Road Test: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI
Two things that European automakers haven't given up on like the rest of the automotive world are diesel cars and station wagons. For some reason, only the German automakers continue to offer either in the United States, and now diesel engines are being looked at as the alternative to alternative fuel. Although nearly all of the automakers operating in North America have said they have been looking into diesel-powered, light-duty vehicles in the U.S., German automakers offer a total of 10 diesel-powered light-duty cars and SUVs by the end of this year compared to a big goose egg for the domestics and Asian automakers. While Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW all offer diesel-powered vehicles, Volkswagen is the only German marque to combine the fun and efficient technology with an affordable price on a trio of vehicles including the 2009 Jetta SportWagen TDI.
Assembled in Puebla, Mexico, the Jetta SportWagen TDI competes against a broad variety of vehicles ranging from hatchbacks to wagons to compact crossovers such as the Toyota Prius, Subaru Impreza five-door and Saturn VUE Hybrid. Packaged similarly to the top-of-the-line SEL trim level, the Jetta SportWagen TDI starts at $23,870, and many drivers will qualify for a $1,300 federal tax credit for Advanced Lean Burn Technologies driving the cost of ownership down even further. The model we drove added a few styling and technology options to raise the as-tested price up to $29,410 including the $700 destination charge. That may seem like a lot of money for a compact station wagon, but compared to high-end models of hybrids and compact crossovers it will compete against, the Jetta SportWagen offers surprising value.
2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI Exterior
The styling of the current Jetta is most likely on its way out the door soon with a new design based on the 2010 Golf, but the four-year old design still has some life left in it. Although the Golf hatchback gives a tasteful, unique take on the hatchback design, the Jetta SportWagen stays true to the classic roofline and conventional styling of a station wagon to compliment the Jetta sedan's rounded, conservative design. From the B-pillars forward, the wagon and sedan share the same components and styling, but the SportWagen adds the two-box design and added cargo space inherent in a wagon. Other than a handful of dealer show vehicles covered with green, leafy stickers, the only major difference between a standard Jetta and the diesel version is a small 'TDI' badge on the rear hatch. As another smaller sign that the TDI technology is under the hood, the diesel SportWagen replaces the chrome-tipped dual exhaust outlets extending from the rear fascia with a pair of standard stainless steel outlets that are flush with the rear bumper cover. Adding to its utilitarian purpose and styling, the SportWagen's look is finished off with a set of black aluminum roof rack rails standard and optional ($450) 17-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels.
2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI Interior
Like all Volkswagen vehicles, the Jetta SportWagen's cabin blends soft-touch, luxurious surfaces with an ergonomic layout. From the solid 'thud' sound of the door closing to the tight fit and finish of the interior components, it's refreshing to see the attention to detail VW gives all its cars including the entry-level compact Jetta. All Jetta TDI models come standard with leather-like (V-Tex Leatherette) seating surfaces and an eight-way power adjustable driver's seat, but our test vehicle added the convenience of a DVD navigation system and panoramic sunroof. While the $1,990 navigation and hard drive system makes piloting the car easier and more enjoyable, nothing can beat the open-air atmosphere that the $1,300 sunroof gives the car's occupants. In addition to the 10 gigabytes of hard drive dedicated to the user for music storage, the Jetta SportWagen TDI also includes a single disc CD slot with MP3 capabilities as well as an SD slot located on the head unit and an auxiliary jack and USB cable in the center console. Standard on the SEL and TDI, the USB port and 115-volt power inverter unfortunately eat up the majority of the storage capacity in the center console.
One area the SportWagen isn't lacking storage is in the spacious cargo area. Even with a full load of passengers, the Jetta SportWagen can hold up to 32.8 cubic feet of cargo, but with the 40/20/40 split rear bench seat folded down cargo capacity more than doubles to swallow 66.9 cubic feet. There is also a smaller storage compartment hidden under the rear cargo floor as well as deep side pockets behind the rear wheel wells. A 12-volt outlet in the cargo area leaves all SportWagen models with a total of three power outlets available.
2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI Performance & Handling
The days of loud, clattering diesel engines spewing out black, smelly clouds are gone and have been replaced by quieter, cleaner diesel engines that still get impressive fuel economy, but are also much more fun to drive than their electric-assisted counterparts. Running on ultra low sulfur diesel, the Jetta TDI's 2.0-liter turbocharged, direct-injected inline-4 uses VW's clean diesel technology that consists of a diesel particulate filter, NOx storage catalyst and H2S Slip Catalyst. Instead of using urea injection, like many automakers use, the Jetta's diesel setup requires no additional maintenance thus adding to the car's practicality. The nature of diesel engines allows the Jetta TDI to produce 140 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque - the latter of which puts the Sport in SportWagen. In base form, all Jetta TDI models power the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, but our test model added the optional ($1,100) six-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox with manual shifting abilities through VW's Tiptronic system.
Now for the numbers. The EPA estimates for our 2009 Jetta SportWagen TDI was impressive enough at 29 miles per gallon in the city and 40 miles per gallon on the highway (dropping the DSG transmission adds 1 mpg to each number), but we averaged over 40 mpg average over a week with the car and there are many claims that this setup is good for over 50 mpg! The Clean Diesel TDI not only returns stellar fuel economy, but it also reduces vehicle emissions including smelly sulfur. We could have probably squeaked out a few more mpgs by driving more conservatively, but the whole point of the Jetta TDI is to offer an alternative to hybrid cars that is fun to drive.
Fuel economy and station wagon aren't terms that would normally be followed by fun to drive, but the Jetta SportWagen TDI manages to provide an enthusiastic driving dynamic in addition to its incredible fuel-efficient powertrain. Acceleration is smooth but brisk with none of the lag normally associated with a turbo engine, but the Jetta's handling is what truly sets this car apart from other compact sedans. The electric power steering and four-wheel independent suspension allow the 3,285-pound Jetta SportWagen to be a nimble sport wagon that provides confident, precise cornering capabilities.
2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI Safety
Despite the focus on safety that Volkswagen portrayed in its Jetta commercials, the 2009 Jetta SportWagen received only four stars for frontal-impact protection and rollover avoidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but scored a perfect five stars for side-impact protection. All Jetta models were names a 2009 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Standard safety features include six airbags, electronic stability control, Anti-Slip Regulation (VW's traction control), daytime running lights and tire pressure monitoring system.
Summary
Volkswagen hit the nail on the head with its Jetta SportWagen TDI in offering a vehicle that is as fun to drive as any sport sedan, gets fuel economy equivalent to current hybrids and offers the versatility of a compact crossover. In the end, the popularity of the 2009 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI is evident by the fact that since its debut last fall, demand has steadily outpaced supply and now there is apparently a six-month waiting list for those wishing to get behind the wheel of one.