Somebody please remind me why the station wagon has been dismissed as uncool, the generic mom-mobile. The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen is an exciting and enjoyable compact car.
It drives like a sport sedan, hauls cargo like a small SUV or crossover and uses less fuel than smaller, duller cars.
If this is a mom-mobile, it's one smokin' hot mom.
The Sportwagen — no, the "e" is not a typo; it's VW reminding you it's more German than thou or thine car — is the wagon version of the Jetta sedan, VW's best-selling model in the United States.
The Sportwagen is a new body style for 2009, with a useful 32.9 cubic feet of cargo space versus the sedan's 16-cubic-foot trunk and benefits from a sleek profile.
Prices for the 2009 Jetta Sportwagen start at $18,999 for an S model with a 2.5-liter, 170-horsepower, five-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission. Stepping up to a six-speed automatic raises the price to $20,099.
People are also reading…
The Jetta Sportwagen SE offers the same engine and transmission choices.
Prices start at $21,349 for a manual transmission and $22,449 for an automatic.
An extremely fuel-efficient diesel version of the Jetta Sportwagen goes on sale shortly. Prices for that Sportwagen TDI model start at $23,590 with a manual transmission and $24,690 for the automatic.
The top-of-the-line Jetta Sportwagen SEL gets VW's powerful 2-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 200 horsepower but requires premium fuel. SEL prices start at $25,990 with a manual and $27,090 with an automatic.
Standard features include a six-disc in-dash CD changer, good stereo and introductory subscription to Sirius satellite radio.
The Jetta Sportwagen is fun to drive, practical, affordable and fuel efficient.
The five-cylinder engine revs smoothly, providing plenty of power for passing and spirited driving. The five-speed manual transmission's throws are short and precise.
The Sportwagen's handling is absolutely buttoned down and a reminder that a well-balanced compact car with a fuel-efficient engine can provide as much fun as a pricier sport sedan.
The electro-mechanical steering is beautifully tuned, providing plenty of assist in parking lots, responding quickly in fast maneuvers and with firm on-center feel at highway speeds.
The Sportwagen also acquits itself well on fuel economy. The SE's Environmental Protection Agency ratings of 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway are slightly better than comparable models.
The diesel-powered Jetta Sportwagen TDI, which goes on sale shortly, raises the fuel economy bar, with EPA ratings of 30 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway with a manual transmission.
The interior is quiet at highway speeds, with almost no wind noise. Road noise from bumps in the pavement tends to boom through the passenger compartment, however. That's a common problem with hatchbacks, SUVs and station wagons, because their big interiors form a larger echo chamber than the sm1aller passenger compartments in coupes and sedans.
The audio system provides excellent clarity and volume, though it has an annoying VW feature that minimizes the volume whenever you restart the car after parking.
Any mother cool enough to drive a Sportwagen probably likes to rock out. The station wagon surely has come a long way from boring 'burb-mobile to the delightful 2009 VW Jetta Sportwagen. Why shouldn't its drivers, too?
2009 VOLKS- WAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN SE
• Vehicle type: Front-wheel drive, five-passenger compact wagon
• Base price: $21,349 (excluding destination charges)
• As tested: $22,024
• Standard equipment: Anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, curtain air bags, front-seat side air bags, tire- pressure monitor, electronic differential lock, air conditioning with pollen filter, and power heated sideview mirrors, among other features.