all used to have small wagons of sorts, but they’ve ether been replaced with hatchbacks or dropped completely. If you’re in the market for a small wagon, thank your lucky stars that one of the best is making a return after a brief hiatus, the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen.

Ah, the Jetta SportWagen. Call me a bit biased, but I liked the old Jetta Wagon simply because of its blend of compact size, high quality and good road manners, not to mention that it was available as a diesel. As a reasonably priced entry-level family hauler, you would be harder pressed to find a better vehicle. Previously, the Jetta Wagon was built in Wolfsburg, but production for all Jettas (and the Golf Variant) for the Western world has been amalgamated at the Puebla, Mexico facility, including the European diesels and the particularly appetizing sounding European-only 4Motion (all wheel drive) model, which was just launched a couple of weeks ago in Geneva.

You could never really call the Jetta Wagon pretty, but I think a lot of people will find the new one tasteful. It’s a particularly different design strategy than on the Volkswagen Passat Wagon, or any of the wagon-like variants in VW’s range in that it avoids the circular shapes and detailing for some rather average looking bezels. I do, however, have a feeling that people will take to its curvier, raked rear tailgate more than the previous model’s near vertical profile.

Being that the new Jetta SportWagen is significantly larger than the model it replaces, there’s no question which generation has more space inside. Legroom for rear passengers is vastly more generous, easily accommodating two bigger occupants, or three smaller frames. With the rear 60/40 split seatbacks in place, there’s 32.8 cubic feet of cargo volume at your disposal, which is a big increase from either the Jetta Sedan or the Rabbit, but a bit less than what the old Jetta Wagon offered at 34.0 cubic feet. However, there’s no contest when the seatbacks are folded, as the new Jetta SportWagen trounces just about any small wagon with 66.9 cubic feet of usable space, an improvement over the old model’s 52.0 cubic feet.

It isn’t just bigger either, as the space allotted is also more usable. There is the usual assortment of hooks, a cargo cover, and a bit of extra storage under the floor. However, the cleverest touch is that the floor folds up and can act as an adjustable divider, which splits the bay latitudinally in different positions, handy for keeping cargo separate, plus there are also nice chrome-plated hooks for lashing luggage down. The tailgate itself feels light and doesn’t require much more than the flick of the wrist to shut - less effort than the sedan’s trunk actually. Plus, being a station wagon and not a compact SUV / crossover, it’s a lot easier to load the cargo into the bay since the liftover height is just 26.4 inches. No pain, no gain? I like the sound of “No strain, no pain”… much better.

In just about every other department, from the interior to the drive, the Jetta SportWagen feels pretty much identical to the sedan. There’s no loss in steering or ride quality when compared to its trunked sibling, which I’ve always likened to a front wheel drive BMW. The multi-link rear suspension smoothes out bumps in the road nicely, making for a comfortable drive, while on the highway the electro-hydraulic power steering self-adjusts for crosswinds, making driving more relaxing. Your only true clue to its five-door layout from the inside is that the rear window is a bit further away, and that there’s sun streaming in through the giant panoramic glass sunroof. The 12.7-square-foot roof isn’t just a fixed pane, but split into two, which allows plenty of light and fresh air to enter the cabin, making a remarkable improvement on the airiness of the cabin.

I suppose if there’s an area of complaint it’s got to be the engine. For ‘08 the standard engine, VW’s 2.5-liter inline-five, has been upgraded to produce substantially more power and a bit more torque with a bit of a preference for revs over the old model. Standing at 170 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque, the base Jetta’s engine is just about as powerful as the first generation VR6 powerplant, and just 10 hp off the pace of the last generation 1.8T, the performance option in the old Jetta Wagon. And while the new five-cylinder engine feels smooth, it doesn’t necessarily sound it. When pushed to its upper limits it sounds hoarse and strained. VW’s 2.0T would be a fantastic option, but it’s unlikely that this combination will come into fruition as that would dig too deeply into Passat territory. Gearbox choices with the gasoline engine include a five-speed manual or a smooth-shifting six-speed auto with Tiptronic manual mode, while the diesel features a six-speed manual as standard and six-speed sequential-manual DSG as the option.

The engine that’s worth waiting for 100-percent, however, is the brand new clean diesel TDI, even if you don’t cover a lot of miles. The 2.0-liter common-rail direct injected I-4 is a wonderful motor, plain and simple. I sampled one in a Jetta last year, and found it to be quieter than the 2.5 or the 2.0T, equally as brisk as the 2.5 yet with vastly more torque and plenty to spare, even when passing. You won’t hear a peep out of anyone with regards to fuel economy. This is compared to the 2.5 auto tester, which averaged 21 mpg, although in its defense the car was still in its break-in period when obtained.

At an estimated starting price of $18,000 the Jetta SportWagen is quite affordable, and what’s more is that it’s still the fantastic entry level family car that the old model was. It suits the VW family perfectly, but consider yourself warned about the options and packages you choose. Adding features like the giant sunroof, automatic, leather, and so on quickly drives the price up. It isn’t hard to get a Jetta SportWagen well into the price territory of the Passat wagon. Personally, at the top end of the scale I would like to see a full power seat as opposed to just a two-way power reclining seatback, as well as automatic headlamps and available xenons, the latter which are available on the Jetta sedan. Like that four-door safety equipment is strong on the Jetta SportWagen, with plenty of airbags, standard four wheel discs with ABS and EBD, and available ESP traction and stability control. Expect to see a new round of “Safe Happens” television ads any day now.

The Jetta SportWagen may be one of the lone members of the compact wagon segment (although Hyundai’s Elantra Touring is on the way), but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and in a way this reality makes it a bit of a gem, and should the market for small station wagons pick up VW will be ahead of the curve instead of scrambling to catch up like it has been in the compact crossover segment. Truly, the Jetta SportWagen is a car that absolutely must be considered if you’re looking for a vehicle to carry the family about while still salvaging the enjoyment of driving. It’s an ideal solution, diesel or otherwise.