Friday, April 11, 2008

Jetta (2)


WASHINGTON — Fifty years ago, station wagons accounted for 15 percent of all new cars sold. Squaring off against super-sized Americruisers such as Ford’s Country Squire and Chevy’s Bel Air, Volkswagen sold its doughty little Transporter in Kombi, Microbus and Camper versions. Sure, it looked like a loaf of Wonder bread on wheels, but with as many as 21 windows and eight seats, it was the stoked choice of the homemade-granola-and-sandals crowd. Funny thing is, those old Microbuses are collectors’ items today. Today, with fuel prices spiking, Volkswagen thinks this just might be the right time for a new transporter in its lineup. But this go-round, it’s a tidy little wagon. “Station wagons are a common thread in our collective experience,” insists VW America COO Mark Barnes. More important, the Wolfsburgers know how to build a solid little hauler that’s surprisingly roomy, economical and fun to drive. Jetta wagons arrive in July with three engine choices. The base 2.5-liter inline Five brings 170 hp and 177 lb.-ft. of torque paired to a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. You can step up to a 200-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged inline Four with 207 lb.-ft. of torque. But we dig the 50-state approved, 140 hp I-4 TDI diesel with 235 lb.-ft. of torque. The diesel arrives in August and will run on B5 biodiesel. No official fuel economy figures were available, but we’d guess 20 to 21 city, 28 to 29 highway for the inline Five—nd probably well north of 40 mpg for the diesel. We drove the Sportwagen near here in the rolling countryside of Virginia, at the edge the Blue Ridge Mountains. The 170-hp 2.5 SE, VW says, sprints to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds. No official numbers on the Turbo, but it felt noticeably quicker, smoother and more responsive. Jetta Sportwagens all have MacPherson struts in front and independent multilink rear suspension that’s taut and supple, but not too stiff.

The Jetta’s power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is crisp, with nice on-center feel, just enough boost and a reasonably quick turn-in. It’s definitely a driver’s car, with an adjustable steering wheel, a well-placed dead pedal and firmly supportive buckets. And the brakes hauled both Jettas down repeatedly on twisty Virgina backroads, with no judder or fade. The Jetta Sportwagen is in many ways like a junior-league Audi. Visually, this is a high-quality piece—the interior and exterior panel gaps are perfect, and it has that just-short-of-luxurious feel. Bottom line: We’re impressed. Once again, Volkswagen has found a way to deliver impressive German-style performance at an affordable price. Close your eyes (although we don’t recommend it at speed) and there’s that unmistakable, rock-solid feel you get in competitive models from Ingolstadt, Munich or Stuttgart, but for much less money. You really have to turn around to realize you’re in a station wagon. But you are. Plus, it delivers 32.8 cu. ft. of cargo volume with the rear seats up. Fold them flat and there’s a whopping 66.9 cu. ft. And this puppy is classified as a compact car? Not in our book. The Sportwagen’s standard equipment list runs deep. Options include a huge Power Sliding Panoramic sunroof, a touchscreen nav system with an iPod connector or a console-mounted CD changer and a rearview camera. As yet, we won’t get “4MOTION,” VW’s all-wheel drive system. Apparently European demand is so high, we colonists will have to wait a while. Drat. At last November’s SEMA show in Vegas, Volkswagen previewed a lowered 2009 TDI Sportwagen with Brembo brakes, H&R sport springs and 19-inch alloys. It looked way cool. But the fact is, even a stock Jetta Sportwagen looks hip—especially in black. Prices start at $19,000. —Ken Gross

Jetta (2)

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